Latest information on products and services from the following PITA Corporate Members: ABB ; Andritz ; FMW ; Valmet.

ABB
(1) ABB has entered into a partnership with ACA Systems, the leading supplier of porosity sensors, to offer paper mill customers a proven technology that stabilizes the process to enable excellent roll quality when measuring online porosity. The single point ACA Permi sensor uses a continuous air flow method that is 50 to 100 times faster than other systems available on the market to reduce air permeance variations, enabling better product quality, optimized energy usage and reduced raw material costs.

The multiple advanced calibration features improve the accuracy of the measurements while also enabling faster grade changes, improving overall runnability. This accuracy means that the level of fines can be better controlled while monitoring the direct effect of refining, retention, broke addition and vacuum levels.

When stabilized air permeability is at the desired level, the roll is considered highest quality. In contrast to laboratory measurements that take 5 to 10 points from the produced roll, ACA Permi measures more than 10,000 points in real time and makes a sophisticated, statistical analysis on the quality of the roll.

Under the partnership, ABB will supply the user-friendly ACA Permi to customers as the porosity option within its own portfolio. It is designed to be used in paper mills with requirements for online porosity measurement as a standalone solution or as part of the quality control systems (QCS) package.

It serves ABB’s L&W installed base by providing a replacement for the soon-to-be obsolete Porolog while augmenting the current QCS offering with the industry-leading porosity measurement that is easily integrated into the QCS for data, display and control. When combined with QCS, it can leverage the ABB Ability™ Quality Management System with its System 800xA backbone. It also has potential to be installed and used with ABB’s remote support.

“Our customers have reported faster grade change times of between 15 percent and 50 percent when controlling the roll quality with ACA Permi. This is a major benefit for operators focused on minimizing production loss and maximizing return on investment, ” said Vesa Kukkamo, CEO of ACA Systems.

The sensor offers a wide measurement range that usually requires one single calibration, so there is typically no need to change parameters or physical parts for various grades. Plus, the automatic cleaning cycle and smart construction make for easy maintenance and installation. The measurement signal is also compatible with all mill-wide systems and cloud services.

“ACA was strategically chosen for its leadership position, attained through extensive expertise in this space, and abilities to provide continuous measurement and strong service capability. The ACA Permi delivers more accurate, faster measurement results and therefore a higher quality output, which we know is crucial for our customers,” said Ad de Brouwer, Product Manager at ABB.

ACA Permi’s unique measurement head design, tailored with special coatings for challenging applications such as decor paper, provides excellent contact with the web and eliminates the leakage of air, dust and other disturbances. Both vacuum and air blow methods are available, resulting in a very high correlation between the ACA Permi and any lab standard.

The sensor suits a wide range of paper grades, including sack paper, MG-kraft paper, cigarette paper, security paper, decor paper, photo base paper, thermal paper, carbonless paper, saturating paper and base paper before coating.

(2) ABB has upgraded its industry-leading L&W Felt Moisture and Felt Permeability Meters with new software, unlocking new features that improve their value for paper mill customers as a key process measurement solution to optimize press section performance.

Having helped identify the effectiveness of felt conditioning for decades, these instruments provide paper mills, and felt and chemical suppliers, with industry-standard results for felt moisture and permeability measurement. Now, in addition to their handheld use, both felt meters have functionality for online scanner usage that will enable mills to maximize their scanner investment while also extending the lifecycle of their felts.

Included in the upgrade of L&W Felt Moisture and Permeability Meters is the addition of ABB’s new easy-to-use PressView 3D software application that streamlines device setup and enables more detailed review and analysis on a PC. With a dedicated function for online scanner usage, operators also gain access to unique zone-related 3D mapping and Graphical Fast Fourier Transformation ( FFT) analysis. These features help visualize problems that appear at certain frequencies – linking them to machine problem areas – and provide the exact coordinates on the felt safely without additional effort.

The updates create a simplified user experience with keyless operation for scanner and extension handle usage. A new high-definition storage feature allows safer and more accurate data viewing and retrieval for quick and reliable measurements with a minimum of settings . These are the only process measurement instruments available that provide an accurate automatic felt line detection without any sensitivity adjustments necessary from the user.

The new features make more frequent measurement easier and more informative – even with handheld use – to not only create a more efficient felt conditioning program, but also for mills themselves to further optimize press felts to maximize machine runnability and overall profitability.

