~

apermaking Part 3,
Finishing
Papermaking Science and Technology
a series of 19 books
covering the latest
technology and
future trends

Book 10

Papermaking Part 3,
Finishing

| Series editors
, Johan Gullichsen, Helsinki University of Technology
' Hannu Paulapuro, Helsinki University of Technology

Book editor
Mikko Jokio, Stora Enso Oyj

Series reviewer
Brian Attwood, St. Anne’s Paper and Paperboard Developments, Ltd.

Book reviewers
Gerald J. Kramer, Beloit Corporation
David R. Roisum, Finishing Technologies, Inc.
Mark A. Sorenson, Kusters Beloit LLC

Published in cooperation with the Finnish Paper Engineers' Association and

TAPPI
Cover photo by Martin MacLeod

ISBN 952-5216-00-4 (the series)

ISBN 952-5216-10-1 (book 10)

Published by Fapet Oy
(Fapet Oy, PO BOX 146, FIN-00171 HELSINKI, FINLAND)

Copyright © 1999 by Fapet Oy. All rights reserved.

Printed by Gummerus Printing, Jyvaskyla, Finland 1999

Printed on LumiMatt 100 g/m*, Stora Enso Fine Paper, Imatra Mill

Certain figures in this publication have been reprinted by permission of TAPPI.

I Foreword
PAPERMAKING SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Papermaking is a vast, multidisciplinary technology that has expanded tremendously in

recent years. Significant advances have been made in all areas of papermaking,
including raw materials, production technology, process control and end products. The
complexity of the processes, the scale of operation and production speeds leave little
room for error or malfunction. Modern papermaking would not be possible without a
proper command of a great variety of technologies, in particular advanced process
control and diagnostic methods. Not only has the technology progressed and new
technology emerged, but our understanding of the fundamentals of unit processes, raw
materials and product properties has also deepened considerably. The variations in the
industry’s heterogeneous raw materials, and the sophistication of pulping and
papermaking processes require a profound understanding of the mechanisms involved.
Paper and board products are complex in structure and contain many different
components. The requirements placed on the way these products perform are wide,
varied and often conflicting. Those involved in product development will continue to
need a profound understanding of the chemistry and physics of both raw materials and

product structures.
Paper has played a vital role in the cultural development of mankind. It still has a
key role in communication and is needed in many other areas of our society. There is no
doubt that it will continue to have an important place in the future. Paper must, however,
maintain its competitiveness through continuous product development in order to meet
 the ever-increasing demands on its performance. It must also be produced economi-
cally by environment-friendly processes with the minimum use of resources. To meet
these challenges, everyone working in this field must seek solutions by applying the
basic sciences of engineering and economics in an integrated, multidisciplinary way.
The Finnish Paper Engineers' Association has previously published textbooks
and handbooks on pulping and papermaking. The last edition appeared in the early
80's. There is now a clear need for a new series of books. It was felt that the new series
should provide more comprehensive coverage of all aspects of papermaking science
and technology. Also, that it should meet the need for an academic-level textbook and at
the same time serve as a handbook for production and management people working in
this field. The result is this series of 19 volumes, which is also available as a CD-ROM.

When the decision was made to publish the series in English, it was natural to
seek the assistance of an international organization in this field. TAPP! was the obvious
partner as it is very active in publishing books and other educational material on pulping
and papermaking. TAPPI immediately understood the significance of the suggested
new series, and readily agreed to assist. As most of the contributors to the series are
- Finnish, TAPPI provided North American reviewers for each volume in the series. Mr.

Brian Attwood was appointed overall reviewer for the series as a whole. His input is
gratefully acknowledged. We thank TAPPI and its representatives for their valuable con-
tribution throughout the project. Thanks are also due to all TAPPl-appointed reviewers,
whose work has been invaluable in finalizing the text and in maintaining a high standard
throughout the series.
A project like this could never have succeeded without contributors of the very
highest standard. Their motivation, enthusiasm and the ability to produce the necessary
material in a reasonable time has made our work both easy and enjoyable. We have
also learnt a lot in our "own field" by reading the excellent manuscripts for these books.
We also wish to thank FAPET (Finnish American Paper Engineers' Textbook),
which is handling the entire project. We are especially obliged to Ms. Mari Barck, the
project coordinator. Her devotion, patience and hard work have been instrumental in

getting the project completed on schedule.

Finally, we wish to thank the following companies for their financial support:

A. Ahlstrom Corporation
Stora Enso Oyj
Kemira Oy
Metsa-Serla Corporation
Rauma Corporation
Raisio Chemicals Ltd
Tamfelt Corporation
UPM-Kymmene Corporation

We are confident that this series of books will find its way into the hands of
numerous students, paper engineers, production and mill managers and even profes-
sors. For those who prefer the use of electronic media, the CD-ROM form will provide all
that is contained in the printed version. We anticipate they will soon make paper copies
of most of the material.
B List of Contributors
Airola Niiles, M.Sc., R&D Engineer, Valmet Corporation, Coaters and Reels

Ehrola Juha, M.Sc. (Eng.), General Manager Technology, Valmet Corporation,

Printing Paper Machines

Happonen Esa, M.Sc., Sales Manager, Valmet Corporation, Winders

Hernesniemi Ari, B.Sc. (Eng.), Product Manager, Valmet Corporation, Calenders

Hamalainen Anu, M.Sc., Mill Manager, Stora Enso Fine Paper, Imatra Mill

Jokio Mikko, Vice President R&D, Stora Enso, Newsprint

Jorkama Marko, Tech.Lic., Winding Specialist, Valmet Corporation, Winders

Kojo Teppo, M.Sc., R&D Engineer, Valmet Corporation, Coaters and Reels

Komulainen Pekka, M.Sc., Consultant, Pele Oy

Kuosa Harri, M.Sc. (Eng.), Vice President, Valmet Corporation, Calenders

Kyytsoénen Markku, M.Sc. (Eng.), Business Manager, Valmet Corporation, Calenders

Lasander Hannu, M.Sc., Manager, Valmet Corporation, Roll Management Systems

Linnonmaa Pekka, M.Sc. (Eng.), Development Manager, Valmet Corporation,

Calenders

Luomi Seppo, M.Sc., R&D Manager, Valmet Corporation, Coaters and Reels

Malinen Unto, Ph.Lic. (Phys), Winder Specialist, Valmet Corporation, Winders

Maenpaa Tapio, Lic. Tech. (Eng.), Development Manager, Valmet Corporation,

Calenders

Makinen Jukka, M.Sc., Marketing Manager, Valmet Corporation, Roll Handling

Niemi Pekka, B.Sc., Superintendent, Stora Enso, Ingerois Oy

Paanasalo Jari, M.Sc., R&D Manager, Valmet Corporation, Winders

Pietikainen Reijo, Ph.Lic, Research Manager, Valmet Corporation, Calenders

Pirnes Lauri, B.Sc., Superintendent, Stora Enso Fine Paper, Veitsiluoto Mill

Ponkamo Jukka, M.Sc., Production Manager, Valmet Corporation, Roll Handling

Rautakorpi Timo, M.Sc., R&D Engineer, Valmet Corporation, Coaters and Reels

Ruohio Raimo, M.Sc., R&D Manager, Valmet Corporation, Roll Handling

Stapels Rob, M.Sc., (Eng.), Development Manager Roll Covers, Valmet Corporation,
Calenders

Tani Mikko, M.Sc., (Eng.), Sales Manager, Valmet Corporation, Calenders

Terho Kari, Manager, Valmet Corporation, Roll Wrapping Machines

Turunen Ismo, M.Sc., Manager of Customer Training, Valmet Corporation, Winders

Verajankorva Janne, M.Sc., R&D Engineer, Valmet Corporation, Coaters and Reels

Vuorikari Hannu, M.Sc., (Eng.), Manager, Operations Development and Quality

Assurance, Valmet Corporation, Calenders
a Preface
Papermaking, part 3 focuses on paper and board finishing processes. In
finishing, we include calendering, reeling, winding, roll wrapping and
handling, and sheet finishing. Calendering defines the final surface
properties and thickness for the paper web. The main controlling
parameters are nip load, roll surface temperature, roll surface smoothness,
moisture content and temperature of paper, and the speed of calendering
process. The selection criterion for on- or off-line calendering solutions
depend on paper grade, process requirements, and available calendering
technologies. Recently, multinip calenders have challenged traditional hard
nip, super, and soft calenders. These new technologies allow both a
considerable increase in the calendering speed and improved surface
properties. This will obviously boost on-line calendering and thus will offer
less capital-intensive process solutions. The challenges in reeling are also
connected to higher speeds and denser papers. The reeling technologies
have been developed towards an improved nip control between the reel
and reeling drum. This includes improvements both for nip load and web
tension accuracy all through the reeling stages. The result is seen in a
more uniform reel structure. Improved reel structure will reduce the amount
of paper waste and runnability problems in the following process stages.
The latest developments in reeling have been mainly based on roll winding
technology. The increase in roll sizes, long transportation chains, and
printing press development has been putting continuous pressure on
customer roll quality and the winding process. Sufficient protection needs
to be provided for the rolls all through the delivery chain to the final
customer printing plant. The decisive factors are the quality and strength of
the wrapping and a gentle handling at each stage of the delivery process.
Paper and board sheets make up a considerable share of the finished
products. Especially the rapid development in office paper printing
technologies has strengthened the position of sheets. The main challenges
here are the runnability of the sheet products themselves and production
efficiency of the sheet finishing process.

Finally | would like to congratulate all the contributors of this book. Your
effort has been both highly professional and persistent. It has been a
pleasure to co-operate with you all through the two year project. You really
made it happen. Thank you.

May 1999
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BCHATR ()
Calendering

1 MntrOdUGtiON 6c ciscccicencckecds Qirea vives dace eavenee ys ta akeaneet Seo oee meme ote blesMines eae ates 14
2 Calender typeS® fsdi0i0. tame A ak td a ee een oe ee ees eee se ee 15
21... Hard MiP: CAENON iss cickseiveen Siourinasatne ovnoeviateaset nck ecdct ee eee ae ee ane Rags 15
2.1.1 ‘Hard nip calendering OrOCeSs 5, 2.c.s.c5.-ceeecte eee eerie tere eee 16
2:1,.2 Hard Nipscalendet COMGO DIS xc wcs.ceivscctec cara stevens cee eneei ered Cte Ree ee a 18
2.2 —Sott calerrder ses ch iS ea Aas accede ce ee 23
2.24. ‘SO Calendaring PROCESS cca Meccan delle c.. See eameeeeaeee. lee en 23
2.2.2. ‘SOR Calender COMEE PTS <:-.ccssieviivs oes cs ss cance nee ect 0s ee ene eee ee 24
2:8... ..SUPSHCALC HAO: A aie Keke een eda enact ecto cece Niniigieveels ee 29
2:4. Mullti-miip @alencer 2s. fcicctsn fess .ckesoecckes cad sues tees eeSoames tee teett soe eee 30
24.1 Sanusicalender wis cmeres ck sks Rae el ee oat wicelCcne 2 Pee 36
2.4.2 “PROSOPPCAIIIOGR foi. cain: oscstsdecees ce aeecapeeas ae Cee ace teea sce Gt ae ee 38
2A.S , Optilioad Calender ic. .teeow akan acenea reece. tats tees See edocs Cana eee eee came ee 38
2.5 Specialty Calenders tfc. cc 25:sascsesccapeeeeeetee tatebesSeacane ct eetaccoee eee eae ee ea 40
2.5: 1 “WRPSTAGK 25.02.2020 SL eee acct ee ace eee 40
20:2 BREAKER SLACK). locks oats caeet anette ee ce 40
2.5.3 “FRCHOM CALENGOT 31255. n.0ekccscsccarartereaeter see tace ee eat ee 4{
2.5.4 IBRuSi RISKING 2 Gy. earns eel oo 41
25:5 TONG NIP Calenders. c.c.cccclacaeetee eenae tne acces 42
2.5.6. “ENDOSSHIG' CAlENAGIS:s:...:<caia stent eee woe cc eee ke 42
3 Calendering Variables... :....sa:icecosncceeseeeeusdstecescvcducscuntnadee seeds eeueeee=aaa amma 43
3:1 —-Plastic yeOPtN@ PAPer vo. v.c..cc hn tee te ccevccval creme cue 44
3.1:1 ‘Glass transition temperatures. eae 2 S6 ee 44
Oel2° OREPUANSHIONS - 35 ic. Acie eee ce acc ee ree 46
3.2 Paper and thermo roll temperature 0a Bee kt cee 46
3:3. MOISHUTOD Seseci. Fi. Dt. coneeeeee ere eeu lesa 47
iA” LAMBA VOM occ. 52 seca Sand nosex aetna eet aetna ane 48
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S.6> SPOOd verctiedt...lavcdiss a hsasea tase ene tls erat nea 50
Sf SPE rOMCOVET s.5..:... 5... podleedynsoreuanc eitees voce sce seesaeeel ieee eee een 50
BiB PUPMISM Te i...sindtenccsacsaetevaesemtunecteeraderekiecde sateneneeee coe 51
3.9. Coating Color fort ulationn a ae mie ee os cxcscacccx dc careevvsssccesoteeee eee nee ean 52
3.10 Roll Surface rouQhmess adi .vsstcvassuswt-+scnecacnelleereeecnn cosa 52
4 Calendering process application areas ...............c.ccsscssecossssscneceseasccesceeseceus 53
4.1 Wood-containing paper Qra@es -2i0esvvc.s-acetn
cease eee 53

10
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11
SCHAPrTR | as
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G2. _ Calender Soft OWS: joc.sescsiccssscanecacncsansunanattale nla aceeeRee ofthebeaes tteve aeiemmm ee eee 82
8.2.4 The development Of SOF PONS ..icqcccccccmagsencomeiacstancncns <Aaecaeeaee oeenec |ateean esteem 82
Gi2i2, FUCA MONS TODAY .cxiinnissnssnouncisetmaetcpesh nein see eee tae eee ee eee ec Msee 84
8.2.3... Palyiner rolls TO ays. us xsi cs okinawa panic eee 89
8.2.4 Filled rolls versus pohyaver SOUS ic.ccsennicnercnnasnexconntde seein tate eeneeeeen ener ere a 94
BS... OUR RONS eins. x. tac..ccrnsacoesnnn-nicimanvinionanvnite culevasedepmbsaaeilirsneeesises gene aecee ate 96
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1: WORT ceric ARETE, wepnnsinasie inane ee 97
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10 Process control and automation. .......232.20:8: 03.5.2. Ae ee ee 101
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10:2. Requirementsiand methods for calender control .4.c...2.2.42. 20:25 ee 102
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10.5 Actuators for control of paper surface properties ......c.cccccccccccscscssesessesesceseseeveseseeseeeeseees 107
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10.5.4 Zone-controlled Steam SNOwWelS x..ic<.ocnucemannssrucupseacuereeaus ee:cena s 110
10:6. .Attiornatic on-line Caliper GOITER cassc1na.axsc<2.cscstensaiesicnc Sete eee aa tanss
eee 110
10.6.1 Caliper control structure for a hard nip Calender ........ccccccccccscccccsceceececseeecececeeveces 111
10.6.2 CD caliper control structure for a Soft Calender ............cccccccccsccececcseescecseccesseceseree 1t2
10.7 Automatic on-line smoothness and gloSs CONtKOL .........ccccccccecesececsscesscssesesecececseeeeeseeeeees 114
10.7.1 Caliper, smoothness, and gloss control structure for a supercalender................ 114
110.8. OptimiZINg CONTCONS 1.0.0 cccisceniiascaesvr sane Doacop tetaeesicuceneteucly ee eae 115
10.8.1 Automatic grade: Chane isvisiansssyusccscccsrac msesct ea nsnsenesic eae 5
10:8.2 Coordinated: speed. change: GONOL cavcscuiacccss.nassiscncce eae nsaqellea 116
10.8.3: Machine speed optimizatiomiCOmtol ..-.ni-ns<c.sucsatseus eee eee
ses.c 116
10.8.4 Start-wp: COMMttOl :..covs-azcy.connss taxcossnceansnlnsacoin tiie siteesccsteSane iin 117

12
BCHARTR ) a
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12 Modeling of calendering process ................:-2ccccessscecgececcsaycersscsescsucvseccneas 119
RZ BHC OCIGUORM adn cre oe tect tee a ln ck NE ek Aer Eee ee 119
PA ZOUEE FOGCS SOS ANNU TIOCIIS ccyet eestest te iuagedl Acces Agen ails ce hhc ch abecth ce ten ene 120
12.3. Mathematical and empirical modeling approaches. ...............c.ccccscecesecssensseeessesseeseees 124
TZO a MathennatiCal MOGEHIG ates. ck.aa cortsaleiensceasels oBieie wap ee 121
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TheeAMR EMO IVGNG TAINED ENINGOSSites ec Fo Cs wc sev vse conc eaRU RR MRE a ee mR Mean Mae 122
13 Review in calendering modeling studieS ..................ccccceeeeecececeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaes 124
Lon COnSIUeraHOnS ON, Calender, NID /MECMANICS, ...cs:<atescaat ovancasscecn<es Atos pmaneee eoaacussteneeenercetmaces 124
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134 2 NUIMeLICal MOGEIS [OE CALCCE!, Ug cess crcsa. eon thea gekon taccvasvce sto tatvacovpiveonteaeetiancers 126
13.2—Modeling the paper web behavior in Calendering ...............::ssceccseseeecseeeeteeeeeeeseeeeseeeenteee 126
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BER LOIIC OS cca c cre soe oe vote hoe si Sk nsinecincuiscsdtnas GRUBHR CRESS RE WeEMG QUANG RRR TE ee tua POE een 136

13
CHAPTER 1

Juha Ehrola, Ari Hernesniemi, Harri Kuosa, Markku Kyytsénen, Pekka Linnonmaa,
Tapio Maenpaa, Reijo Pietikainen, Rob Stapels, Mikko Tani, Hannu Vuorikari

Caddie
1 Introduction
Calendering is the final chance to affect paper properties in the papermaking process of
many grades of paper. In the calendering process, the paper web is pressed between
two or more rolls. The paper is molded by mechanical wale oat plasticizing of the web.
jie mainARS ofMecca Ke ) modify surface structu iper of

structure % amen a | — eh The eer ere structureA iapeae on the

printing method. As with most processes, along with the good changes, we must also
expect bad changes — everything is a trade-off. Examples of bad side effects are
decreasing bulk and poor stiffness properties. The calendering process is an optimiza-
tion of the desired and unwanted changes by calendering method and conditions.
Calendering also has different functions depending on the calender location and
paper grade. Coated papers have calenders both before the coater (precalendering)
and after the coater (final co eee

orc THe CcyfF the

a | Jer
~ PAPE!
ic
lo,
the
t
hetter
YELLE
|

Gpecal paper grade calenders can have other purposes such as controlling sili-
con absorption (release paper).
A process stage that develops the surface properties of paper and evens out the
web has been used since the beginning of the papermaking era. In China, where paper-
making started, the paper surface properties were enhanced by rubbing a dried hand
sheet with a smooth stone. This process developed both the smoothness and gloss of
the paper sheet, but it was probably hard to reach an even finish. However, as the usage
of paper was for writing, this was not a critical issue.
When printing methods were developed, there was a need to be able to develop
paper surface properties more evenly and with a higher capacity. As the papers were
produced in sheet form, they also had to be calendered in sheets. This process took
place by pressing a pile of papers between smooth steel plates. The pressing of the
plates was accomplished by two rollers. This unit can be regarded as the first calender-
ing machine.
In the early 1800s, when the first paper machines started to produce paper, the
industry began a process of research and development to find out how to treat paper in
the web form. Initial methods used rolls similar to those that were used for pressing

14
 Calendering

the smooth steel plates in sheet calenders. As these rolls were pressing the web directly
and the production speed was higher, there was a need to develop the manufacturing
accuracy of the rolls. This was, however, very demanding for the machine tools of that
era and resulted frequently in an uneven finish.
To treat the web more evenly, a cal-
endering method using a soft surface roll
made of pressed paper sheets was devel-
oped. This was the beginning of the
supercalender (Fig. 1) and filled rolls, also
called bowls.
As soon as hard rolls could be
manufactured to acceptable tolerances,
the real hard nip calender was born. From
that point, we had the fundamental calen-
dering processes of today — hard nip cal-
endering and supercalendering.
For heavier grades like board, higher
process temperatures in conjunction with
soft rubber-based calender covers were
used in a later era. This process, with the
use of better roll covers, developed into
what is now called soft calendering. a
Further development in the last ten Figure1.Early supercalender.
years has made it possible to develop a cs cee ee
multinip calendering process that can make use of higher process temperatures and
deliver a higher capacity than traditional supercalenders. This kind of hybrid calender is
now opening new possibilities as polymer rolls take over the 150-year-old invention of
the filled roll.

2 Calender types
2.1 Hard nip calender
Hard nip calenders are used for a variety of paper and board grades. In this calendering
process, the web is pressed between two or more hard rolls. Hard nip calenders of two
main categories are used:

- Two-roll hard nip calenders

- Multiroll hard nip calenders.

15°
CHAPTER 1

Two-roll calenders are primarily used for calendering webs that do not need
heavy calendering: for pre-calendering before coating and for finishing of uncoated
woodfree papers. Multiroll calenders most commonly have four or six rolls and are used
for newsprint, smooth woodfree papers, and specialty papers (Fig. 2). In older paper
machines, there might still be two or three stacks, each having six to eight rolls.

Figure 2. Calender stack in a paper machine.

2.1.1 Hard nip calendering process

In the hard nip calendering process, pressure between the nip rolls affects the web. The
control parameters are linear pressure between the rolls and the roll surface tempera-
ture. Also, the number of nips can be used as a control parameter. Traditionally, hard nip
calenders have had heating systems that were not able to influence the surface temper-
ature of the rolls and the process. With heated rolls that are able to operate at elevated
temperatures, the temperature has become an active parameter.
The hard nip calendering process is straightforward and works almost solely on
two principles: densifying the web with pressure and copying the surface of the rolls to
the web. This process has advantages over more complicated processes, but it also has
drawbacks.
The nip that is formed between the relatively small-diameter hard rolls is short
and the actual contact pressure in the nip (the pressure applied to the web) is high,

16
 Calendering

even with a low linear posein

Tall nip: Asa Bape! ee He ANS has unevenness BSCS
rites

: ich pressure densifies the paper wet

of iebere and ae fiber bonding in the sheet.
For paper grades that must have good caliper profile and reel buildup, the hard
nip calender used to be the only process machine that could affect small-scale profile
problems. Profiling is done by air showers (cold and/or hot) or by induction heating
beams that are controlled zonewise.
Special problems on multiroll hard nip calenders are the runnability problems
caused by the widening or elongation of the web in the process (Fig. 3). The nip pres-
sure compresses the paper. Simultaneously the sheet is getting wider but, as the web is
transferred to the next nip, it has no chance to widen out. This can cause wrinkles at the
next nip and might cause web breaks. This p enomenon limits eseamount of stesaall

inaTt aera Pecans and ALS: must be ‘compensa

sion, nip loads, and shrinkage of the web.

max
Linear | Thickness 200 mm Linear | Thickness
8 in load \\m
kN/m i

Results: Same caliber, smoothness, tensile strength,

slightly less gloss with four-roll calender,
bubbling depends on the paper quality too.
- Initial thickness 131 wm in both cases
* Bubbling or bagging or wrinkling

1,
CHAPTER 1

Another problem in multiroll cal-

enders is barring (Fig. 4). This is a vibra-
tion behavior of the calender roll stack. X
that begins due to unevenness of the
paper web entering the calender or
mechanical vibration induced by the cal-
ender, drives, surrounding machinery, or
out of roundness in rolls e all rolls
in the calender work tog eical- |
ender stack, the vibration pattern is trans- X

wet

Advantages of hard nip calendering:

- Cost-efficient operation

- Effective influence on caliper

profile
- Simple tail threading. Xx
Drawbacks of hard nip calendering:
- Danger of blackening

4 eeutett nae 4. Calender barring model. —

- Loss of bulk

- Limited printing results

- Runnability of the process limits operating range

- Severe operational problems caused by barring and vibration.

2.1.2 Hard nip calender concepts

Two-roll hard nip calenders
Most commonly, a heated cast-iron roll and a deflection compensated roll comprise the
two-roll hard nip calender (Fig. 5). One of a group of varying frame types supports the

18
 Calendering

rolls. Most common is an open frame that supports the bearing housings of the rolls
from one side. Rolls are usually vertically arranged with one above the other, but they
can also be at a 10-15° angle to avoid vibrations. Closed framing can also be used
together with self-loading deflection compensated rolls.
The main rolls in the calender can
be of various designs. Heated rolls are
either double-walled rolls or peripherally
drilled rolls. Hot water is circulated
through the rolls for heating the roll sur-
face to temperatures of 80°C —120°C.
The lower end of this temperature range
has no real influence of the surface qual-
ity development of the web. More impor-
tant is that the water circulation evens out
the roll surface temperature in the cross
direction (CD) and therefore helps to pro-
duce a better caliper profile. The higher
end of the temperature range significantly Figure 5. Two-roll hard nip calender.
increases the smoothness development |
potential of the calender.
Deflection compensation in the second roll is a necessity because paper
machines have become so wide that the deflections of the rolls disturb web profiles.
Theoretically, solid chilled cast-iron rolls could be used, but then these rolls should be
crowned to compensate for the deflection. This kind of crown only operates in a narrow
linear pressure range. In wider calenders, this range would be so narrow that only one
linear load could practically be used.
The most common deflection compensated rolls are swimming rolls, CC-rolls,
and hydrostatically supported deflection compensated rolls. These kinds of rolls enable
adjustment of the linear pressure without negatively influencing the linear pressure dis-
tribution in the cross machine direction. Hydraulically deflection compensated swimming
rolls were a major breakthrough, but in wide calenders there are still some variations in
CD pressure distribution. Therefore, very commonly today’s wide calenders have zone-
controlled deflection compensated rolls. These rolls normally have 3-8 zones, but they
can have 40-60 zones for accurate caliper control in narrow scale.
Nip rolls are loaded against each other with pneumatic bellows, pneumatic cylin-
ders, hydraulic cylinders or, as already described, with the hydrostatic roll itself. The
pneumatic system is simple and does not leak oil, but is not as accurate as hydraulic
loading, which also has more vibration dampening capability. Therefore, in wide fast
machines the hydraulic loading system is used exclusively.
‘In slower machines, only one drive is used, normally for the heated roll. High-
speed machines require drives for both nip rolls to prevent speed differences in the nip.
The drive arrangement can be operated either in speed difference mode with the other

19
CHAPTER 1

paper machine drives or in tension mode by using tension measuring rolls as paper car-
rying rolls before and/or after the calender.
Web spreading rolls are used before the nip to ensure that the web enters the nip
evenly without wrinkles. In the calender, other main components are doctors for keeping
the roll surfaces clean and preventing the paper from wrapping the rolls, threading
devices, and caliper actuators.

Temperature and moisture gradient calender

The temperature gradient calender is a two-roll hard nip calender with at least one of the
rolls heated to nighpseu pe ratulos. This isuo 1enoe with heat transfer oil.

and preserves bt th properties. og up both nip rolls, however,

is compleaten pecalee He other rollisa i devecton compensated roll. Because of the
benefits of soft calender technology, this kind of a calender has remained very rare in
spite of the amount of research work done.

PPS ROUGHNESS / LOAD

PPS um

@@» 2 hard nips, 103°C

@ 2 hard nips, 204°C

Qe» 3 hard nips, 88°C

@Q~ 2 soft nips, 94°C

0 50 100 150 200 LOAD kN/m

Newsprint 45 g/m?, speed 23.3 m/s

Figure 6. Calendering with different calendering concepts.

Another type of gradient calendering process is the moisture gradient calender-

ing. In this process, water is applied to the surface of the web and the web is calendered
before the moisture gradient in z-direction disappears; the moisture film does not have
time to wet the surface of the web before it is calendered.

20
 Calendering

Multiroll hard nip calender

ch fF wn that the surface Properties of the web develop according to the .

tot al pressure pul se applied. For example, if multiple nips are used, the surface quality
is the same as if only one nip of the same total applied pressure is used.
However, this calendering with only one nip has other drawbacks. The calender
itself must be very precise, and the rolls have to be in perfect condition (no marking or
surface defects). Also, rolls big enough to withstand these high linear loads have not
always been available, not to mention the problems with crane capacity in the paper
mill. In addition, grinding heavy rolls is more problematic.
For these reasons,
multiroll calender stacks are
used (Fig. 7). They comprise
more than three rolls, most
commonly four to six rolls.
These rolls are relatively
small in diameter, and the
linear load is achieved by the
weight of the roll shells. Hav-
ing more rolls in the stack
increases the linear load in Figure 7. Muttirol calender,
the bottom nips. This method
of creating linear load is simple and maine. precise because the linear load generated by
the weight of the rolls is naturally distributed along the whole width of the roll face.
Because of this fact, multiroll hard nip calenders are widely used in versatile paper or
board machines.
The linear load of multiroll calenders can be easily adjusted by increasing the
number of rolls that are in contact with each other. Every roll increases the linear load by
its weight. A problem occurs in the bottom nip of the calender because the bottom roll
deflection varies according to the changing linear load due to the number of rolls in use.
In this bottom position, a deflection compensated roll is commonly used. Calender load
control can also incorporate a hydraulic cylinder at the top of the calender, often on the
second or third roll from the top. When this cylinder is used for controlling the linear load
level of the calender, there is a need for a deflection compensated roll also at the posi-
tion where the external force is applied.
Another calender design issue results in variations in the CD linear pressure profile.
The weight of the intermediate rolls is distributed over the whole width of the roll face. Roll
journals, bearings, bearing housings, part of the loading arm, and nip guards — all
devices that are attached to the bearing housing or loading arm — load the roll journal
with their weight. These overhanging loads cause the intermediate rolls to deflect. This
deflection causes variations in linear load at the edge areas of the nip. These variations
can be seen in the calendering result as variations in the caliper profile.
In practically all multiroll calenders, there are roll support arrangements that per-
mit adjusting the edge support forces pneumatically or hydraulically. These overhanging

2
CHAPTER 1

load compensation devices open the nips of the calender by lifting the rolls with the
loading arm using high pressure in the loading element. When the calender is closed
and at operating pressure, the loading-element is adjusted to a lower level that is just
enough to compensate for the overhanging loads.
Multi-roll hard nip calenders normally have only one main drive. The driven roll is
either the bottom roll or the second roll from the bottom. As the bottom roll is a deflec-
tion compensated roll, the drive is more complicated and costly. In some calenders,
more driven rolls are used to ensure draw control at high speeds.
Tail threading through
a machine roll calender is
accomplished while the nips
are closed. At the tending
side, a 100—300-mm-wide
strip is led from the last dry-
ing cylinder to the top por-
tion of the calender, through
the calender, and from the
last nip of the calender to the
reel. There is a wide variety
of threading devices (Fig. 8).
The main types are ropes, Figure 8. Threading devices.
belts, air-blowing trays, and
suction conveyor belts. The tail strip runs down to the pulper from the last drying cylin-
der doctor. When the tail threading procedure starts, a pick-up plate or doctor air shower
is used to pull the strip away from the drying cylinder and guide it toward the next tail
conveying element. Ropes, air trays, or conveyor belts transport the tail to the top of the
calender and to the first nip. After the nip, the web is blown off the roll surface and
directed to the next nip. Finally, the strip is directed to the nip that is formed by the reel-
ing cylinder and the reel spool and runs from the reeling cylinder doctor to the pulper.
During the tail threading procedure, the electrical drive is used to control the draw and
adjust the web tension.
When the strip has made it all the way to the reel, it is spread toward the drive
side until it is full width and blown around the reel spool to begin reeling. At this point,
the calender can be loaded to the targeted linear load by the pressure needed by the
process.
Paper surface quality development by improved raw materials (fiber, pigment,
process technology) has changed the needs for the calendering process. Today there is
a need for low as well as high linear loads. Therefore, there are multiroll hard nip calend-
ers that allow linear loads lower than the cumulative weight of the intermediate rolls.
This is done by hydraulically supporting intermediate rolls and by using a deflection
compensated roll in which the direction of the pressure zone can be turned by rotating
the roll shaft.

22
 Calendering

2.2 Soft calender

A soft calender (or soft nip calender) has a soft roll cover on at least one of its two nip
rolls. Most commonly, one of the two rolls is a soft roll and the other is a heated hard roll
similar to the hard nip calender heated rolls. For matte paper grades, there is a variant
where both of the rolls are soft rolls.

2.2.1 Soft calendering process

The soft calendering process is different from the hard nip calendering process in one
Significant way: the nip backing roll has a soft surface. This difference changes the
nature of the whole process. In the soft calendering process, the process variables are:

- Linear pressure

- Running speed

- Hot roll surface temperature

- Soft roll cover material

- Steaming

- Soft roll position (against top or bottom side of the web).

ajor difference
Comparison of Calendering Effects

HARD NIP SOFT NIP

The nip is oneer sowing

better heat transfer and sub-
sequent deformation of the
calendered web. Another
ianifi ifference is that / CONSTANT CALIPER, CONSTANT DENSITY,
Se : - VARIABLE DENSITY VARIABLE CALIPER
the compression of the web
in both high and low spots is
more evenly distributed. The

Soft Eaereering offers many benefits over hard nip ealencennd, Because of the
more uniform ey, the lan ae of the web eaepasse Jost are more

2
CHAPTER 1

better smoothness without danger of blackening. The strength properties of the web are
maintained better compared to hard nip calendering.
The above mentioned benefits have resulted in a change in the calendering
method in the majority of new paper machines. Also, in several cases, older machines
have been equipped with a soft calender. The capability of soft calendering to be
installed on-line has even allowed two- to four-nip soft calenders to replace old super-
calenders in processes that do not require the full potential of supercalenders.

2.2.2 Soft calender concepts

Gloss calender
The predecessor to today’s soft calender was the gloss calender. For high basis weight
board grades, formation sets limits for hard nip calendering. Local variations lead to
very significant gloss mottling and poor printability. High-quality board grades were also
supercalendered (see the section on moisture) but, as this was an off-line process that
resulted in a high amount of reel waste in the high basis weight products, this process
was never popular.
High-quality board grades are coated with a heavy coat weight that allows them
to be calendered fairly easily to a high surface finish. Temperature is a key parameter in
this process. Therefore, a calendering process was developed that used high tempera-
tures (120—150°C) and low linear pressures. This is called gloss calendering. Because
the backing roll is soft, there is no gloss mottling. For these board grades, the high tem-
perature and low pressure together produce a very good structure. The surface is plasti-
cized for a good printing result, and the rest of the board structure remains less
compressed and bulky.
A gloss calender
(Fig. 10) has a polished cyl-
inder heated to a high sur- Rubber-covered
face temperature with
steam, hot oil, or electricity. Chromium-plated
The cylinder is usually
chrome plated. The calen-
dering nip is formed
between this cylinder and a
soft covered roll that is
pressed against the cylinder.
Traditionally, the soft roll
material was rubber, but
today polyurethane is com-
monly used. Though the Figure 10. Gloss calender.
temperature of the hot cylin- a
der is high, soft rolls can be used; because of the thick board, the soft roll has no con-
tact with the hot cylinder surface. Therefore, rubber and polyurethane, which can only
withstand temperatures up to 80°C, can be safely used.

24
 Calendering

Since the linear pressures are low, 20-80 kN/m, the soft surface rolls are nor-
mally not deflection compensated. The softness of the roll cover and the low pressure
do not demand high accuracy. Also, board machines have traditionally been narrow
machines; therefore, the roll deflections are low. For better calendering results, two-nip
gloss calenders with two soft covered rolls against one heated cylinder are also used.

Two-roll soft calender

Gloss calendering is a good process for board grades, but it cannot be used for paper
because the required pressures are higher than can be tolerated by the gloss calender
covers. This is due to higher running speeds and less compressible material. Also, the
paper is so thin that there would be a direct contact with the hot roll surface and the soft
backing roll. However, the benefits that are seen with gloss calendering are so promis-
ing that attempts were undertaken to develop a roll cover that could withstand higher lin-
ear load and also produce higher specific pressure in the nip. The soft calendering
process was first used for all kinds of woodfree specialty papers and matte papers. The
resulting soft-soft calender was called a matte calender or “Matte-on-line” calender as
the first major supplier of these calenders, AMEE Cop POtaten, called their product.
As the technology of
oil-heated thermo rolls was
combined with developing
soft cover technology, the
soft calender transformed
into the very versatile
machine for on-line finishing
that we know today (Fig. 11).
The main components of a
two-roll soft calender are the
deflection compensated soft
covered roll and the heated
roll with a smooth, polished
surface. The linear pressure
range of a soft calender is
much higher than that of a two-roll hard nip calender; also, the roll diameters are larger.
The dimensioning linear pressure of soft calender varies from 150 to 450 kN/m. The
surface temperature of the hot roll can be up to 220°C —230°C.
For two-sided calendering, two nips that have aninverted roll order are combined
together, for a total of four rolls. The hot roll is most commonly the top roll in the first nip
and bottom roll in the second nip. The roll order is selected by taking into account the
two-sidedness of the web, the coating order, and runnability at the calender. The soft
calender linear loads can be high, so the hot roll diameter must be large to mechanically
withstand the loading and create a straight nip together with the deflection compen-
sated mating roll. In fact, until the early 1990s, the size of thermo rolls was limited and
hot soft calenders had to be built with both nip rolls deflection compensated. The hot roll

25
CHAPTER 1

was also deflection compensated. As the chilled cast-iron roll manufacturers increased
their capabilities, this technology became obsolete.
Soft calenders are used in a wide variety of layouts (Fig. 12). Most simple in
design is a true matte calender with two soft covered rolls. This concept is an alternative
for producing coated matte grades. In this concept, at least one of the rolls is deflection
compensated. Most soft calenders are built with one soft covered roll and one hard roll.
The hard roll can be heated or unheated. It produces higher surface finish and can be
either the top or bottom roll, depending on the side to be finished.
Two-roll soft calenders can be combined for higher surface finishing. Normally
there are two nips that have inverted roll order, but there are also calenders with two
nips finishing the same side twice and calender arrangements with four two-roll soft cal-
enders finishing both sides twice. There are also special calenders combining a hard nip
calender and soft calender.
The main design of a two-roll soft calender is very similar to that of a two-roll hard
nip calender. However, there are significant differences. Because the deflection com-
pensated roll possesses a soft cover, threading cannot be done with closed nips as with
a hard nip calender. In a soft calender during web threading, the nip is opened and the
rolls rotate at the same surface speed. When the tail is on the reel, the paper is spread
to full width and the nip is then closed. After closing the nip, the calender can be run
either in speed difference mode or tension control mode.
The soft roll cover is a critical component in a soft calender. The first soft calen-
ders for paper experienced almost continuous roll failures. This however speeded up the
development of roll covers, and today’s covers perform very safely when the correct

Figure 12. Soft calender concepts.

