News 2008 - February

For the largest SC paper machine in Germany which was build by the Myllykoski group in Plattling, Bavaria, and named Plattling Papier PM 1, which had started up in December 2007, VIB supplied an extensive moisturizing system and smoothness profilers for the calenders.

The net sheet width is 10700 mm (422") and this makes the machine one of the largest ever build for SC papers, annual production shall reach 380000 t at a speed of approx. 1600 m/min.

Special nozzles developed by VIB are decisive for the success of the worldwide first online "moisture-gradient" SC-A calendering process. When entering the calender after the drying section the paper is remoistured again, in a way that the core of the paper stays dry. The fibres at the surface of the sheet become elastic. When running through the calender nips the paper is made smooth and gloss on both sides, and the volume of the paper is not compressed too much.

The 3 VIB AirTech systems for this machine have been installed into the OptiLoad Twinline calender with an unique concept, 2 spraydampeners of the complete VIB AirTechPlus 6 system are installed before the first stack of the calender for remoisturizing of both sides of the paper, a third spraydampener is installed after the first stack before the paper enters the second stack. The total number of individually controlled spray nozzles is 1308. This system is therefore one of the largest spraydampeners in the world for automatic cross machine moisture profile control and remoisturizing of the sheet.

Further both in the first stack as well in the second stack one VIB SmoothTech steamshower have been installed for dedicated fine steaming of the paper. The steamshowers have each 72 automatically control zones in cross machine direction.

Various pilot trials in Germany and Finland proceeded the order for this giant system, papers of the Myllykoski group have been used, for example in the new research centre CTC in Raisio, Finland.