“ With more stringent safety requirements and the increased development in online scanners for felt measurement, these new features help papermakers to maximize their investment in online scanners and make more frequent measurements ,” said Ad de Brouwer, Product Manager for process measurements, ABB Pulp and Paper. “ The upgrades demonstrate our commitment to continuous product development that helps customers reduce energy and raw material usage, enhance felt life and performance and achieve maximum speed and runnability for their paper machines.”

Existing L&W Felt Moisture and Felt Permeability customers can perform a software upgrade to receive the enhanced feature set, while new customers receive the more advanced features at no additional cost.

Obtaining complete data on felt moisture content is critical to keep up with the demands on press felts and increase its lifecycle. Accurate and frequent measurement of felt status using the meters enables customers to take immediate corrective actions to overcome unnecessary high energy costs in the dryer section. It reduces unscheduled shutdowns, increases maximum felt lifetime with optimum de-watering performance, maximizes machine speed, optimizes cleaning using high pressure showers, improves paper quality and reduces paper breaks.

For further information on Felt Moisture Meter, please visit: l-w-felt-moisture-meter

For Further information on Felt Permeability Meter, please visit: l-w-felt-permeability-meter

ANDRITZ
ANDRITZ has successfully launched the new PrimeFilter D as cutting-edge technology in thickening and fiber recovery.

The new disc filter is perfectly suited to all system applications for many different pulp types and leads the way for upgraded performance and reliability in fiber processing.

The PrimeFilter D builds on ANDRITZ disc filter technology, which has been well proven over decades, and brings together several key technological innovations in one unit to improve throughput and reduce both investment and operating costs:

• HHw technology for advanced feeding and optimum flow conditions within the filter. Thus, the PrimeFilter D can handle higher feed consistencies and higher-freeness pulp, even in the most demanding applications.
• CC bagless sectors, offering significant improvements in terms of operation thanks to very homogeneous fiber mat build-up as well as fast mat knock-off. The special design of the sectors eliminates the need for a filter bag and reduces maintenance to almost zero.
• Two-level shaft sealing: The innovative, double sealing arrangement is easily accessible and ensures greater reliability and superior filtrate quality.

Peter Clewes, Vice President Stock Preparation and Recycled Fiber Systems within the Paper, Fiber and Recycling Division at ANDRITZ, explains: “The innovative PrimeFilter D has already been very well received on the market. Several units are in the process of being started up, and we have received further orders from leading producers. This is proof that we have met our targets to improve performance and reduce maintenance when it comes to disc filter technology.”

Further information on the PrimeFilter D is available at: andritz.com/primefilterd

FMW Förderanlagen GmbH (FMW)
FMW Förderanlagen GmbH (FMW) are pleased to announce that we are now represented in the U.K. by Papermachine Consultancy Services Ltd (PCS).

FMW is the Austrian engineering company specialized in handling systems for the pulp, paper, energy, chipboard and recycling industry. We provide the full spectrum of products and services from consulting, design, project execution to after-sales services.

FMW have been supplying equipment into the U.K. market for many years already, so we know that you will appreciate the advantages of having a locally based support team.

Mike Mason and his PCS team are available 24/7 to handle your queries and spares requirements.

For more information on how we can “engineer YOUR progress” please contact:
Mike Mason 07884 556542 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

VALMET
Valmet enhances the offering of Valmet Paper Lab, an automated paper testing laboratory, for linerboard applications. In recent years, a large share of the Valmet Paper Lab deliveries has already been for linerboard applications. With a new S-Test module, Valmet Paper Lab offers a complete laboratory package for linerboard producers.|

“The new S-Test module offers even more benefits by saving operators’ time, materials and providing real-time valuable quality information. In typical linerboard measurements, such as tensile strength, basis weight, short span compression (SCT), burst, caliper, surface properties, and porosity, Valmet Paper Lab has become a cornerstone of the laboratory automation,” says Bogdan Pavlovic, Business Manager, Board and Paper Analyzers, Automation business line, Valmet.

Faster and easier classification with S-Test
Compared to the time-consuming and user-dependent standard manual laboratory procedure known as Concora Medium Test (CMT), the S-Test offers a fast and easy method for estimating the strength classification of containerboard medium fluting. There is no need to corrugate or tape the test pieces, which makes the strength classification fast and easy, and provides significant savings in time and materials. The S-Test has been standardized by German Institute for Standardization and confirmed by The Cepi Container Board, a European industry association of producers of corrugated case materials.

Read more: https://www.valmet.com/paperlab