26
 Calendering

Coo ing f e soneof the soft cover with cold air is a very eet used alternative.
Another possibility is to taper the edges of the soft roll to eliminate direct contact. The
safest method of operation is to use edge slitters after the calender and run overwidth in
the calender to prevent contact with the hot roll at the edges. This method loses some
trim and can also cause trimming problems if the machine width is critical.
The soft covered roll
wears more rapidly than a
hard surfaced roll, so the roll
change procedure must be
efficiently designed. The
change time should be mini-
mized, and the roll change
must be easy and safe. In
some cases, the roll change
can even be performed while 0
the paper machine is run- Figure 13. Newsprint softcalender. ©
ning without shutting down. a oe a : :
Note, the hot roll might be the heaviest component in the paper machine and therefore
can dictate the crane capacity, grinding machine capacity, and transport methodology
from the machine to the roll maintenance area.
Another important aspect in machine layout is the space requirement for the
hydraulic systems, oil-heating systems, electrical drive arrangements, etc. A soft cal-
ender is a compact unit, but the peripheral units and systems take up a lot of space; in
the case of narrow calenders, the peripheral systems can take more space than the cal-
ender itself. In placing the units, there are also limitations regarding the distance to the
calender and the relative vertical levels.
The calender frame concept also has a significant influence on the layout. Narrow
machines are usually open-faced arrangements allowing roll change with a crane, espe-
cially when the nip rolls are not quite vertically arranged but instead are built on a slight
angle. In this kind of framing arrangement, room has to be reserved for lifting and trans-
porting both top and bottom rolls. In wider calenders, however, an open-faced arrange-
ment has limitations. The forces that are transferred from the bearing housings to the
frame grow rapidly with wider machines, and affixing the bearing housings to the frame
becomes critical. This problem can be overcome by two different designs, by having a
“nose” in the frame above the top roll bearing housing or by building a frame that is
closed. The force transfer from the nip to the frame is easy to arrange in the closed
arrangement.
The closed frame (Fig. 13), however, has its drawbacks. The bottom rolls can be
changed only by using a cart that takes the rolls out sideways from the machine. The

37
CHAPTER 1

cart runs on rails that have to be imbedded either in the floor or on a separate beam that
is moved to the calender when changing the rolls. More problematic is the closed frame
in existing paper machines because the area for the cart and roll on the side of the
machine has to be as wide as the calender itself to allow lifting the roll in this position. In
some machine layouts, the machine building is not wide enough or there might already
be a control room in this area.
Because of the need for accuracy of the surface speed during threading and the
different modes of operation, the drives must have an accurate control system. The dc
drives are very often replaced by frequency-controlled ac drives. The mechanical drive
arrangement varies depending on the speed and load of the calender. Heated rolls are
driven with a universal shaft and a gear reducer. Deflection compensated rolls in narrow
and slow calenders are driven with a timing belt drive (toothed belt). In wide and heavily
loaded calenders, the deflection compensated rolls are driven with an integrated gear
arrangement.
Other major components of a soft calender are spreader rolls before the nips,
paper lead rolls, steam showers, doctors, roll edge cooling devices, and caliper actua-
tor. As the soft roll cover can be influenced negatively by the wrinkles entering the nip,
the function of the spreader rolls is very important. When operating a calender with a
furnish that contains stickies and other impurities, the doctoring of the nip rolls is a key
factor for safe operation of the soft rolls. Stickies have to be removed from the surface of
the rolls before more fibers, fillers, or other material builds up on the roll surface.

Three-roll soft calender

One nip per side of the paper is not always enough for finishing the sheet. More finish-
ing capacity can be obtained by adding more similar nips. This is, however, an expen-
sive way because the soft calender nip rolls are large in diameter and expensive. The
soft calender thermo roll has to be able to withstand the full linear load from one side of
the nip. Less stresses are exerted on the thermo roll when there are two soft rolls that
are on opposite sides of the thermo roll. In this situation, the nip loads equalize each
other and the thermo roll can be dimensioned in a totally different way. However, there
are now two nips that consume heat from one roll, and this will limit the maximum sur-
face temperature obtained.
As the paper web passes from the first to the second nip in the same three-roll
calender unit, only a one-sided finish can be achieved. By adding another three-roll unit,
a serpentine sheet run provides calendering with four nips (Fig. 14). This kind of
arrangement either with vertical rolls or horizontal rolls is used for finishing woodfree
coated papers in some mills. The vertical roll arrangement is used for off-line soft cal-
enders or slow speed on-line calenders. For higher speed on-line calendering, a hori-
zontal roll arrangement is used.

28
 Calendering

p calender.
: Figure 14. Four-nisoft

The three-roll unit is a good process tool, especially for one-sided finishing, offer-
ing a high finish capability at a reasonable price. It is an interesting unit for two-sided fin-
ishing — if the paper web can be plasticized with high temperature and the fairly limited
development of smoothness is not a problem. In high temperature soft calendering, high
gloss is easier to reach than good smoothness.

2.3 Supercalender
As jperc Blends is a multi calender composed of | ter ing hai | anc It rolls. Ine
soft rolls alc e. line yod smoothn g
blackenin io ae oft—— é tre
s u oF ae. 2 wage

- rear load in the bottom nip

- Surface temperature of heated rolls

- Hardness and material of filled rolls

- Calender speed

- Steaming
- Position at double finisher nip.
The supercalender soft roll is a filled roll. This filled roll has a steel shaft around
which specialty paper sheets with a hole in the middle are slid. The paper is then com-
pressed with a hydraulic press. The paper is normally either a blend of wool and cotton
or cotton only. When the desired hardness of the roll has been reached, the com-
pressed paper is locked into place with locking nuts. This technology of manufacturing
soft filled rolls has been in use for 150 years.
Supercalenders are always off-machine units (Fig. 15). The most common num-
ber of rolls is 9-12, but specialty calenders for producing release and grease-proof
papers can have up to 16 rolls. If there is an even number of rolls in the supercalender,
there will be a double finisher nip in the middle of the stack that has two filled rolls
against each other. The side of the paper that is against the hard roll changes in this nip
so that the top portion of the calender finishes the opposite side of the web from the bot-
tom portion. The most common number of rolls is 10 or 12.

Ca
 CHAPTER 1

An uneven number of
rolls results in calendering
that favors one side of the
sheet, i.e., one side will be
calendered more than the
other. This is desired when
making a one-sided product
or in a case where the
incoming web already shows
two-sideness in smooth-
ness or gloss. At one time
Figure 15. Supercalender.
this was common in North
America where the fourdrinier paper machines would produce a two-sided sheet and
final quality was controlled with coating colors and supercalendering. The most common
number of rolls in such a case is 9 or 11.
The supercalender roll stack is arranged vertically. When running, the bottom roll,
sometimes called the king roll, supports the weight of all the rolls above it. The linear
load of the calender is developed by the weight of the intermediate rolls. Because the
nature of this load is the weight of the rolls, it is evenly distributed and creates a fairly
uniform linear pressure distribution in the cross-machine direction. Since the intermedi-
ate roll weight load is not enough for the majority of paper grades, there is a need for
extra load to be developed by pressing the top roll bearing housings with hydraulic cylin-
ders. This external force and therefore the linear pressure level of the supercalender
can be easily controlled. As each roll adds to the total linear pressure, the maximum
pressure is in the bottom nip and the minimum pressure in the top nip. Because the lin-
ear pressure range of a supercalender can be fairly wide and the load level quite high,
there is a need for deflection compensated rolls in the top and bottom positions. The
internal pressure for deflection compensation must be synchronized with the external
_ loading cylinders to have uniformly performing nips.
The supercalender is an off-line operation so, each time the machine reel is
changed, the calender is stopped. This operation is the major reason for the low capac-
ity of supercalenders. Some of this lost capacity can be regained by using splicing
unwind and windup units. Regardless, each reel change causes loss of production
because the reels cannot be run to the end. Another cause of supercalender low capac-
ity is the low running speed. To meet quality targets, in some cases the supercalender
speed cannot exceed 500 m/min. Normal maximum production speeds are 750-850
m/min. The major speed-limiting factor is the filled roll. Normally the maximum calender
speed, maximum linear pressure, and maximum temperature of the heated rolls cannot
all be used at the same time because of potential filled roll failures in the two bottom
positions.
As the surface of the soft filled rolls is marked easily by paper defects, web
breaks, or bad profiles, the filled rolls have to be changed fairly often. It is quite normal
to change at least one filled roll per day in a given supercalender. When the calender

30
 Calendering

speed is high, up to three rolls per day have to be changed in one supercalender.
This
changing of the filled rolls is another factor that addresses calender Capacity. To prevent
the rolls from being marked by web breaks, supercalenders are equipped with a quick-
opening feature. Hydraulic cylinders support the bottom roll (Fig. 16). When a web
break occurs, the pressure of these cylinders is released very rapidly, causing the bot-
tom roll to drop. When the roll has dropped so far that all the calender nips are open, the
bottom roll is softly stopped at the end of the cylinder stroke. This kind of quick opening
together with a web-cutting device that cuts the full width of the incoming paper web
greatly reduces the risk of marking the filled roll.

Deflection
compensated
roll hydraulic

illed rolls have

oom tem | finished by turningo: ‘
rinding. The refin are put back on the supercalender. Inwide calen-
ders, the grinding can take place several times because the grindable surface is 50-65
mm in radius. When the roll diameter is too small to be reground, the roll is sent for refill-
ing to get it back to the original diameter.
Because of this constant variation in filled roll diameters, there must be a way to
adjust the nips. This is extremely important with modern calenders with the quick opening
of the nips. If the distance the rolls travel during quick opening is too long, the impact
forces on the spindles and other equipment become too high, causing the equipment to
fail under fatigue loading. Normally the nip opening between each of the rolls is main-
tained at 5 mm in wide calenders and 3 mm in narrow calenders. This is accomplished by
means of spindles that carry the intermediate rolls when the calender stack is opened.

at
CHAPTER 1

Basically there are four different ways to support the rolls in an opening situation.
The most simple is a one-piece spindle. The nuts on the spindle support each of the
intermediate roll housings, and they are manually adjusted. The opening between each
of the rolls is 5 mm; therefore, the traveling distance of each roll is an extra 5 mm when
opening the stack. The rolls at the bottom portion of the calender travel the longest dis-
tance. To quickly get to the adjustment area of the spindle, the support nut can be
mechanically adjustable with the help of an electric motor. Spindle adjustment time after
roll changing can last up to 1—2 hours.
A more developed version of the spindle adjustment is a split spindle, which has
short spindle sections between each of the rolls. The spindle adjustment is accom-
plished by turning the spindle at each of the rolls to be changed. At each end of the
spindle section, there are threads that have a different turning direction. Therefore the
spindle is able to open a gap above and below the roll to be changed. With the split
spindle calender, operators have a set of keys and test the gap at each spindle nut with
the corresponding key. The split spindle section is normally rotated with the help of a
pneumatic tool and a built-in gear. The spindle adjustment time after roll change is 15—
30 minutes. This kind of spindle can also be automated. In that case, every spindle sec-
tion has its own drive motor and a proximity switch to set the exact gap.
Another widely used
ellomaneep dicey stein Autonet marae Adjuster
has one drive motor and a
one-piece spindle (Fig. 17).
The exact gap is set using a
pneumatic device that either
locks the nut in place or
allows it to travel with the
spindle. There are proximity
switches set for the right gap
at each spindle nut. The roll
position to be changed is
selected with a push button
or the automation screen.
The automation takes care
of the gap for the roll change
automatically and, after the
roll change, sets the right
gaps. Normally, one roll at a
time is changed, to prevent
gap setting problems. The
spindle adjustment time
before and after roll change Figure 17. Supercalender spindle arrangement. : ~
is 1-2 minutes. sss

32
 Calendering

One special arrange-

ment for setting the gap is
used in closed frame super-
calenders with quick open-
ing. The rolls are supported
with hydraulic cylinders, and
the gap is set automatically
as the calender stack is
closed (Fig. 18). The quick-
drop gap is done with an
arrangement that has more
room for the rolls to drop
toward the bottom of the cal-
ender. This kind of arrange-
ment is easy to operate on
closed frame calenders that
would require four spindles
for setting the correct gaps.
Because the filled roll
change in a supercalender is
carried out practically daily,
all other tasks to be per-
formed during a roll change
should be easy and fast. The
procedure to change the
filled rolls includes: adjusting
the spindle for the change,
lifting the fly roll to the roll
stand if itis in front of the roll —Figure 18. lose-ace ee
to be changed, rotating the
nip guard out of the way, sliding the crane iting attachments to the roll journals, and lift-
ing the roll slightly with the crane prior to opening the bearing housing bolts. The roll
movements with the crane have to be very careful because, especially in wide calen-
ders, the rolls are heavy and can cause damage to the calender if they are not handled
carefully enough. There is also a risk of injury during roll change; therefore, only quali-
fied personnel should perform the roll change. After changing out the roll, a new roll is
installed in the calender by reversing the order of tasks. A normal roll change time is
10-30 minutes but can be much longer in the case of closed frame calenders without
automated spindles.
‘Luckily, the development of soft polymer covered rolls has been proceeding rap-
idly. Today, in almost all setae oe polymer rolls can ¢ be se inny postion with
Aditional file

33.
CHAPTER 1

mechanical energy to rotate as filled rolls. Therefore, an equivalent amount of heat is

missing from the process. If there is no capacity to increase the surface temperature of
the heated rolls or the linear pressure of the calenders, polymer rolls cannot produce
the same paper quality as filled rolls. But, even in this case, two or three filled rolls can
be replaced by polymer rolls and the same quality can be achieved.
Polymer rolls have a changing interval of 3-4 months; therefore, they ee
tially increase supercalender capacity. Ano enefit ofpolymer alen-
5 the improved caliper profi

rofile wit | ‘filing. Howerere zone- ontielled steamnieh cae inaee

ence onReCAD:sais and caliper. The incoming profiles must be good, and the filled roll
grinding should be accurately performed. Polymer rolls make it possible to influence the
paper rolls’ profile for a longer time, but the grinding quality of the rolls has to be more
precise; the polymer roll is not deformed in the same manner as the filled roll.
The filled roll surface is
rather rough when taken to
the calender. The normal Ra
roughness is 0.5—0.8
micrometers. This rough sur-
face produces lower gloss val-
ues, especially when several
rolls are cha fe at the same

Slide is supported by spindle nut

Nip relieving of intermediate rolls

by hydraulic cylinder
Swimming- itive sin-
gle-zone rolls provide suffi- Figure 19. Overhanging load compensation.
cient control for narrow a
calenders, but zone-controlled rolls are necessary on wider calenders. SipenceRee
have the same linear pressure distribution problem that affects the multiroll hard nip cal-
enders: overhanging loads. Because a supercalender has rolls that have different rigidi-
ties and also overhanging loads that vary from nip to nip, the linear pressure CD-

a
 Calendering

distribution is never flat unless overhanging load compensation devices are used
(Fig. 19). These devices are rather new, dating from the late 1980s. The majority of
supercalenders are still without these devices. Supercalender slideways experience
substantial friction, so only overhanging load compensation devices that operate with
pivots tend to work in the long run.
Steam showers are also a part of the calendering process, especially on
uncoated SC-grades. The effect of steam showers is based on two factors: heating the
paper web and moisturizing the surface. Showers are most effective in the top portion of
the calender and can effectively be used for two-sidedness control and gloss CD con-
trol. If the coating withstands steaming, it can even be used with LWC and WFC grades
but only in small steam quantities. If the steam amount gets too high, the coating is loos-
ened from the surface of the web and sticks on the surface a ine calender rolls.

ups with ane: rider roll load are used. Canter windups without rider rolls have air-
trapping problems. Surface-driven pope-type windups use very high nip loads to prevent
slipping of the smooth paper surface at the reel. The center drive, together with the rider
roll, does not have these problems. There are several types of center-driven windups
that work basically the same way. In most modern high-speed off-line calenders, there
are windups with a driven rider roll for torque adjustment.

2.4 Multi-nip calender

Until the mid-1990s, almost all calendering was performed with the three previously
described basic calendering concepts: hard nip calenders, soft calenders, and super-
calenders. Each of these had its advantages and disadvantages. The rapid develop-
ment that took place with soft calendering technology and its positive influences on
paper properties reached physical limits. There was a clear sign that surface properties
will not be scarified because of a technology limit. The multi-nip supercalender was still
the workhorse to perform the most demanding calendering. But, as paper machine
speeds simultaneously were reaching 1600 m/min, there was a severe capacity prob-
lem with supercalenders using filled rolls. For speeds above 1600 m/min, three super-
calenders would not be enough; there would be a need for a fourth one. This would be
very expensive to invest and run.
Luckily, the soft roll
pec leg poe eee for soft calenders had reached a point

load cycles,and temper

to compensate for the heat energy lost from the mechanical drive power. If existing
CHAPTER 1

calenders are running at their maximum design limits, some rebuild is needed; but, for
new calenders, this opens totally new possibilities. The major new possibilities are
speeds more than twice that of supercalenders and on-line capability due to high
speeds and resilient roll covers.
At this point, there are three calender designs in the market that make use of this
new technology: the Janus calender from Voith-Sulzer, the Prosoft calender from
Kusters-Beloit, and the OptiLoad calender from Valmet.
All these calenders are based on effective use of polymer rolls but are different in
their design and process range. All of these calenders can be used in off-line and on-
line processes.
The new multi-nip calendering technology applied in these calenders has
become the standard in today’s calendering applications. Supercalenders as new
machines have vanished and also, in some cases, multi-nip calenders have replaced
soft calenders that would have to run under extreme conditions. Since calendering
capacity is no longer a limiting factor, multigrade on-line production lines can be cre-
ated. One such example is producing paper grades from newsprint to SC-A, when the
paper machine and furnish itself is suitable for this kind of operation.

2.4.1 Janus calender

The Janus calender was the first multi-nip calender that could be placed on-line on
a fast paper machine. The primary new concepts used in this application are the poly-
mer rolls and tail threading technology. This calender concept is based on the use of
polymer rolls and a higher process temperature than is used with a traditional super-
calender. To be able to reach high quality at high speeds, high linear pressures (450—
600 kN/m) are used. The calender can be built either as a one-stack or two-stack config-
uration. The normal configurations in one stack are 6—10 rolls and in two stacks 2 x 5
rolls, 2 x 7 rolls, 3+ 5 rolls, or 5 + 7 rolls (Fig. 20).
The calender is normally configured to have a so-called inverted roll order (com-
pared to a supercalender) which means that the top and bottom deflection compen-
sated rolls have a soft cover. This allows the first nip to have a hot roll of a higher
temperature than that of a normal deflection compensated roll in the normal roll order.
Therefore, the first nip is more effective than in a normal multi-nip calender.
The heated rolls are normally peripherally drilled rolls with direct steam heating
that produces roll surface temperatures of 150°C. As the operating conditions are a
combination of high temperature and high linear pressure, the soft roll covers have to be
very advanced to be able to perform safely. With these operating conditions, high paper
surface quality can be reached with speeds substantially higher than traditional super-
calendering speeds.
Since the calender is built for a polymer multi-nip calendering concept, no slide-
ways or spindles are needed. The rolls are supported from their bearing housings with
loading arms that incorporate the overhanging load compensation function. There is
obviously a trend to reduce the weight of the intermediate rolls and improve soft roll
rigidity to be able to reach a higher linear load in the first nip compared to that of the last
nip by using aluminum segments on the roll design.

36
Calendering
CHAPTER 1

The same benefit is reached with two-stack configurations. A two-stack calender

also offers the possibility to adjust paper two-sidedness with the linear pressure differ-
ence of the two stacks as well as with the temperature of the heated rolls. The design is
low and compact. On the other hand, two stacks have higher investment and operating
costs (more deflection compensated rolls) and a more complicated drive arrangement.
The free draw between the stacks causes more drying of the paper.
When this multi-nip calender is put on-line with a paper machine, the tail-threading
arrangement must perform differently than in a multiroll hard nip calender (Fig. 21). A hard
nip calender performs tail threading with the nips closed and has no fly rolls between the
nips for spreading the web. The Janus calender needs the fly rolls much like the supercal-
ender has, and tail threading is performed with nips open as with a soft calender.
In the first installed
Online-Janus-Kalander PM4
calender, this is accom-
5-Nip-Betrieb
plished with suction convey-
ors and two ropes that lead
the tail threading strip
through the calender stack.

2.4.2 Prosoft calender

The typical Prosoft calender

configurations are 2 x 3 rolls, \
345 rolls, 2x5 rolls, and 2x Pees " as BO NOR rereare es

7 rolls. Prosoft calender is

Figure 21. Tail threading for an on-line multi-nip calender?.
similar to the other multi-nip
calenders in the characteristics of using polymer rolls and elevated process tempera-
tures. Prosoft calender has drives on all the main rolls to eliminated deflection out of the
plane of the nip. This technology is commonly used in all on-line calenders, but the
Prosoft calender uses multiple drive points also in off-line calenders.

2.4.3 OptiLoad calender

The OptiLoad calender
(Fig. 22) came onto the mar-
ket about the same time as
the Janus calender. This con-
cept is also based on poly-
mer rolls and the use of
higher temperatures, but
uses a special loading
arrangement. This multi-nip
concept is normally a one-
stack configuration of 6-12
rolls and has inverted roll
order (soft top and bottom
rolls). Figure 22. OptiLoad calender.

38
 Calendering

The loading arrangement of the calender is unique (Fig. 23). By designing the cal-
ender stack with the principle of even deflection, the weight of the intermediate rolls can
be completely compensated. The weight of the intermediate rolls does not influence the
loading area and the process of the calender. Because the linear load is created by the
external loading cylinders, there is the same linear load in all the calender nips. This is
defined by a so-called load angle parameter, which is 90 degrees if there is the same load
in all the nips. This compares to a load angle of 45-60 degrees in the case of normal
supercalenders where nip load increases as paper goes down the stack.

Phase I Nip position

Closing of nips by
eek
BND
Cad
lifting bottom roll,
roll weights fully
be
Fe
compensated
~~

Linear load

| Nip position | Capacity Gain

Phase II

Calender loading
through bottom
loading cylinders

Linear lead
i

. ee
Figure 23. OptiLoad loading sequence

This loading principle allows the calender to reach the same surface properties at
a linear load level 100-200 kN/m lower than traditionally loaded multi-nip calenders,
which means safer operation of the polymer rolls and some savings in bulk. Because
this multi-nip calender can have the same load in all the nips, the nip length is also the
same in all the nips, allowing this calender concept to reach the required paper surface
properties at extremely high speeds.
The load angle of the calender can be adjusted, which allows the calender to
have one more control parameter as compared to other multi-nip calenders. This
parameter can be used for two-sidedness control by adjusting the linear pressure level
between the top and bottom rolls.

39
CHAPTER 1

2.5 Specialty calenders

2.5.1 Wet stack

The wet stack (Fig. 24) is used as a precalender for a variety of board grades. A wet
stack is almost identical with the multiroll hard nip calender, but the process is totally dif-
ferent from standard hard nip calendering. In a wet stack, moisture gradients are effec-
tively used; in fact, the web entering the calender only has 1%—2% moisture. On the wet
stack calender, there are water boxes on 1-3 rolls to apply a film of water to the surface
of the roll before the nip. This film is pressed onto the surface of the web in the nip. The
relatively thick web is moistened only from the surface, so with simultaneous pressure
the web is calendered more on the surface as compared to the over-dried interior. This
results in a good smoothness to bulk ratio.

Figure 24. Wet stack.

The critical factor in a wet stack is runnability. If the nip pressure distribution of the
nips with the water boxes is not good enough, water can pass through the nip and form
a pocket of water underneath the web. This causes breaks at the next nip. Because the
bulk is a critical factor with board grades, there must be a linear pressure range suitable
for all the products to be produced with profiles that allow the use of the water boxes.
This is normally accomplished with a design that allows running with a varying amount
of rolls and by having the position of the deflection compensated roll(s) selected so that
the nips used with the water boxes operate with good profiles.
Because the wet stack has runnability problems and requires overdrying of the
web before it and drying of the web after the calender, it is only used in those processes
that absolutely must have an excellent smoothness to bulk ratio. In other cases, hot
hard nip calenders or soft calenders are used.

2.5.2 Breaker stack

A breaker stack (Fig. 25) is a hard nip calender that is located inside the paper machine
drying section. The moisture of the web is about 15%-—20%. Breaker stacks were used
commonly with newsprint grades, but many of them have since been removed from
operation. The breaker stack produces good smoothness and can also have a positive

40
 Calendering

influence on strength properties of the web. However, on the negative side, the web has
a tendency to lose bulk. In some new paper machines with a furnish composed of rela-
tively rough fibers, soft calenders are used in the wet stack position and at the dry end
of the machine. This kind of application develops smoothness with less negative effects
on the final product.

"Figure 25. PM with a breaker stack.

2.5.3 Friction calender

A friction calender has two rolls, one of which is rotated at a higher speed from the
other. The resulting shear forces and slip develop web surface gloss better than a single
nip. Friction calenders are rarely used today because they have runnability, control, and
linting problems.

2.5.4 Brush finishing

Brush finishing develops sur-
face gloss of the web.
Because there is no actual
nip, the smoothness is only © ©
slightly affected. Brushing of
the web is done by rotating
brushes made from horse-
hair against the web Om OF,
(Fig. 26). The control param- ey
eters are the speed differ- UMS WY
ence between the web and
the brush rolls and the direc-
tion of brush rotation. There

&) ORO
Ce)
are two ways to do brush fin-
ishing: to the web supported
by the mating roll or to the
free web between support- Figure 26. Brush calender.
ing rolls. Brush finishing has :

641
CHAPTER 1

mainly been used with board grades because it does not reduce bulk, but some paper
grades have also been finished with brush units. The use of brushing has become mar-
ginal due to dust problems in the finished web and the introduction of hot soft calender-
ing as an alternative.

2.5.5 Long nip calenders

It has been known for a long
time that using bigger diame- Shoe type calender Belt type calender
ter rolls and roll covers with
lower dynamic elastic moduli i

develops a better surface

quality/bulk relationship.
Thus, there has been an
interest in moving toward or
long nip calendering ae ce
(Fig. 27). However, this has Ls
not resulted in any major new Figure 27. Long nip calender concepts.

beneficial results. Now,

though, extended nip press rolls and soft calendering belts show promise in this area. The
first calenders of this type have shown that surface properties, especially gloss, can be
developed significantly better at the same bulk level as compared to the soft calender.
Another benefit has been very even gloss development that can be clearly seen
on the printed image. This type of calendering, with extremely soft belt-type covers and
extended nip lengths, will begin to be seen more at mills making board and heavier
basis weight grades.
There are two variants of long nip calenders: a shoe roll-type calender with a soft
belt as a sleeve around the shoe roll and a roll-type calender with a long belt rotating
around one of the nip rolls. Long nip calenders of the shoe roll-type are in use for pro-
ducing board grades.

2.5.6 Embossing calenders

Embossing calenders are special calenders that are designed, not to develop the
smoothness or gloss, but to create a desired surface topography of the web. These cal-
enders are used for producing wallpaper, tissue, and some other specialty papers and
boards. Embossing can take place either with a hard nip or with a soft nip. In the hard
nip process, the rolls that have a special engraved surface rotate synchronously to com-
press the web. In the soft nip process, rolls can also rotate independently, then the
engraving is only in the hard roll.

42
 Calendering

3 Calendering variables
Calendering result depends on four main factors:
- Nip pressure

- Nip dwell time

- Paper plasticity

- Replications of the roll surface.

All the variables affecting these items are shown in Fig. 28.

CALENDERING VARIABLES
VARIABLES AFFECTING PLASTICITY

oisture
moi i Surface temperature

Steaming

Linear load
3 ‘Numberof the nips

yy Soft roll material

Roll diameters_
x0 —— rougA

VARIABLES AFFECTING
MECHANICAL WORK

Figure 28. Variables affecting the calendering result.

The main variables are as follows:

- Paper variables affecting plasticity:

- Moisture
- Temperature
- Furnish
- Coating color formulation
- Other paper variable:
- Formation

43
CHAPTER 1

- Calendering variables affecting plasticity:

- Roll temperature
- Steaming
- Calendering variables affecting mechanical work:

- Linear load
- Number of nips
- Speed
- Soft roll material (elastic modulus, Poisson factor)
- Others (roll diameters, roll surface smoothness).
Calendering variables affecting mechanical work act on two nip variables: nip pres-
sure and nip dwell time. Later sections of text describe all the main variables in more detail.

3.1 Plasticity of the paper

Plasticity of paper describes how easily the paper is moldable, i.e., how much plastic
deformation can be generated.
Paper contains different kinds of polymers depending on the grade and furnish.
Uncoated grades contain three amorphous polymers: lignin, hemicellulose, and cellu-
lose. Coated grades consist of wood polymers and also binders — either synthetic
amorphous polymers (like styrene butadiene latex) or natural polymers (like starches).
Typically, all polymers are viscoelastic and soften with increasing temperature and/or
moisture content. Deformation of the viscoelastic materials is a function of time as well
as temperature and moisture.

3.1.1 Glass transition temperature

All viscoelastic materials of
paper can be expected to
exhibit a glass transition and == Amorphous
possibly other transitions as polymer
shown in Fig. 29. There are
five regions of the viscoelas-
tic behavior for linear amor-
phous polymers. In region 1, Log
Pa
E,
the polymer is glassy and dyne/cm”
E,
Log

frequently brittle and the

Young’s modulus is high and
relatively constant. Bone dry
wood polymers are in region Temperature
1 when the temperature is Figure 29. Five regions of viscoelastic behavior fora linear, amor-
lower than 150°C. Increased phous polymer.
moisture content lowers that
temperature’,

44,
 Calendering

The glass transition

temperature (region 2) is the
first phase where moldabil-
ity of the paper in the nip is 25 itt
greatly reinforced. The glass
transition temperature of dif- Done oa sn na keet oneueessceencesscdece----------------2eee---nneeeneee

ferent polymers varies

widely with structure and
other parameters. Glass 200 EE
transition temperatures of
paper polymers can vary
from room temperature
(polymers of coating color)
150}
to 250°C (polymers of
wood). Figure 30 shows that °C
Softening
Tg,
Temperature,
the glass transition for dry
polymeric wood components
i Hemicelluloses __Lignins
occurs at rather high 100 ©
temperatures®.
Water is a very effec- Figure 30. Published data relating to main softening temperatures, _
tive softener for paper poly- i.e., glass transition temperatures, Tg,ofthe wood components
under completely dry conditions?.
mers. Increased water
content lowers the glass
transition temperature con-
siderably. Figure 31 shows
the glass transition tempera- wood, TMP
N S =)
ture of the polymer compo-
nents of paper as a function
of the overall moisture con-
N native lignin
tent when 60% of the total
cellulose and hemicellulose 100

material is crystalline. The

curves for cellulose and
\ carbohydrates
hemicellulose are very close asd % crystalline
to each other, so only one Softening
°C
Tg,
temperature,
SS

curve is shown. Lignin can

take up only a limited
0 3) 10 5)
amount of moisture. For
Overall moisture content, %
moist native lignin, the glass
transition temperature above Figure 31. The glass transition temperature of the main paper poly-
a moisture content of 2.5% mers as a functionof the overall moisture of TMP paper. Water isa —
is about 115°C. Mechanical plasticizer®. ,
pulps at higher moisture

45
CHAPTER 1

content show two such glass transitions, one for the cellulose-hemicellulose fraction
and one for the lignin® 7.
3.1.2 Other transitions

Region 3 in Fig. 29 is the rubbery plateau region. After the modulus curve takes a sharp
drop in the glass transition region, it becomes almost constant again in the rubbery pla-
teau region.
As the temperature is raised past the rubbery plateau region for linear amor-
phous polymers, the rubbery flow region is reached — region 4.
At still higher temperatures, the liquid flow region is reached — region 5.
To make calendering more effective, all paper polymers should be at least at their
glass transition temperature*,

3.2 Paper and thermo roll temperature

All paper polymers are soft-
ened by increasing tempera- Bi
ture. In calendering, paper 1700
temperature in the nip can
1500
be increased most effec-
tively by increasing the tem- @ 150°C
e 205°C
perature of the thermo roll.
Incoming web temperature
can vary from 30°C—40°C
Bendtsen
roughness
(ml/min)
(off-line calendering) up to
oe sor-line oon 500
0 50 100 150 200 250 300
Linear load (kN/m)

Figure 32. Effect of thermo roll surface temperature on linerboard

Bendtsen roughness with one nip soft calender. Thermo roll surface —
temperatures 150°C and 205°C

Bauia 32shone the atiod of thermo roll surface temperature on smoothness (Bendt-
sen) of uncoated linerboard. In one nip soft calendering, thermo roll surface tempera-
tures were 150°C and 205°C. Increased temperature improves paper smoothness.
When the web temperature is lower than the thermo roll temperature, the surface
fibers are selectively heated, plasticized, and compressed, while the middle of the web
remains cool, resilient, and bulky. Figure 33 illustrates the temperature gradient
calendering®.

46
 Calendering

Note that in Fig. 33:

(a) The temperature differ-
ences between the thermo
roll and the paper are gener-
ally small, as are the temper-
ature variations through the
thickness of the paper.
When the paper is com-
pressed, it deforms uni-
formly throughout its
thickness; and (b) in temper- Temperare °C neihperannne °C
ature-gradient calendering, A B
the cold web is in contact ;
with very hot calender rolls, Figure 33. Temperature profiles (shown schematically) through the
causing high temperature thickness of the paper webs passing through calender nip.
gradients between the sur-
face and the middle of the web. When the web is compressed, the hotter surface fibers
are deformed more than the cooler fibers in the middle of the web. Figure 34 shows the
positive effect of a high-temperature gradient on linerboard roughness (Pc ak ,
Increased calender temperature gives a smoother surfe same b evel or bet-
ter bulk at the same smoothness level. The |board was calend
calender and surface:temperatures of 150°C and 205°C8
The thermo roll tem-
perature has a significant
effect on paper temperature
in the nip, as seen above. A
thermo roll surface tempera- =§
ture, at running conditions, S
n O 205°C
can vary from water- 0
ja)
cooled/heated rolls (30°C) to
oil heated (over 200°C). Dif-
ferent kinds of thermo rolls
and their temperatures are 130 1.35 1.40 1.45 1.50 1.55
described inthe sectionon | Bulk (dm?/kg) | Pe
heated rolls. Figure 34. Linerboard PPS-S10 roughness as a function of bulk
; with one-nip soft calender. Thermo roll temperatures was 150°C and»
3.3 Moisture 905°C.
The plasticizing effect of
water on the glass transition temperature of the paper polymers is significant. Paper
becomes much easier to deform in the calender nip because moisture content
increases. Figure 35 shows the effect of moisture content on newsprint smoothness in
the calendering process. Papers with different moisture levels (6.9% and 9.7%) have
been calendered with a two-nip soft calender. The thermo roll surface temperature was

47
CHAPTER 1

140°C and the speed was

1050 m/min. With constant
linear load, much better
smoothness was gained at
the higher base moisture.
A Moisture 6.9 %
The final moisture tar- O Moisture 9.7 %
get limits the moisture con-
tent in the calendering
roughness
Bendtsen
(ml/min)
process and, in most cases,
is from 4% to a.

Linear load (kN/m)

Figure 35. The effect of moisture content on paper smoothness with a |

two-nip soft calender. Moisture content was 6.9% and 9.7%. Thermo
roll surface temperature was 140°C and the speed was 1050 m/min. —

function of web Barer ioe retningh The ichied the scmpersttine is haa
steaming, the smaller will be the improvement that is seen. This is due to the fact that
steam can be condensed to the surface if the temperature is lower than 100°C. Practical
experience has shown that, when uu beet lemperaike is over 70°C, we effect of ——-

3.4 Linear load

Linear load is the control variable that describes the applied force divided by calendering
width (cross direction or CD width). The commonly used unit for linear load is KN/m. Linear
loads can range up to 600 kN/m. Linear load mostly affects the nip pressure, which is the
pressure compressing the paper in the nip. Nip pressure is linear load divided by nip length.
Nip pressures vary in multi-nip and soft calenders from 5 MPa up to 80 MPa depending on
calendering conditions. In hard nip calenders, the nip pressure can be even higher.
Linear load also affects the nip length. With soft and multi-nip calenders, typical nip
lengths are from 5 mm to 15 mm. The nip length and nip pressure achieved with a certain
linear load depend on roll diameters, paper/polymer roll cover materials, and paper. For
nip ee and nip gel calculations, see “Review in catalase movalng studies.”

48
 Calendering

SC-B / SC-A Paper

Multi-nip 6 rolls (on-line)
Speed 1036 m/min
Bp)

50 52 g/m?
is Furnish TMP
Ash content 18 %
Base moisture 8.0 %

a
Hunter
(%)
gloss, ate S.Temp.150°C
DD O S.Temp.120°C

20

15
100 200 300 400 500 600 700
Linear Load, (kN/m)

Figure 36. Hunter gloss as a function of linear load with multi-nip calender.

Figure 36 shows the effect of linear load on SC paper gloss in a six-roll multi-nip
calender (OptiLoad). With the six-roll calender, paper is treated with two hard-soft nips
per side. Two different thermo roll surface temperatures are shown (120°C and 150°C).
Calendering speed was 1050 m/min. Hunter gloss increases from 25% to 50% when lin-
ear load increases from 40 kN/m to 650 kN/m.

3.5 Number of nips

One way to increase the | See
effectiveness, i.e., mechani- a Send cla oes eastes Beane
cal work of the calendering, _ eeu
is to increase the amount of B Gresaresen g/m?
nips. Increasing the number € 55 Bes
of nips increases the nip 2
dwell time without decreas- = sal test
ing the maximum nip pres- 2 35 dé Multi-nip, TS
sure. Figure 37 shows the 35 oO Meinl We
effect of the number of nips)
on LWC paper gloss in a 12- DO tile? aan Abe Gente VS Ou LOy 1
roll multi-nip calender. Linear Bip Nuener
load was 450 kN/m, thermo _ Figure 37. The effect of the number of nips on LWC paper gloss.
roll surface temperature Calendering conditions: 11 nips, thermo roll surface temperature
130°C, and speed 650 130°C, linear load 450 kN/m, speed 650 m/min.
m/min. Curves show the

49
CHAPTER 1

gloss development nip by nip for both paper sides. The top side was against the thermo
roll before the reversing nip (position 5/6). Top side gloss is generated very quickly
before the reversing nip. After the reversing nip, when the top side is against soft rolls
the gloss is not improved any further. The wire side gloss, which is against thermo rolls
after the reversing nip, generates through the whole stack.

3.6 Speed
Calender speed is a control variable used on off-line calenders. The lower the speed is,
the longer the nip dwell time and the better the paper surface properties are. On-line
calenders are running at paper or coating machine speed; therefore, speed cannot be
used as a control factor.

