Pulp Paper & Logistics


ANDRITZ 19


Are you able to provide any references? Stefano Marenco: Customer trials are highly confidential and are protected by various nondisclosure agreements. We can tell you that we are testing some new technologies in TAD mode and the results are promising at this stage. New ideas have also been developed for new products with unique quality aspects and the trials schedule is quite tight at the moment.


Installation of a through-air dried (TAD) machine


the drying process could finally be optimised. Once all the ‘free water’ has been removed and only intercellular water is left, the impingement process is much more efficient from a drying perspective. Another recent addition to


energy-saving opportunities comes from developments in vacuum technology. Using blowers, instead of traditional liquid ring pumps, provides a hot air source that can be used for pre-heating a portion of the incoming air as it enters the system.


Another possibility, probably


more popular in places where gas supplies are more limited or infrastructure is not yet available, is the use of steam (heat exchangers) as a heating medium. The system temperatures lend themselves to consideration of such heat exchangers, especially in situations where an excess of steam is available, such as near pulp plants, etc. Explain more about fibre savings? Paul Richards: When we talk


about fibre savings we need to be a little careful. A ton of paper is still a ton of paper, whichever way you look at it. The key is, however, that the yield of finished (converted) rolls for a given end diameter is much higher, due to the much enhanced caliper (or bulk) of the finished sheet. Depending on what the goal of a customer is, they can either manufacture a lighter basis weight base sheet, or they can convert more rolls of the same basis weight. Either way, there is a saving of fibre for the same number of finished rolls, or a higher number of finished rolls for the same weight of paper. Both solutions create a path to more profit potential if all other economic factors are met.


Where are customers able see the TAD concept in action, and samples produced of their own products? Paul Richards: The PrimeLineTIAC (Tissue Innovation and Application Center) pilot


machine at our facility at Graz in Austria is currently configured in TAD mode. Now would be the ideal time for customers to see what TAD can do for their markets. Stefano Marenco: We are actually running trials with our customers and one of the main purposes of the trial is to produce paper reels (small rolls of 600 mm width) that are then converted by the customer into the final products. The tissue makers can then run market analysis and product quality tests to predict the interest of the consumer or market potential for a new product. The restrictions imposed by the Coronavirus are not helping our clients to freely travel and supervise all the trials. In some cases, where no personal presence was possible, our Andritz IT and automation personnel could support our customers with virtual meeting and assistance tools that make the trial experience as integrated as possible.


Is there any ongoing R&D work on the TAD concept? Paul Richards:One of the key areas of interest in this technology is clearly a reduction of the drying energy. Obviously our goal here is to make deep cuts into the overall net energy. Perhaps key to this is increasing the sheet solids ahead of the first TAD. This is where the largest gains in thermal drying energy reduction can be made. The question is only how much energy we have to put in elsewhere to increase the solids. Stefano Marenco: We are also focusing our research on technical solutions that can increase the overall efficiency of the TAD machine with a more compact design in order to reduce the building footprint and the civil construction costs for this technology. More information from the Andritz website at www.Andritz. com/tissue by email at tissue@ Andritz.com * Joseph Guadagno is vice


president of tissue and air systems for Andritz in North America; Stefano Marenco is director of PrimeLineTIAC and R&D Tissue for Andritz; Paul Richards is senior technology manager for tissue at Andritz.


July/August 2021


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