Modernisation of the wet end section
04.08.2020 - Innovations / Investments, Company / Mills
Becoming even more efficient and competitive with state-of-the-art technology is one of the cornerstones of our corporate strategy. At the Neuss mill in Germany, we invested in higher product quality and productivity by modernising the wet end section.
New headboxes and modernisation of the approach flow system
In early 2020, as part of a comprehensive conversion at the Neuss mill, we began installing high-turbulence headboxes for middle and reverse layers. Additional investments were made to rebuild the sorting in the approach flow system.
Every paper and cartonboard machine starts with the headbox and subsequent wire section. This is where sheets are formed, a process that can affect essential quality parameters like stiffness and visual properties. The approach system connects the stock preparation with the headbox and ensures consistent pressure. Stock density and volume streams can be precisely adjusted according to the quality and grammage to be produced.
Investment in more quality and productivity
The key outcome of the modernisation is the premium profile quality, i.e. consistent basis weight profiles in machine and cross direction thanks to a state-of-the-art profiling system at the middle layer headbox. Grammage fluctuations across the width of the machine are thereby minimised. The headboxes can be run at high machine speeds even with very low stock consistency, which results in good formation and optimal coverage of the product. The liner and cartonboard qualities produced in this way benefit from better printing and converting properties.
With this conversion, the mill has been upgraded to the latest technology. This represents another step in orienting the Neuss mill toward lightweight, high-quality coated liner qualities.