3.7 Soft roll cover

See yg ome oat Uncalendered

(iO
Taga.
POOS STII

Variations in density

Hard roll Hard nip

Soft nip

Figure 38. Sheet structure after hard nip calendering and au calen.
Ina eH or nif-nip dering.
calender, the paper is calen- : . wen
dered in the nips which are formed by a chilled iron nd a festiiGhd a While passing
through the nip, the paper undergoes more equal densification due tothe pereeass: of

more apne eacncenne See is pene

50
ta
~
 Calendering

Long Nip Calendering Improves Gloss

Uniformity
Uncoated White Top Liner (PPS-S10 9.0 um)

Uncalendered
|_| Long Nip Cal. (32 P&J)
4 Soft Cal. (88 ShD)
MM Hard Calendered

Strength
Gloss
of
Variation

Oma 3.2...6.4
Size Distribution of Gloss Variation (mm)

‘Figure 39. Gloss variation with hard nip calendering, soft calendering, and long nip calendering.

New belt type “loose” covers used in long nip calenders are softer (have lower
dynamic elastic module) than soft rolls and give the most uniform compressive nip
stress to the paper.
Figure 39 shows the gloss variation of uncoated white top liner with hard nip, soft
nip, and long nip calenders. The board has been calendered to a constant roughness
(PPS-S10) level with the same thermo roll temperature and speed. Variation has been
measured with two different kinds of size distribution of the gloss measurement (1.6-3.2
mm and 3.2-6.4 mm). Long nip calendered board is the most uniform with both size dis-
tributions of the gloss. Soft calendered board also shows more uniformity than hard nip
calendered.

3.8 Furnish
Paper furnish has a big effect on the calendering result, because of the different softening
and collapse characteristics of the fibers. Typical furnishes are GW (groundwood), PGW
(pressure groundwood), TMP (thermomechanical pulp), DIP (deinked pulp), chemical
pulp, and fillers. Defibering affects fiber structure, and it has been observed that rougher
TMP fibers are more difficult to calender than GW, PGW fibers. Deinked pulp is easier to
calender, i.e., the surface smoothness is easier gained than with virgin fibers.

2D!
CHAPTER 1

3.9 Coating color formulation

The coating color formulation has an effect on the coating color plasticity and thus on
the calendering result. Coating color consists of both pigments and binders. Commonly
used pigments are kaolin, calcium carbonate, and plastic pigments. Mineral pigments
(kaolin and calcium carbonate) have a different shape. Kaolin particles are more plate-
like than sub-round calcium carbonate particles. The shape and size distributions of the
particle have an effect on how the coating color is compressed and how the particles
are positioned in the calender nip. The glass transition temperature of the plastic pig-
ment has an effect on the calendering result.
Commonly used binders are synthetic latexes (for example styrene butadiene
latex) and natural binders like starches. The glass transition temperature of SB (styrene-
butadiene) latex varies with the type of structure (single vs. multi-component) and has a
significant effect on paper and printing properties after the calendering process. Mois-
ture has a minor effect on styrenebutadiene latex glass transition temperature. Moisture
has a larger effect on the glass transition temperature of starches, i.e., moldability of the
coating color.

3.10 Roll surface roughness

> roughness has
—O- Rough thermo roll (0.78 Ra), 170°C -@ Soft-Soft
2a

2.6

@
S24

Bases levelforathermo 4, 22
roll is 0.2—-0.4 Ra. Polymer g
2.0
roll surface roughness must =
be at a level where it does YH 18
not have a harmful effect on =
the paper. A typical surface ”
roughness for a polymer roll p
is 0.3-0.6 Ra. “25 96 27 Gg >'ap Was Seen a7 Meaciies
For matte grade URE OS Cs)
papers, thermo rolls with Figure 40. Paper gloss (Hunter) as a function of paper roughness :
rougher surface can be (PPS-S10) with normal soft-soft nip and ~~ thermo a”in the
used. Figure 40 shows the soft calender. :
effect of soft calender os
thermo roll surface roughness on paper gloss (Hunter) as a function ofpapersrirosioiinss
(PPS-S10). With a rougher thermo roll (0.78 Ra), the paper gloss even decreases when
paper roughness improves. The other curve shows the normal soft-soft nip calendered
paper properties. Paper is coated woodfree and thermo roll temperature 170°C.

52
 Calendering

4 Calendering process application areas

This section discusses different calendering concepts for the most common paper.
Paper grades are divided into three main categories:

- Wood-containing paper grades

- Woodfree paper grades

- Board and specialty papers.

Calendering of printing and writing paper grades can be divided by roughness,
gloss levels, and calender types as shown in Fig. 41.

Calendering Application Areas

Hunter
Gloss %

Multi-nip calendering

Soft calendering

1.0 2.0 3,0 4.0 PPS S10 um

Figure 41. Printing and writing paper grades grouped by roughness, gloss, and calendering method. -

4.1 Wood-containing paper grades

The most common end use of wood-containing papers is in printed products such as
newspaper, magazine grade, or advertisements. Wood-containing papers consist of
25%-100% mechanical pulp depending on the paper grade, although they usually have
more than 50%. Chemical pulp is added when it is necessary to increase paper
strength. In addition, the paper can contain fillers, coating mineral pigments, and bind-
ing agents. Because of the variety in paper raw materials, paper structure, and the print-
ing method used for wood-containing grades, a variety of different kinds of calendering
processes are needed to finish these grades according to quality specifications.

53
CHAPTER 1

4.1.1 Newsprint
Introduction
This chapter describes calendering concepts for newsprint grades. Newsprint grades
usually contain 75%—100% mechanical pulp, 0%—-25% chemical pulp and a maximum
of 8% filler. The paper furnish can contain mechanical fiber or up to 100% recycled fiber.
The filler content of recycled paper can be higher than that of virgin fiber papers (up to
20%). The typical newsprint basis weight is 40.0-48.8 g/m?.

Calendering method
Newsprint is calendered on the paper machine with an on-line calender. Traditionally,
this has been done with a 4- to 6-roll hard nip calender. Typically, newsprint paper
machines run at 1100 m/min to 1700 m/min. Linear loads are 80—100 kN/m and thermo
roll water temperatures are 80°C-—120°C.
Paper caliper control is an essential part of newsprint calenders. Traditionally, CD
caliper profile has been controlled by hot/cool air-jets, induction coils, and/or zone-con-
trolled calender rolls. The latest individually zone-controlled rolls are capable of control-
ling CD caliper profile without any external devices (see the “Zone-controlled rolls”
section).
Because the paper structure has become more easily moldable (more DIP, lower
freeness) and better smoothness is coming from the former and press sections, the
trend has been to lower the number of nips in calenders and thus also to lower linear
load.
Figure 42 shows the relation
between DIP amount and calendered Density, kg/m?
paper density. When the DIP content 700
increases, the calendered paper density
also increases. Calendering running con-
ditions are kept constant. This relates to
the increased moldability of the paper.
Today’s technology for newsprint
grades is progressively moving toward 600
soft calendering. Typical running condi-
tions for newsprint soft calenders that use
a DIP base are from 20 to 80 kN/m in two
soft nips and a temperature of 80°C-—
100°C. In some cases, even one soft cal-
ender nip is enough, depending on paper 5005
10 20 30 40 50 |
two-sidedness (which depends on the
press section concept implemented on DIP amount, %
the paper machine). Figure 42. Paper density as afunction of DIP
TMP-based newsprint requires two — amount. Constant calendering conditions’2
soft calender nips and quite tough calen- _

54
 Calendering

dering conditions. Linear loads vary typically from 250 to 350 kN/m and the temperature
goes up to 160°C. For TMP-based furnishes, steaming is also required to boost the cal-
endering effect. Steaming has also been used very effectively in new paper machines
with one-sided drying to control the curl. With rough furnishes (e.g., southern pine) pre-
calendering is also considered in the dryer section (breaker stack).
The advantages of soft calendering newsprint are as follows:
The strength of soft calendered paper is high compared to hard nip calen-
dered paper at the same smoothness level, especially in smoother sheets.
This is because the actual pressure in the soft calender nip is at a much lower
level, causing less breaking of fibers while also producing the correct temper-
ature and moisture content to form new fiber bondings (Fig. 43).
Soft calendered papers have less linting tendency and cause fewer problems
in the printing process since the higher temperature of soft calendering aids
fiber bonding. The paper surface density as well as ink absorption are very
even, resulting in a less mottled printed image.
Increase of DIP usage in the paper will lead to lower thickness, i.e., bulk
reduction. Higher temperatures will allow the use of lower linear load and thus
save bulk.
Because of the different calendering process, paper can be left rougher and
bulkier than hard nip calendered papers and achieve the same printability.
The blackening tendency is reduced at high moisture levels, so the moisture
level can be increased.
The soft calender can also control roughness two-sidedness of the paper by
using different linear load, temperature, steam amount, and roll cover hard-
nesses in individual nips.
Future technology is
trending toward multi-grade Newsprint calendering
processes that can produce 60 Basis weight 52 g/m?
paper from standard news- 100 % TMP.

MF 1000 m/min, 80°C

print to SC grades with one 55 SOFT 135 °C

machine. New multi-nip cal- Uncalendered:

Moisture 8.5 %
enders are a recent trend in
n i=)
Tensile 52 Nm/g
Roughness 1600 ml/min
newsprint calendering, espe- > WN —O- MF 2 nips
cially when paper machine —>- MF 3 nips
—@- MF 5 nips
modernizations are dis- TSS
index
Tensile
Nm/g
MD
-~O- SOFT 2 nips, steam,
1500 m/min
cussed and the aim is toward <- SOFT 2 nips, steam,
w nn
upgrading product quality. 900 m/min
—@®- SOFT 2 nips,
Lightly calendered grades 30
900m/min
0 100 200 300 400
can be run though only one Roughness Bendtsen ml/min
nip or with low linear loads in
each nip throughout the Figure 43. Tensile index of soft and hard nip calendered paper.
entire calender stack (see

55
CHAPTER 1

section “OptiLoad calender’). Polymer rolls have made elevated temperatures and high
linear loads possible, which enables production of more demanding qualities with the
same calender. Table 1 shows typical quality values for calendered newsprint.

Table 1. Typical values for calendered newsprint

Std Newsprint
Basis weight, (g/m?) 40.0-48.8
Ash, (%) 0-20
PPS S10-roughness, (yim) 3.0-4.5
Bendtsen roughness, (ml/min) 100-200
Density, (kg/m*) 600-750
Brightness, (%) 5/—-63
Opacity, (%) 90-96

4.1.2 SC paper
Introduction
SC grades usually contain 50%—75% mechanical pulp, 5%—25% chemical pulp, and
10%~35% filler. The paper can also contain DIP fiber. Typical basis weights are 40-60 g/m.

Calendering method
SC paper is traditionally cal-
endered with 10- or ’ 12- roll a SC-Paper
Multinip & Polymer supercalender 12 rolls: 900 m/min, 130 °C
supe rcalenders. Typically, Traditional SC: 600 m/min, 80 °C
. 50
two or three off-line calend- Rotogravure Grade
‘ Basis weight 56 g/m?
ers can keep up with the pro- 48
Pi Base:
duction of one paper - Furnish TMP/Pulp
: ; 46 - Moisture 7,6-8,5 %
machine. Calendering $
cS
= Gloss5,3%
- Density 620 kg /m3
speeds vary from 500 to 700 g 44
m/min. Linear loads are typi- we
cally 300-400 kN/m and E oe ultinip
:
thermo roll water tempera- 3 A Polymer SC12
tures 80°C—120°C. Paper Fe oe
two-sidedness can be con-
trolled by reverse nip posi- *61070 1090 1110 1130 1150 1170
Paper Density, (kg/m> )
tioning, different
temperature, or steaming Figure 44. Hunter gloss vs. linear load with 12-roll traditional and
levels in the top and bottom —_ polymer supercalender and 10- and 12-roll multi-nip calender.
parts of the calender.
Steaming of SC paper in a calender with steam showers is an essential part of
SC-calendering. Typically three or four steam boxes are located in the calender stack to
improve paper quality. The most recently installed steam boxes are zone controlled and

56
 Calendering

closed loop gloss control enables good CD gloss profiles. Paper caliper is controlled
with top and bottom deflection compensated rolls.
SC-C and SC-B grades, which are between newsprint and smooth SC-papers,
can also be produced with two-nip soft calenders. The surface temperature is run at
160°C—200°C and linear load at up to 350 kN/m. Steaming is also an essential part in
calendering of these paper grades.
Polymer covers and
high temperatures have SC-Paper
gradually entered SC paper % Conventional aks eee 10

calendering. Technology in ay
Rotogravure Grade
this area is now moving BLACKENING Basis weight 56 g/m?
GW-based base
toward multi-nip calenders. 22h! -Moisture 7.7-8.5 %
-Density 700 kg/m?
New paper machines run- 20
ning in the near future at
1800-2000 m/min will index
Blackening
(1)
-—O- Conventional SC
85°C, 550 m/min

require up to four supercal- 16 Pog ana -@- Multinip 10

‘ NO BLACKENING. 110°C, 1100m/min
enders per paper machine. if ees ae @neaee
The new calender concepts ey er fon | es e ee et 130°C, 1100 m/min

enable higher calendering 40 42 44 46 48 50 52 54 56 58 60

speed, temperature, and lin- pee ore)
ear load because of polymer
covers. The roll amount for Figure 45. Paper blackening with conventional supercalender ae
the most demanding grades _‘Mmulti-
Das ale
is 10 or 12 rolls.
The effect of the multi-nip calender concept on paper quality can be seen in
Fig. 44.
The new multi-nip calender concepts also influence the blackening development of
SC paper and provide new tools to control paper blackening. Paper blackening is less-
ened with the multi-nip calender concept as compared to a conventional supercalender as
can be seen in Fig. 45. Table 2 shows typical quality values for calendered SC papers.

Table 2. Typical quality values for calendered SC papers.

SC-C/ SC-B SC-A/A+

Improved news
Basis weight, (g/m?) 45-52 48.8-55 40-60
Ash, (%) 0-10 10-30 29-35
Hunter gloss, (%) < 20 20-30 40-50
PPS S10-roughness, (m) 2.0-2.5 15-2.) 10-13
Density, (kg/m®) 700-850 900-1100 1100-1250
Brightness, (%) 62-64 62-67 65-70
Opacity, (%) 92-95 92—93 90-93

57
CHAPTER 1

4.1.3 Coated wood-containing paper grades

Introduction
This section covers calendering concepts for wood-containing coated paper grades like
MFC (machine finished coated), FCO (film coated offset), LWC (light weight coated),
MWC (medium weight coated), and HWC (heavy weight coated) grades. Calendering
includes often pre-calendering before coating and final calendering for coated paper.
Coated mechanical papers usually contain 45%—-75% mechanical and 25%—55%
chemical pulp. Fillers are not normally used, except for the pigments coming from
coated broke. This makes the base paper filler amount about 5%—10%. The typical
basis weight is 40-80 g/m?.

Calendering method
Precalendering

Final calendering
LWC and MWC paper is tra-
ditionally calendered with
10- or 12-roll supercalend- LWC-Paper
H Multi-nip: 1430 m/min, 130°C
ers. Typically, there are two Polymer Supercalender: 12: 1320 m/min, 130°C
or three off-line calenders for Traditional Supercalender: 790 m/min, 85°C

one paper machine. Cal- Offset Grade

Basis weight 60 g/m?
ender running speeds vary Moisture:
-Base 5.7-6 %
typically from 600 to 800 -End 3.7-4.5 %

m/min. Linear loads are typi-

cally 300-350 kN/m and A Multi-nip 10
thermo roll water tempera- (“%)
Gloss,
Hunter bebe ate
@ Traditional
tures are 80°C-—120°C. Supercalender

Matte paper grades 4

1080 =:1100 1120 1140 1160 1180 1200
are produced by passing
Paper Density, (kg/m>)
some of the 11 nips of the
supercalender. Paper caliper “
is controlled with the top and _ Figure 46. Hunter gloss asae ion of paper perdensitywit
bottom deflection compen- calenders and “ oo —
sated rolls. : Ce oe - ee ]

58
 Calendering

Film-coated offset (FCO) paper is calendered either with off-line 12-roll supercal-
enders or two-nip on-line soft calenders. Soft calendering requires extreme running
conditions, roll temperatures up to 200°C, and linear loads up to 350 KN/m. Machine fin-
ished coated (MFC) paper is calendered with a two-nip on-line soft calender with rela-
tive mild calendering conditions because of low gloss targets. Roll temperatures are
typically 70°C—90°C and linear loads are 70-120 kN/m.
The polymeric covers and high temperatures are very useful for LWC calender-
ing. New paper machines running in the near future1800-2000 m/min will require up to
four supercalenders per paper machine. The new multi-nip calender concepts allow
remarkably higher running speeds as can be seen in Fig. 46.
Table 3 shows typical quality values for calendered wood-containing coated
paper grades.

Table 3. Typical quality values for calendered wood-containing papers.

Basis weight, (g/m?) 50—70 40-70 40-70 70—90

Hunter gloss, (%) 25—40 45-55 50-65 65-70
PPS s10-roughness, (um) 2.2—-2.8 1.5—2.0 0.8—1.5 (offset) 0.6—1.0
0.6—1.0(roto)
Density, (kg/m®) 900-950 1000-1050 1100-1250 1150-1250
Brightness, (%) 70—/5 70-75 10775 70-75
[ Opacity, (%) 91-95 91=95 89-94 89-94

4.2 Woodfree paper grades

Woodfree paper is divided into two segments: uncoated and coated. The most common
end uses of uncoated woodfree papers are office cue &different photoconyand

4.2.1 Woodfree uncoated papers

Introduction
This section describes calendering concepts for woodfree uncoated (WFU) paper
grades such as office papers and copy papers. The end use of copy and printer papers
differs remarkably from conventionally printed papers. Dimensional stability and non-
curling behavior in one-side heated printers is critical. Also, four-color printing demands
a good surface finish. Because these grades are uncoated, the calendering finish must
be accomplished by compressing the individual fibers and the fiber network to specified
quality targets. Some of the higher quality WFU papers are surface treated by adding
small amounts of pigments, usually under 3 g/m?.

59
CHAPTER 1

Calendering method
Traditionally WFU grades are being calendered in the paper machine with an on-line
hard nip calender operating with one or two nips. For mechanical construction, see the
section “Plasticity of the paper.” Typical running speed for a PM producing WFU is mod-
erate, being around 700-1100 m/min.
Soft calendering is the preferred technology for WFU grades. The advantages
obtained using a soft calender instead of a hard nip calender are described in the fol-
lowing short list (for a more detailed list of advantages, see the section “Wood-contain-
ing paper grades.”):

- Bulk saving on constant smoothness level

- Better surface strength

- Better caliper profile

- Better two-sidedness control

- Higher surface smoothness achievable without unevenness.

Figure 47 shows
paper PPS roughness as a 17
function of bulk with two cal-
. 166 Woodfree Uncoated
ender concepts. In this case,
soft calendering gives 0.3—
0.6 um smoother paper at eb

constant bulk than hard nip = _

calendering. ae
In the future, we will é 0 a boa
see WFU calendering per- ~O- Soft calender
formed with multi-nip calen- 12 tT hes
ders, especially in multi-
grade machines producing “40 45 SO ee G0 Soe ae
standard copy paper to four- PPS-s10 roughness, (tm)
color copy grades. Today’s
multi-nip technology's flexi- rove 47. Soft calendering and hard nip ~— of WFU 75
bility well exceeds the capa- g/m? offset paper.
bilities of machine and soft
calenders. Table 4 shows typical quality values for copy paper.

Table 4. Typical quality values for standard copy paper.

Copy paper
Basis weight, (g/m?) 80
PPS-roughness, (um) 0=0-0)
Bendtsen roughness, (ml/min) 100-200
Hunter gloss, (%) I-15

60
 Calendering

4.2.2 Woodfree coated papers

Introduction
Woodfree coated (WFC) printing papers are used for demanding printing applications
like art books, brochures, and annual reports. The end-use requirements of the paper
determine the amount of coating color applied, gloss targets, and other special charac-
teristics. WFC gfedes can be single, double, or peeecoated. The oe core es can
be u fo 30 0 gim* per side. itWEE @ i

ing can be matte or glossy. Some of the grades are eee eet in sheet format or reels.
All these variations in paper structure, surface finish, and format have an impact on the
calendering concept used in reaching the grade-specific quality targets.

Calendering method

precal ie is to reduce roughness and porosity to the required level

. Traditionally, WFC precalendering has been done with a two-roll hard
yne water-heated roll and one deflection compensated roll. Linear
om 10 to 40 KN/m and temperature from 80°C to 100°C). Soft cal-
is also increasingly used as a precalendering method, because of
une ae ssiasiadiaael results.
f CCdalena
art of orreca Nood-containing

Final calendering
Currently, the most common calendering process for WFC grades is supercalendering.
Typically, two off-line supercalenders are able to cope with the production of one paper
machine. Running speeds for the calenders vary from 500 to 1200 m/min. A matte finish
can typically be achieved with on-line calendering in a coating machine, using one or
two soft-soft nips, as described in the section “Plasticity of the paper.”

Glossy grades
New multi-nip calenders are the upcoming technology in WFC grades. Elevated tempera-
tures together with polymer covered soft rolls and sophisticated loading systems help to
reduce the linear loads needed to reach quality targets, resulting in bulk savings? /2.
With new multi-nip calenders, WFC grades can be produced with many different
calender layouts. Figure 48 shows the calender application area for WFC grades. The
modern calender can meet production targets using 8- to 12-roll layouts. The selection
of the best suitable option must be judged by quality results since quantity is no longer
an issue. The “calendering philosophy,’ with an 8-roll calender doing the same produc-
tion as a 12-roll, is somewhat different. More load and heat are required with the 8-roll
stack. Very good results have been achieved with a philosophy of many lightly loaded
nips compared to few excessively loaded nips. This favors the 12-roll calender over the
8-roll version.

61
CHAPTER 1

Elevated tempera-
tures in calendering WFC
grades produce quality ben-
efits in terms of higher gloss
at constant bulk, as can be
seen from Fig. 49. Compar-
ing a standard supercal-
ender operating with filled
rolls and 80°C temperature
level to a modern multi-nip
calender with polymer rolls
and higher temperature, an
6 roll 8 roll 10 roll 12 roll
increase of 4%—5% Hunter
can be seen at a constant Figure 48. New multi-nip calender applications for WFC calendering.
paper density level. In some :
cases, there has been
brightness loss with high
temperature calendering. Woodfree Coated
Double coated
This risk can be eliminated 115g/m?
by keeping the windup paper
temperature low enough
(35°C—45°C).

Gloss,
Hunter
(%)
—@ Multi-nip 12
130°C
—O- Supercalender
85°C
8
1200 1220 1240 1260 1280
Paper Density, (kg/m)

Figure 49. The effect of calendering method on density-gloss curve.

mottling). This also relates to the formation of the paper. The better the formation is, the
lower the risk when using a harder (higher modulus) cover.
In Europe, steaming is not used in WFC calendering. On the other hand, in North
America, steam is used to fine-tune gloss two-sidedness and profiles. Only low steam
amounts, under 20 kg/h/m, can be used without the risks of losing the coated layer and
causing runnability problems.

Matte grades
WFC matte grades are a growing portion of all WFC production. Typically, the gloss level |
are kept under 35% Hunter. The human eye sees paper as matte when the gloss level is
less than that. It is not critical to minimize the gloss; it only has to be low enough. To cal-
ender this matte finish means lower calendering work done to the paper, typically with
only a few nips. For the same reason, the calendering temperature is low. A matte finish

62
 Calendering

is commonly produced by an on-line soft calender equipped with two soft rolls forming
the nip. One common solution for matte production is to use a supercalender with a spe-
cial web run where some of the nips are pyPaseed,
The target in matte
calendering can be
expressed in terms of paper aa Woodfree Coated
gloss and smoothness. The 115g/m2
ultaneously

i)n

ing color formulation plays an Hunter

(%)
gloss,

important role. Selection of te ~e- HC-60

the right components for the -O- HC-60 and HC-90
coating color recipe can eas- .
ily affect the gloss/smooth- GEN a mE I eS aS leg
PPS-s 10 roughness. (tum)
ness ratio of
pee noese
Figure 50. The coating color recipe describes paper gloss/smooth-
ness ratio after calendering.
rming pements like
a pigments, are not used in sagt Figure 50 shows the effect of carbonate
particle size on the gloss/roughness ratio. Adding finer carbonates means the coating
color paper gloss will increase about 15% Hunter at a constant roughness level.
In matte production, the softness of the nip becomes the critical calendering
parameter. Since the paper is only slightly calendered, low linear loads are required to
reach quality targets. If the nip is too hard, i.e., the elastic modulus of the soft cover is
high, gloss mottling can occur.
The new multi-nip calenders also give good tools for matte production. Using the
full benefits of new loading systems, a multi-nip calender can be run with low enough
calendering work on the paper, not overglossing the paper finish. The future processing
of matte finished grades will utilize specially coated rolls, reducing the roughness but
not generating excessive gloss.
The quality of WFC papers is judged more commonly by printed visual appear-
ance than by blindly following the measured paper properties. WFC grades compete
with high brightness against coated mechanical grades. However, WFC grades usually
have lower opacity. Some key values are presented in Table 5.

Table 5. Typical values for WFC grades.

Double Coated
Basis weight, (g/m*) 90 130
Hunter gloss, (%) 70-80
PPS-s10 roughness, (um) 0.65-0.95
Brightness, (%) 83-90
Opacity, (%) 95-97 |

63
CHAPTER 1

4.3 Board and specialty papers

The group “board” is rather heterogeneous, including grades from high basis weight (up
to 500 g/m?) to low basis weight (120-g/m?), from virgin fiber to 100% DIP-based and
from uncoated to high coat weight grades. In this section, board grades are divided into
coated and uncoated, because coating has the biggest effect on the calendering
method. Coated board uses both a precalender before the coater and a final calender
after the coater. Uncoated board has only final calendering. These two groups include
many different board grades as follows:
Coated board:
- Virgin fiber based (folding boxboard, solid bleached board, liquid packaging
board, coated white top liner, carrier board)

- Recycled fiber based (white lined chipboard, coated recycled board).

Uncoated board:
- Virgin fiber based (kraft liner, white top liner, liquid packaging board)

- Recycled fiber based (test liner).

Specialty papers are a wide range of different kinds of papers. This section dis-
cusses the most common specialty papers, release paper and tissue paper.

4.3.1 Coated board

Introduction

This section describes calendering concepts for different sub-grades in coated boards
like folding boxboard, white-lined chipboard, solid bleached board, and liquid packaging
board.
Coated board grades vary from one- to five-ply boards. They can consist of recy-
cled fibers and/or virgin fibers. The most important properties are high bulk, stiffness,
and smoothness. The board is often one-sided, but in some cases can also be two-
sided (the case with solid bleached boards). Figure 51 shows the typical quality values
for coated board grades.
Figure 51 shows that there is wide range of different quality values for the same
board grade, i.e., matte and gloss qualities.

Calendering methods
Precalendering
Precalendering is used before the coater to reduce roughness and porosity to coater
specified target levels. The precalendering method depends on many variables, with the
most important ones as follows:

- Board machine configuration (Yankee cylinder)

- Raw materials (virgin fiber vs. recycled fibers; European fiber vs. southern
U.S. fiber).

64
 Calendering

Quality of Board Grades

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(%) ‘ssoys 10}UN]T

PPS-s10 roughness, (Lum)

“past 51 Typical quality values for coated board grades: (a)PPS-S1 0- roughness function of bulk (b)
gloss function ofPPS-S10-roughness.

ee
CHAPTER 1

Board machine with Yankee cylinder

Precalendering is mainly for CD-caliper control when a board machine has a Yankee
cylinder (typically a folding boxboard machine). A Yankee cylinder produces a very
smooth surface with high bulk. Precalendering is made with one hard nip calender
either with thermal-based or hydraulic-based caliper control (see the section “Automatic
on-line caliper control”). Linear loads are typically very low, from 10 to 30 kN/m, and
thermo roll temperatures are 70°C—100°C.

Board machine without Yankee cylinder

Typical board grades made without a Yankee cylinder are solid bleached board, white-
lined chipboard, coated recycled board, and liquid packaging board.
Traditionally, precalendering was performed with multi-roll hard nip calenders,
and the calendering effect was improved by adding water with water boxes (wet stack
calenders). The number of rolls varies from 4 to 11, and depends on the board grade;
easier calendered European fibers do not need as many nips as rough southern U.S.
fibers. Also, recycled fibers are calendered easier than virgin fibers.
The ability to increase thermo roll temperatures has changed the precalendering
philosophy toward hot calendering. Today, the trend has been more toward hot hard or
hot soft nip calendering. Increased thermo roll temperatures (up to 200°C) result in bulk
savings because of the temperature gradient. The runnability of the hot hard or soft cal-
ender is better than with the multi-roll hard nip calender. Also, water application with wet
stack calenders is not very controllable.
The selected precalendering concept can be a single hot hard nip when the fur-
nish is easier to calender or the target for surface properties is not very high. Hot soft
calendering also in the precalender position produces a better printability in the end
product. This depends on the base board and coating method. With rough fibers two hot
nip calenders might be needed. In this case, the first nip can be a hot hard nip to provide
effective calendering and the second nip a hot soft nip to give better printability. Precal-
enders always have CD caliper control.
The calendering effect can be boosted with steam showers. To gain a good
steaming effect, the board must be cooled before the steam showers.

Final calendering
Traditionally, final calendering has been accomplished with hard nip calenders or brush
calenders. Brush calenders are almost extinct because of the high running costs and
dust problems. Also, so called “gloss calenders” were used earlier. These calenders
were predecessors of today’s soft calenders. They gave much better uniformity than
hard nip calenders, and the dust problem of the brush calender could be avoided. The
gloss calender had a rubber roll as the soft roll and thermo roll temperatures were rela-
tively low. The thermo roll was often chrome plated.
Final calendering of the coated board is carried out with a soft calender, because
of the better bulk and printability than gained with a hard nip calender. Soft cover hard-
nesses vary from 72 to 95 ShD depending on the grade. Thermo roll temperatures can

66
 Calendering

be up to 200°C (glossy grades). Lower temperatures are used with matte grades. Coat-
ing color has a big effect on board gloss as was already described with woodfree coated
papers (see the section “Woodfree coated papers”). The typical linear load range is from
20 to 150 KN/m. Some furnishes might also need higher calendering after coating, and
the linear load can go up to 350 KN/m.
The future technology in board calendering is toward more bulk saving pro-
cesses, so basis weights can be lowered without lowering bulk and stiffness. One solu-
tion is long nip calendering which utilizes belt technology. This technology allows the
use of much softer covers than the soft roll covers in use today.

4.3.2 Uncoated board

Introduction

This section describes calendering concepts for different sub-grades in uncoated

boards like test liner, kraft liner, white top liner, liquid packaging board, and fluting.
Uncoated board grades are in many cases only one- or two-ply boards. Also,
multi-ply uncoated boards like liquid packaging board can be produced. Like coated
board, uncoated board calendering also must save bulk and stiffness.

Calendering methods
There are some grades where no calendering is needed, like fluting or some rough test
liner grades. Traditionally, calendering was accomplished almost always with hard nip
calenders. The display and advertising function of corrugated packaging has become
more important recently. This has boosted, for example, the demand for better surface
white top liner. For this reason, soft calenders are also used with uncoated board
grades where good printability is needed. Steam showers can be used before the cal-
ender to improve the calendering result if the board is cooled.
The future trend, as with coated grades, is toward long nip calendering. This tech-
nology makes it possible to calender board to higher formation scale roughness and
bulk with lower micro roughness (PPS) and better printability.

4.3.3 Specialty papers: Release paper

Introduction
Release paper is used in label base paper in various end-use applications such as food
packaging and office labels. The most common release paper in Europe is supercalen-
dered glassine paper coated with silicone for achieving good release properties.
Table 6 shows typical paper properties for supercalendered release paper.

67
CHAPTER 1

Table 6. Typical paper properties for supercalendered release paper.

Paper Properties — Europe Europe
60-65 g/m? 80-90 g/m?
Caliper (um) 55-57 71-79
Density (kg/m’) 1080-1200 1150-1250
IGT cm 12-14 13-15
Cobb Unger (g/m?)
dense side 0.9-1.4 1.0-1.6
open side 2225) 1.8-2.2
Transparency 45-55 40-45

Critical release paper properties affected by calendering are good silicone hold-
out (high density and smoothness), even absorption of silicone, and even caliper CD
profile. Also, in some grades, high transparency is needed.

Calendering method
Today, release paper is calendered with off-line supercalenders. The typical number of
nips ranges from 11 to 17. There is no reverse nip because only one side is treated (sil-
icone side). The soft rolls can be paper or polymer. Thermo roll surface temperatures
vary from 90°C to 140°C. The maximum linear load in the bottom nip is 450-500 kN/m.
Paper is moisturized before the paper machine reel to achieve a high moisture content,
from 15% to 20%. This is needed to gain high density and a closed surface. Because of
the high incoming moisture, drying after the calender is needed. Typically, drying is per-
formed with air dryers. The final moisture is from 5% to 7%. The typical running speed
varies from 300 to 500 m/min. Two supercalenders are needed for one release paper
machine. Multi-nip calenders are not yet in use for release grades but have potential for
this grade.

4.3.4 Tissue papers

Tissue papers include different kinds of subgrades like toilet tissue, towels (including
industrial wipes, kitchen rolls, and hand towels), facial tissue, handkerchiefs, and servi-
ettes/napkins.
Tissue papers are calendered mainly with hard nip calenders. The main purpose
is to control the CD-caliper. Calendering is done at a very low linear load (some grades
are calendered with a constant nip gap) and low temperature. Calenders are also used
to bring the different layers of the multilayer papers together before the winder.
With some grades, the trend has been toward soft calendering.

5 Deflection compensated rolls in calenders

5.1 The evolution
The operation of the rolls forming the calender nips is vital for the efficient running and
high-quality production of a paper machine. Because the linear load deflects the rolls,
this deflection must be compensated in some way. A few decades ago, this was almost

68
 Calendering

always accomplished using fixed crown rolls. The disadvantage of this method was that
a uniform linear load was available only with one linear load.
Later in the 1960s, adjustable crown rolls were introduced to overcome this draw-
back. The most used roll of this kind is known as the “swimming roll.” These rolls consist
of a stationary shaft and a rotating shell. The shell is supported by the hydraulic pres-
sure, which acts between the shell and the shaft. Side seals form the pressure chamber,
which is normally 180 degrees in circumference. The crown can be adjusted by chang-
ing the relation of the internal pressure and the external load forces.
The problem with both of these methods is that local faults at the press nip cannot
be corrected. Examples of these are paper caliper profile faults, uneven roll tempera-
tures, and roll or cover wear. The most famous fault of swimming rolls is perhaps the
“gull-wing effect.” The traditional explanation is the difference in bearing distance
between the swimming roll and the mating roll. However, this is only one reason. Also,
roll temperature non-uniformity faults create this kind of phenemenan
The next stage of the
evolution was hydrostati- Evolution of Deflection Compensated Rolls
cally supported zone-con-
trolled rolls. The deflection
compensation (Fig.52) was = ——
achieved through hydrostati- ave
cally lubricated loading ele- Fie crown ‘Aajeistbinel evi Zonewise Shoewise
ments. These elements were esis tthe ae an
divided into 6 to 8 groups,
which then could be
adjusted separately. With
this kind of arrangement,
wide band paper caliper
errors can be influenced. Sym Roll SymZ(S) Roll SymCD(S) Roll

Additionally, hydrostatic ele- Figure 52. The evolution ofdeflectioncompensation.

ments are good vibration
absorbers. This is very important, Senin in modern, fast running paper machines.
The latest development is the profile control roll. In the original zone-controlled
rolls, the loading elements were controlled as groups. When the elements are controlled
individually and the shell dimensioned accordingly, the caliper profile can be controlled
as well or better than with the conventional hot air or induction heating devices, making
them redundant in these applications. To enable a suitable profile correction capacity at
all line force levels, some kind of a shell pre-tensioning system must be available. An
example of how to achieve this pre-tensioning is through using a counterzone construc-
tion or an internal pressure.

69
CHAPTER 1

5.2 Theory of deflection compensation

In a nip, the linear force and
My.
bearing forces load the mat-
ing roll. Considering the shell
of the mating roll alone, there
are three force components
that affect its deflection
mode. These are the bearing
force F1, the linear force q1,
and the moment M1, which is
determined by the force F1
and the distance a, as illus- Figure 53. Condition for uniform nip profile.
trated in Fig. 53. os ese ee
The magnitude of the deflection depends on the shell material and dimensions.
These are constants in the cross-machine direction. To obtain exactly the same mode of
deflection for the conventional deflection-compensated roll, its load must include similar
force components. The difference g> — g; corresponds to the linear force q7 in the deflec-
tion-compensated roll. In addition, at the edges of the shell, the force F’> and the moment
M, must be effectively present. When the ratios of these corresponding force components
are similar, the deflection mode is also similar, as represented in the equation

(1)

ing and the shell edge on the mating roll

t M> in a conventional deflection-c ensat Ca

stribution. In a zone-con-
trolled roll, the lack of this moment can in practice be easily compensated for by prop-
erly adjusting the zone forces acting in the roll.
The force F'7, on the
other hand, is usually big.
The lack of the correspond- ‘8 SHELL BEND BY VARYING
ZONE PRESSURES a
ing force Fy cannot in most
cases be compensated for
by adjusting the zone forces
in the roll. At the edge of the
shell of a zone-controlled MAX, LINEAR FORCE
VARIATION +10%
roll, < ici ee
<

70.
ee
a
oae
a
 Calendering

Figures 54 and 55
present a comparison
between a pair of normally
SHELL BEND MAINLY BY
dimensioned two-roll calend- BEARING FORCES

ers. When a radial bearing

force is available, the linear
force distribution can easily ny, —
be made uniform and the 0% pede resalin |e| LESSTHAN
"05%
capacity of the zone forces is
not wasted in the basic
adjustments. Similarly, when fae 55. Line force profile with bearing forces.
only zone forces are avail-
able, the shell must be bent by using very citetent zone forces. The result is not satis-
factory. Also, the entire zone control capacity is used to correct the deficiency of the roll.

5.3 Swimming rolls

The swimming roll is mainly used in narrow and/or slow running calenders. It is not suit-
able for wide, fast calenders.
The construction of the swimming roll is presented in Fig. 56. It consists of a fixed
shaft, rotatable shell, and bearings that connect the shaft and the shell together. The
swimming roll always has external loading cylinders. Between the shell and the shaft
there are longitudinal seals, which form the pressure chamber in the nip side and the
secondary chamber on the opposite side.

pressure regulator cover gear

pressure separate
0 | a an Oe gear
lubrication
¥
E
a3

oil outlet
cooling
oil inlet
Figre56 An
example of
oaswimming typerol,

“a
CHAPTER 1

5.4 Zone-controlled rolls

5.4.1 Mechanical design
The zone-controlled roll consists of a stationary center shaft and a rotating shell, which
is supported by hydraulic loading elements embedded in bored holes in the center
shaft. The roll can be equipped with an integrated gear drive.
The shell is very accurately machined and ground to a cylindrical shape. In cal-
ender applications, the shell is either chilled cast iron or polymer-covered cast iron. The
shell rotates on spherical roller bearings or on hydrostatic bearings. These bearings can
either fix the position of the shell and the shaft together, or the shell can be self-loading,
i.e., the shell can move freely in the nip direction.

5.4.2 Hydrostatic loading element

Figure 57 shows the design
of the loading element used
in SymZ (Valmet) rolls. It
uses a mainly hydrostatic
bearing, which is fitted ona
cylinder piston. There is only
one oil pressure connection
to the element, i.e., the load
pressure also produces the
lubrication for the hydrostatic
bearing.
When the oil pres-
sure loads the loading ele-
ment, the element will come
into contact with the shell.
The pressure oil flows from
the pressure chamber Figure 57. The hydraulic loading element.
beneath the piston through as
capillary ducts to chambers in the shoe surface. The oil begins to flowsin the gap
between the shoe and the shell into the roll interior. Oil flow is associated with pressure
losses both in the capillary ducts and in the oil film between the shoe and the shell. Due
to these losses, the shoe reaches equilibrium or a steady state in which the pressure
ratio between the piston and the shoe is constant. Similarly, the oil film thickness stays
constant regardless of the pressure acting on the pistons and the viscosity of oil. The
flow resistance of the capillary ducts determines the thickness of the oil film.
The surface is divided into four chambers because of its stabilizing effect. If the oil
film on a shoe quadrant is increased, the oil flow to the corresponding chamber is also
increased. Consequently, capillary flow loss is increased, and the pressure in the cham-
ber is reduced and the shoe is straightened.

Ta
 Calendering

Additionally, adding a
hydrodynamic function can
enhance the function of the
loading element. This is
especially advantageous
when the roll is running at
high speed, i.e., over 1000 PROVISIONAL PRESSURE REAL PRESSURE
m/min. Adding a hydrody- DISTRIBUTION DISTRIBUTION

namic wedge in the front Figure 58. Dynamic wedge effect. |

edge of the shoe does this.
Normally, there is also a wedge on the tail edge, because it must be possible to rotate
the shell in both directions. Due to the hydrodynamic pressure at the front edge, as illus-
trated in Fig. 58, the thickness of the oil film is increased at the front edge. Figure 59
shows that the film thickness is increased at higher speeds, thus further improving the
Stability of the shoe.
The power consump-
tion of the roll rotation THICKNESS OF OIL FILM VS. SPEED
depends on the average ee
thickness of the oil film, its
viscosity, and the area of the E 0.20
shoe ridges. Because it uses g LINEAR LOAD kN/M
conventional hydrostatic g 0.15 nS zal
- FRONT = &= 82
bearing elements, this power S ey |EDGE ees —
consumption is a compro- $ 0.10 Ff Lor no
mise with the pumping = |__| TAIL
4 = 00s
power. The dynamic LOTTIE EDGE
wedges, however, allow the 0.00
mean thickness of the oil film Cee Sizes 10
to be increased, i.e., the : SPEED m/min

rotating power consumption _Figure 59. Oil film thickness vs. running speed.
to be decreased without oe _ :
increasing required pumping power.
The hydraulic loading element acts as a vibration damper. When the roll vibrates,
a cyclic force interaction occurs between the shell and the stationary shaft, which tends
to bring about a relative motion between the shell and the shaft. The oil film between the
shell interior and the bearing shoe is practically incompressible. Therefore, the occur-
rence of such motion takes place between the piston and the cylinder, the movement of
which is limited only by the flow resistance of the capillary ducts and the oil film. In other
words, the loading piston and the cylinder form an ideal viscous damper.

ie
CHAPTER 1

5.4.3 Floating bearings

In many cases, it is advantageous to use self-loading rolls. In such cases, the external
loading cylinders can be omitted, and the construction will be simplified. The challenge
with this construction is how to design rolls so that the adjustable bearing force still
exists. Figure 60 illustrates the construction of the SymZS roll. The bearing is mounted
on a loading ring, which can move freely in the nip direction, and the bearing loading
elements are located between the movable ring and the stationary shaft.

Figure 60. Self-loading zone controlled roll.

5.4.4 Control system

In aconventional swimming roll, there are two adjustable parameters, the relation of the
internal pressure to the external load, and the tending side/drive side load ratio. In a
zone-controlled roll, there are already ten parameters, which are not independent from
each other. It is clear that without a computer it is impossible to manage the roll control.
Figure 61 illustrates the function of one control system. The operator adjusts only the

ELECTRICAL ROOM
MICROCOMPUTER UNIT
- ZONE PRESSURE CONTROL
NIP PARAMETERS AND CROSS COMPENSATION
- INTERLOCKINGS
V/O-CARDS

HYDRAULIC
STATION

CONTROL DESK

Figure 61. The control system of a self-loading zone controlled roll.

74
 Calendering

line force profile in the nip, and the computer then calculates suitable zone pressures for
each situation. The operator does not see the complex relation between the line force
profile and the zone pressures. In addition, the parameters needed for roll overload pro-
tection can easily be built into the control system.

6 CD-profile control rolls

In the few last years, profile control rolls have become very common in new calenders.
They can give the same or better performance in caliper control, give better return on
investment, and recover significantly faster in process changes than traditional equipment.

6.1 Mechanical design

Mechanically, profile control rolls are very much the same as normal zone-controlled
rolls. The major difference is that normally every loading element is individually con-
trolled, which requires a different oil piping system. Thus, there are from 20 to 60 individ-
ual loading elements in the roll, depending on the loading element size and roll width.
The spacing of the elements is normally from 100 to 250 mm.
If the profiling ability is
also required at low line
forces, there must be a sys-
tem that increases the mean
pressure level in loading ele-
ments so that suitable +/—
correction ability is achieved.
There are different ways to
design this; Fig. 62 shows
the counter zone construc-
tion used in a CD profile
control roll. Normally, the
counter zone is divided so
that the deformations of the
- Figure 62. CD-profile control roll with counterzone.
shell are minimized.

6.2 Control system

Evidently, the control system in a profile control roll is even more complicated than in an 8-
zone roll. Normally, in these applications a closed loop control system is very much rec-
ommended, and the operator responsibility is only to give a target profile and the system
takes care of the rest. The SymCD control system diagram is shown in Fig. 63.

15
CHAPTER 1

Target Profile +p Closed Loop [CD Measurements |

Control

Profile *
Restrictions
Optimization
Roll Protection

Lo La) a od :
Machine
Controls Tree
Hydraulic Unit

Figure 63. The control system of a CD-profile control roll.

6.3 Hydrostatic bearings

Traditionally, spherical roller bearings have been the only suitable solution for deflection
compensated rolls. However, there are some problems related to these bearings. First,
they cannot tolerate zero load. This is difficult in solutions where the bearings are only
lightly loaded or the total load range is needed for better control. Second, deflection
compensated rolls are often ground on their own bearings. In this situation, the run-out
errors in the rotating ring of the beetig are cle copied to the roll shell.
In Fig. 64 a new solu-
tion is presented, which
gives some very important
benefits. The spherical roller
bearings have been
replaced by hydrostatic
bearings, i.e., the same type
used in deflection compen-
sation. There are individual
elements in the nip direction
to give adjustable load at the
roll end and in the cross
direction to keep the position
of the roll constant during
operation. A similar system : a
also keeps the axial position Figure 64. High precision hydrostatic roll. =
of the shell constant. “

76
ee
ea
 Calendering

This kind of solution

can withstand a load from A> AA
zero to maximum, thus elimi-
nating the zero load problem. a EON
Neither are there any run-out — iit => bey
problems in the bearing,
because all bearing ele-
ments are now stationary.
A>

7 Heated rolls
Small central bore
Temperature control is a key A> A—A
factor when reaching first
class paper surface quality = a
in the calendering process. —_ = |
Proper selection of heated i ——
rolls, called “thermo rolls,”
requires good calendering
A>
process know-how and
knowledge of thermo roll Displacer type
performance (Fig. 65). Ae Meo

7.1 Process and design eae

requirements es oes
W
The main process require- é
ments for thermo rolls are 9
the right heat transfer es
capacity from the roll sur-
face to the paper web and Prepherally drilled type
adequate, even nip
pressure!” -*7 Depend- Figure
65. Thermo roll types.
ing on calender type, speed,
trim width, and paper grade, thermo roll selection requirements must meet the following
basic demands:

- Surface temperature

- Nip load

- Surface roughness

_- No vibration
- Even profile

- Wear resistance

- Corrosion resistance.

ge
CHAPTER 1

7.2 Construction

Modern heated calender rolls can be divided into two basic designs, the displacer type
and the peripherally drilled type’® 72 27. The forerunners of these modern rolls simply
use a small central bore.

7.2.1 Center bore rolls

This roll type has only one smaller or bigger center bore. The thermal fluid goes into the
roll bore from one end of the roll and comes out the other end. Center bored rolls have
rather small bore surface area and large wall thickness. Due to this, the thermal power
is low and heat transfer inefficient. Furthermore, the surface temperature across the
face is easily uneven.
When using the increased central bore, it is possible to have lighter rolls. In spite
of that, the weakness is that the bore fills with thermal fluid, which means low thermal
efficiency in relation to fluid amount.

7.2.2 Displacer rolls

The displacer type roll consists of a shell with a bore diameter approximately 60% of the
roll diameter. A steel volume displacer is inserted in the roll bore with a shrink fitting.
The displacer diverts the heating fluid to the surface of the bore. The fluid then flows
through the 7-10 mm wide annulus formed at the roll bore. The velocity of the fluid is
increased to turbulent flow with excellent heat transfer. Therefore, this roll type responds
quickly to external temperature profile control methods including hot and cold air show-
ers onto the roll.
The heating fluid enters at one end of the roll, passes through the annulus across
the roll face, and exits through the opposite journal (mono-flow) or travels back through
the inner diameter of the displacer to exit through a duo-flow rotary joint.

7.2.3 Peripherally drilled rolls

MONO-PASS
Peripheral holes are normally drilled from In +> > Out
both ends of the roll body and meet in the
middle of the roll body. The holes are usu- In Paella e >
ally 20-60 mm from the roll surface, ou 4 ’
depending on the material used (Fig. 66).
The hole diameter is normally between ms aes &
25-50 mm and the number of holes is {
15-50 depending on the process require- iy
ments. The size of central bore is vr pe
designed based on the roll diameter and TRI-PASS II
application. In >
There are several designs of Out ¢ i a
peripherally drilled rolls. In > g:

Figure 66. Peripheral hole configurations. =

78
 Calendering

7.2.4 Mono-pass rolls

The flow in all peripheral passages is unidirectional. To avoid an unfavorable tempera-
ture drop at the surface between one end and the other the flow of thermal fluid has to
be increased. The fluid velocity can be increased by changing the flow diameter of the
hole with a special displacer rod. This type of roll is only used in an application with low
heating requirements and for roll shape control.

7.2.5 Duo-pass rolls

In this type of peripherally bored roll, the thermal fluid is returned to the originating end
in adjacent passages. The average temperature drop from one roll side to the other is
zero. This solution is used for driven rolls, where the access to the drive end in
restricted.

7.2.6 Tri-pass rolls

In the tri-pass roll, the heating medium makes three passes across the roll face in alter-
nating directions through three adjacent connected peripheral holes. The exit is through
the opposite journal, or it can return through the central bore for an exit through a duo-
flow rotary joint (See Fig. 66). In the tri-pass II design, the flow in the middle hole is
increased in fluid velocity and heat transfer to compensate for the lower fluid tempera-
ture in the third hole. This design allows operation at higher thermal loads and tempera-
tures.

7.2.7 Multi-pass rolls

It is possible for thermal fluid to go through more than three drilled holes before it drains
through the journals to the heating installation.

7.2.8 Tokuden rolls

A hardened steel shell rotates around a fixed shaft with integrated induction coils. The
shell is heated by Eddy-current from inside. To overcome uneven heat generation, a
system of peripherally bored heat-pipes evens out the temperature profile on the sur-
face. These rolls (Fig. 67) are used in small calenders. The main usage of these rolls is
in the converting field.
CHAPTER 1

7.3 Heating mediums

Water, steam, and thermal oil are the three main heating mediums used in thermo
rolls’? 79,
Hot water is usable when the roll surface temperature is under 120°C. Steam can
be used up to 170°C surface temperature. The hottest roll surface temperatures are
reached with hot oil, which can reach over 220°C.
Direct steam heating is advantageous in a temperature range of 80°C-170°C
using peripherally drilled rolls. The steam can be taken from the existing mill steam sup-
ply. Another strength is that heat transfer in a steam roll is performed everywhere in the
roll at the same pressure and temperature levels. Thus steam provides good cross
machine temperature profiles.

7.4 Roll materials

Thermo roll shell material requirements are complicated. The roll surface should be
extremely smooth, have good wearing and corrosion properties, be shock-resistant
(mechanical and thermal), and be easily cleaned. The strength of the material should be
as high as possible with good thermal properties for heat transfer.
The dominant material has been chilled cast iron. In this material, the surface
layer is chilled iron and the inner part (core) of the shell is either gray iron or nodular
iron. Other commonly used materials are carbide containing special cast steels, hard-
ened and tempered forged steel, and gray or nodular cast iron with a hard coated sur-
face.
Chilled cast iron has good wear resistance because of surface hardness over
500 HV20. The usable depth of the chilled layer is 8-15 mm; therefore, the roll can be
ground many times. Another good point is the easy drilling of the inner parts of the roll.
A disadvantage is low heat conductivity of the white material. That is only one third of
the gray core material. Hot chill is crack sensitive with cold water contact.

8 Roll coverings/soft roll covers

The surface quality of calender hot thermo rolls degrades because of wear and
corrosion@°. Therefore, paper surface characteristics such as profile, smoothness, and
gloss are diminished. Abrasive wear of the roll surface is caused by fibers, fillers, coat-
ing chemicals, and doctoring. Furnishes, additives, sizing, agents, and coating can
cause corrosion on the roll surface. To have better and longer lasting roll surface quality
without refinishing rolls, they can be coated with a very hard and well bonded thermal
spray.
The most commonly used thermal spraying methods are HVOF (High-velocity
oxy-fuel), plasma, and detonation gun. In the market, there are various manufacturers of
equipment for each spraying method. Growing and developing the most rapidly is the
HVOF method because of good coating quality and economy.
Table 7 shows typical properties of thermal spaying values.

80
 Calendering

Table 7. Properties of thermal spray systems.

Thermal |Temperature Particle| Bond loxidation Porosity; Feed | Relative |Thickness

Spray (°C) velocity |strength} (%) Rate | price | (typical)
method (m/s) | (MPa) (kg/h) (mm)
HVOF 3 000 800 >70 =5 2-8 1 01-20 |
Plasma 12 000 200-400 | 10> 70 =o 2-10 139) 0.1-1.0
Detonation 4 000 800 > 70 I= OND =230 le) 0.05-0.30
gun

8.1 Coating materials

Thermal spray coating materials that are commonly used in calender rolls include Alu-
mina Oxide, Alumina + Titanium, Chromium Oxide, and Tungsten Carbide as shown in
Table 8. Important properties for coating materials are hardness, bond strength, resid-
ual stress, strain to fracture, and thermal expansion@’.
Sprayed materials are in powder format and grain size is selected between 5 and
50 um. Surface roughness can be super finished at the level of 0.02—0.08 um using dia-
mond stones.

Table 8. Thermal spraying powder material.

Coating material | General specimens Surface hardness Thickness (mm)

(HV)
Hard metals WC-12%Co 800-1 400 0.1-0.5
WC-10%Co0-4%Ni 800-1 200 0.1-0.5
WC-20%Cr-7%Ni 800-1 200 0.1-0.5
CroCo-25%NiCr 600-1 100 0.10-0.75
Oxide ceramics Alo03 800-1 200 O=05
Alo03-3%...40% TiO 700-1 200 0.1-0.5
Cro03 . 1 000-1 400 | 0.1-0.5

The spraying quality depends on many parameters such as spraying method,

powder mixture, equipment’s operating values (gases/energy, dimensions, distances,
etc.), roll material and its surface pretreatment, and experience.
Technically, the best hard coating selection for hot calender rolls requires a good
knowledge of the calendering process and paper quality requirements; how abrasive
and/or corrosive are the operating conditions. It is possible to economically calculate the
cost benefits and losses when investigating hard coatings.
Hard coating technology has developed and is developing very fast. The achieved
results are good in many calendering cases. So the future looks very promising for coat-
ing technology in calender rolls.

81
 CHAPTER 1

8.2 Calender soft rolls

8.2.1 The development of soft rolls

Natural fibers as fillers

The history of soft rolls goes hand in hand with the history of the super- and soft cal-
ender. The requirements of the calendering process have driven improvements in soft
rolls, and the availability of new materials for soft rolls made new calender concepts
possible. It has been said that a calender is only as good as its soft rolls. There are two
distinctively different soft rolls: the bowl, or filled roll, and the polymer roll.
Soft roll development started in the textile industry. The first calender soft rolls, in
the 1700s, were made of wood and were used for pressing water out of textile. Because
of the size of the machinery, the wooden roll was made of a tree trunk, specifically from
the sycamore tree. The lower part of a tree is the “bole”, thus soft rolls were called boles.
With time this became misspelled, and this is the origin of the name bow! for filled rolls.
In 1784, Bentley in England became the first recognized bowl maker.
David Bentley was also among the first to make a bowl out of compressed pasted
board. The construction of this first filled roll was basically the same as today’s filled roll.
It consisted of an axle (in this case a square bar) with endplates and nuts at both ends,
and compressed pasted board in between. The softness of this pasted board filled roll
gave good results in squeezing textile.
To increase the wear resistance, the pasted board was replaced with linen paper,
as flax was at the time the toughest available fiber, and this also gave a very smooth
surface. The excellent properties of the linen filled roll led to further development of the
textile squeezing process into friction glazing and embossing, and more importantly
introduced the supercalender to the papermaker. Later, linen paper was replaced by
carded cotton and wool/cotton.
Asbestos was introduced to filled rolls around 1900 to further improve the heat
resistance at the cost of resilience. With the introduction of glassine paper manufactur-
_ ing, the hard and heat-resistant asbestos paper filled roll gained more popularity, and
asbestos filled rolls became the standard for durability in filled rolls. Because of health
considerations, the use of asbestos paper was discontinued in the United States around
1975, but in Europe the use continued until the beginning of the 1990s.
The textile industry tried compositions of flax, wood, jute, and even coconut, but
none of these fillings were endurable enough for the paper industry. It seemed impossi-
ble to beat cotton and woolen rolls, and they are the most sold filled rolls today.
The name “soft roll” is misleading. In fact, the soft roll is a roll with a relatively
hard filling or polymer cover. The soft roll has received its name from the contrast
between a conventional hard roll, made from chilled iron or steel, and rolls made from
natural and synthetic polymers. Polymer roll covers have an elastic module of about 27
GPa, while chilled iron and steel have moduli between 140-210 GPa. But a cover of
27 GPa has a hardness of 85-91 Shore D (0-1 P&J), which, to the touch, is truly hard.

82
 Calendering

Filled roll improvements

A serious problem with cotton and woolen filled rolls is the insufficient elasticity. This
causes permanent local cover deformation when thickness variations go through the nip
under high load. These markings result for instance from splices, paper wrinkles, wrap-
ups Or paper wads, not to mention from foreign objects such as bolts and metal wires.
The paper web again is marked by the markings in the filled roll, most often by gloss
losses. Once the marking of the filled roll is too much, the roll has to be changed. The
life of a filled roll in the calender can be one day or one week, depending on the operat-
ing conditions and the position in the stack, except in case of a web break when it may
be only a few hours. With serious web breaks, many filled rolls or even the complete
stack have to be changed at the same time. All this causes supercalender down-time,
cost of removal and grinding of the roll, and capital costs of having sufficient spare filled
rolls.
Although the patent literature is full of inventions that use synthetic fillings, today’s
filled roll does not look much different from its forebears. The achieved improvements
with synthetic fillings were minor if existing at all. A new though traditional filling that
succeeded is a blend of cotton with linen, for instance a 50/50% blend. This results in a
hard and heat-resistant roll.
But the persistence of the search for a better filler would bear fruit. It all started in
the middle 1960s and finally resulted in a viable filler in the 1990s. It originated from the
wish to develop a supercalender that could be operated on-line. This was not possible
with conventional filled rolls because of their susceptibility to marking and overheating,
and consequently the repeated downtime for roll changes. Gregersen and Larsson saw
that the high loads and speeds of an on-line supercalender would result in increased
heat generation in the filled roll. The low temperature conductivity of filled rolls results in
very high internal temperatures causing deterioration of the cotton fibers up to carbon-
ization and failure of the filled roll. By decreasing the heat generation within the roll with
a material that exhibited less hysteresis under dynamic load, the filled roll lifetime could
be increased. With bi-axially oriented polymer sheets the hysteresis loss went down
20%-50% compared with cotton filled rolls. A number of these polymer filled rolls ran
successfully for 2 to 3 teins but premature failures seemed an the end fort
rolls. Toc this idea is used in the I mex filed rol. Therol
Ss can wit higher tem-
pera
smootn surface

demanding sup

Proter erOnienl with filled trolls is the lack of homogeneity, mostly inmie axial
direction. Compressing many sheets of cotton under high pressure can result in density
variation. With several filled rolls in the stack, dimensional stability becomes an impor-
tant factor. With careful filling manufacture (uniform sheets) and careful roll manufacture
(stepwise pressing, long pressing time, etc.) and with the aid of innovations such as
epoxy injection between axle and filling, it is possible to make a homogeneous and well
running filled roll.

683
CHAPTER 1

The coming of the polymer roll

Efforts of a European calender manufacturer to use synthetic material to improve the
soft roll took a different direction at the end of the 1950s. Initially sheets of polymer
fibers embedded in latex were used, but creep and excessive heat generation made this
roll unsuccessful. What followed was a polymer sleeve shrink-fitted onto a roll body.
Also many others tried this design with different polymeric materials. But again the unfa-
vorable thermal properties made operation in paper machine calenders impossible.
Although the sleeve idea did not work, it directed the drive for better soft rolls
toward a construction of a body with a thin elastomer/polymer cover. Not only in Europe,
but also in the United States people started to focus on this.
In the United States, a new soft cover for supercalenders was introduced. This
cover was formed by winding a roll body with a nonwoven acrylic/polyester matte
impregnated with resin (Brafford et a/., 1971-73891) The nonwoven mats were wound
around steel rolls and impregnated with thermo-setting epoxy resins, but these covers
failed due to a breakdown in the bonding to the roll body. Initially the bonding of this
cover to cotton filled rolls also proved unsuccessful since the filled roll generated heat
under the cover under the dynamic nip load, which could not be detected but damaged
the cover. With improved curing of the epoxy resin, cotton filled rolls with this new cover-
ing were successfully used in supercalenders. This improved cover was named Super-
tex. It exhibited much better marking resistance than filled rolls, although it could not
withstand the abuse that cotton filled rolls can.
In Japan, a molded urethane cover that was shrunk onto the roll body for the cal-
endering of magnetic tape was followed by several covers from thermoset resins for the
calendering of paper. At about the same time, another Japanese firm successfully made
polymer cover by casting. This cover proved to be very wear and impact resistant. In the
1990s, a range of these covers was introduced to the European market under the name
Dura-cover, where it quickly took a significant share due to its outstanding durability.
In 1980, KUsters introduced the first on-line soft calender, the Matte-On-Line
(MOL). Although the operating conditions in terms of temperature and speeds were
severe, it was possible to use new elastomer covers. This was due to internal cooling
and edge cooling, taper, and a sufficiently wide paper web. These new hard elastomer
covers for the MOL were named KR1 and KR2.

8.2.2 Filled rolls today

Available fillings

A
elps surface fin-
olls tend to be
permanent and

84
 Calendering

Until the 1970s, the papermaker was stillpreted aane rangeLe fillings, namely
khaki, blue denim, New Process cotton, asbestos, FilMat hard and soft, wool, etc.
Today, the choice has narrowed down to 100% cotton, woolen/cotton, linen/cotton, and
Nomex. The popularity of cotton filled rolls is due to the cotton fiber toughness, which
gives a durable filled roll. It also glazes easily, i.e., its surface gets shiny and dense dur-
ing calendering. The cotton filled roll keeps its resilience at up to 85°C—95°C surface
temperature. Rolls that are 100% cotton are often pressed to 88-90 ShD. The cotton for
the filling often comes from denim rags and clippings, which explains the blue color of
many filled rolls. Woolen/cotton filled rolls are known for their elasticity and are much
softer than 100% cotton rolls.
The European and

- For coated printing paper: woolen/cotton paper:

- wool content of 15%—30%,

- roll hardness of 85-87 Shore D
(the higher the wool content is, the more the operating conditions are
limited).
- For uncoated printing paper: woolen/cotton or cotton paper:

- wool content of 15%-20%, or 100% cotton,

- roll hardness of 84—87 Shore D.
- For glassine paper: 100% cotton:

- roll hardness of 89-90 Shore D

(this used to be the domain of the asbestos filled roll, with 15% or up
to even 50% asbestos fiber).
In Europe, the main manufacturer of the paper for the filled roll is Ahlstrom Jagen-
berg in Germany. In the past, some mills used to make their own paper, or recycled the
paper of old filled rolls, but this hardly happens anymore. In England, Whiteley has suc-
cessfully started the manufacture of paper for filled rolls. There are still a few mills that
have the equipment to manufacture filled rolls, but mainly the filled rolls are supplied to
the mills by the filled roll manufacturers. In Europe, there is Voith Sulzer (former Klein-
ewefers) in Germany, Hough and Bentley (indeed the same company that started the
filled roll business) in England, RIF in Italy, and Valmet in Finland and France (Roval).
In the United States, the main manufacturers of the paper for filled roll are Valmet,
Filter Materials, and Parsons. Filled roll manufactures in the United States are Valmet,
Holyoke Machine, O&E, and Beloit.
CHAPTER 1

Construction and manufacture

A filled roll (Fig. 68) consists of a shaft, endplates and nuts at both axle ends, anda
sheet filling under pressure between the endplates.

Figure 68. Filled roll.

The filler paper (basis weight up to 250 g/m?) is cut into octagonal or circular
discs by the sheet supplier, and is delivered with a specific moisture content. Some
materials, e.g., linen sheets and Nomex, are dried before filling since moisture differ-
ences in the roll effect the roll behavior. At the filled roll manufacturer, a hole is cut in the
sheet for the axle. To prevent rotation of the sheets during calendering, the axle can be
equipped with keys that lock the sheets via small cut-outs (keyways) in the sheets.
Since the sheets have directionality because of the papermaking process, the
sheets have to be randomized by rotation before filling. Thus the filled roll has the same
properties in every radial direction and runs vibration-free.
During filling, the axle is in a vertical position and packages of sheets are slid
onto the axle from the top. Either gravity or a weight forces the sheets to the bottom. The
filled rolls, especially the larger ones, are not filled in one go but in two or three steps.
After partially filling the roll, the sheets are compressed for many hours. This stepwise
filling assures a uniform density of the filled roll over its entire width.
After final pressing, the filled roll is locked under pressure by nuts. The endplates
assure an even distribution of the pressure through the filling. Depending on filler mate-
rial and roll hardness, the internal pressure in the filled roll is 60-90 MPa.
Although the manufacturing process of filled rolls seems simple, rolls that are too
soft, rolls that are not homogeneous, hollow rolls, and rolls with color bands can still
occur today, and sometimes the reason is not discovered. Both filling quality as well as
roil manufacture must be kept at high standard. For example, the paper sheet must be
very homogeneous. In the roll manufacture process, no short-cuts can be made. Every
process step must be performed with care; for example, the axle hole can be cut smaller
than the axle diameter to assure good contact between the axle and the filling. But this
also means high friction between the axle and the sheets during filling and compres-
sion, and the sheets can end up at an angle to the axle instead of perpendicular to the
axle. By cutting the hole in the sheets bigger than the axle diameter, the sheets fill the
roll uniformly. After locking the pressure, epoxy can be injected between the axle and
the filling, thus preventing hollowness of the roll. This produces a very homogeneous roll
with uniform temperature profile.

86
 Calendering

Breaking in a filled roll

In most mills today, filled rolls are run in the supercalender as long as the paper quality
allows, after which they are replaced and sent for machining/grinding. During their oper-
ation in the calender, there is little time for maintenance. One reason is that supercal-
enders are often the bottleneck in the paper machine line. Therefore, they must run as
much as possible, and there is simply no time to care for the rolls. With proper care and
maintenance, and a good papermaking process, a stack of filled rolls can still be eco-
nomical.
In articles from the 1950s and 1960s, useful instructions were given for the use
and maintenance of filled roll, e.g., on the importance of breaking-in a new filled roll. The
following text borrows from these See

- a) Filling stabilization.
During the manufacture of the filled roll, the pressure of the paper sheets is
locked-in by the locking nuts and heads, but the sheets still have to settle.
Moreover, the density is not always uniform over the roll width. Breaking-in
can help distribute the density and stabilize the radial movement of the cotton
sheets. Resurfacing in the bearing housings of new rolls after receipt from the
manufacturer, prior to the first operation, can eliminate or reduce the needed
time for settling out.

- b) Surface finish.
A new filled roll will develop a smooth, hard, and glossy surface with opera-
tion. Washing of the new filled roll will accelerate this glazing. Only small
amounts of water (or 50% water and 50% alcohol, or a water and pure soap
solution) should be applied with a sponge, with just enough moisture to keep
the nip flooded. After washing, the stack should be rotated to dry the roll. The
glazing increases roll life-time and facilitates the glossing of the paper web.
Too much water results in drying taking too long, and can cause checking
(orange-peel surface) or temporarily soften the roll surface.

- c) Removal of sag.
Filled rolls are not very stiff and bend during storage on their bearings. If such
a roll is installed in the calender, then it needs some time to straighten out. But
most mills nowadays have stands near the supercalender where the filled rolls
can be rotated. In the United States, this stand that slowly rotates several rolls
is often called the “Sunday drive”.

In earlier days, when time and conditions still allowed, the new roll was broken-in in
the top filled roll position of the calender stack. Without any pressure but with only the

P gee
CHAPTER 1

dead weight of the top iron roll, the stack was slowly run for approximately five minutes,
after which the nip load and speed were stepwise increased every five minutes until full
operating pressure and speed were reached and the rolls reached the proper operating
temperature with good glazing. The length of time yeeros fonthe break- in deals on

Surface glazing cann only be done in the stack. With ony one filled roll renee
ment, the effect of the lesser surface quality will not be noticed, and with time the roll
becomes glazed in the calender. But if a whole stack of filled rolls is replaced, for
instance after a bad web break or a coating streak, then there can easily be a substan-
tial effect on the gloss. Again, grinding rather than machining the filled rolls helps. This
reduces the porosity of the roll surface and makes it more susceptible to glazing.
Nomex rolls have their own break-in procedure which typically consists of short
operation spells followed by grinding for the first operational months.

Care during calendering

Filled roll damage can grossly be divided into two groups: marking and burning. In both
cases, the papermaker can decrease the severity or even the occurrence of these dam-
ages.
Increasing filled roll elasticity reduces marking. Water is used for cleaning the
filled roll, but it has another beneficial effect. The absorption of water by the cotton filler
causes the cotton fibers to swell. Thus small markings in the surface can be removed
with water, or a water and soda solution. There are still mills that wash their filled roll
stack to bring the elasticity back.
If the damage is caused by a wrap or a Splice, and is too severe to be treated with
water and the roll cannot be removed from the calender right away, then sanding the edges
of the indentation might reduce the marking of the web and allow continued operation.
When the filled roll is finally sent for machining or grinding to remove the mark-

normal nip load and

generates excessive heat. What follows is roll burning or blow-out. The burning starts
several centimeters under the surface, depending on the amount of heat generated and
the heat transfer. At the roll surface, the filler can better transfer the heat away than
inside. Therefore, the highest temperature exists within the filling. By the time the area
starts to discolor on the surface, it is too late to correct the problem. And if allowed to
burn long enough, it will blow out.
Burning of the filled roll Isa common reason for pleat end of roll life, Sour

88
—-
«¢
«&
i-
2
©
 Calendering

spreader roll bearings. Inco

want to move a the axle. Hollowness n nip load overthe roll,

and also yeneration on the axle.
Thermo-crowning is mentioned in literature as a cause of concern. It is caused b
a temporary crowned temperature profile in the calender. Because of this temperature
profile, the thermo roll through expansion also becomes crowned, causing the opposi
fill 2d roll to deform in a concave shape. When the temperature profile of the chilled
l returns to normal and the thermo roll takes its cylindrical shape, but the filled roll
ins its concave profile, this results in higher nip loads at the ends of the rolls. This
tain causes the chilled iron rolls to expand at the ends, resulting in a wavy “W” profile
of the filled rolls. This wavy profile is transferred to the paper and then to the finished

8.2.3 Polymer rolls today

Available covers

The main polymer roll cover manufacturers are Beloit (United States and Europe),
Stowe Woodward (Europe), Scapa Kern (Europe), Kinyosha (Asia), Yamauchi (Asia),
and Valmet (United States and Europe). The Valmet cover is manufactured under
license of Yamauchi.
The covers most used in Europe are listed in Table 9. This table is not conclusive
since, with the new developments in multi-nip calendering, new covers have come on
the market of which the name and fame are not widespread yet.

Table 9. Predominant roll covers world-wide.

Cover Manufacturer—
Beloit Manhattan Supertex Series
Summit Series XCC
Stowe Woodward Superok
Softrok
Jalon Yellow
Salon
Polylast XT
Scapa Kern TopTec 1, 3, 4, SC, HC, XHT, etc.
Supertop
JanuTec
Valmet DuraSoft
DuraHeat
DuraStar
DuraStone

‘89
CHAPTER 1

Cover Troeeuiae that can be aT are temperature feseeace dependence

of cover hardness on temperature, and heat generation. DMTA tests on cover material
will give a relation between dynamic modulus and temperature. Polymers are visco-
elastic materials, which means that part of the energy for elastic deformation is lost in
hysteresis. This loss energy is transformed into heat, and polymer roll covers under
repeated loading do heat up slightly. Also the dynamic modulus can be divided into a
storage (i.e., elastic) and loss (i.e., viscous) modulus. The ratio of st leeheand
— stored is called the loss angeneae SE A polymer co\
cya ic | modulus inat decreases Ite V Ic | bee :

behavior doe change w 3 emperatures or with local tempera-

ture variations emperature at which the modulus drops dramé $ transi-
tion temperature Tg, st 1 be well away f the operational temperature of the cover.
But there is no need for an extremely high Tg. The n e of t lelta, asa
measur nin O\ hould be low. Thi 2S a more even tem-
penne Hl ;
Most often, the covers are stillchosen by their hardness as suitable for a certain
paper quality. Also operating conditions and/or cover surface quality can determine the
cover choice.

Construction and manufacture

A polymer roll cover consists

of a number of layers of
which the most usual are the
base layer and the top layer
(Fig. 69).
The top layer’s func-
tion is to calender the paper.
It therefore has specific
properties: surface smooth-
ness, stiffness, marking and
wear resistance, toughness,
heat resistance, low thermal _ Figure 69. Cross-section of a polymer roll.
expansion, low dynamic heat Se
generation, etc. Many polymer roll covers have a fiber reinforced top eee This kind af
cover is manufactured by winding synthetic fibers (aramid, polyester) in the form of rov-
ing and/or nonwoven around the roll, or by extruding resin with staple fiber. Before wind-
ing, the fibers are dipped into a thermosetting resin bath, and this resin hardens under
heating to form the top layer. Fillers added to the resin increase the wear resistance and
the stiffness, and can improve the surface quality of the top layer. The winding process

90
el
e
 Calendering

is not work-intensive and is relatively easy and quick, which makes the wound covers
relatively cheap.
Another technology used for the top layer is casting. The casting process is com-
plex and very work-intensive, and therefore these covers tend to be more expensive.
But, the resulting top layer is very smooth and can be very marking and wear resistant.
This results in high-quality calendering with long operational time.
In theory the stiffness of the top layer must be on the same order of magnitude as
the stiffness of the paper in the z-direction to achieve uniform density of the paper after
calendering. For the different covers it ranges from 2 to 8 GPa. But the stiffness of the
metal roll body is many times more than the cover stiffness, around 150-200 GPa.
Under the dynamic load of the calendering process, the flexible top layer would come
loose from the stiff roll body. A base layer with a stiffness between that of the body and
the top layer bridges the difference. The construction of the base layer is generally the
same for all types of roll covers. It is layered construction and consists of windings of
roving, woven, and nonwoven. Important properties for the base layer are good adher-
ence to the body, high stiffness, toughness, and heat resistance. To increase the adher-
ence of the base layer to the body, a primer is sometimes applied.
The thickness of a wound cover usually lies between 12 and 15 mm, with a base
layer thickness of 5-6 mm. One of the advantages of the cast cover is the thickness,
which gives the increased grindable thickness and better nip stress distribution. Cast
covers can have a thickness of 25 mm, with a base layer thickness of 6-7 mm.
Another advantage of the cast cover thickness is the improved ability to deform,
since the stiff base layer cannot restrict top layer deformation as much as with thin covers.
This gives the cover a better ability to withstand impacts without marking or damage.

Use and maintenance

Unlike filled rolls, per rolls are eo elastic. Marking b ity irregulari-
ties in the web hap ‘ tayin the cal-
ender io inding intervals
als are measured
eeks or even Mm ‘onths.
This on operational time puts extra demands on the cover, and also on the user.
It is up to the cover manufacturer to provide a cover that is impact resistant and also not
susceptible to the growth of so-called “hot spots.” As with filled rolls, hot spots occur in
polymer rolls as a result of increased local stress. This can arise for instance from inter-
nal damage, or by repeated impact at the same spot. Part of the increased energy at the
stressed point is transformed into heat, which causes the cover to expand. Thus more
load is attracted, etc. It is also up to the cover manufacturer to provide the cover user
with good instructions on the use and maintenance of the cover and, if needed, also
training.
On the other hand, the cover user has some duties as well. It is often thought that
after the first roll cover acquisition, less attention is needed for the calender. This is not
true. A polymer cover is quite an investment, and the cover has the potential to make

31
CHAPTER 1

this investment very worthwhile because of improved paper quality, longer operational
time and less downtime, and longer lifetime. But this return on investment will only be
realized with the help of the calender operator, or even of the papermaker. This will
remain so until the cover condition can be monitored automatically.
The next sections will discuss the important subjects of cleanliness, wear, cover
end condition, and damage.

a) Cleanliness
Long operational time increases the chance of dirt sticking to the cover. In addition to coat-
ing paste and splicing tape attached to the cover, paper pieces also tend to stick to polymer
roll covers because of the static electricity charge typical for these polymer covers.
Thin pieces of paper or tape not only can cause marking of the paper web, but
also can result in cover marking and, if the circumstances are unlucky, can even lead to
damage. If one considers that the radial deformation of the cover in the stack is only
60—120 um under loads of 300-450 kN/m, then it should be no surprise that a piece of
90 um thick paper exerts very high local loads.

b) Awareness of cover wear

To make the long grinding intervals possible, the cover must be very wear resis-
tant, both in keeping its surface smoothness as well as in keeping its geometry.
The roll surface smoothness is important since calendering is a copying process.
Although most of the gloss and smoothness is made on the thermo roll because of high
temperatures, the soft roll surface does affect paper quality, therefore, cover roughness
must be low and remain low. The specific advantage of cast covers lies in the very high
surface quality that can be achieved during grinding, and their ability to become
smoother with operation. Ra values of 0.1—0.2 um are no exception.
Today’s soft covers have run in soft and supercalenders for up to five or six months
between grinding, but three months grinding interval is more normal. The reason for grind-
ing in these cases is often the cover profile and not the surface quality (i.e., marking). The
geometry of the cover changes unevenly through wear under varying loads. The load pro-
file over the cover width is never uniform but has regions of high and low load. Paper,
coated or uncoated, is like sandpaper and with time grinds away, especially at the high load
regions. To keep the paper caliper and gloss profile within specifications, more load will be
applied in the worn region, in theory until calendering is impossible and the cover must be
reground. After long operation in the calender, the paper wears itself into the cover,

Thermo rolls wear as well, and an incorrect thermo roll profile can result in non-
uniform load of the cover. Thermo rolls have grinding intervals of 6-12 months, but they

92
 Calendering

often operate longer. When installing polymer rolls into a stack, it is useful to check the
thermo roll profiles.

c) Managing the cover end condition.

Hot thermo rolls pose a problem for polymer roll covers. At the ends, the cover is not
protected by the paper web, and heat radiation or direct contact causes higher tempera-
tures and higher loads. Because of the typical high thermal expansion of polymers, lim-
its have been set for the maximum temperature difference over a small distance.
Temperature monitoring, either manual or automatic, will provide warning if these limits
are exceeded. The following changes should be considered in case of cover end tem-
perature peaks:

- Tapered ends in case of moderate temperature peaks. The taper should start
from the web end. In case of small web width changes, a double taper should
be applied with a microtaper over which the paper can run without affecting
Caliper.

- Edge cooling, either with air or mist spray. This is mostly used in soft calend-
ers, but today is also used in multi-nip calenders.

- Taper plus overwide paper web, whereby the paper runs over the taper and
affects the caliper. The uncalendered edges of the paper are cut away before
the reel. This is necessary with very high thermo roll temperatures.

Hot calendering with a range of web widths should preferably have the taper
changed according to the present web width. Of course this is impractical if the web
width often changes in a short period. In that case, effective cooling is necessary.
Cover end damages, with these available measures and regular grinding, should
not occur.

d) Damage.
As most polymer roll cover users know, a cover failure can happen at any time. There is
no indication that covers lose their strength with time and become more susceptible to
damage. Many damages are caused by impacts on the cover, and these impacts occur
at random.
Failure often comes as a surprise. The high marking resistance of the polymer roll
covers has a soothing effect on the calender operators. When covers are running for
weeks without marking, then the feeling that the process is under control comes easily
and care for cover and process conditions does not seem so important. In fact, the cov-
ers take continuous beatings but do not show it, until they get hit too hard and the cover
is damaged.
"If the cover despite its high marking resistance shows many marks, then it is sen-
sible to analyze the calender process. Do web breaks occur often, and where and why?
Do certain rolls always get wrapped by paper? How well does the web break detection
system function? Does the quick nip opening system (if present at all) work? Does the

93
CHAPTER 1

doctoring system work? Are covers dirty or do splice tapes stick to the cover? How good
is the paper coming from the paper machine or coater, i.e., is everything at the paper
formation Borer in order?

transfer the heat via ie paper nas onto the cover. If the steam boxes do not work prop-
erly, then one steam zone can be applying too much heat. Local load or heating under
the web can sometimes be detected by non-uniformities in paper caliper or gloss, but
not always. A calender operator with a handheld thermometer can find such hot areas,
and the grinder should reveal if a cover wears locally.
Some impacts are caused by the paper web (wads of paper, roll wrapping, coat-
ing lumps, or streaks); others come from the calender environment. Calenders vibrate;
parts come loose and go through the nip. This is not disastrous for filled rolls since bolts,
screws, wires, etc., can get embedded into the filling. But for polymer roll covers, this
damaging situation can cost dearly. In extreme conditions, the impact can cause imme-
diate failure of the cover. In less severe conditions, the impact can result for instance in
internal damage which, with time, can grow to failure.
Here is a typical difference between the polymer roll cover and the filled roll with
respect to impact damages. Almost all markings can be machined/ground off a filled roll
provided enough thickness remains, and rarely does an impact result in total damage to
the cover. (Most filled roll total damages are related to local overheating or incorrect fill-
ing; see text on filled rolls.)
Polymer covers, however, behave very differently. Firstly, most polymer covers
are very thin with a top layer thickness of 6-7 mm and, in some cases, even onl
This eevee very ui adel if a deep marking occurs

D Ze o the filled roll, severe impact can result in immedi-

ate iui 5 the cover through cracking of the cover and breaking away of small pieces.
Small holes can be filled up with cover material, but large damages usually mean pre-
mature end of life. Although the wound covers can in some cases be repaired by replac-
ing a complete ring around the roll, there is a question of how good this repair can be.
And moreover it is an expensive repair, with the cover out of use for a considerable time,
and therefore only economical if sufficient lifetime remains in terms of grindable thick-
ness.

8.2.4 Filled rolls versus polymer rolls

The soft calender operator is obliged to use polymer rolls, and can only make a choice
between the different polymer covers. The papermaker who is buying a new supercal-
ender (or multi-nip calender) is in the same position, since the operating conditions
combined with the efficiency required from modern calendering are making the use of
filled rolls impossible. But the cine ane) ofpeg has use choice betwee
filled rolls and polymer rolls. He must eva hi ements an

94
 Calendering

Filled rolls are very good gloss makers. The fepacement i one or two filled rolls
with polymer rolls in a 12-roll calender will mostly have no effect on the gloss, but with
the replacement of more filled rolls the gloss can drop a few pee: This is not a big
PN since an increase in theprocess Meg selre

Y ompared with polymer rolls,

but the papermaker can influence this. Web breaks can be the reason to replace a
whole stack of filled rolls with new ones. By decreasing the number of web breaks (and
thus also decreasing the number of web threadings), the grinding interval of the filled
rolls increases. Adequate web break detection, quick nip opening, and web cutting
decrease the effect of the web breaks. With overhang load compensation, the profile of
the filled roll will remain in shape much longer. Care of the filled rolls, like in earlier
times, will keep the surface of the filled roll more elastic and decrease the number of
markings. It all comes down to money; what are the costs of roll changes (downtime,
amount of spare rolls, personnel, grinding equipment), and what is the life time of the
filled roll? With the above procedures and careful grinding, a stack of (mainly) filled rolls
can be a good choice.
Some positions are more severe than others. The lower positions in a supercal-
ender are loaded more, and marking of rolls occurs faster. That might be a reason to
change the bottom filled rolls (one or two) to polymer rolls. On the other hand, it can be
the top roll that is marked most or wears most, and, in both cases, a polymer roll here is
then a g9od choice. a
Recau Fits relatively low e€ acticityv tha fi ad rr Ir’s shane t Is t

Operating condihens: fear oad. speed, or temperature can be such that it is not
possible to use filled rolls (for instance because of burning). This is one of the reasons
why new multi-nip calenders are equipped with polymer rolls only, but the same is true
for existing supercalenders that have to keep up with today’s production demands.
Then again, a filled roll is not often damaged beyond repair. Repair mostly means
the removal of several centimeters of cover, instead of the usual 2-3 mm, because of
deep marking. But it can also mean the removal of a band of paper sheets and refilling
of the roll with new sheets. This is done when the damage is deep but local and the filled
roll still has sufficient lifetime, in terms of cover thickness, remaining. Polymer roll covers
are very marking resistant and very strong, but when impacted severely enough they
can fail by the breaking away of cover pieces and cracking. Small damages can be
repaired, and some cover manufacturers even claim to be able to perform a ring repair
(at cost). But questions about the quality of such repairs often make large damages at
the end of the cover.

ie
CHAPTER 1

8.3 Other rolls

Other rolls used in the calenders are paper carrying (or leading) rolls, spreader rolls,
tension measuring rolls, and fly rolls (in supercalenders). All these rolls have the same
function: to support the paper web and lead it to the calender, between the calender
nips and from the calender onward.
Carrying rolls are normally steel rolls that are either plain or have a spiral groove
for wrinkle free operation and air removal. On low-speed, off-machine calenders like
supercalenders, the rolls are not driven but are normally driven on all on-machine cal-
enders and on high-speed, off-machine calenders. On wide, fast machines, composite
rolls have started to replace steel rolls.
Spreader rolls are curved rolls that have a curved shape, stationary support
shaft, and short shell sections that rotate around the shaft. Sections have couplings and
seals at the ends to allow the roll to rotate as one roll and prevent the grease from the
bearings to get to the web. The surface of the rolls can be plain steel, aluminum, or rub-
ber. The metallic surfaces can also be provided with an air removal groove to ensure
stable operation at high speeds. The amount of bow in the curve depends on the width
of the roll, wrapping angle of the web on the roll, paper grade, and position of the roll.
There are also rolls with an adjustable bow for operating under changing conditions.
Spreader rolls are used before the first nip in multi-roll machine calenders, supercalend-
ers, and soft calenders. In soft calenders, spreader rolls are commonly used before all
nips. In some supercalenders and multi-nip calenders, spreader rolls are used in the
3—4 position to ensure adequate spreading effect. In off-line calenders, spreader rolls
are also used at the windup to prevent reel wrinkles.
Tension measuring rolls are used to control the electric drives of the calender. For
good tension control, there should always be a tension-measuring roll between different
drive sections. In on-line soft calenders, there are tension measurements between the
last drying cylinder and the first nip, between the nips, and between the calender and
the reel. In off-line multi-nip calenders, there are tension measurements between the
unwind and calender stack and the calender stack and windup. The tension measure-
ment roll in its simplest form is a steel paper-carrying roll that is supported by electrical
tension measurement cells that provide the tension signal to the electric drive. For wide
calenders, composite rolls are used for tension measurement to provide a stable, vibra-
tion-free signal. In off-line calenders, a split tension-measuring beam with lightweight
shells is used for a good measurement signal.
TIV rolls ¢

JET FOU. Bite > UU

[he end section adju

[hese rolls have to wor

96
a
 Calendering

9 Unwind and windup

9.1 Unwind
Basically, the unwind is made of an unwind station (Fig. 70), containing hydraulic-
mechanical locking devices for the machine reel and devices for removing the empty
reel spool.
The reel supports of the unwind station are often equipped with operating devices
for CD oscillation (Fig. 71). The brake generator is connected to the machine reel at the
unwind station through a reduction drive and openable gear clutch.

Reel supports
(including Machine reel
hydraulic mechanical Unwind stand
locking devices) (including oscillation)
Unwind from top Rails

reel spool

Unwind from bottom

Figure 70. Unwind station. :

Intermediate station Storage rails Unwind station

Transfer rails

~Figure71.Unwind station with automatic functions.

87
CHAPTER 1

Before the crane brings a full machine reel to the unwind station, the empty reel
spool is moved hydraulically to the transfer rails, along which the machine reel spool
rolls to the pickup station. The sheet can unwind from either the top or bottom of the
reel, depending on which side of the paper needs to be calendered first. After the
machine reel has been locked, the gear clutch is engaged. With the machine reel rotat-
ing at crawling speed, the operators tear the tail and thread the wedge-like tail of the
paper web through the calender stack to the windup.
If necessary, crane operations related to the calendering sequence of the full
machine reel and the empty reel spool can be avoided by moving the full machine reel
along the transfer rails from one intermediate station to another and finally to the unwind
station. Hydraulic lever arms lift the empty reel spool onto the storage rails.
Threading takes place semi-automatically by securing the end of the tail wedge
formed on the tending side edge to the threading belt or rope, which follows the web
geometry and takes the tail of the paper web at crawling speed to the windup, where the
tail is led around an empty reel spool using an air-jet, for example. Threading can be
avoided by automatically splicing the full width of the web of a full machine reel to the
end of a nearly emptied machine reel, at crawling speed (Fig. 72).

Mechanical brake Lifting arms

Splicing device
/ Web cutter

‘fl
XY

| if“Ab
4

ve
SD
IN
"Ow
=

Figure 72. Unwind station equipped with automatic splicing.

In this procedure, a sawtooth splice is prepared beforehand in the full machine

reel using double-sided tape. Perforated strips of glued tape keep the end of the web in
place and attached to the surface of the machine reel. Once the machine reel being cal-
endered is nearly empty, the calender is slowed to crawling speed. The brake generator
is disconnected and the mechanical brake maintains web tension. Lifting arms raise the
machine reel to the splicing station, with web tension maintained continuously.
A new machine reel is brought to the unwind station, the brake generator is con-
nected, and the new machine reel is accelerated to the web speed of the emptying

98
 Calendering

machine reel (15-50 m/min). After this, the web to be unwound is pressed (by photoeye
sensor control) onto the prepared splice using a splicing brush or roll, while an impact
sawtooth blade cuts the web from the emptied machine reel. During splicing, the cal-
ender rolls are open or relieved to nearly zero load. Once the splice has been threaded,
the rolls are closed and the calender is accelerated to running speed.

9.2 Windup
The construction of the windup includes CD oscillating reel supports, similar to those in
the unwind station, to which an empty reel spool is locked, and an electric drive with an
openable gear clutch. In the simplest version, a crane brings the reel spool to the
windup station transfer rails, along which it rolls to the windup station, once the full
machine reel has been removed.
The windup also includes a rider roll (Fig. 73) to create the correct structure and
to reduce air entrained into the roll machine reel to be wound, and an adjustable
spreader roll to prevent web wrinkling. In basic models, the rider and spreader rolls are
mounted either on hydraulically loaded jointed arms or on carriages equipped with lin-
ear guides, in order to follow the increase in the diameter of the fixed machine reel as
reeling progresses. An axle connecting the tending and drive sides synchronizes the
arms.

Rider roll

Spreader roll

Synchronizing shaft

Figure 23.Windup station equipped with basic rider roll device. -

_ The web coming from the calender is led at a suitable angle beneath the
spreader roll to the reeling nip formed by the rider roll and the machine reel. To eliminate
air bagging that easily forms in front of the reeling nip, the rider roll is relieved with spiral
or double (a deep, narrow groove and a shallow, broad groove) grooving, so that the air
trapped in front of the nip can escape through the nip.

99
CHAPTER 1

Fixed- Bow metal or rubber- coated rolls equipped with adjustable bow, mounted
on a stiff support axle, as well as rolls composed of easily rotated sectional rolls bowed
and supported on a separate frame, are used as spreader rolls. The spreader roll is
generally adjusted to a pronounced forward bow, to achieve the best web spreading
effect. The direction of the bow is then adjusted to conform closely to the direction of
travel of the web.
The significance of windup control has been emphasized by a rapid increase in
machine reel size since 1990 and by the increase in calendering speeds following the
development of the calender roll polymer cover (Fig. 74).

Rider roll Reel spool Reel spool storage

lowering arms rails
Spreader roll Transfer equipment for

ieee

Ns
~--1-—-—
a
~.

Rider roll

Figure 74. Off-line calender windup station designed for large machine reel diameters and increased cal-
endering speeds.

Besides such existing means of reeling control as the adjustment of the nip load
(and to a very limited extent, of web tension), an additional reeling parameter has
appeared in the form of a rider roll drive, used to adjust the circumferential force. In this
case, additional drive or braking power is available as required from the circumference
of the pachine sti innee to that from the machine reel’s center ssa 0 optimize

petiAionene spleme eel isremoved from the reeling posi-

tion and replaced by a new reel spool at a nee speed of 15-50 m/min. A hydraulic aux-
iliary drive attached to the full machine reel transfer carriages is connected to the
machine reel, after which the reeling moment is transferred from the main drive to the

100
 Calendering

auxiliary drive. The main drive is disconnected and transfer levers move the full machine
reel to the pickup station, while a constant web tension is maintained.
Simultaneously, an empty reel spool is brought automatically from the storage
rails to the windup station. After the spool has been locked, the drive disconnected, and
the nip contact of the rider roll device has been moved, the web is cut by an air blast or
a traversing knife and led around the new reel spool.
These events take place simultaneously with the change of the machine reel on
the unwind side and splicing operations. Usually, however, the splice on the unwind side
is run at crawling speed to the surface of the full machine reel on the windup side, to
facilitate splice removal.
After splicing and the change of machine reels, the calender is accelerated to
running speed. The necessary machine reel and reel spool lifting and transfer opera-
tions are carried out during the calendering stage.

10 Process control and automation

10.1 Control systems

The paper industry has aggressively replaced old relay systems and analog controllers
with programmable logic controllers (PLC) and distributed control systems (DCS) over
the past ten years. An increased emphasis on product quality, productivity, faster deliv-
eries, and process optimization has been the driving force behind the interest in auto-
mation and process controls. Quality and productivity are currently the key attributes
that directly measure the effectiveness and cost of manufacturing processes. Productiv-
ity is closely linked to quality because there is an optimum rate of production when con-
sidering the principal manufacturing variables: raw material, process, and automation
system used. Quality, on the other hand, is the judgment of the properties of the final
output of the production process.
Therefore, today virtually all new calenders and most rebuilds include a com-
puter-controlled system. Some of these systems use centralized hardware; others
decentralized, distributed hardware. Some are based on direct process connections via
separate interfaces; others are integrated with the process control system and effec-
tively utilize data-highway and local network technology. However, in process control for
the paper industry, there is an intensive trend toward distributed control systems which
have an open architecture and which can provide a single window interface. DCS can
perform all of the control and operator interface functions traditionally provided by stand-
alone, dedicated measurement and control systems?” 7°.
These technology trends have naturally affected calender automation and hard-
ware solutions. Smaller automation systems, and especially stand-alone rebuild imple-
mentations, are often realized with PLC systems. However, traditional relay systems,
analog unit controllers, and manual desk operations are not totally out of use. On the
other hand, large calender automation systems with comprehensive quality measure-
ments and interfaces to millwide information systems are commonly implemented into
the DCS systems.

101
CHAPTER 1

A modern DCS system, as shown in Fig. 75, with process specific control appli-
cations can provide several benefits for the user. Centralized operations, improved pro-
cess performance through a higher level of control, cost-effective digitizing of data for
use by information systems, and distribution of risk into smaller modules with higher
system uptime and faster repairs are typical benefits. Of all these benefits, the most
important are improved process control and improved process performance?? 22,

Open Architecture - Multiuser Multifunction

Process Operation Information Maintenance Cyber Services Generic

Browsing and Engineering e)

Alarm Process Quality Information System Management Open Interfacing

Manage- Control Control Management and Communication - Logic Systems
ent oe - Computers
TH —=a7 - Measuring Device
PaperIQ

CD
Actuators

Figure 75. A modern distributed control system.

10.2 Requirements and methods for calender control

There are several end-use properties and quality requirements which calendering is
expected to achieve. However, these requirements cannot be achieved without appro-
priate actuators, quality measurements, process control systems, and control strate-
gies. Actually, the calendering process is the papermaker's last changestioeae
thickness variations else the len sue an I

es. One major process require-

rent is tha the we hav ty, ie., that it passes through the process
with a minimum of HEME In eae the web should have good uniformity in the
cross-direction (CD), since non-uniformities built-in ue, neve reeling are usually asso-

order to « contro!

102
 Calendering

non-uniformities. Calendering reduces paper thickness and roughness by aru the

Sheu Ee ve or more Pie cast-iron or soft-covered fe The |

Nipre and euface emperinre of the rolls can be changed Sieve) across
the width of A a ek we oe are used to control the CD pS of ols Jee

ations, can be
Temperature control of rolls maintains a specified operating temperature over the
width of the roll surface and hence over the web. Temperature control affects localized
control to assist in good reel building. Control of temperature is now recommended;
1.5+°C can be achieved by means of circulating water, with alternating directions of flow
from roll to roll.
Steam showers can be used in hard nip calenders as an effective calendering
aid. They help to reduce bulk and improve surface properties. They can also be used to
adjust the surface property two-sidedness of the web. Their effectiveness willdepend on

trolled CD rolls toSeely cross- ean control.

Practically all modern supercalenders are now equipped with heated rolls. By
heating the web as it passes over the hard rolls, it becomes more pliable and can be
calendered with lower nip loads. Modern supercalenders operate with variable-crown
rolls in the bottom (king) and top (queen) positions. Now many supercalenders also use
zone-controlled rolls to accomplish cross-machine control. Air showers or induction
heaters are not generally used. However, steam showers have been used extensively
on supercalenders to improve finish and affect surface-property two-sidedness
(smoothness and gloss)*”.
Modern on-line soft calendering is an attempt to achieve the benefits of supercal-
endering without paying the price. The modern soft calender is usually a single nip
design. Therefore, it consists of a pair of single nip calenders in series, with roll positions
reversed in the second. The calendering temperature is limited by the properties of the
material used to cover the soft roll. Steam showers are used to improve finish and
adjust two-sidedness of the paper. Two-sidedness is somewhat easier to control in on-
line soft calenders than in off-line supercalenders, because the load in each nip can be
adjusted independently.

103
CHAPTER 1

Today, soft euergeine technology is directed toward soft peanmsncse =

ine |mois ture stays

ag A saatFa
on

kanse The heat nafietraia into the web very quickly and causes overall bulk ep
tion, but the moisture stays near the surface and softens only the surface fibers?

10.3 Machine controls

The calendar’s control and automation applications are generally divided into machine
controls and higher level quality controls. Machine controls are the lower level basic
controls which take care of the analog and binary I/O functions, binary control of pumps
and valves, interlockings, alarms, and several functions of lower lever control loops.
However, reliable implementation of machine controls forms the foundation of all
calender automation. The machine controllers manage all the real-time measurement
and control loops, as a part of the total process automation system. Especially in the
DCS environment, the machine controls have been designed to cooperate with more
advanced control strategies, to provide an integrated calender automation system.
On the calender, the machine control applications can be grouped according to
their main functions which are related to calender operations and equipment. Machine
controls provide the functionality of calender in different process and transient phases.
Operations of the machine control applications are classified in Table 10.

Table 10. Classification of machine control applications.

Maintaining functions
ey . . . .

Supporting functions Special and recovery

functions
Control of linear load Control of hydraulic system Web break detection
Control of nip and roll stack Control of heating system Quick opening of nip and stack
Control of polymer rolls Control of lubrication system Control of brake system
Control of CD actuators Interface to measurement system | Web threading
Control of thermo rolls Alarms Speed-up control
Edge temp. monitoring and control | Help diagnostics Roll change monitoring
Automatic splicing Automatic spool feeding Control of lifting device
Automatic reel change Control of doctor blades
Control of electric drives
Interlockings

104
 Calendering

Maintaining functions are the operations that ensure that the quality, runnability,
and productivity requirements can be fulfilled. Interlockings take into account the safety
aspects of operations. Supporting functions provide the basis for the maintaining func-
tions. For example, the heating system takes care of the water circulation in the rolls
and regulates the water temperature. The hydraulic system, on the other hand, pro-
duces pressure levels and flows required by the loading cylinders of the calender, as
presented in Fig. 76. Special and recovery functions are designed to take care of web
break situations and to assist service and maintenance operations.

Calender Fluid System

©)
a : oy
__ Expansion
eo
1 tank
Hydraulic unit
SS
EG

ed
Hydraulic unit
Secondary
circuit

[esate aa
= : Loading
LE Primar : :
Storage = oe it y hydraulic unit
otek nO

Figure 76. Fluid system for nipcontrol. =

Naturally, these operations are not entirely similar for off-line and on-line calen-
ders. Likewise, hard nip calender, soft calender, and supercalender applications have
distinct dissimilarities. However, machine control applications contain several important
properties which contribute directly to productivity’. Automatic splicing and reel change
are typical applications which have increased calendar availability significantly?®. With a
modern automatic reel change system, both the unwind and windup sections are
equipped to enable fully automatic machine reel change. The only manual operation is
the splice preparation on the unwind stand. The supercalender does not need to be shut
down while changing the reel; the system operates at reduced speed during splicing. At
the windup, the reel spool is automatically transferred from the waiting station to the
windup stand. When this kind of system is in operation, no crane is needed for actual
machine reel change.

105
CHAPTER 1

10.4 Measurement of surface properties

Continuous on-line measurements are necessary for precise and reliable process con-
trol. Because the calender traditionally represents the last opportunity to inspect the fin-
ished product, a number of on-line sensors are used to monitor paper quality properties.
Typically, sensors measure and control key product variables including: caliper, smooth-
ness, gloss, moisture, temperature, and roll hardness.

10.4.1 Caliper
Caliper sensors are electromechanical devices that either contact the sheet on one or
both sides, or are noncontacting. Non-contacting sensors avoid the possibility of
scratching a coated sheet, but do so by sacrificing some degree of accuracy. Contacting
sensors are able to produce an accuracy of one micron.

10.4.2 Smoothness
Smoothness sensors are laboratory instruments adapted for use with an on-line scan-
ning mechanism. Using small on-board rollers, the sheet is held at a constant distance
from this optical device. Parallel rays of light are projected onto the sheet at a low inci-
dent angle (15 degrees). The scattered light beam, which is a function of the degree of
surface roughness, is collected by a lens and focused on a linear array of detectors.
Smoothness is expressed directly in K.L. units. Sensors typically agree with similar lab-
oratory tests to within at least two K.L. units. The popularity of snoothness sensors
stems primarily from their close correlation with other laboratory tests of printability, i.e.,
Sheffield, Parker Print, and Gardner Gravure.

10.4.3 Gloss

A gloss sensor is also an optical device that determines paper surface reflectance. In
certain applications, gloss correlates well with laboratory tests of surface and print qual-
ity, i.e., ink hold-out. The gloss measurement is made by projecting a high-intensity light
onto the sheet at an incident angle of 15 degrees. Reflected light, a function of the
degree of gloss, is collected by a lens and focused onto a photosensitive detector. A
second light beam, which travels above the sheet on the same detector, is used as a
reference to standardize the gloss measurement. Gloss is measured in units, 0 to 100,
with on-line sensors being accurate to at least two units.

10.4.4 Moisture

A calender’s noncontacting infrared moisture sensors are identical to those used with
paper machine and coating processes. Where spacing is limited, a reflection or single-
sided sensor is used. The sensor can monitor or provide indirect gauging of unmea-
sured variables such as gloss, sheet temperature, or smoothness.

106
 Calendering

10.4.5 Temperature
Scanning and noncontacting temperature sensors use radiant infrared energy to pro-
vide a reading of actual sheet temperature. The absolute measurement can warn
against the onset of scorching, but sheet temperature will be used more as an indirect
measurement of gloss, smoothness, or caliper profiles. The manual or automatic control
of steam showers, water sprays, or zone-controlled rolls could be tied directly to a tem-
perature sensor if gloss, smoothness, or caliper sensors are unavailable.

10.4.6 Roll hardness

Roll hardness sensors monitor the condition of the finished roll rather than sheet. The
hardness sensor is a piezo-electric device mounted within a roller, which is held against
the finished roll as it builds. The roll hardness measurement has the inherent advantage
of combining several properties, which can affect the mechanical quality of the roll, i.e.,
caliper, draw, tension profile, and moisture.
Present measurement technique provides profile measurements as fine as 1 cm
wide. This achievement is a result of faster, more precise sensor signal processing, faster
scan speeds, and new computational methods. From a control point of view, the measure-
ment system’s goal is naturally to develop accurate profiles as quickly as possible.

10.5 Actuators for control of paper surface properties

Thickness, smoothness, and gloss are the main quality variables of calendering. Three
main technologies for control of paper cross-direction (CD) thickness are available:
induction heating systems, confined air showers, and zone-controlled rolls. Induction
heating and confined air showers externally heat the roll to increase the diameters
which in turn increases the nip load. Zone-controlled rolls vary the nip pressure by
mechanically deflecting the roll shell.
For the control of paper smoothness and gloss, steam shower technology has
established its position as a leading method. Steam showers improve calendering by
both heating the sheet and increasing surface moisture. However, it is not entirely clear
which, if either, of these effects dominate. Anyway, the most important performance
parameters for cross-directional control, regardless of the actuator technology used,
are: efficiency, control range, speed of response, and width of response?”?8.

10.5.1 Induction heating

Figure 77 illustrates the principle of operation for the induction heating system. The sys-
tem consists of a number of magnetic-induction coils shaped to conform closely to the
contour of a calender roll, at a proximity of 3.0—-4.5 mm. The coils are encapsulated in a
flameproof and isolating resin compound. High-frequency ac current is fed to the coils
from a solid-state power unit, one for each coil. An alternating magnetic field induces
eddy currents into the roll surface, which in turn produces heating. The center-to-center
distance of coils is 76.2 mm. The maximum power usage is 6 kW/coil and conversion
efficiencies of over 90% have been reported°?.

107
CHAPTER 1

A major advantage of induction heating is

the application through the sheet, giving
more options for actuator location. On.the
other hand, a major disadvantage of the
induction heating system is the slow
speed of response and high energy con-
sumption.

10.5.2 Air showers

Air showers are based on convection

heating technology to transfer heat from a
resistive heater to the rollque CDcal Power. 2

ng
Moduleli—-!

systems were not very effective at trans- Induced

Heating
ferring energy to the roll and, as a result,
their control range was often rather lim- Calender
Roll
ited. The new style confined air showers
operating with high-temperature air are
considerably more effective than the older
air systems. With a large enough power
input, these systems can provide a rea-
sonable caliper adjusting range.
Figure 77. eae of ann for induction heat-
A typical example of this kind of ing system”
technology is presented in Fig. 78. This
air shower system uses infrared units to
heat constantly operating air jets that are Cool Surface Hot Front
Surface
directed at the calender roll surface. The
system provides a narrow 38 -mm zone
resolution of actuators. With the heaters
at full power (79 kW/m), air -jet tempera-
tures rise to 450°C 7”, Cool
Air
Plenum
10.5.3 Zone-controlled rolls

The development of zone-controlled rolls

has eo fast eae the 1990s. Witt

Heating
Elements
Ww hes i oF Tor S Vis)

rolls allowed general nip force SeTections Figure 78. Lae of

Operationforairshower
at the edges and in the center of the roll. system,

108
 Calendering

On the other hand, the first

zone-controlled rolls offered
a tool for CD profile correc-
tions in six to eight zones.
However, neither the swim-
ming roll construction nor
the original zone-controlled
roll provided a possibility for
localized high-frequency
profile corrections. This was
the starting point for the
development in the early
1990s. Currently, all major
roll suppliers have their own
designs for zone-controlled
CD rolls.
A new type of zone- '
controlled CD roll with indi- Figure 79. Principle of operation for zone-controlled roll.
vidually controlled elements wee ian 7 ss »
is an appropriate actuator for
caliper control (see Fig. 79).
The average thickness is
adjusted with the force
applied on the roll journals.
The shape of the CD thick-
ness or gloss profile is
adjusted with zone control.
The center-to-center dis-
tance of the CD control zone
Caliper
um
elements is typically 150—
250 mm. Because of the
stiffness of zone-controlled
roll shells, profile shape
adjustment can typically be 56
made over a bandwidth of 7200 7400 7600 7800 8000 8200
Paper Width mm

“effect oflocal
aesforcecorrections on

§ shows the response effect of one + cone action ata

Figure 80
30 kN/m on a soft calender. A change of -20 kN/m and +25 kN/m produced caliper
changes of +4 and -6 um, respectively?’

109
CHAPTER 1

10.5.4 Zone-controlled steam showers

Steam showers are effective

in improving the surface finish
of many paper grades.
Besides improving gloss and
smoothness, two-sidedness
and final sheet moisture can
be affected by the proper
placement and use of steam
showers. Figure 81 shows a
typical steam shower applica-
tion device designed for use CONTROL
on high-speed calender PANEL
stacks. For cross-direction
gloss and smoothness profil-
ing, the steam showers are MEASURING GAUGE
segmented in zones, gener-
ally from 150 to 300 mm wide.
Profiling is naturally improved QUALITY
CONTROL
with the increased number of SYSTEM
cross-direction zones. Each
zone has its own in-feed, and
the entire system is digitally
controlled. Uniform cross-
direction steam distribution Condensate Steam
and condensate removal are , ay removal supply

important factors be Prevent Figure 81. Principle of operation for zone-controlled steam shower
steam spitting and dripping. system.
Steam supplied to the show-
ers will typically be less than 60 kPa and will be at a temperature of 115°C—125°C.
Pocket showers are used on uncoated groundwood papers, which are very
responsive to added moisture. Steam showers for coated papers cannot be located in
the pocket because of the danger of pulling the coating. Instead, the showers are
installed outside the sheet run. Some coated grades cannot take any steam at all. The
use of steam on coated papers is closely related to coating formulations.

10.6 Automatic on-line caliper control

Regardless of where the process is affected, uneven caliper always represents lost ben-
efits. It usually shows up as uneven draws at the reel, winder, printing press, or convert-
ing machine and can cause problems in such diverse operations as coating and die-
cutting. Variations in sheet caliper can even result in lost production due to sheet
breaks. Caliper variations can originate from many sources including uneven basis
weight, moisture, and temperature.

110
 Calendering

At the present time, machine-direction (MD) and cross-direction (CD) caliper con-
trols represent standard quality control applications for calenders. Several actuator pos-
aoeres and amie! SUS are aS is accomplish this control4#-44,

controlled b iene
ond relativelv o ti

10.6.1 Caliper control structure for a hard nip calender

A feedback control structure for a hard nip calender, as shown in Fig. 82, includes both
MD and CD caliper control. Paper quality measurements are received from traversing
sensors. A modern hard nip calender has facilities to heat the web and adjust the loads
in the bottom nips. The loads in the bottom two nips can be adjusted by loading or
relieving the intermediate variable-crown roll. The average caliper is controlled by load-
ing or relieving through the journals of the third roll from the bottom of the calender.

Caliper |
= : — Measurement
| Ke a ee eye | a
ee
| MD MD fe cellheveeaet
temperature ||
control [Sp' control
ROR eh | pallper: ; |

ep |
| caliper | |

ae
Edge relief
‘Machine|
| Shie
|
| system 2

- Loading ~ | Operator
|patagine
system seload |al Lae || cans {
a |Profiiles
‘CD actuators
| drivers *——_ |

aE aadcells. c‘Displays | Auxiliary

diagnostics signals
ve ane

A
CHAPTER 1

A change in nip load is made by an automatic change in crowning of the variable-crown

rolls. Local CD caliper variations are corrected using the actuators located on the sec-
ond roll from the bottom. Machine-wide variations are controlled using the shape of the
variable-crown rolls and the edge relief system”.

10.6.2 CD caliper control structure for a soft calender

The purpose of CD control strategy is to maintain the quality profile as close to its desig-
nated target shape as is possible using available actuators. Figure 83 presents a general
CD caliper control strategy for a soft calender with two nips and four profiling actuator sys-
tems. This strategy uses zone-controlled air showers or induction-heating actuators
together with zone-controlled rolls to control CD caliper variations on the soft —
this strategy, the preprocessed caliper profile is divided into low- and high-frequency p
paIANngTN C}

- Separation of MD and CD profile variations

- Utilization of low- and high-frequency profiles

- Appropriate time filtering of the profiles

- Mapping of the profile vector to the actuator location scale

- Comparison of the profile with a target profile to yield an error profile

- Taking into consideration response parameters which depend on the grades

and the process conditions

- Taking into consideration the decoupling effect

- Calculation of new setpoints based on the error profile

- Checking that the new setpoints are within predetermined limits

- Separation of the setpoints for nips 1 and 2 according to the operator-given

proportion.

The local narrow variations are corrected with air showers or induction heating
actuators. These actuators can to some extent also take care of the longer wavelength
deformations by using a signal correction from the roll controller. However, only the
machine-wide deformations are corrected by adjusting the shape of the zone-controlled
rolls. Due to the stiffness of the roll shells, the profile shape adjustment is only made over
the width of the loading element. Overloading the roll is prevented by the control system.
Basically, a very similar control strategy for a multi-nip soft calender can be used
with a new type of zone-controlled CD roll, air shower actuators, or induction heating
systems alone. However, in that case, the number of profiling actuator systems per nip
would be one, and no frequency separation of profiles would be required#,42. This kind
of alternative is presented in Fig. 84.

112
 Calendering

Low Frequency
Caliper Profile

Frequency
: if Hich Fre quency
_ Separation bias Caine: Profile
A

Ratio Calculation

Pie ane
Nip 1 HF Profile ||Nip 2 HF Profile ||Nip 1 LF Profile |Nip 2 LF Profile
ee
eRe
Induction Heating Zone-controlled
System Rolls

Measured Caliper ny ee ]

= Bea aine aa” . Yel

Profile 4 © © a >

7 ‘ea Nip 1. Nip 2.

Figure 83. General cD caliper control strategy for asoftcalender.

Target Profile Closed Loop CD Measurements

Control

|Restrictions Profile
Optimization
| Roll Protection

Machine
Controls Profile

Hydraulic Unit

Figure 84. CD caliper control with zone-controlled CD rolls.

41S
CHAPTER 1

ined CD ca iper control is ofter rec

tion, any caliper actuator applied to a soft nip will provide only a part of the raspenee
range that the same actuator provides in a hard nip. Naturally, the exact response
depends on roll cover hardness, basis weight, calender load, etc.

10.7 Automatic on-line smoothness and gloss control

Smoothness is a function of formation, felt marking, shrinkage, and calendering. Often
CD smoothness variation is caused by the need to build a reel. High cel areas eee

The average smoothness and gloss are typically controlled by adjusting the aver-
age cross-direction operating pressure of steam showers. On a calender, the setpoints
for caliper and gloss are rarely changed. The CD profiles of smoothness and gloss can
be controlled by controlling the CD application of steam. Furthermore, smoothness and
gloss can be controlled independently from caliper. The smoothness effect |Is ver

On eUpereatendare the CD gloss profiles are controlled by usingeste Ss defor-

mation rolls and steam showers or by standard caliper control actuators on a steel roll.
One problem with using the controlled deformation rolls or caliper actuators to control

control technique is to replace the calender seek water boxes with moisturizing sprays.
Such a method gives the options of CD moisture control or CD gloss control.

10.7.1 Caliper, smoothness, and gloss control structure for a supercalender

Figure 85 shows a combined closed-loop control system for a supercalender. In the
closed-loop control system, the top- and bottom-side gloss and smoothness, caliper,
and moisture profiles are measured on-line after super-calendering. Zone-controlled
rolls, loading and heating systems, and moistening devices are controlled based on
measured values in order to obtain uniform cross-direction and machine-direction
profiles*°. This control structure also contains zone-controlled steam showers anda
feedback system for the stack ioad and top and bottom rolls. Steam is applied selec-
tively on one side or the other to reduce the two-sidedness of the calendered paper.

114
 Calendering

Gloss is developed mainly on the side to which the steam has been applied. MD control
of gloss and smoothness is accomplished by using valves affecting steam pressure and
controlling the total steam flow to each steam shower separately. The control strategy
takes into account safety limits to avoid problems from overwetting the sheet. In addi-
tion, interactions between top and bottom gloss are taken into account by using cael
UTE ous oe decoupling for the Ilec
eam showers t ‘with zone-cont
aria ations~ Inde endently.

Algorithms Algorithms Controsoft

in MD for in CD for program
\ @ TARGET VALUES:
cole Gloss, Caliper,
ae : Moisture
Chilled , ® moisture
roll heating e© Optimized
Pp target
g
# Zone-controlled |
= Alarms
steam showers
ts CD-profiles
es Moistening
« MD-profiles
zones

Signal of measured quality values

: Figure 85. A combined closed-loop control system for supercalenders#°

10.8 Optimizing controls

Several applications of optimizing controls are widely used on paper machines, but on
calenders they are still limited to a relative few. However, it is anticipated that in the near
future these controls will gain wider use. Automatic grade change, coordinated speed
change, machine speed optimization, and speed-up control are typical examples of opti-
mizing controls. These control applications represent a category of higher level supervi-
sory controllers that monitor lower level applications.

10.8.1 Automatic grade change

The objective of the automatic grade change is to regulate the calender from one grade
to another as fast as possible while minimizing off-spec paper and lost time due to
breaks. Grade change occurs when new grade targets are entered into the system.
These variables usually represent quality variables that define a particular grade. How-
ever, they can also be variables that have an effect on properties of calendered paper.

115
CHAPTER 1

All grade-specific parameters can be pre-tuned and stored in the recipe data-base.
When the grade change is activated, the system retrieves this data from the grade
tables, as presented in Fig. 86.

Automatic Grade Change Modules

- Sequence
- Monitoring
- Time Managing

Ramp Managing
Modules

C
A
L
C
U
L
A
T

ttittitt
I
O

i
Pui N MnAAG

Figure 86. Structure of the grade change application.

10.8.2 Coordinated speed change control

A change in the calender speed typically requires changes to linear loads, steam pres-
sures, and roll temperatures. Simple feedforward and feedback control might not be
adequate in adjusting these variables in response to a speed change due to differences
in delays between when these variables affect the sheet. Coordinated speed change
control is used to coordinate the response of these variables to the speed change.

10.8.3 Machine speed optimization control

Maximum production on a calender is achieved by Operating at the maximum Nee
wolle pempalning within quality eae le? > be hi

increased until one of these jase reaches a limit. Once a constraint

target has been reached, machine Soa optimization will maintain a constant speed
until either a constraint limit is violated, in which case speed is decreased, or until it is
considered safe to further increase speed.

116
 Calendering

10.8.4 Start-up control

The fundamental principle of start-up control is to bring a calender from a full stop or
from web threading speed up to production speed. The start-up control may perform
machine- direction quality control while compensating for speed UIELISI Th e start-up
ie X aS ampressure, and linear
loadtominir 4
{ he start -up control can use either spee
up control. With speed tracking control, the system follows
the operator's manual speed changes. With the automatic start-up control, the system
ramps automatically and performs speed changes in several phases.

11 Calendering problems
There are a variety of common operational problems in calenders. Only the major prob-
lems that might occur are described here in brief. Many of the problems that can be
seen at the calender are not related to the calender itself but became visible on the cal-
ender. The problems can be divided into the following main categories:

- Profile problems (gloss, caliper, moisture)

- Reeling problems

- Poor quality development (gloss, smoothness, uneven surface)

- Barring problems

- Roll maintenance problems (cleaning, grinding)

- Web breaks.

11.1 Profile problems

Profile problems are the most commonly experienced calendering problems. These
problems can be caused by a wide variety of occurences:

- Uneven incoming profiles (basis weight, caliper, moisture, coatweight, temper-

ature)
- Uneven nip pressure profiles
- Uneven temperature profiles in the nip

- Uneven grinding of the rolls

- Flow of air around the calender.

To solve the problems, a step-by-step approach must be adopted. Often, there is

a need to collect a lot of data from all profiles and perform measurements on the nip
pressure distribution, surface temperature distribution, and roll profiles before and after
the roll change. It is also important to use measurement procedures that are accurate
and directly measure the desired phenomena, where possible.

Al?
CHAPTER 1

Very often, especially in multi-nip calenders, profile problems are related back to
roll grinding quality, as even a minor deviation in grinding tolerances can cause prob-
Maen
lems if all rolls have the same form. If filled rolls are used ! extreme

anc: theaa ection nsated roll. The procedure with a polymer roll cal-
ender is somewhat similar but assine rolldoes not have a “memory” like a filled roll, the
natural form of the rolls is easier to determine. Because of the higher elastic modulus,
however, the grinding tolerances are tighter.

a alll 3. If the control is

performed according . ae data, the profile problem canturn RCEa nerve-wracking
adventure. The quality control system also normally has a rather high filtration rate so
that the control actions are seen in the measured and visualized profiles very slowly.

11.2 Reeling problems

Reeling problems are usually related to caliper profile variations. This, however, might
not always be the fact. Also the variation in the CD temperature profile after the cal-
ender can cause uneven paper shrinkage, especially at the edges. Usually, this kind of
reeling problem can be solved by altering reeling parameters, tension, and nip pressure
of the reel. Sometimes also the rolls in the rider roll arrangement might have to be
aligned and adjusted. Because there is a tendency to have narrow scale waves in the
reel, there is a need to run the windup of an off-hard nip calender with oscillation of 20—
40 mm to even out the surface of the reel.

11.3 Poor quality development

Normally a consistent quality level can be reached with a calender. If there are signifi-
cant variations, this is usually related to the base paper entering the calender. Freeness
of the stock, amount of coating color, and moisture level can cause major quality prob-
lems. Minor adjustment of quality is done by adjusting linear load or temperature of the
calender. There are, however, certain problems that are related to the condition of the
calender or its running parameters. Sometimes constant quality is slowly lost due to
worsening of the surface quality of the rolls due to abrasion or chemical corrosion. Also,
the coating color can be picked up by the heated roll if there are some fluctuations in the
process. The adhered coating color makes the roll surface rough and quality develop-
ment deteriorates.
Even soft roll covers affect quality development. A traditional supercalender filled
roll is rough after grinding and polishes itself in the calender. To avoid adverse quality
effects, this is sometimes compensated for by running at a lower speed after the roll
change for 30-60 minutes. If the filled roll is left in the calender over an extended period

118
 Calendering

of time, it loses its ability to deform and develop gloss. Some polymer-covered rolls are
also losing surface quality and gloss development.
The calendering process can even cause uneven gloss development. This kind of
enamel appearance or mottling pattern is formation that becomes visible during calen-
dering. This can be cured by selecting a softer, more resilient roll cover for the soft rolls.
A special calendering quality problem with uncoated grades is blackening. Blacken-
ing takes place, when there is a strong contrast between individual fibers in their ability to
scatter light and let the light penetrate through the sheet?. This is furnish-dependent and
has a strong correlation with the fiber and formation length distribution. The most affecting
parameter for blackening is the moisture before the calender. The higher the incoming
moisture is, the more danger there is for blackening. However, calendering parameters
also affect the blackening and, by selecting the running conditions according to the sur-
face quality/blackening-ratio, substantial improvement can be seen22.

11.4 Barring problems

Barring markings on the roll surface and calendered paper can happen for a large vari-
ety of reasons. Therefore, there is not a single cure for this problem. In hard nip calend-
ers, barring is caused by the connection of paper in all nips and the rotating rolls.
Because the paper is in all the nips at the same time, the marking can be very severe.
Once marking starts, the paper leads the defect through the next nips. In hard nip cal-
enders, rolls can be moved sideways (oscillation) to ensure that the paper web is travel-
ing a different path to the next nip with respect to the roll surface.
In a soft calender, barring can be caused by improper adjustment of the drives,
roll surface deformation and natural frequency, drive path irregularities, grinding irregu-
larities, and combinations of these and other reasons. Barring vibration is often low in
amplitude but can be easily Golo clon by noise. since the a is low, ine cals of

12 Modeling of calendering process

12.1 Introduction
Calendering is practiced in order to improve the paper surface quality as well as other
relevant properties in the end-use applications like printing and packaging. Calendering
is also used to control some paper properties, mainly density and thickness, in order to
guarantee runnability and optimal conditions in coating and winding.
The desired changes in the paper properties are achieved by compressing the
paper web between two rolls in a calender nip. The applied contact pressure, together
with heating, compacts paper and flattens the surface structure. The changes in the
paper are largely permanent; therefore, the paper quality properties can be affected.
While in calendering one is mainly aiming to improve the surface properties like gloss
and smothness, at the same time one has to maintain other relevant properties like bulk,

119
CHAPTER 1

blackening, strength, and bending stiffness at an acceptable level. Usually good calen-
dering result is a compromise between several different demands.
Although the qualitative effects of various mechanisms in calendering have been
known quite a long time, the process knowledge has remained largely superficial and
empirical in nature. The observations and the studies have been mainly focused on final
paper quality and not directly to the process itself. In particular, many of the affecting
principal mechanisms in the nip process still remain unknown.
The calendering result in the paper is characterized by a set of different quality
attributes. Typically, the paper quality is evaluated in terms of density, gloss, smooth-
ness, air permeability, blackening, and opacity, among other things. Other quality mea-
sures might be relevant as well, like runnability, in various operations, printability and
printed quality.
There are several subjects in calendering where modeling can contribute useful
results. Perhaps the most interesting are the questions if the modeling can help in
achieving the quality targets and how well the model can characterize the process
response to the control actions. Particularly here arise the question as to how the pro-
cess control parameters need to be set in order to optimize the process and how to
obtain the best final product quality. Direct answers to all these questions are not readily
available; in fact, there is a growing need to deepen the modeling studies as the process
conditions get rougher with increasing productivity demands. More comprehensive
understanding is highly desirable for many reasons; the design and planning of the
machinery, as well as process control and optimization, require quantitative character-
ization of relevant process features. Many of the mechanisms in calendering, particu-
larly the heat and moisture transport within the paper web, can be studied only by
modeling since the direct observations here are difficult or impossible.

12.2 Processes and models

Modeling of a physical process is not a simple task in any way. Most real processes are
dynamic, and they involve stochastic features. This means that they are time dependent
and that they involve randomness so that, in principle, they can be determined only in
statistical sense. Common random sources are process fluctuations, like turbulence in
the fluid dynamics and uncontrolled vibrations of the mechanical structures. Completely
ideal and deterministic processes that are fully predictable with sufficient initial data are,
in fact, very rare.
Like most real-life processes, paper manufacturing and calendering can be con-
sidered a dynamic process involving stochastic elements. This kind of process is too
complicated to be modeled precisely. Even if we were able to construct a fully detailed
model, it would probably be far too complicated for our purposes. Therefore it is natural
to simplify the situation by including in the model only the relevant process features.
This is completely justified and advisable since in most cases we wish to limit our scope
of interest to the most essential process features. For example, we might be interested
only on the average behavior of the system, and then we could possibly neglect the ran-
dom variations and consider the process deterministic. As well, we could concentrate

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on the final equilibrium state only, ignore the dynamics, and consider the process as a
Static one. In each case, the modeler must decide what kind of modeling is reasonable
and consider the justification of every simplifying assumption separately case by case.

12.3 Mathematical and empirical modeling approaches

One way to classify different modeling approaches is to consider whether the developed
model is based on exact scientific reasoning and common physical laws or on experi-
mental knowledge on process observations. Correspondingly, one then regards the
model either mathematical (or physical) or empirical (experimental). It is also possible to
construct a so-called semi-empirical model that includes features from both mathemati-
cal and empirical models.

12.3.1 Mathematical modeling

In the mathematical modeling, one always starts from the fundamentals of physics by
considering the relevant mass, momentum, and energy conservation laws. The relevant
phenomena involved, like phase changes and various transport mechanisms for heat
and mass (diffusion, conduction, viscous flows, radiation), are then considered. They
are further described by assuming suitable submodels, like the linear models of Fou-
riers law for heat conduction, the Fick’s law of diffusion, or the Hooke’s law for elasticity.
In the course of modeling, one can introduce further simplifying assumptions in order to
keep the model description convenient and reasonable. As a result, one finally obtains a
system of equations, i.e., a model that describes the process adequately. Usually the
equation system appears rather complicated so that analytical solution cannot be found.
Then, depending on the type of the equations, various numerical solution techniques
can be applied. For example, the partial differential equations can be solved by methods
like the finite element method (FEM) and the finite difference method.
The mathematical modeling of processes like calendering clearly suffers from the
difficulties in obtaining the necessary input and verification data for the model. Also, the
need of high expertise in the modeling is necessary. Modern numerical software has
somewhat helped in this respect, but it is vital to realize that even the most sophisticated
software does not remove the need of properly understanding the principles behind the
model. The model is indeed a description of a physical process, and the software is
merely a tool to realize the existing model.

12.3.2 Empirical modeling

The empirical modeling approach is different compared to mathematical modeling.
Instead of setting up the model from well established physical laws, one tries to find the
characteristic process behavior by analyzing the collected process data. This data is
collected from the relevant process variables of interest, usually in planned and con-
trolled experiments. One analysis method here is the regression analysis, where the
idea is to find the relationships between the observed process variables by using statis-
tical methods. The first step in the regression analysis is to choose the depending vari-
able, i.e., the one that is to be explained by the other, independent variables. Next, the

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correlations between the dependent and each independent variable analysis are
detected and the final independent variable set is selected. Finally, the dependent vari-
able is estimated by fitting an expression using the chosen independent variables. In the
linear regression analysis, the estimating equation is of the following form

YamaD oto ty xa Do Notice

Dade, (2)

The coefficients b; represent the contributions of each independent variable x; to

the prediction of variable y. In general, the linear regression model might be inadequate
to describe the characteristics of the process. If the process involves nonlinear depen-
dencies, they can be included in the regression equation. The proper construction of
empirical models requires carefully planned experiments and rather extensive data col-
lection and processing. Typically, a reliable regression analysis needs at least 10—20
observations per independent variable. This can become a major limitation in some
cases, especially if the experimenting is costly. On the other hand, if the experimenting
is limited too much, or is otherwise conducted under some specific conditions, the anal-
ysis might not be able to pick up all the relevant process features. A further common
feature of empirical models is that they can account only for external (observable) prop-
erties and that they can overlook internal, possibly fundamental, process mechanisms.
A further problem is that the explaining variables should really be “independent” and
should not correlate to each other too much. Typically they can be external control
parameters but not always internal process variables.
Despite of its limitations, the empirical modeling seems to be the most common
approach in calendering research. Undoubtedly empirical models have certain advan-
tages, like the straightforward approach to a rather complicated phenomenon. Also,
once the expression is fitted, the model is extremely easy to use.

12.4 Calender nip process

Calendering has developed largely as an empirical art without deep understanding or
theoretical basis for what actually happens in the process. The first considerations in the
1960s and earlier proposed that the surface properties, especially gloss and smooth-
ness, were caused by polishing action due to paper slipping in a supercalender nip.
However, detailed considerations on nip mechanics indicated that the slipping took
place only on small “slip zones” near the endpoints of the nip contact. On the other
hand, the laboratory experiments of that time indicated that similar quality improve-
ments could be produced by pressing the paper between hot plates, tuohinaueno slip at

the shearing action iinthe aan nip rolacontent es to the apne development to some
extent by causing some kind of alignment or rotation of surface particles, especially in
coating layers.

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 Calendering

Paper is a highly porous random structure of flexible fibers, fillers, and other parti-
cles. As the paper web passes into a converging nip, it experiences rapid compressive
strains until the maximal compression is reached approximately at the nip center. Due
to surface roughness, the thermal contact between thermo roll and paper is imperfect in
the beginning, but is improved rapidly as the surface structure flattens and the effective
contact area increases under the increasing pressure. Since the compression takes
place practically throughout the whole thickness, the thermal conductivity within the web
increases as well. Therefore, the compression results in improvement in heat transfer
properties.
Provided that the thermal contact is efficient and long enough and that the roll
temperature is suitably high, the temperature in the web is raised so that paper fibers
start to soften. Around this so-called glass transition regime, the cellulose fibers lose
their elastic strength properties, i.e., they plasticize so that the stresses in the com-
pressed structure will relax. Since the highest temperatures arise at the contact surface,
the stress relaxation and the plasticization localizes near that area. When the paper
leaves the opening nip and compressive stresses are relieved, the strains in inner
areas, where the temperature ss lower, recover more than the Beskcy laye
ae the heating
ae see
us ad hesplestic delormationsts the surface la
er parts rem ae Aes
The total amount of permanent compression in the paper web depends as much
on the degree of plasticization as on the relative thickness of plasticized layer. Since
paper is a random composite media, there is no definite glass transition limit. The raise
intemperature increases both the degree and the penetration of plasticization. In addi-

i Kenan istee to A web, part of the en energy is used to evaporate

the residing water and only part is used to raise the web temperature. As one can see,
the situation in overall is rather complicated. Certainly, the relevant mechanisms in the
nip process include the internal heat transport in the nip time scale, as well as internal
and external heat and moisture exchange in the longer time scale (drying of paper web).
This larger time scale corresponds essentially to the travel time of the paper between
subsequent nips in a multi-nip calender.
The aim in the modeling of calendering process is, in general, to find the corre-
spondence between the common process parameters and the obtained calendered
quality. The list of these process parameters includes at least the following: calendering
speed, applied nip load, roll temperatures, number of nips, the initial web temperature
and moisture, additionally applied moistening and heating (steaming, water sprays), roll
properties (size, quality, cover softness), and ambient conditions as well as the proper-
ties of uncalendered paper (furnish, additives, formation, etc). This list is by no means
comprehensive.

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CHAPTER 1

13 Review in calendering modeling studies

Many authors have conducted modeling studies of various aspects of the calendering
process in the past years. The main issues have included at least the studies in nip roll-
ing and the considerations in web compressibility and heat and moisture transport. A
much smaller number of models has been worked out in explaining the calendering
effects to the surface properties, like gloss and smoothness. Studies here are in general
very complicated, due to the complex nature of paper structure and large variety raw
material components that are mixed into the paper. The experimental determination of
the desired phenomenon can be troublesome, especially when observed from the run-
ning machines. Nip process involves highly nonuniform conditions, like large tempera-
ture, moisture, and stress gradients, and rapid transients, and it is therefore difficult to
distinguish different basic phenomena from each other and translate the results to uni-
versal material or process properties.
Evidently, the difficulties in the process evaluation have favored the use of empiri-
cal methods, especially in the studies which directly explain the calendered quality, like
bulk, gloss, and smoothness. The mathematical model description involves quantitative
representation of many physical material properties and is possible only when the pro-
cess can acceptably be determined in terms of these relevant quantities.
In the following, we shall review studies of various aspects in calendering, includ-
ing the theoretical and numerical considerations in rolling contact mechanics, studies
relevant to paper properties, and modeling of paper compression as well as heat and
mass transport.

13.1 Considerations on calender nip mechanics

The theory of rolling contact mechanics has been the subject of many theoretical and
numerical considerations in calendering>*°?”°. Many papers have dealt with studying
the calendering of various materials, i.e., nonwovens in Ref. 53 and paper in Refs. 72
and 77. Extensive reviews of theoretical, numerical, and empirical modeling of paper
calendering are contributed in Refs. 31, 67, and 72.

13.1.1 The Hertz model

The theory for contacting bodies serves as a starting point for a calender nip study if
one wishes to limit to mechanical effects. The pioneering work here is the Hertz contact
theory, which considers the problem of contacting elastic bodies in the static case. For a
cylinder contacting another body, one obtains the following solution®?:

_ |AFR ne x 2r
a= frre PO =Pol(Zh Poma ie
Here a is the half contact length, and the symbols p(x), p9, and F denote the nor-
mal contact pressure distribution, the maximum pressure, and the total compressive
load (line load), respectively. Parameters R and E* are the relative roll radius and the
composite elastic modulus of the contacting bodies, and they are obtained as

124
 Calendering

eameme
1 1
=—- => —+
1
— —_
1
=
LV,
+ Ly,
—— (4)
Parameters R,, Ro, Ey, Ey, v,, and v> denote the curvature radiuses, Young mod-
uli, and Poisson ratios of the contacting bodies, respectively. Notations are consistent to
account for the cases where one of the contacting bodies is rigid or flat; one then simply
takes the corresponding moduli £, or radius R, to infinity.
The assumptions in the Hertz theory limit its use to rather simple configurations.
In principle, Eq. 3 applies to frictionless contact of isotropic, homogeneous elastic bod-
ies only. Further, the characteristic size of the contact area is assumed to be small com-
pared both to the sizes of the contacting bodies and to their curvature radiuses. In other
words, rolls with elastic covers can be analyzed, provided that the cover thickness is
large compared to contact length. Filled cotton or paper rolls comply to this requirement
easily, but the case of thin polymer cover on the rolls is somewhat more questionable.
Paper between the rolls cannot be accounted for due to its moderate thickness. In Fig.
87, there are sketched some situations that are equivalent. The rigid roll contacting an
elastic layer of thickness h attached to rigid foundation (Fig. 87a) is equivalent to the
contact of two rigid rolls, where one has elastic cover of thickness h (Fig. 87b) as well as
to the case of an elastic strip of thickness 2h between two rigid rolls (Fig. 87c). Particu-
larly note that the situation in Fig. 87c does not apply to the paper calendering because
of the thickness limitation.

oh > t
: Riles cin maw gree 2h

(a) (b) (c)

Figure 87. Equivalent rolling contact cases in the Hertz theory.

As seen above, the Hertz theory is applicable to rather simple cases which are,
strictly speaking, not very relevant in practical calendering. However, the Hertz formula
is useful in the nip studies if one is not particularly concerned with the paper web behav-
ior. Since the paper thickness is very small, typically about 2 decades smaller than the
contact length, the effect of the paper might be neglected and the nip pressure can
approximated by Eq. 2.

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CHAPTER 1

More rigorous theories and numerical methods have been considered in order to
overcome the restrictions in the Hertz theory. For more details, see Refs. 52, 59, 72, and 76.

13.1.2 Numerical models for calender nip

Calendering has also been the subject of several numerical modeling studies. The main
interest has been in analyzing the mechanical effects like stresses and deformations
related to the rolling nip, whit the focus being either in the soft roll covers or in the paper
web. No conclusive study has been conducted in the simultaneous deformation, heat,
and moisture transport effects under calendering conditions.
In the conducted studies, paper has generally been modeled as a continuous
media with effective mixture properties, usually without any explicit considerations on
the porous structure. The compressive behavior has been explained by different linear
viscoelastic or nonlinear elasto-plastic models, with variable success.
Rodal used the finite element method to study both the behavior of soft covers 72
and the paper web”4. These studies considered only the mechanical deformation in
static loading conditions without temperature effects. In the latter study, paper was
regarded as a porous cellular solid material exhibiting elastic-plastic behavior and strain
hardening phenomena. The permanent volumetric compression was modeled using the
Drucker-Prager yield criteria while an extensive discussion of other possible plastic
deformations models was contributed. Special attention was put on the role of the
hydrostatic stresses in the nip and it was concluded that the the irreversible compres-
sion is essentially due to the hydrostatic stresses, whereas the contribution of shear
stresses were not found important.
Wikstrom et al.2° used the FEM in analyzing the paper compression between two
rigid rolls. Paper was regarded isotropic elastoplastic material and the yield model was
adopted from Ref. 74. The local fiber softening effect due to inhomogeneous temperature
distribution was accounted by prescribing the temperature field. The separate tempera-
ture solution was obtained from the analytical solution of transient heat conduction equa-
tion. The material properties of the compressed web were modified according to the local
temperature. The results indicated strain localization at the softer surface layers.
Contact analysis and FEM-simulations of soft calender nip were also conducted
by van Haag’””®. The nip contact was studied in several cases, with and without paper
web, both in the static case and in the stationary rolling. The studies also involved
experimental determination of a paper compressibility model, which was then used in
the simulations.

13.2 Modeling the paper web behavior in calendering

The most intresting item in the calendering modeling is the behavior of the paper web.
The aspects that we are interested in include at least the web compression and the
development of the surface quality properties. The web behavior is obviously affected by
the nip action as well as by the ambient conditions in calendering. The properties of the
uncalendered base paper are also of central importance. A good understanding and
modeling should therefore reflect all of the above mentioned aspects.

126
 Calendering

Some of the fundamental studies and various aspects relevant to the paper web
behavior in calendering will be briefly considered now. The survey will concentrate on
the aspects of paper compressibility and heat transport. The surface quality properties
will not be dealt, since they have not, in general, been modelled succesfully.

13.2.1 Compressibility of paper

The most apparent calendering effect is undoubtedly the surface flattening, the perma-
nent compression and densification of the paper web. We are concerned with the com-
pressive deformation where the magnitude of strains can easily be up to 50%. Our
interest in this particular subject is in understanding the development mechanisms of
permanent compression and, particularly, the effects of the furnish (fiber) properties,
and the structure (porosity, density, distribution, formation) as well as the effects of
applied load, prevailing temperature, and moisture content.
Paper compressibility and particularly the densification has greatly attracted
researchers since density (bulk) is directly used as a paper quality measure and since it
significantly correlates to many other end-use properties. Density is also rather easily
observed; however, many of the details in the compressive behavior are still not satis-
factorily explained in the present understanding and modeling.
A usual way to conduct paper compression studies is to use laboratory equipment
like a platen press or some kind of impact device. The major advantage of laboratory work
is that the sample can be kept under controlled and uniform conditions so that individual
mechanisms will become more distinguishable. Still many challenges arise, and the
experiments have shown that also the strain rate, duration, and loading history are factors
that must be accounted for. Most of the laboratory studies have so far resulted in either
empirical relations or provided parameters for the more fundamental constitutive material
models. Some of the studies are reviewed in Refs. 31, 69, 71, and 73.

Empirical Crotogino's equation -

The empirical Crotogino's “calendering equation” relates the permanent compression Ep
(i.e., the relative bulk reduction) of paper web in a single calender nip as follows?’

E, Be
= UB = A+Bu, (5)
i

where parameter u is referred as nip intensity factor and it is defined as

WU = dy) + aplog(F) + aslog(S) + aglog(R) + a7T + ayM (6)

The variables B; and Byare the initial and calendered bulks, and F, 5, R, 7, and M corre-
spond to line load, machine speed, average roll radius, web temperature, and web
moisture content. As Eq. 5 accounts for relative bulk reduction, it can be applied repeat-
edly over several nips to obtain the final bulk in a multi-nip calender process.

127
CHAPTER 1

The expression in Eq. 6 was primarily developed for machine rene and it has
been slightly developed, primarily to better account for the soft calendering””

LU = dy) + a,log(F) + a,log(o) + a,log(t) + a7T +ayM (7)

Here parameters o and f denote the average nip pressure and nip dwell time, and
they thus include the effects arising from roll cover. All the coefficients ag...d,y in the
above equations are naturally furnish dependent, and they are determined by single nip
calendering trials and parameter estimation procedure.
Popil®? considered further modifications to the original calendering equation. He
also showed that the logarithmic expressions in the Eqs. 6 and 7 are physically justified.
The origin of the calendering equation dates back to the plate compression stud-
ies during the 1960s. Chapman and Peel?’ related the compression behavior to the
dwell time and the applied load. They noted that the final deformation was a function of
the logarithm of the applied pressure and dwell time. Colley and Peel°? continued the
work in this area and included the effects of temperature and moisture.
Recently the subject has been studied by Browne?” and Ratto”?. Ratt6é con-
ducted experiments in a plate press equipped with heated contact plates and with
a pilot calender. The comparison of the results revealed similar effects in the compres-
sion and gloss. Also, the development of temperature gradient inside the paper was
confirmed by using embedded thermocouples in the measurements.

Paper as an elasto-visco-plastic material.

plate press, we sha tf under eral loads the strain response is essentially elas-
tic, but generally nonlinear rather than linear. Moreover, if we keep the sample under a
constant compressive loading for awhile, we shall see continuing deformation evolving
in time. Moreover, even rapid loading-unloading cycles produce permanent compres-
sion and, for paper, one cannot distinguish any clear plastic yield limit. The physical
interpretation of various mechanisms in the compression of porous fiber network is not
straightforward. The creep phenomenon under the compressive loading is sometimes
explained by the air expulsion in the voids, whereas the irreversible compression is usu-
ally related to some kind of oe ofpall fibers or the whole network.

128
 Calendering

Moreover, the loading history of paper is essential since the mechanical response
evolves considerably during loading cycles. This can be associated to permanent
changes during the repeated loading.

Rheological models
The classical way of illustrating the viscoelastic deformation models (i.e., rheolog-
ical models) is to use simple mechanical models involving spring and dashpot elements.
The spring element is used to describe idealized elastic behavior, and the dashpot is
used for the viscous effects. If the model involves only linear behavior, i.e., it can be
described using only springs and dashpots with constant elasticity and viscosity param-
eters, then the viscoelastic model is regarded as a linear one.
Connecting a spring and a dashpot serially one obtains the Maxwell model, which
characterizes the viscoelastic deformation of fluids (permanent deformation). The linear
viscoelastic deformation of a solid (delayed elasticity) is described by the Kelvin (or Voi-
ght) model. The most common linear viscoelastic models are shown in Fig. 88.

]7

(a) linear Maxwell model (b) linear Kelvin model

Maxwell
Ey l Ey component
Ny om

E> NN» E, Ny E) Np» Kelvin

component

(c) Three-parameter solid (d) Three-parameter fluid (e) Four-parameter fluid

( standard solid ) (standard fluid) (Burgers fluid)

88.Rheological models: Maxwell, Kelvin, three-parameter fluid and solid, and Burgers model,
Figure

Although the rheological models have most commonly been used to describe the
tensile in-plane behavior of paper, several authors have considered them also in the
modeling of paper compression. Especially the four-element Burgers model has been

129°
CHAPTER 1

utilized, since it accounts for many substantial effects observed in paper, like instanta-
neous deformation and recovery, permanent deformation, and delayed recovery*2.®?.
The strain in the Burgers model is given by

=tE,
ore No ce) (8)
e(t) = —+—|1l-e et
E, E, N

Here E; and n,, i=1, 2, stand for the elastic and viscosity coefficients and the sub-
scripts refer to corresponding elements in the model. The first and second term repre-
sent the instantaneous and delayed elastic strains, which are fully recoverable, whereas
the third term accounts for the viscous, permanent deformation. However, the practical
calendering situation is more complicated since the deformation strongly depends on
process conditions, especially temperature and moisture. Therefore these idealized
models are also inadequate in this respect. However, according to the authors’ knowl-
edge, there have not been any models published accounting for the temperature, mois-
ture, and viscoelastic effects in paper compression.

Nonlinear compressibility i
Paper compression is clearly a nonlinear process. Nonlinear mechanisms in
static compression have been considered, e.g., by van Haag’. Van Haag proposed the
following stress-strain relation:

OFZ Eo€
o, = ——. (9)
s {\ Ps
oy&

€ Max

As we see, the compressive stress, o_, increases rapidly as a function of strain,

€,; at the asymptotic limit, €,,,,,, it tends to infinity. At this limit, the void space in paper
can be assumed to be pressed essentially to zero. The relation in Eq. 9 was also con-
firmed by compression measurements. Figure 89a shows the measured paper thick-
ness during two subsequent compression tests. The permanent deformation that
appeared in the first loading is clearly visible. Figure 89b shows the measured stress-
strain relation and the model prediction according to Eq. 9.

130
 Calendering

120

S AS

38 Le

[mPa]
stress
~N
thichness
[t1m]
paper

Nna

40 -50
-0.55 -0.44 -0.33 -0.22 -0.11 0.00
compressive stress [mPa] strain [-]

(a) (b)

Figure
89. (a) Stress-displacement and (b) stress-strain behavior of paper in two subsequent
compressions fo The first and secondleadings
are indicated with (/\) and (©), respectively. Solid
curve denotes the measured result, the dotted curveinFig 89b is the model prediction. :

Besides the permanent reduction in thickness, the compressive loading also

involves changes in the surface structure. Heikkila°” considered the subject of surface
compressibility. He developed a nonlinear viscoelastic model for coated paper that
accounts for the web compression and the flattening of the rough surface under the
contact pressure. Heikkila also carried out experiments on measuring the effective con-
tact area under dynamic nip conditions. The contact smoothness was characterized in
terms of relative contact area, and it was found to be a function of nip pressure and
dwell time.

Fundamental considerations and phenomenological models

There are rather few theoretical works available that relate the microscale properties of
fibers and paper web microstructure to the corresponding effective macroscopic com-
pression properties. Osaki, Fujii, and Kiichi®® considered theoretically the paper com-
pressibility. They proposed that the nonlinearity in the compression results from the
different mechanisms acting at different loading regimes. The moderate compression at
low pressure regime is due to the bending of single fibers in the coarse network
whereas, at higher pressures where the structure becomes denser and stiffer and
where the number of fiber-fiber contacts increases, the behavior is dominated by the
fiber collapses.
lonides et al.°8 rejected the idea of fiber bending even at low pressures and pro-
posed instead that the total compression of the sheet was effectively a sum of the com-

131
CHAPTER 1

pressions of single fibers in a stacked pile. On the other hand, Rodal’? proposed that
the compressive behavior consists of three more or less distinct parts. It was assumed
that at moderate loads the linear elasticity law applies, while at somewhat higher loads
the fiber network structure begins to collapse and the behavior becomes nonlinear. Ulti-
mately, at very high loads the structure is thickened and the additional compression is
due to fiber collapsing. A nonlinear phenomenological stress-strain law including this
characteristic behavior at different load regimes was proposed.
Schaffrath and Géttsching”” considered the compression model that accounts for
the structure of the paper. The compressive behavior was separately considered both at
the surface and in the interior of the web, and the material nonuniformities in the struc-
ture were accounted in this model. The total compression of the sheet was summed up
from the compressions in the separate layers. The effect of different fiber he Wels
properties to compression mechanisms has also been discussed by Ellis°* and Han°®

13.2.2 Heat and mass transport effects in the web

The heat and moisture transport in the paper web is of central importance in calender-
ing. The understanding and modeling of these phenomena iin paper has developed
ith drying fese ale While the m get indr Ing|is in
Re retary tae
Te Alits

The heat and moisture rancor mechanisms |in porous wriatenale have been
extensively dealt with in many review articles, for example in Refs. 64 and 79 and in ref-
erences therein. The heat conduction in the paper has been considered experimentally
in Refs. 60 and 61, theoretically in Ref. 62, and using numerical methods in Refs. 65
and 68.
A first and straightforward approach to consider the temperature gradients in a
paper web passing a calender nip is the solution of the transient heat conduction equa-
tion. We can simplify the situation by assuming that heat transport in the web in the
machine direction is dominated by the large convective velocity; thus, we neglect the
conduction in this direction. If we attach our coordinate system to a particle flowing with
the web, i.e., we follow a cross section in thickness direction passing a nip, we are then
left with the one-dimensional time-dependent heat conduction problem. If we focus on
the behavior near the contact surface, say on the hot roll side, we can consider the
problem in a semi-infinite one-dimensional domain. The conductivity properties as well
as the initial temperature in the paper web might in the first approach be taken to some
representative constant value and assumed uniform in the whole domain. At the contact
surface, we might require that the web temperature takes some prescribed value, for
example that of the hot roll. The solution in this case will then be

Tey STS -T | 1-Bre(; ll (10)

132
 Calendering

Here T and T, are the initial web and heated roll temperatures, z is the thickness
coordinate, « is the thermal diffusivity of the paper, and t refers to the dwell time spent in
the nip.
The use of this rather simple and rough model could be in rough estimates of the
relative effects of running velocity, nip length, and thermo roll temperature to the web
temperature distribution. Of course, many phenomena, like the densification effects to
the conductivity, the thermal resistance at the surface, and the energy used to the water
evaporation are not accounted in this model. However, even this type of simple
approach has been found as a part of a larger model®2,
In order to account for a more accurate and detailed model, one needs to con-
sider the situation further. An important thing in thermodynamic behavior of paper is the
strong coupling effect between temperature and moisture. If paper is heated, some part
of the applied heat energy is used to evaporate the water residing in fibers and void
space. In fact, the system always tends toward the thermodynamic balance, which is
uniquely determined by the material properties, the temperature, the moisture content
in the paper, and the relative humidity in the surrounding aire Any departure from this
balance will cause a balancing heat and mass transport to take place. Since practically
all the water in the calendered paper is in bound water form (due to its low moisture con-
tent) and the evaporation heat of the bound water is relatively high, the coupling
between heat and moisture transport is relatively strong.
In addition to the fact that the two transport processes depend on each other,
they are also strongly influenced by porous web structure and properties. The composi-
tion, i.e., relative amounts of different constituents with their different individual proper-
ties influence effective transport property. The degree of compaction also influences the
transport and therefore the temperature and moisture content in the web. On the other
hand, we have already seen that the compression mechanisms in the porous structure
are largely controlled by moisture and temperature levels. In fact all three phenomena,
deformation, moisture, and temperature depend on each other.
Let us now consider an improved model where we include the effects of moisture
transport and the coupling phase change phenomena. As we stated earlier, the mois-
ture in our case is bounded to the structure and we can assume that the bounded water
movement is neglible. Since there is no capillary transport, the moisture transport is
solely due to vapor movement. The heat transport will be assumed due to conduction as
shown in Eq. 10. The simultaneous transport of temperature and moisture within the
porous media can be described by the following type of model:

Okt 209. ey. (11)

ae *(P pee ae
cet eeky_oO
=~
Cra gadh gg) SHE (12)

A 33
CHAPTER 1

ee KOT LY (13)
on ;

— Lo
av Sal (14)
Nn

(15)
U(Z, to) = Uz),

De ee Te (16)

The primary variables U(z,t) and 7(z,t) denote the moisture content and the tem-
perature fields at the location z at time instant t. We have assumed that the process con-
ditions correspond to steady-state situation. Also, we have assumed that the convective
transport due web movement is highly dominating over the diffusion and conduction in
the machine direction, which are therefore neglected. The relative transport with respect
to the web is therefore essential only in the thickness direction and the transport system
can thus be considered with one space and one time coordinate. The time coordinate f
is associated to the lateral space coordinate x, and we can imagine that we follow a
fixed cross-cut section in time as it passes through the process.
The variables describing the internal behavior of the system are: E stands for the
internal phase change (water evaporation) rate, AH is the evaporation heat of bound
water. Moreover, the parameter functions D*, 1*, p, and C, that denote the effective dif-
fusivity, the thermal conductivity, the local mixture density, and the heat capacity of the
paper, have been derived from the constituent properties using the mixture theory. In
general, they all are functions of the porous structure, the mixture composition (i.e.,
fiber, fine particle, water concentration), and temperature.
The boundary conditions (Eqs. 13 and 14) describe the interaction between the
field variables U and T and the exterior of the paper web. They have here been formu-
lated in terms of heat and moisture fluxes. The proportionality parameter functions o
and f include the transfer resistance effects at the surface. The boundary conditions in
the above system can change with respect to time (or in fact with respect to the location)
so that different types of surface interactions can be modeled, including the roll nip con-
tact as well as the conditions in the open draw. The initial conditions in Eqs. 15 and 16
describe the initial solution fields of the simulation.
The above system has been presented, for simplicity, in a generic “pseudo-sys-
tem’-formulation. In the practical formulation, the moisture content U might be formu-
lated using more suitable terms, like partial water density and partial vapor density or
pressure, depending on the formulation. For a detailed formulation and suggestion of
numerical solution strategy, see Ref. 68.

134
 Calendering

We have now developed a transport model that accounts for, at least at some
level, the heat and mass transport phenomenon. Of course, compared to the simple
model in Eq. 9, the system in Eqs. 11 to 16 is only a one step forward in describing the
true process. Things that we have neglected so far, but that might be worth considering,
include at least the considerations on deformation and the connection between defor-
mation and transport phenomenon as well as more accurate descriptions of boundary
interactions, etc. However, it is clear that the necessary information for a complete and
fully coupled thermo-hygro-deformation system of porous material, possibly with com-
plicated interaction with its exterior, is not available and the complete model is therefore
out of the question.
As we have seen, the modeling is best developed in small steps. The simple
approach might be very useful in the beginning, but can possibly turn out to be insufficient
in explaining some process behavior in details. Then one naturally considers adding the
needed characteristics to the model, like the moisture transport added above. One might
wish to develop our model even further, for example, in order to account for the deforma-
tion-induced effects in the temperature and moisture. Depending on the needs, accuracy
and usability, one might consider various approaches; one might consider the fully cou-
pled deformation and transport system, or one might work with separate (sub)models.
The results from one submodel can be passed to an other model, where the relevant
material properties can be modified based on the prescribed data. The first approach is
more complete but also more complicated; the second one in turn is more straightforward,
but it doesn’t necessarily fully account for the existing dependencies.
Finally, we hope that the reader has received an overview of the modeling
aspects related to calendering. Further reading about mathematical treatment and fun-
damental modeling details can be found in the literature and textbooks regarding paper
physics, drying, and heat and mass transport.

135
CHAPTER 1

References nn
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136
 Calendering

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38. Vyse, R., “The Effect of CalCoil Induction Heating on Supercalendering,” TAPP! 1987
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40. Impact Systems Marketing Brochure, Impact Systems, San Jose, 1994.
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42. Crotogino, R. and Gendron, S., Pulp Paper Can. 88(11):44 (1987).
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44. Thielbar, R. B., Pulp & Paper 59(6):89 (1985).

45. Tuomisto, M. V., “High Tech Supercalendering and On-line Soft Calendering,” TAPPI
1989 Calendering and Winding Seminar Notes, TAPP! PRESS, Atlanta, p.33.
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47. Browne, T. C., Crotogino, R. H., Douglas, W. J. M., J. Pulp Paper Sci. 20(9):266
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48. Browne, T. C., Crotogino, R. H., Douglas, W. J. M., J. Pulp Paper Sci. 22(5):170 (1996).
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the Technical Section CPPA 1980 66th Annual Meeting, CPPA, Montreal, p. 89.
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53. Duckett, K. E. and Cain, J., “Finite-element Methods Applied to Thermal Calendering,”
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60. Kartovaara, |., Rajala, R., Luukkala, M., Sipi, K., “Conduction of Heat in Paper,” In
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6 ~—. Keller, S., J. Pulp Paper Sci. 20(1):33 (1994).

62. Kerekes, R. J., “Heat Transfer in Calendering,” Transactions of the Technical Section
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65. Olsen, J. E. and Chi,H. L., “Modelling of heat transfer during calendering,” TAPP! 1998
Finishing and Converting Conference Proceedings, TAPPI PRESS, Atlanta, p. 53.
66. Osaki, S., Fujii, Y., Kiichi, T., “Z-direction Compressive Properties of Paper,” In
Reports on Progress in Polymer Physics in Japan, vol. 12, 1982, pp. 413-416.
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69. Popil, R.E., “The Calendering Creep Equation — a Physical Model,” In

Fundamentals of Papermaking, vol. 2 (C.F. Baker and V.W Punton, Eds.)
Mechanical Engineering Publications Ltd., London, 1989, pp. 1077-1101.
70. Rattd, P, “Platen press and calendering studies on paper—a model to estimate
deformation in the thickness direction,” Licentiate Thesis, Royal Institute of
Technology, Stockholm, 1998.

7 ~ . Robertson, G. and Haglund, L., Svensk Papperstid. 77(14):521 (1974).

Ties Rodal, J. J. A., “Modelling the State of Stress and Strain in Soft Nip Calendering,” In
Fundamentals of Papermaking, vol. 2 (C.F. Baker and V.W Punton, Eds.)
Mechanical Engineering Publications Ltd., London, 1989, pp. 1055-1075.

73. Rodal, J. J. A., Tappi J. 72(5):177 (1989).

74. Rodal, J. J. A., “Paper Deformation in a Calendering Nip” In Calendering and
Supercalendering: A TAPP! PRESS Anthology of Published Papers 1985-1993,
(Thomas S. Greiner, Ed.), TAPP! PRESS, Atlanta, 1994, pp. 125-153.
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direction,” 1991 International Paper Physics Conference Proceedings, TAPP, p. 489.

76. Tervonen, M., “Numerical Models for Plane Viscoelastic Rolling Contact of Covered
Cylinders and Deforming Sheet,” Ph.D. thesis, University of Oulu, Department of
Mechanical Engineering, Oulu, Finland, 1997.

139
CHAPTER 1

77. Van Haag, R., “Uber die Druckspannungsvertailung und die Papierkompression in
Walzenspalt eines Kalenders,” Ph.D. thesis, Techische Hochschule Darmstadt,
Darmstadt, 1993.
78. Van Haag, R., Das Papier 48(11):686 (1994).
79. Waananen, K. M., Litchfield, J. B., Okos, M. R., Drying Technology 11(1):1 (1993).

80. Wickstrém, M., Rigdahl, M.; Steffner, O., Finite element modeling of calendering —
some aspects of temperature gradients and the structure inhomogenities, Journal of
Materials Science 31, 3159 (1996).
81. Brafford, D. A., U.S. Pat. No. 3,617,445 (Nov. 2, 1971)
82. Brafford, D. A. and Adams, R.J., U.S. Pat. No. 3,707,752 (Jan. 2, 1973)

140
SCHAPTER 2
Reeling and winding

1 BRACE UO ssc catens niece puretevnniws an eGo Late et ee ee ee 143

2 Reeling and winding in papermaking ....................cccccceeeececceceeceecucceceecaecess 144
eM BAYY ULGIIVG CO CUNTONTAGTILG <cxrseasvsacens MO teed. Gi Oe Le is Seem FE el ee Ce 144
CREE EN ECHOLDADES DTODEMIES ON WINCING iscvcacis thee, Hee ee we ee 146
POE OCLLORWIRGING Ol Panel PFODENIES cacrciaccscsverseendcee ete ae ee 148
3 PROMI Meee de ote ae eee geo ae du caidas cia tev Sed Tae RR OG RE ect 149
3.1 MC OER CUSS PRE: Le rn ALI e em oe) SOE Le haan en | eae 149
MUN dasOHNE) DAT ANIGLONS x, bres esis anssencFavewosdensvaninticcs hese ies Baemaoras eeeee eee ce 150
Sateen oeesses insiieparentreelian inves ot Dean Sen geal fre ae oe 153
eked PuneI KOCE SI UGIUTC LS 38), AUT Ld. RE le ae Oe ae ee 155
Sealed mae LUA INIOM bial MOG cecrescescsuesctrad dvvecteciehesrucansraiieaspeirs MUR Ee eee ey,
CG REM STOTTTLCNCO(5)(6 CR ec ne oe Oe Bs cee mets 8 1) BARE anes 158
Se EAE OCS, ANG CSI asa doan season dons texeckutsennisresdestvstasetsrciaass Foren Foe ool eeaa eek ecg: 159
Demme OD GI OC hadi sya aasteeesir sci Saceasisricasedassireacad POM oe ae a 160
Deeeee OC OM GENE AU OM CLS e255 xix seca racerssissicans Nida once ee ATE. Mtge tt 160
Spas VO AANA oresvr oe aeba etd ces Sth babes cemnuntancnanexecCitaly Ata HO. ROA ACME 165
3.2.4 Reels with lay-on roll for sensitive Qrades ...............:c2:cseecaeaecsesesesssnesesseaseareaes 170
Se Om FICC RIE a rcotev as bscasuasunanasiuectanse Oe) Ale i. RR mereaae et Souk, Fr UmeammmT OE RS 171
SA FOCI CLIONIC LNCIENG citcteceatvctuiacicutsusiaiicaiiswspucrsancueyeee ier oOsaetene meee MraaSet eee folbee Mbaces 1if2
MM COUN AINGH II aRe tiie ap dacte ttt ea vnnsneascenenTepmaiatanareacteain eee eee eeeMeme eee ER care 178
SrAMee ras DaSO Oued AMG ING cae raca vs cxtasascvecirnadveusicveenaeensacsorsesed eae eee eet 180
BAP eeReelianGiNQeOA-IAllStOf LAWS isscsacueadsxsonsogivenueenweeee cerveer tindttamete Laue emt eechee 181
SrA SeeEC HIIAICI AVITMMEAI CAN cs iascacaijsders cisesdscptangeaveecaauasntar ere aero eee 182
SrA eblStOrage And Waste PUD is cstissetiriacllersees Medsitioeasn hsupee meme ets 182
4 WIM PG oe ac. catsrdvstiindobiscwsaudd ees dines ame Whastd Radeteedad trade erabe aac avkaahooeians 183
ats. Propiems: and challenges. by paper Grade: s20..e i eee oecee etal eeaeeteeneesaatalieaes 184
NUMER NLS UNL Vices babesseee eae ores cha sieosisis cetasaatos. ata cae danza aad cncnenbgiggaaants Sommer eee 184
legos OCEtV5SSG (Ga GSA i ee Re CR. Oe ee ee 184
Rss UNINC COeIEE CoeWOON Tocca been aan ts can icRe Rc Se na: RP weno or tna Hace 185
PANNeZame(PRESEN OOTCATCG cots cl9s chal soivsvaihaccn, MRM NRURER ecco oe eee owen da des Remere tear 185
Bere em CyTe ALI cL Clee ote ae sack cscs ora dbs sare Geetans, neta ide do cannutny re Civataadee couarames 186
Bei MO artONDU AKC anG: OLA MICAl DOAN. 2.:sixc ances ecesqatenon ueeaaveaunertecenesnapRiestatynearvesasenstainys 186
MUTTTG ULCTIA MN Re a coun extensor suas hice eos wbds Sabanu I icddvyan dh oe euas epundenutud NOE Vaeoncani es 186
aI UCIT MCCUE OR ae pe cP cane Sasaiesnamder as Navneettiednasa de nnsaeecenensileaed 186
Dee omeie GUE VITAMIN GaN WAKO UIC, lve ec eten sr tinct clears vauuivenschsnaevisisadnaccaesesvunseves need 186
AW es EOI SU awh eee eee ee Ine meh ain cc Sado ae Sea tan 69 PTR oe sno ee ct vans ca 187

141
ECHATR 2 as
AB TWO-Cruim) WINDEIS. ca. c i cccontes cot assasesersgeraveaguennemenssiras
tenseednete<ck see eee: te mn tee 187
WeS.1 Winer TUMCTIONS <2.-.vs chee ssvchcssneredsessdeve cette coeee erceace tek area eee ee 188
4:3.2.- Automated fUMCtiomS seck: caches Meeps a ntakeeecet steko eee eap 2 ewiesencae eeeee 191
4.3.3. Two-drum. winding. Parameters, ....ca.-teee cee OP eee eee eee 192
43.4 Two-drum:winders with.a soft nip COVer GOIN ...:.:::0c..:cbsecnseekeetexees eeeeeeeneeer eee 193
43.5 Two-drum winder with air reliet.....:,....-Rccseees-toie. cern senna Seer ter 193
A'3.6. -Belt-SuPPOrted WIMGUING 5. vss cons ssincsnescnncoseeeeee eee eee eee ee een renner as eae 195
A3.7. Variable QGOMetry. WINGED joc. cauesccscnvense csp cncscincsiantancxraseyeeraascantaanee eee 195
43:8 Winding challenges Of fWO-GrUM, WIMGGIS :.....<::0ccemcereennsteceseeeeaevasscss ee eee 195
MAt Multistatton WINCEIS -...cccsvssseneseacadessacsivanrseectseszedsncascteattasseaeeeeeeeee
eek eee 197
4.4.1 Multistation winder types used today in paper production .............:cceceeeeteeeee 198
4.4.2 Paper and roll size demands for winding techniques................cccccsceeseceseeeseeeeees 206
A.B? — Winder QutOMAHOM ccccccsseoccgssnasveseunancvecarencacanetuaswanseseeos eee ee ean 208
4.5.1 Maximizing, CADACHY \.nciscscccnacsvenrarkrsserdoremanaercaksae ceaeeee eae ee ee 208
4.5.2 Optimizing: FOU QUALIRY .cccacccsessossnarayedoneess eaesstoecatsttoce ncn Ree ae 209
4.5.3. Controlling rOll:StiUCtUre sc. dcicevsuircaisacrsceccaremteavasecnatee tac. ee ee a 210
4:5.4. Optimizing WIDE? CAPACHY vaccivsccvecsavexecsavanscehleeet ieee ane ee eee ee 212
4.5.5. Operator iteriace, « .<s...:cwsssactcanaentnenegentasvecteseemmacante ries.sae eee eae 216
4.5.6 DidQMOStiGs ...csvi.sccnsnssnsinnrn tener ete aimee See er teen 217
4.5.7 Communication and-inforimation SIVICES, ccsc:snccccrsxs.ccacescose See ee 218
4.5.8. Control SyStem, CQUIPIMGNE wi.ccecccsseoxarscassanvecesaxesvetsesnres eee ee 218
5 Theoretical DAGkQrOUNG a sccsssssvexssandonsncnvsnesoxuscencgenvasypaeessesdle eee aes 218
Sel! WINGING TOON ssssicissiessisssansacscsansouxavantsadscrannantinr Se ee 218
D. Lad. Practical WinGing tOOIS is<,cincarcsvessactcuesedeliettoie aarne ae once Seen 219
5.1.2... WINING MODELS: iisscverscericinssnsdnvecn saisecor ees eee eee eee er 221
SZ) . Web SPreaginng, ...:cx:sscencscsssanciseasdvecaus
aasebusen cites eae nee ee ae ee cer
5.2.1. Spreading the machine-wide, UNCUT WED .ccrincrsre.tncnccec esr cy A. 227
5.2.2 Separating the cut webs in the two-druM WINER ...........ccecceccececceceececeecseeceseeseeees 230
FROPEPOMGOS wwicscsaszscastex-vausedeaiusiactnvansnsycaavna
sanviereanscases eese e Sirae enema 236

142
CHAPTER 2

Niiles Airola, Esa Happonen, Marko Jorkama, Teppo Kojo, Pekka Komulainen, Seppo
Luomi, Unto Malinen, Jari Paanasalo, Timo Rautakorpi, Ismo Turunen, Janne Verajankorva

Reeling and winding =

1 Introduction

A paper web is usually

stored and transferred in the Pi. fer
form of rolls. This requires Center Winding
winding. There are two basic Seer are
winding processes in the ~
paper industry. The reeling
process is used to produce
large diameter rolls of paper,
parent reels, for example at
a paper machine, for further
processing in the mill. Equip-
ment used for this process is
called the reel. Another
winding process is called
winding, i.e., the term “wind-
ing” means winding in gen-
eral and a windup process.
The main function of the
winding process is to pro-
duce customer rolls from
parent reels. The equipment
used for winding is a winder.
There are three
classes of winders, as
Center-Surface Winding
shown in Fig. 17°. The sim-
plest is the centerwind, Torque
where the roll is completely
supported and driven
through its core. This class is
so named because the drive
Torque
operates through the center
of the winding roll. Another
common class is the surface '
reel or winder. In this class, _ Figure 1. Three basic types of winding processes.
the winding roll is nipped aa

143
CHAPTER 2

against a driven metal roller or drum; therefore, the winding roll is driven through its sur-
face. The third class of winding has a drive attached to both the winding roll and the
nipped roller. This class is called center-surface reel or winder.
Because the paper manufacturing industry has an increasing need for high pro-
ductivity, the importance of winding process quality has increased. To achieve high
paper manufacturing production efficiency, making good quality rolls is extremely impor-
tant. A good quality roll means an appropriate roll structure and dimensions and a roll
that has no winding defects. The quality of a roll, in practice, is measured in the down-
stream process stages. Successful winding requires qualified control of winding param-
eters, faultless functioning of winding equipment and uniform web properties.
Demands set for reeling and winding are increasing. Machine speeds are going
up continuously, parent reel and roll diameters are increasing, more automated func-
tions are required, and the properties of paper webs are changing. At the same time,
higher production efficiencies are required. For example, to decrease or even keep the
number of turnups at today’s level, reel diameters must increase in the reeling process.
Production efficiency must be kept at a high level, which requires minimum breaks,
broke, and unplanned downtime.
The development of paper and board quality is based on achieving better func-
tional surface properties and at the same time reducing basis weight without compro-
mising stiffness. More calendering and coating will be done on-line. These advances in
product quality call for gentle reeling and winding processes that do not affect product
quality. Better control of current parameters and the use of completely new parameters
in reel and roll structuring are in demand.
The influence of variations in the web on reel or roll buildup will be reduced. Auto-
matic operation will be extended from automatic sequences to adaptive process control
without user intervention. Developments and technologies from winders will be utilized
in reels that in turn will provide new levels of reel structure control.
The beginning of section 2 presents winding in general in the papermaking pro-
cess. Section 3 includes the specialties of machine reeling, the basic types of reels, pro-
duction efficiency, and reel handling. Section 4 introduces winding methods,
requirements by paper grades, winder types, and winder automation. Section 5 pre-
sents the theoretical background of winding, which includes descriptions of the three
main winding parameters and winding models. The requirements and theoretical back-
ground is common for machine reeling and winding with winders. Section 5 also
includes web spreading.

2 Reeling and winding in papermaking

2.1 Winding requirements
The winding process can be defined as a function where a continuously manufactured
or unwound flat web is changed to a roll form for further processing (with or without slit-
ting). In the case of paper, it is important to realize that rolls are never end products for
the final customer. Paper rolls must be unwound for further processing. The only excep-
tion might be a dartboard, which can be a narrow paper roll. The following converting

144
 Reeling and winding

process with unwinding, together with transfer and storage to this process, sets the
requirements for roll size and roll quality. In addition, the winding and slitting process
itself must be efficient. :
General requirements for all rolls can be defined as follows:

- Correct roll dimensions, i.e., roll width, roll diameter, roll weight, or web length.
The roll diameter must also be constant in the cross direction (CD) to avoid
ridges, bagginess, bursts, and roll hardness variation in the following unwind-
ing and rewinding processes.

- Round rolls and core in the center. This is required to avoid vibration, flutter,
fluctuations of web tension, and web breaks in the unwinding process.

- Straight roll edges without dishing or core stickout. This will guarantee a con-
stant web edge CD position in further processing and will allow storage of
shipping rolls axially on top of each other.

- Good roll structure, i.e., optimum roll hardness or roll tensions. This avoids roll
deformation and keeps paper quality consistently good without any correlation
to the axial or radial position in the roll.

- Clean and dust-free web and roll edges, especially for offset printing.

- Absence of roll defects.

The transport and storage systems have a great influence on the roll hardness
requirements. Internal roll tension and pressure, as well as forces during winding,
can result in plastic deformations to the web. These deformations are:

- Machine direction (MD) plastic elongation, which is most severe close to the
core and in the periphery of the roll, where positive tension remains during roll
storage, can decrease runnability in the following process.

- CD variation of the MD plastic deformation, which causes bagginess and wrin-

kles in the following process.
- Plastic deformation in the z-direction and its variation, which causes loss of
caliper, bulk, and compressibility. The inside of the roll is affected more than
the periphery, where the radial pressure is smallest.
If the roll hardness level is higher, there is more of a chance for plastic deforma-
tion. Consequently, roll hardness should be minimized. However, a higher roll hardness
might be required to withstand roll deformations and out-of-roundness during winding or
transport.
ing handled sever.
ting via

145,
CHAPTER 2

The atmosphere or reeling must be cor

of winding

nges and
nas an €
f al dIrectic

2.2 Effect of paper properties on winding

The paper web must be flat when going into the roll during winding. Strain variations
and original web bagginess require a certain minimum web tension to get a flat web.
The more CD variation there is, the higher is the winding tension that must be used.
The dimension of web tension is normally linear force (e.g., N/m or kKN/m). |
ever, the actual ering variable | is stress (€.g., Nim? or B )¢

Web Break occur when a local tension stress is higher than a local tensile
strength. Practically, web strength of 5-10 times higher than web tension is necessary,
Sg. there is always variation in the web eh as well as the in web strength ag

inthe CDa papereT has a length profile. Under stress the shorter
(tight) areas are in higher tension than longer (slack) areas. In order to get enough ten-
sion in the longer areas, the tight areas must be strained. This strain in the tight areas
can be elastic or plastic. The more plastic these areas are, the less stress is needed to
even out the web tension.

important to nots“thatthe rivietire content calculated against the fibers iis amore real
variable than the total moisture content. A newsprint paper of 10% moisture content
made from 100% fiber has the same moisture against fibers as a coated paper of 5%
total moisture having 50% fibers and 50% pigments and hydrophobic chemicals.
Paper density is a basic variable that affects the winding process. In historical
two-drum winder designed without compliant drum orHs! technologies, the roll’s own

paper. In a multistation winder or a ree e problem area tends to

bottom, from where the roll is supported.
The coefficient of friction (COF) has an effect on the formation of roll tensions and
on roll deformation during or after winding. Slippery paper loses some of the tension
inside the roll in every nip, which can be seen at the roll edge, when a straight “I” line
changes gradually to a curved “J” line during winding. This loosening effect can cause
crepe wrinkles and bursts. On the other hand, a COF that is too high effectively prevents
interlayer movements so that roll deformation is plastic. This can cause roll bouncing
and vibration due to out-of-roundness of the roll or core eccentricity.

146
 Reeling and winding

ee paaa
2ms to be an ofptimum COF fange to
small Amount on drophobic material can effi ent
are AKD-size, oil-based defoamer aieal
als, and talc

silicates, calcine ay, titanium di eB. and hiat acity PCC < 1S 1 size or
ome resins cé rease COF. These chemicals ver S ponanines aessiike to the
winding process to control the COF at an optimum level.
Variation of paper properties has an effect on the winding process. Variation, for
example in the basis weight, can be divided into an MD component, CD component,
and residual or random component. The random component is not very problematic in
winding.
A periodic unevenness in a MD component (for example, caliper) will repeatedly
match the roll diameter. The interval of this matching is constant in diameter. For exam-
ple, if the wavelength of calender barring is 2-7 cm, matching of low and/or high caliper
areas occurs after every two cm increase in the roll diameter. Furthermore if the web
length between two matching is a multiple of wavelength, this cyclical problem in roll will
be amplified, i.e. the a thick (thin) caliber is wound on top of another thick (thin) caliber.
Respectively, if the web length between two matching is not a multiple of wavelength,
the problem will be attenuated.
CD profile variation can be quite severe in the winding process. Important
profiles are:

- Web length profile -

- Web strain profile (MD tensile stiffness)

- Caliper profile

- Compressibility profile
- Moisture profile and

- COF profile.
It is important to note that the z-directional compression of paper web can be up
to 10% while the maximum MD strain can be about 1%. The length of every circumfer-
ence in1 the roll is Tl:
7 ‘diameter. Itseems to be impossible to have larger than 1% differ-

compressibili
bulky papers.
Theoretically the profiles mentioned earlier are important for a good roll profile.
However, only caliper and sometimes web tension are measured on-line. More common
profile measurements are basis weight and moisture, which influence the primary pro-
cess input parameters of web length and tensile stiffness.
CHAPTER 2

2.3 Effect of winding on paper properties

Paper web properties affect the winding process, which in turn has an effect on the web
properties after winding. Inthe papermaking process, WOE are ei several Suc-

ad =e P 2Ae 4

Fi,every
ATEN IGT rewinding process, the paper from the roll periphery changes
location to the roll bottom and vice versa. When parent reels are slit and wound into
smaller roll sets, the first set originates from the Sahel! reelehigelighed Reand the EY oe

The paper grade and process concept determine how many times the paper is
wound and unwound. Pulp dryers normally produce sheets directly without winding. A
minimum for a paper machine is one winding, i.e., a narrow paper machine produces
reels that proceed directly to an off-machine sheeter to be unwound and sheeted. A
practical maximum may be 7-9 winding/unwindings for double coated paper as shown
in Table 1.

Table 1. Example of maximum unwindings and windings in a double-coated

machine line.

Base paper machine

Rereeler X X
Off-machine coater 1 X X
Rereeler X X
Off-machine coater 2 X X
(Rereeler) X X
Supercalender X X
Winder X X
(Rewinder) X X
Sheeter xX aa

Web tension during winding and nip pressure together with roll internal tensions
have an effect on the paper quality. Plastic compression in the radial direction due to the
nip pressure and roll internal pressure has the effects on paper quality shown in Table 2.
These effects are smallest close to the roll periphery, where the radial pressure is at its
minimum.

148
 Reeling and winding

Table 2. Effects of plastic compression on paper properties moving

in the radial direction from the periphery to the area near the spool.

Property Result
Caliper Decreased
Stiffness Decreased
Bulk Decreased
Smoothness Increased
Gloss Increased
Air permeability Decreased
Absorption Decreased

hardness profile . The strains are ROpaEIin ee at the feeleeunie

ery or bottom. These areas will be problematic in the succeeding unwindings/windings.
If the elastic limit of the material is exceeded, a higher web tension increases the plastic
yield of the strain. Winder tensions are normally the highest in the papermaking pro-
cess. However, the severity of the tension should always be compared with the tensile
strength in the actual moisture and temperature.

3 Reeling
The first winding in the papermaking process is made on reel spools. Normally, the reel
spool bears the complete paper weight of the parent reel. The weight of a modern par-
ent reel can be up to 120 metric tons or even more for a 10 m wide web, which is almost
100 kN/m as a nip load against the spool. In order to be able to make good reel bottoms
that will withstand this load during winding and the following unwinding, advanced reel-
ing processes may be required. Standard primary arm type reels, usually called pope
type reels, with inaccurate nip and tension control during the parent reel changeover
from the primary arms to the secondary arms are not able to make good reel bottoms.
Special bee of reels are Di senda mere: eet! - ene eee 2 the reel paren is

3.1 Process
Most paper production lines include at least one reeling process. Some production lines
might even contain five separate reeling processes. The main function of the parent reel
is to be a temporary storage unit for the paper web along different process steps in a
production line. The web can be stored in a parent reel for a few hours or as much as
several days. Efficient storage creates certain demands on the reeling process. Espe-

149,
CHAPTER 2

cially the turnup process is vulnerable to malfunctions and formation of defects to the
web, so the recent trend has been toward larger parent reels, which result in less turn-
ups.
In machine reeling, a full width sheet is wound around a reel spool made out of
steel. The reel spool can have a cover such as polyurethane or rubber. The resulting
paper roll around the reel spool is referred to as a parent reel. It may weigh from 20 to
120 tons while the diameter ranges from 2 to 4 meters. In addition to the main function
of the reel, there are three other tasks that a modern reel should be able to perform effi-
ciently with respect to time and materials. These tasks are turnup, tail threading, and
grade change.
The turnup sequence is the most important task and involves fetching a new
empty reel spool from reel spool storage, accelerating the empty reel spool to running
speed, changing the load from the full parent reel to the new reel spool, cutting the web
with turnup devices, and starting to wind it on the new spool and decelerating and eject-
ing the full parent reel.
Tail threading to the reel is performed either with ropes, air chutes (coanda
plates), or suction belts. To hold the tail on the reel drum and keep it running to the

The f paper on change sequence is fended to improve he material and time

efficiencies of a paper machine. One method is to wind only product that meets produc-
tion specifications and reject off-grade paper at the reel. For this method, a reel broke
handling, pulping, and stock mixing system of adequate capacity is required. When the
grade change starts, a full parent reel is ejected and the web is doctored into the broke
system. On-line measurements are used during grade change. When the new grade
specifications are met, the web is turned-up onto a new reel spool. With this procedure,
the off-quality production is not wound.
In many mills, the broke system, pulping, or stock mixing is not capable of han-
dling the broke from the machine during the total time of the grade change or the tail
threading. In these cases, the off-quality web can be wound onto the outside of the
existing log or on the bottom of fresh spool and cut off at later time. When the new grade
specifications are met, the web is turned-up onto a new reel spool.

3.1.1 Reeling parameters

Reeling parameters available on a conventional pope type reel without centerwind
assist are nip load and web tension. Nip load is generated at the contact surface of two
rolls when they are pressed together. At a reel, the force needed to press rolls against
each other is usually generated with either hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders. The force
of gravity can also contribute somewhat to the nip load if reeling is performed at an
angle instead of on rails. Nip load intensity has been typically calculated from the force
produced by the pressure used in loading cylinders divided by web width. Thus, nip load
has not been a measured but a calculated value at the reel. Nowadays, however, the

150
 Reeling and winding

real force exerted in loading

cylinders is measured.One _~ ~
type of control system is aS }
described in Fig. 2. a
There can be a differ- m~
ence between the calculated Position
measurement

and actual values of nip load,

depending on the accuracy of
the application. In a pope
type reel without the center-
wind capability, the rotating
force must be delivered
through the nip from the reel
drum drive since the parent
reel is surface driven. In this Valve

respect, nip load is typically

kept relatively high simply to
ensure correct surface speed
Controller
and prevent slippage.
Some designs of new Figure 2. Principle of nip load control.
generation reels eliminate
the need to make a turn-up on top of the reel drum, then rotate the winding spool to the
rails, and therefore remove the weight of the spool and winding paper from the nip equa-
tions. These reels have the spool fully supported by the rails from the time of turn-up,
until the log is wound to its maximum diameter.
The web tension is limited by the runnability of the web. Tension should be low
enough to ensure a minimum amount of web breaks. On a conventional pope type reel
web tension is seldom a measured value, but is adjusted as a constant value of reel
drum drive or reel drum velocity. The fact that web tension is not measured can lead to
certain problems.
Second generation reels have better control loops for nip pressure and web ten-
sion. For instance, the force of gravity is taken into account if reeling takes place at
some other angle than horizontal. In this case, counter pressure can relieve part of the
weight of the reel spool and winding paper to obtain the setpoint value of nip load. This
feature is important when the weight of the reel spool is high and the resulting nip load
caused by the spool itself is unnecessarily high.
Some control systems can also make use of the deflection of a reel spool when
reeling at an angle to profile the CD nip load. When the angle compared to the reeling
rails is high and the weight of the parent reel is relieved with the cylinders reel spool will
deflect to some extent. This situation will generate a higher nip load in the center. It is
possible to define an angle at which the desired nip load is generated only by the force
of gravity. Thus the reel spool is supported by the reel drum at an angle where the force
of gravity will cause a theoretical even nip load in the CD. The principle of nip load profil-
ing is shown in Fig. 3.

AD]
CHAPTER 2

In today’s reels, web tension is

used more and more as a closed loop
control parameter. Traditionally, web ten-
sion is measured with a tension measure-
ment roll that is mounted on load cells.
Load cells are calibrated so that, when
they only support the weight of the roll,
the signal equals zero tension. After the
zero point is fixed, the tension measure-
ment roll is subjected to a known force,
perhaps by a weight suspended from a
strap that crosses over the tension roll.
The conversion factor is then set so that
the output signal from the load cells will
be converted into tension units. The draw-
back in this method is that changes in
temperature, vibration, and mechanical
stress often interfere with the load mea-
surement.
To avoid the problems mentioned Figure 3. Principle of nip load profiling.

- The tension is measured.

- The tension setpoint value is compared with the measured value.

- The load of the controlling drive is increased or decreased to meet the set
value for tension.

“Centerwinding” or
“center wind assist” is a ben- Drives Control System
eficial tool for controlling the
reeling process’. Center-
winding differs from surface
winding in that the reel spool
is driven with its own drive
with the force operating Tension |Tens. act. value
amplifie
through the spool shaft; as
opposed to surface winding,
where the reel drum con-
tacts the surface of the par-
ent reel to impart the force to Figure 4. Web tension control.
drive the reel.

152
 Reeling and winding

Centerwinding can be utilized in several critical points of the process. In the

beginning of a new winding cycle, before the nip is closed, an empty spool can be accel-
erated to accurately match the surface speed of the reel drum drive if a center drive is
provided. Thus, there is one less factor causing tension disturbances. After the turnup,
the torque of a center drive can be utilized as a peripheral force contributing to reel
structure like nip load and web tension.
Peripheral force offers more capabilities than other reeling parameters. It has
fewer negative effects on the runnability of the machine than web tension and less nip
load is required to achieve the same winding effect, without wks Gon tio over ne cor-
rect surlase
sacle of LS besa reel. Hee

drive dis"eoe torque on the surface

of a parent reel divided by the width of the web. Figure 5 shows one concept of a center-
wind-assisted reel.

Primary Center Drive

LG ( Reel Drum Drive

= !
Secondary
Center Drive

hh

gure 5. Controllable drive groups incenter-wind assist. 2

3.1.2 Stresses inside parent reel

The reel size influences pressure and :
stresses found inside the reel. Inner pres-
sure and stresses originate from the
weight of the roll of pee and from reel : ff©) ff

the reel manifest Rereenes in two

categories ©. Radial compressive stresses reelstresses dueto rollweight"°.
‘Figure6.Parent
generated above the reel spool and shear

dp3
CHAPTER 2

stresses developed in verti-

cal planes on either side of Internal nip loading measurements
the parent reel (Fig 6). Finite
Element Method (FEM)
Stretch sensors
analysis has been utilized to
Pressure sensors _
obtain the stresses present
in parent reels with multitude
of variables’? 79 77. Just as
the reel spool diameter and
stiffness are significant,
paper density, COF, modulus
of the web (in all axis), and
other parameters ae
evaluated by ne

In the experimental
study, a spool was prepared
with strain sensors to sur- as eS
vey the deflection of the fa rei oe
spool and the internal pres-
sure developed in a parent
reel’. Figure 7 illustrates this
apparatus.
Figure 8 shows the
radial pressure measured
with the pressure sensors ; Width from middle (m)
and calculated values of nip Hardnip load 0.8 kKN/m, web tension 120 A
load needed to produce the
strain measured with the Figure 8. Internal nip forces, parent reel.
stretch sensors.
hen the paper web was n the s stant nip load and web
tensi was di red t the a r was the radial pressure
ICIeaseoO

Another important factor | | istribution. High val-

ues forp
pressure were measured with the sensors lo ated near the edge of the roll. It is
obvious that near the e no wou and higher
de io \ é the
meh ;Re oe en high deflection oc urs, it will
causea high internal pressure and the paper v p
stresses. This ymmon observation tha most reeling
OL UTtiICal tile | | J. 11 We fF

154
 Reeling and winding

The rigidity of the sys-

tem formed by the spool and
the wound paper influence Internal Nip Forces, Machine Reel
Load‘°° "egyresultant
"ant im) Pressure (bar)
the CD peak value and inter-
nal pressure distribution. If =e 22065 kg, 74920 m
. —=@= 16522 kg, 56100 m
high constant values for reel- ’ B= 14726 kg, 50000 m
ing parameters are used
during a winding cycle, a
tight and more rigid paper is
wound up on the spool. In
this case, the wound paper
supports the spool; thus, the -1 0 1 2
Width from middle (m)
wound paper will prevent the
Hardnip load 1.8 kKN/m, web tension 160 A
spool from deflecting. How-
ever, at the end of the spool a 9. Internal nip forces, parent reel.
there is a discontinuous sur-
face where there is no paper to appar the spool, and deflection takes place at even
greater intensity, as illustrated in Fig. 9.

3.1.3 Parent reel structure

As described, the wound roll

structure has anindisputable _
: F sie eu N
influence on internal forces bauer
in addition to the reel and roll and
reel drum)
te dimensions (Fig. 10).
=F ¢g arent roll
diameter)

mizes the nfernal pressure ‘Figure 10. Effectof reel structure on internal nip lo
and stresses to which the
web is exposed. On the other hand, the em reel structureBiase to be dence SHouah to
disable internal movements. In order to achieve this goal, the reel hardness must be
adjustable.

In this way, it is possib )

to prevent internal movements between the paper ere ifthe
entire parent reel is wound too densely, the structure will become extremely rigid and
internal nip stresses will increase. For this reason, the reel structure has to be softer as
the radius increases. This type of reeling philosophy is referred as “hard center struc-
ture” or “tight start” (Fig. 11).

155
CHAPTER 2

Hard Center Structure Soft Center Structure

Reel Density VS Radius Reel Density VS Radius

Density A Density 4

> >
Radius Radius

Figure 11. Hard and soft center structures. —

In some cases, it can be determined that one of the fixed Kops in the reeling

nbe inadeque I ;
Seace a ese prove ereficiel to start building the reel structure by
winding less tightly in the beginning of the reeling cycle. After a less dense foundation is
wound, the rest of the reel is built as in the hard center method. The purpose of the less
dense foundation is to form a layer that will not resist internal stresses and to restrict
internal movements to that definite layer. This way most of the parent reel is defect-free
and unavoidable defects are located in a thin, less dense center of the parent reel. This
type of reeling philosophy is referred as “soft center structure” or “soft start” (Fig. 11).

156
 Reeling and winding

3.1.4 Air entrapment at reel

Air streams that are devel-
oped by rotating rolls and
the running web can cause
problems if air is trapped in
the reeling process. An air
bag can develop, especially
on dense and low porosity
grades such as on-line
coated or on-line calendered
grades, when air is collected
in a pocket in front of the
winding nip (Fig. 12). Some-
times it can start to move
toward the edges and col-
lapse through the nip. If the
air bag passes through the
nip, it can cause wrinkles
and subsequent broke.
: Figure 12.Air entrapment at reel :
There are two basic
cases where an air bag Wide Groove
forms (Fig. 13). In the first
case, the air bag can
develop on a parent reel
when air is pumped between
the top layers of paper and is
prevented from settling
within the layers. In the sec-
ond case, an air bag can
develop between the incom-
ing web and the surface of
the reel drum when the Narrow Groove
winding nip is tight enough
to prevent air streams going
through the nip~.
Air bag problems are
the result of several vari-
ables, the most important of
which are running speed
and air permeability of the
web. Also, surface proper-
ties of both the web and reel
drum affect the situation a
CHAPTER 2

great deal. Both types of air

;
bags can be prevented by a 1°
Bee
proper reel drum contour te
; Ie yaya ‘ Ad}
made with grooves or holes. — yy tyLLL MEY LUZ ia
Typically, different types of ful
grooving (Fig. 13) are used
to prevent air bags from
building. Narrow grooves
enable air streams that are
trapped between the reel
drum surface and the web to
pass through the nip; thus,
they provide a channel for
the fluid to flow. Wide
grooves function exactly the
same way, except the chan-
nels are formed between the Figure 14. Grooving geometry.
top layers of the parent reel.
Thus air steams are distributed evenly in the channels that are developed on the surface
layers of parent reel due to the contour of the reel drum.
The groove geometry (Fig. 14) is primarily based on the properties of the paper
being wound and the operating speed. They are spiral in nature and usually start from
the middle of the drum and end at the edge. Care must be taken when specifying the
wide groove pattern. The sheet may conform to the groove and pump too much air into
the winding log, causing air bags, looseness, and telescoping, all of which induce sheet
defects.

3.1.5 Reeling defects

The moments right after turnup are especially critical because the first layers of paper
will need to tolerate the highest internal stresses and the highest number of cyclical
forces. Inaccuracies and disturbances related to closing the nip, controlling the nip
force, and control of moving machine parts can lead to a reeling defect. A typical reeling
defect could be a crepe wrinkle, an offset on the end of the parent reel, or a burst that
will cause the web to break during pulses Defects (F ») can Je

For example, it has been previously measured with load cells that when the load-
ing of primary arms is changed to the secondary arms, a disturbance to nip load control
can be induced. During unwinding of these parent reels, also the most reeling defects
were found at this point in the reel diameter. Itiis assumed that these kinds of ace

158
 Reeling and winding

one load change in the reeling sequence.

One possible mechanism behind the for-
mation of the defect is described in the
next paragraph.
If the angle between a wound roll
of paper and a reel drum changes rela-
tively fast, a disturbance in the nip load
control can be caused. A divergent layer
of paper is wound, making the reel struc-
ture nonuniform. Internal nip stresses
start moving paper layers inside the par-
ent reel. Varying reel hardness enables a
wrinkle to develop due to internal move-
ments between the paper layers. If the
internal movements continue during the
winding cycle, the wrinkle is exposed to
excessive mechanical abrasion causing
the individual fibers in the paper to be cut.
Mechanical abrasion between
paper layers can cause a defect that cre-
ates a web break. The beginning of aweb — Figure 15. Typical reeling defects.
break can be observed by exes me ee __.
edge of the web. Initially the
web break starts from the
edge where the fibers were
not pulled out of the fibrous
structure but were cut off.
This area is easily found
because it differs from other
parts of the edge by not con- ; |
taining long fibers sticking
out from the fiber structure eS
and being sharp like the ‘Figure 16. A typical reeling defect.
aboveedgeofpapershown ——— se pag
in Fig. 16.

3.2 Types and design

The reeling process can be divided into two main categories: the primary reeling pro-
cess, which takes place at the end of a continuous primary manufacturing process like
a paper machine, and the secondary reeling process that unwinds and rewinds the full
width web on reel spools.
The equipment for the primary reeling process is a reel. It is used to wind up the
paper web around a reel spool into a roll, which is also called a reel, a jumbo reel, or a
parent reel. In some special cases, such as tissue grades, large-diameter cores can be

159
CHAPTER 2

used instead of reel spools. This is the point where the continuous paper production
process is converted into a batch process, which makes the further finishing (batch)
processes independent of the base paper production (continuous) process. This in turn
improves productivity; if there is a break on the off-machine coater, the paper machine
can still be run for a while and vice versa.
There are three main types of reels: pope-type reels, second generation reels,
and reels with lay-on roll for sensitive grades.

3.2.1 Pope reel

The basic pope reel (Fig. 17)
Reel Spool Starter Pritnary Arms
consists of a reel drum, pri-
mary and secondary arms,
Reel Spool Secondary Arms
and reeling rails. The contin-
uous reeling sequence
starts with a new spool being
placed in the primary arms
on top of the reel drum and
web. The spool is acceler-
ated to web speed with a
spool starter, which is then
disengaged and the nip is
closed. Through one of vari-
ous methods the paper is
automatically transferred
from the full reel to a new
empty spool. The primary
Reel Drum Reeling Rails
arms then rotate down to the
rails where secondary arms _ Figure 17. Pope reel.
provide the required nip load
until the desired reel length or diameter is reached. After the transfer, the primary arms
retract and return to the starting position, ready to repeat the reeling sequence*.
The paper web is wound by surface winding. The control parameters are nip load
and web tension, which are typically calculated, not measured.

3.2.2 Second generation reels

As machine widths, running speeds, reel structure standards, and reel sizes have
increased, new developments in reeling technology have emerged. Figure 18 shows
two examples of a state-of-the-art reels. Figure 18 a does not look all that different from
a pope-type reel, but the improvements include better control and measuring basis.
On some reels, the primary arm carriages have been replaced by a moving reel drum
(see Fig. 18 b), but also in these cases the main improvement in the reeling process is
based on better control. Among the developments are control of air entrapment, reel
drum grooving and friction coating, tension control, improved nip load control, new tur-
nup devices, center drives, larger-diameter reel spools, and complete reel automation
and control systems.

160
 Reeling and winding

461
CHAPTER 2

Table 3. Development of reel performance and technology in the last 25 years.

| Specifications 1960s Reel | 1990s Reel

Web width (m) 7.9 9.5
Speed (m/min) 1000 1600
Reel diam. (m) 2.9 oon
Spool diam. (m) 0.7 132
Reel weight (t) 20-30 60-120
Reel waste (%) 4 1
Reel breaks 1/day 1/week
Technology | |
Reel drum grooving / friction coating NO YES
Electronic tension control NO YES
Center drives NO YES
Automatic operation NO AES
Paper quality 2
Smoother
Glossier
Higher density
Lower basis weight

All these developments are aimed at increasing production line efficiency by

decreasing the amount of waste and breaks caused by the reeling process (Table 3).
Also, gentle and uniform handling of paper during reeling and storage have been driving
forces for these developments.

Operation sequence of second generation reels

An empty reel spool is brought by crane to the reel spool storage rack to rest against the
guide plates and stoppers. When released from the stoppers, it rolls over intermediate
stoppers to the pick-up position damper where it waits until fetched by the reeling car-
riage. If the storage rack is above the reeling rails, the spool is picked up by the lowering
arms, which then lower it to the primary reeling carriage. The reel spool is locked with
locking clamps to the primary reeling device. The empty reel is accelerated to web
speed with the primary center drive. If the turnup is made with lower blow pipes, the
secondary carriage is pulled out of nip contact and the primary reeling device is turned
to turnup position. The primary nip is closed and the web is cut and steered onto the
new spool. With a gooseneck device (see Fig. 23), the turnup is made before pulling out
the carriages.
After turnup, the parent reel is stopped with the secondary center drive and pneu-
matically or hydraulically operated brakes. The secondary carriages take the parent reel
downstream and release it to roll down slightly sloped rails and come to rest against a

162
 Reeling and winding

- Figure 19. Reel change sequenc

stopper. After the parent reel release, the secondary carriages change to loading con-
trol and move toward the reel. As the carriages detect the new growing parent reel, the
secondary arms close and lock the parent reel in the carriages. Loading control is
switched from the primary reeling device to the secondary carriages. Torque control is
ramped from the primary center drive to the secondary center drive. The primary car-
riage retracts and the primary peeling device is ined mets up to receive a new anon};
Reeling continues in the sec-
ondary carriages until the
next turnup.
Drive "B" Drive "A" |
In another configura-
tion, spools are loaded into
the storage area and are on
the same elevation as the
winding roll. A spool is
advanced to the ready posi-
tion and one set of position-
ing carriages A and one
centerwind drive A are
engaged. The spool is accel-
erated to the sheet speed
and moved horizontally into
the turnup position, where a Figure 20. Second generation reel with double carriages. —
nip is formed with the mov-

163
CHAPTER 2

ing reel drum. The turnup is completed with a gooseneck, side blow pipes, or tape
device. The full parent reel, being wound with carriages B and centerwind B, is stopped
with the centerwind drive or the reel spool brakes. Positioning carriages A and center-
wind A on the newly winding parent reel remain with that reel for the entire winding pro-
cess. Positioning carriages B and centerwind drive B return to the ready position to
engage the next empty reel spool. For the next turnup, carriages B and drive B will move
the spool into the turnup position and accelerate it to the sheet speed.

Nip load control

Nowadays, loading is usually
controlled with hydraulic cyl-
inders. Pneumatic controls
were the preferred method
earlier. As reel sizes have
grown and control accuracy
requirements have
increased, hydraulics have
become the better choice of
controls.
By holding the reel in
a carriage which moves on
low friction linear guide, the
friction forces are reduced
and allow for more accurate
nip control.
On primary arm type
reels, there is a need for two
pairs of carriages to allow for
continuous operation. These _ Figure 21. Drum supported winding.
Carriages can be operated in
one of two ways. The first method uses one pair for reeling the entire reel. Another way
is to transfer from a primary carriage to a secondary carriage at a large reel diameter
(e.g., 1700 mm).
In other solutions, the need for primary arms has been eliminated by fixing the
winding roll and moving reel drum. These designs eliminate the effect of spool weight
and building paper weight from the nip pressure calculations. The moving drum acts
similar to a rider roll or lay-on roll.
Traditionally, nip load has been achieved by controlling the loading cylinder pres-
sures. This leaves some unknown factors, which affect loading, i.e., cylinder and car-
riage frictions. To improve accuracy, force sensors have been added to measure nip
load. In that way, closed loop nip force control is realized.

164
 Reeling and winding

Torque control
The second generation reels use a combination of surface and centerwinding to control
the Wound-In-Tension (WIT) profile of the parent reel. Centerwind assists are used as a
spool starter and as a method of introducing torque into the winding parent reel.
Depending on reel configuration, either one or two centerwinds are used to wind the
parent reel from start to finish. The primary/secondary technology allows smaller and
sensible drive size.

Tension control

Web MD tension must be in a runnability

margin. Increase in machine speed
reduces the runnability margin. If tension
at any point is too high, web stretch
exceeds paper strength causing web
break. If tension is too low, the web might
begin to flutter, which cause wrinkles
which in turn cause breaks on the paper
machine or at the downstream processes.
A picture of one oPtype
Ab
of tensic

3.2.3 Reel parts

Turnup devices
Turnup devices are used to cut and steer the web onto a new reel spool when either
turnup diameter or length is reached. Traditionally turnups have been made with a side
blow, a pocket blow, a gooseneck, or tape.
In the side blow or edge nozzle methog, an air nozzle is placed just above the cir-
cumference of the reel drum. The nozzle blows toward the other edge between the nip
formed by the new spool in the primary arms at the top position and the parent reel on
rails. This works well on a narrow machine (<7.5 m) when the running speed is below
1200 m/min. On wider machines and at faster speeds, the blow accuracy and power is
not sufficient to cut and steer the web.
In the second method, the full reel is drawn a short distance away from the nip
just before turnup, after the primary nip is closed. The full reel starts to decelerate, and
the loose web climbs around the new spool until it reaches the nip and breaks. The web
climbing can be assisted with an air blow so that the web forms an air pocket or bubble
before it drops into the nip, hence the name pocket blow or bubble turnup.
The gooseneck turnup device (Fig. 23) is a common turnup device. It works well
with basis weights up to 150 g/m? and also on wide machines. Another benefit is that it

165
CHAPTER 2

can also be used for full width web threading. Typically, a single gooseneck blow pipe is
located at the middle of the web. In line with it before the nip of the new spool is a cutting
knife or similar device which cuts the web. This ensures that the air gets between the
reel drum surface and the web and lifts the sheet upward around the new spool, while
simultaneously tearing the web in the cross-direction. For light grades under 40 g/m?,
the knife is not necessary and can cause turnup breaks.
To minimize turnup
breaks, new turnup devices
New Spool
have been invented. One
example is the blow pipe
method where the full parent
reel is pulled out of nip con-
tact (Fig. 19). Web tension is
controlled with the second- 7___— Gooseneck
ary center drive. The new
spool nip is closed, and the
web is cut in the free draw
with an air blow from under-
neath. Here, as with the
Knife
other methods, the place- .
ment, type of nozzle, and air Reel Drum
pressure level are the main Figure 23. Gooseneck turnup device. —
control variables.
For turning-up heavier grades, where the basis weight is more than 120 g/m?, a
tape turnup device is used. Today, these units are fully automatic and require the opera-
tors only to periodically refill the adhesive and tape (band) materials. These devices can
be found on many grades of paper from tissue to the heaviest board. Typically, the tape is
made of a paper so it can be easily pulped and does not disturb the stock system. The
paper band is supplied in various thicknesses for different strength requirements and is
available in bleached and unbleached grades to fit most mill requirements. To obtain the
minimum marking of the sheet, but still maintain the strength to make the cut, especially
on coated grades, the band can be made of polymer materials, which are not repulpable.
Therefore, it is important to keep these materials out of the stock system. Switching from
polymer to paper band materials typically requires some minor modifications to the feed
mechanism, so changing band materials is not necessarily instantaneous.
Automatic tape turnup devices apply an adhesive to the top of the paper (or poly-
mer) band. The tape is fed across the machine underneath the sheet in a track and the
proper tape length is set. A brake inside the unit is applied to keep the band tight during
the turnup. To make a turnup, the empty reel spool is nipped with the reel drum and the
turnup device feeds the band into the nip. The adhesive sticks the band to the empty
spool. As the band wraps the spinning spool, it is pulled from the feed track through the
sheet, the sheet is cut, and it follows the empty spool. See Fig. 24.

166
 Reeling and winding

To further improve the

efficiency and reliability of
paper machine turnups and
reduce waste from wrinkles
and poor starts, turnup
devices such as mechanical
knives or high speed water-
jet systems have been
developed. These systems
positively cut the sheet
across the full width and do
not rely on the tear charac-
teristics of the web for suc-
cess. For the turnup, the
sheet is cut prior to the nip
between the spool and reel Figure 24. Tape turnup device operation. _
drum. The leading section of
the cut web is guided tightly around the empty reel spool. As the waterjet nozzle or noz-
zles cut the web, it cleanly follows the spool to minimize waste.

Pressing device
When reeling slippery
coated and/or calendered
grades, the reel surface may
loosen after turnup and a
considerable amount of
paper may need to be
slabbed off before unwind-
ing. This loosening is
caused, e.g., by the lack of
radial pressure acting on the
top of the log, when the nip
between the reel drum and
parent reel is open. With
smooth grades, even small
amounts of air between the
paper layers decrease layer-
to-layer friction dramatically
and contribute to loosening.
At higher speeds and basis
weights, centrifugal force
also has an effect. To keep ‘Figure 25. Pressing device.
the layers in place when

167
CHAPTER 2

there is no nip contact with the reel drum and to prevent air from entering between the
surface layers of the parent reel during the turnup sequence, pressing devices are used.
They can be in operation only during.the turnup or continuously during the whole reeling
cycle. When operated continuously, the device acts as a second nip, providing a tighten-
ing effect and preventing air entrapment (Fig. 25).
The pressing device can be a small-diameter roll or a stationary, low friction
apparatus pressed against the reel surface. It is typically located between the rails. The
device is brought up against the reel surface with cylinders, which also control the
pressing force.
There are possible disadvantages to the use of a pressing device. Stationary sys-
tems can damage the outer wraps and roller systems have many moving parts. Other
methods to maintain tightness in the outer layers use water or adhesives to seal the
outer 2-3 wraps to the finished log. The systems consist of a full width spray pipe
located under the winding log and are activated 2-3 wraps prior to the turnup.

Tail-threading equipment
Tail threading to the reel is usually carried out with ropes, air chutes, air tubes, or vac-
uum. In some cases, the reel drum can have a suction zone to ensure efficient traction
between the drum surface and the tail. The reel drum is usually equipped with a doctor
that removes the tail from the reel drum surface in order to prevent the paper web wind-
ing onto the reel drum.
The most efficient manner is to turn up the web onto a reel spool with a goose-
neck or similar piece of equipment after the web is fully spread and the paper quality is
acceptable. This, of course, will depend on the specific mill's equipment, layout, and pro-
cedures. A broke handling system might not be available at the reel, or might not have
the capacity for running large amounts of paper into it. In that case, the most efficient
manner may be to wind the tail onto the spool, widen the sheet, and make a turnup onto
a fresh spool when the paper quality is acceptable. The spool for threading can then be
taken to an area where the broke can be introduced back into the system at whatever
rate avoiding process upsets or problems.
To produce a good bottom structure on the reel while tail threading, the web
should be turned onto the new reel at full width when on-spec quality has been reached.
Typically, a turnup device is used.

Drives

There are two drives on a pope-type reel: the reel drum drive and the reel spool starter
drive. The drum drive influences reeling and reel buildup. The starter, which is in a fixed
position, is only used to accelerate an empty spool up to web speed before turnup.
In newer reels, in addition to the reel drum drive, there are center drives that
apply torque to the reel through the spool. These drives are attached to the spool end
with a detachable coupling. Typically there are two drives, one on either side of the reel,
usually in conjunction with the reeling carriages. In this way, torque can be applied dur-
ing the entire reeling sequence. Either a single drive is used throughout the whole reel

168
 Reeling and winding

or the drives are designated

for primary and secondary
reeling. Additionally, the “i
/ Center Drive B
-spool acceleration
-torque
drives act as a reel spool Reel Drum Drive -fuil reel deceleration

starter that accelerate the -tension contro!

new spool and also deceler-

ate the full parent reel after Center DriveA
. F spool acceleration
turnup. Figure 26 illustrates
5
=
-tul reel
Ue deceleration

reel drives.

Reel spool storage

A reel can be equipped with
a reel spool storage rack to Figure 26. Reeldrives and their functions.
enable smooth automatic
operation and to prevent vibration from spool, handling which would interfere with the
reeling process. Typically there is room for three or four spools, and spool movement
from station to station is automated.

Reel spools
The increase in reel sizes has also been taken into account in spool dimensioning. The
diamete f the spool st be large enough to supvo he -width roll being wound.

ially at

disadvantage with large-diameter spools is their weight. A 1.2-m-diameter

spool can weigh over 20 tons which demands more from the spool bearings, rails, and
reel mechanical structure and also affects crane dimensioning.

Frames and rails

The main purpose of the frames is to support the reel equipment and the reeling rails. The
construction has to be rigid enough to handle the large masses and dampen vibrations.
Most of the reeling happens with the reel being supported by the rails from the
spool bearing housings. With heavy reels, the surface material of the rails and spool
bearing housings must be chosen carefully to minimize friction and wear. The rolling
surfaces of rails are replaceable. The rails have a small inclination so that, when the full
reel is released from the secondary arms, it rolls to the stoppers at the end of the rails.
The stoppers absorb the impact of the full reel. The deceleration at the stoppers should
be kept to a minimum so the reel structure and spool bearings are not damaged. Sam-
ples can then be taken, and the parent reel is prepared for the next process step.

169
CHAPTER 2

Reel drum doctor

The reel drum may be equipped with a doctor to prevent the web from wrapping around
the drum during a web break. It can be used when the web is run into the pulper or dur-
ing tail threading. Another purpose for the doctor is to keep the drum surface clean.
There are two types of doctors, contacting or noncontacting. A contacting doctor
(Fig. 27) is located underneath the reel drum on the dry-end side. The doctor blade,
usually of bronze or a fiber material, is attached to the beam. The doctor backs can be
pivoted with actuators such as cylinders or airbags, or they can be mounted with turn-
buckles. The loading pressure of the blade is typically provided through tubes in the
blade holder, or through the doctor back pivoting devices.
Contacting doctors can be oscillated in the cross machine direction to keep
debris from becoming stuck in the blade and wearing a circumferential groove in the
drum. However, it is not necessary to oscillate the doctor with some grooving patterns.
Groove patterns with sharp edges will dislocate debris from the blade as the groove spi-
rals past the doctor blade because the land area seen by local areas of the blade con-
tinually change. In these cases, oscillators are not required.
If the drum has a coarse friction coating, a noncontacting doctor should be used
because a contacting doctor blade would wear too quickly. A noncontacting doctor has a
similar beam, but there is gap of a few millimeters between the reel drum and the doctor
blade. Air is blown through the gap to prevent the web from wrapping around the drum.
Also, the blade is considerably thicker and stiffer than on a contacting doctor. Therefore,
it is also called an air doctor.

Air Doctor Mechanical Doctor Mechanical Doctor

Oscillation Mechanism

Figure 27. Air doctor (left), mechanical doctor (right) and doctor oscillation mechanism.

3.2.4 Reels with lay-on roll for sensitive grades

Some grades are very susceptible to nip pressure, marking, and stretching and require
minimum nip load to prevent damage. These grades include encapsulated, soft calen-
dered or supercalendered and very smooth and/or dense grades. The rolls are built

170
 Reeling and winding

using center torque and low nip loading or torque only (gap winding). Traditionally many
of these grades were made primarily off-line on supercalenders. Today more are being
made on-machine.
The equipment used
to wind these grades
includes pope-type reels,
second generation reels,
and lay-on roll reels. The
pope-type and second gen-
eration reels are able to
operate efficiently on the
paper machine and in off-
line configurations. Differ-
ences in the reel designs for
on- and off-line are minimal
for those reels andthey have _ Figure 28. Lay-on roll.
been previously described.
This section will focus on lay-on roll designs (Fig 28).
There are basically two types of lay-on roll designs, driven and non-driven. The
driven designs have a drive on the lay-on roll, where the non-driven designs do not.
Driven rolls can apply torque to the surface of the parent reel, which tightens its struc-
ture. In these low-nip applications, the purpose of the lay-on roll is to help guide the
sheet, provide a means for turnup, squeeze the air from the sheet, and press the wind-
ing parent reel to prevent overly soft rolls and telescoping.
The lay-on roll designs are similar to concepts of rider rolls on winders and have
been used for more than 20 years. To make turnups at machine speeds on lay-on roll
reels, a reel spool changing device like a turret is required. Due to the turret designs, the
width of these machines are limited. Lay-on roll reels in off-line applications can make
turnups at slow or zero speed, depending on the application.

3.2.5 Rereeler
The purpose of a rereeler is to prepare a good and continuous parent reel for process-
ing at the next operation. It is used to make splices where sheet breaks occurred in ear-
lier processes, patch holes, inspect the sheet, trim the edges to eliminate possible
defects, create a uniform width, and combine two or more smaller parent reels to make
larger ones. As a result, a rereeler might make several stops and starts while rewinding
a parent reel. To keep up with previous machine processes, rereelers operate at top
speeds significantly faster than the paper machine.
_ A rereeler typically consists of an unwind, trim slitters, and a wind-up. Figure 29
illustrates one type of design. Since rereelers are batch operations with frequent starts
and stops, continuous operation and turnups are not required. To improve cycle times,
empty spool ejectors can be added to the unwind, and several types of storage racks
can be designed. There are several different devices to load spools into the wind-up
including lowering arms from storage rack.

ee
CHAPTER 2

Since a rereeler may accelerate and decelerate several times during each parent
reel, it is important during the speed changes to control the wound paper structure to
avoid winding hard areas over softer. ones. Therefore, most reree aetoday are

As with reels, rereeler construction and functions have been improved to comply
with demands for handling larger parent reels at higher speeds. The developments
associated with reels also apply for rereelers.

Unwind Edge Reel Windup

slitters drum

Figure 29. Rereeler with spool storage rack.

3.3 Production efficiency

Increasing reeling production efficiency can be done in several ways. This section con-
centrates on how to optimize the reel size and quality of reels to withstand process vari-
ations. Broke-wise, it becomes more important to minimize the disturbances in parent
reel building when increasing its size. This is essential, especially in production lines
where there are several winding operations.

Production efficiency is a combination of several variables. Reel operations can

be divided into three different categories: paper properties, pasha! MERE

needs further study.

A472
 Reeling and winding

As it has been pointed out®, there are seven important factors for making a good reel:

a Correct tension

2. Correct nip pressure

Out of these, an operator is able to manipulate the reel structure and thus wound-
in tension with the first three tools, tension, nip, and Ue but galy within certain limits.

1. Surface waste

2. Bottom waste

3. Break waste (odd size, startup reels, etc.)

4. Quality waste (grade change, moisture faults, winding defects, process defects,
etc).
In minimizing different
BOTTOM BROKE LOSSES ONA SC-PAPER
MACHINE DIVIDED IN DIFFERENT
2 - GATEGORIES-
4,8
1,6
1,4

0,2
[%] )
Annual
losses
production . es ‘
In Fig. 30, the amount Good Grade Start-up Quality Odd size Cracks,
bottoms, change, reels problems (breaks) puckers
of broke from an SC-line is splicing Shut-down
divided into different Start-ups, ..

categories”. The study indi-

cates that the biggest losses
come from bottom broke.
The second important factor

173
CHAPTER 2

involves the poor reel bot- an ee a ae

toms after web breaks, which ANNUAL PRODUCTION LOSSES DUE TO
are caused by tail threading SURFACE BROKE
and paper quality losses. The 6000 3
rest of the losses are due to 5000 2,5
auto-splice bottom leftovers, [5 ,, 4000 258 oF
; Oo 1s)
odd-size parent reels, and 2 2% 3000 153 3 2
o= Se
grade changes. oa 2000 4 &
Surface broke is cur- 4000 Los
rently quite easy to mini- | ible 0
mize with pressing devices | 0.4 2 SwAuSite % epee
and with the right combina- Amount of paper agg: pe the top of jumbo reel

tion of paper-paper friction | a6 mwide paper machine, losses

intons 8m, lossesintons
and wounc-in tension. Sur- So eG losses in inne ee ee OS: ‘and
id 10 m,lossesin[%]

face handling has been a Figure 31. Production losses due to surface broke on a high- speed
challenge (Fig. 31), espe- newsprint machine producing 45 g/m?.
cially with coated grades.
The surface broke amount is
more difficult to minimize on 3
: i ANNUAL PRODUCTION LOSSES DUE TO BOTTOM
high-speed machines. BROKE
Bottom broke (Fig. 32)
is one cause of poor reel n 5,0
quality. Most of tail-threading := 40 :
reel bottoms have been §& 3,0 rs¥
ruined due to great varia- ae 20 38
tions in moisture, basis z i 8 |
weight, and caliper profiles 0,0
© & 1 46 21°27 32 sf 42° 45835
that exist before the control
Paper left on a one meter diameter reel spool [mm]
loops have readjusted them EPL | Semeur
to the required level. Also, HB. lossesintons #10, ossesintons 6, Sand
10m,losses
in%
sometimes the accuracy of ~ LS ere
the profiles is not at the right Figure 32. Production losses due to bottom broke ona we speed
level, which can cause prob- newsprint machine producing 45 g/m?.
lems. I ese paper vari

One way to reduce the paper machine reel broke amount is to build bigger rolls of
paper. Figure 30 shows that from a parent reel, 3.6 m in diameter, four sets can be pro-
duced and from a parent reel, 2.8 m in diameter, only two sets can be produced. A set is
a wound customer roll of paper made from a parent reel at a winder, typically 40-60
inches |in diameter. Since this diameter is much 3 than that of the pe reel

Nocreneem

174
 Reeling and winding

Thus, the larger reel diameter

helps mills, which are suffering from tight Reel Dimension Influence
Paper Grade: Newsprint
production and lack of storage space for
parent reels. Just by decreasing the total
number of stops and startups, mills have
gained 5%—10% higher capacity at the
PM Reel Diameter
3700 mm )
subsequent stages. t 7 Winder Sets/
Paper Machine Reel
Hy
|
The above analysis assumes the
reel spools, nip loading system, and sup-
OG,
port structures are capable of handling dag a
increased size and weight of the Parent
- 43% Less Reel Changes
- 43% Less Reel Bottoms
- 43% Less Reel Surfaces
- 43% Less Reel Handling Broke
- 43% Less Reel Traffic
- 10% More Winder Capacity

even dangerous, if the design need speci- PM Reel Diameter

2800 mm
fications are exceeded. 4 Winder Sets/
» Paper Machine Reel
a
As earlier mentioned, profile varia- 2
tions tend to make the situation more
unstable, which can explain occasional
bottom breaks”. In Figure 34 the effect of Figure 33. The influence of reel diameter on reduc- :
profilesis shown. Wher ‘ingMe broke amount. :

Profile deviation
“Perfect” web
Hard

Reel
hardness

Reel target diameter

11
CHAPTER 2

Increasing production

Paper Machine SC Paper 56 g/m

Calender Base Paper Density 700 kg/m?
Winder Winder Roll Density 1200 kg/m°
Spool 964mm Surface Waste 1mm

but a significant amoun Ol

..is typically lost o
p~y

a
MD
%
waste
Protiet way to con- wo

sider the effect of produc-

tion line MD waste is to
calculate specific paper
machine values as shown in
Fig. 35. In this example, the
waste calculation is made for
an SC-paper line, where a
PM reel diameter mm
reel spool size of 964 mm is
oO 00 2800 3000 3200 3400 3600 3800 400
used and the surface waste np

2200 2400 2600 2800 3000

is three layers. The diagram WINDER Winder parent reel diameter mm
should be read starting at d. 1000 aX o =
the bottom left by choosing sets/reel
d.1300
4 5
~
6 7
4
the size of the produced cus- sets/reel 3 4 5
d. 1500 _
tomer roll and the number of mm
sets/reel
2 3

sets to produce. From this

point, go straight up to the
line that you consider an Figure 35. Reel related MD waste.
acceptable amount of waste-
paper on the reel spool. Between the charts, there is aree correction due to caliper
losses during calendering. Finally, the annual bottom waste percentage can be read
from the left y-axis. For example, by leaving 5 mm instead of 15 mm on the spool, the
annual MD waste amount can be reduced from 2.2% to 0.9%.
The production efficiency drops dramatically if machine runnability worsens.
When the machine speed and width increase, the lost production increases in terms of
tonnage per time unit. Also, the number and duration of breaks has a great impact on
production figures, as seen in Fig. 36.

176
 Reeling and winding

Tail threading and reel

recovery from the break are
the most important factors in
PRODUCTION LOSSES DUE TO TURN-UP BREAKS
reducing the length of a web
break. It is not just having
the latest equipment; a more
important factor is how fo)ro)fo}

active and skilled the [%/year]

losses 200
Production A one Production
machine crew is with tail in
[tons/year]
year
a losses

threading. Even though the

break time is normally PAPER MACHINE WIDTH [m]
ea|\)

thought to end when the — — 1000m/min, 1 break,t ©—ae— 1500 mimin, 1 break,t ©—#—
1000 nmin and 1500 m/min, 1 break, % |

paper is on, it is not always

true. Normally, the paper-
making process needs a "Figure 36. Production losses due to turnup breaks (5 min) ona
certain time to stabilize high-speed 45 g/m? newsprint paper machine.
before it is within the quality
specification. Some mills run the web over the reel drum to the pulper until the paper is
on-spec, at which time they will blow the web on the spool. This minimizes the broke
amount on the spool and reduces the broke handling work at the dry end repulpers.
Recent experiences have shown us that this technique reduces time efficiency, but on
the other hand increases material efficiency, which can overcome the additional loss in
time efficiency.
Production efficiency
can be increased by motivat- _
ing the working crews at the
machine, which was studied
by Laplante®. In Figure 37
the results of four-phase
studies are shown. This
study started by spot-check-
ing the amount of paper left %
Efficiency — = Efficiency
on the reel spools. In the — = Average Efficiency
second phase, the docu-
mentation, winder auto-stop, Si Fah) eAde Mic! pl AS GAN Oil Me eM ce Ae Sie CaN

| 1989 | 1990 |
and tracking complaints
were introduced to the
machine crews. This learn- “Figure 37. The effect of a reeling process tune-up on total machine
ing period can be seen in the material efficiency.
figureas a temporary drop in
efficiency. In the third phase, a manual optimization of the parent reels and a reform of
some production procedures were undertaken.

ATT
CHAPTER 2

These jobs alone increased the average efficiency by 2.9%. In the last phase, a
reel diameter optimization computer program was brought on-line. Its main purpose
was to measure parent reel volume, instead of measuring only the length of the paper
as other systems do. The operator specified the number of roll sets a parent reel
needed, and the system took into account break losses, odd-size production, and so on.
This automatic system increased the efficiency another 1.0% to a total efficiency incre-
ment of 3.9% without increasing the parent reel size.
The Laplante study also shows that behavior and motivation at the dry-end help
to improve efficiency. Below are listed factors that should be addressed when consider-
ing starting an efficiency tune-up:

1. Lack of precise and comprehensive statistics

2. Variations in employee motivation

3. Variations in winder consumption

4. Difficulties in evaluating and controlling the correct parent reel size

5. Nonlinear system between length and diameter

6. Production problems (breaks, bad paper, etc.)

7. Narrow margin of error in diameter calculation (2 mm error = 0.4%—0.5% effi-

ciency loss)

8. Exact timing of the turnups.

As a conclusion, it has been shown that reeling is highly influenced by process

variations. There are two ways to correct these variations: tuning up the process, so that
the process variations fit into the operational window of the reel; or rebuilding the reel to
a new centerwind assisted reel, which increases the ability to handle greater variations
from the paper machine process. In the latter case, the increase in efficiency is
achieved by increasing the parent roll size by building up the reel with the centerwind.

3.4 Reel handling

The primary function of reel handling is to transfer a full parent reel from the paper
machine reel to an unwind (rereeler, machine winder, etc.) and an empty reel spool
back to the reel. Reel handling includes the following steps. After the parent reel in the
reel has stopped, the loose surface layers are slabbed off and CD roll samples are
taken. Then the end of the paper web is taped to prevent the reel from loosening. After
that, the reel is transferred to a storage position to wait for further actions. Finally, it is
transferred to a location where it is prepared for unwinding. In some cases, the parent
reel is turned 180 degrees before unwinding. After unwinding, the bottom waste left on
the reel spool is fed into the pulper. Finally, the reel spool is returned to the reel, fre-
quently to a reel spool storage rack. The secondary function of reel handling is to store
full reels and waste pulping, e.g., bottom waste pulping.

178
 Reeling and winding

The number of reel

handling stages is depen- Off-machine coater line (typical Scandinavian layout)
dent on the paper or board Cm oma
grade. Minimum handling is
required when winders are
the only separate finishing
machines in the line. A typi-
cal example is a newsprint
line with an on-machine cal-
ender. More reel handling is
needed when producing
LWC or WFC grades with an
off-machine coater and cal-
enders. In that kind of line,
there are four or five different
positions where there is
need for reel handling before
the paper is converted into
customer rolls. Figure 38
shows these stages in differ-
ent paper mill layouts. Reel handling area
The number of reel 1. Paper machine
2. Coater
spools is dependent on the 3. Rereeler
number of reel handling 4. Soft calender
5. Super calender
positions and the mill’s lay- 6. Winder
out and equipment. For a
newsprint line with two wind- ‘Figure 38. Different mill layouts.
ers, the absolute minimum is
six reel spools. There must be enough spools to ensure a continuous process at the
paper machine. Shutting down the paper machine because there are not enough reel
spools is not a desirable situation. In the newsprint case, this means two spools for the
reel and two spools for each winder. The recommended number of reel spools is 8 to
10. On an off-machine coater, a typical number might be 40 reel spools.
The paper or board grade also affects how reel handling is executed. The reel
handling workload is totally different if there is only one handling position rather than five
positions. Another element that affects this is the size or shape of the paper mill site.
Here can also be seen regional differences. Typically, in North America and Scandinavia
the paper machine layout is straight. All machines are in a single line, except in the case
where there are two calenders or winders. In Central Europe, a more common layout is
to put the paper machine and coater side-by-side and calenders and winders in the
cross-direction as compared to the paper machine. This layout also affects reel-han-
dling execution.

179
CHAPTER 2

One important feature of a good reel-handling system is the traceability of each

parent reel. Typically, a paper mill produces paper that has already been bought. The
tracking system ensures that each customer receives the paper ordered. It can be just a
paper-note with a reel or an electric identifier in each reel spool and a computer-based
production management system.
In general, there are three main methods for reel handling. If there is only a small
number of handling positions, the application is usually based on the use of a crane.
The parent reel is lifted with a crane from the reel to a storage station and further to an
unwind station. Another common reel handling method is based on transfer rails. The
parent reel is moved or rolled along continuous rails from the reel to the unwind station.
A third handling method uses automatic guided vehicles (AGVs) or rail carts. Empty reel
spool handling is carried out by cranes in all three reel-handling methods. These three
methods are studied closer in the following paragraphs.

3.4.1 Crane-based reel handling

Crane-based reel handling is easy and simple to execute. There are typically three
bridge cranes in a paper machine line. Cranes are a reliable and well-known technology.
The risk of failure or malfunction is minor. All the lifts needed are carried out with these
cranes, including parent rolls and reel spools. Storage stations for full reels are simple
and inexpensive.
However, the crane-
based reel-handling method
has some drawbacks. The
masses of parent reels are
approaching 150 000 kg,
where the reel spool portion
is about 30 000 kg. The

SOR
OD
BOSS
on
a

reel spool bearing housing,

there is a slot for rails. Dam-
age of the reel spool is inevi-
table, ifthe parentreelhas = 77 >>> *
been lowered carelessly Figure 39. Reel spool bearing housing misplaced on rail.
(Fig. 39) and then falls a few oe | : a
centimeters into the slot. If the parent reel falls from a greater height, consequences will
be more severe. Base plates or other constructions might be damaged.
A standard crane design requirement is that the crane must be able to lift the
heaviest component in the paper machine. Typically, this was the center roll of a paper

180
 Reeling and winding

machine press section. The weight of a parent reel has increased rapidly and has
become in some cases the heaviest object to be lifted. This means that the bridge crane
must be able to lift both the full reel and the swinging boom. The heaviest lifted compo-
nent sets the standard. The crane must also be capable of continuous use, because
empty reel spool traffic continually provides work for it.
Another important feature is the swinging boom. Some paper mills always turn
the parent reel 180 degrees before an unwind. This operation might be necessary
because of the construction of the unwind station. Also, the direction of the paper’s wire
side in a reel is one possible reason for turning. The swinging boom affects the height of
the machine hall and must be taken into account during the construction design. The
height of the machine hall must be at least the height of a crossed machine + safety
height + parent reel diameter + height of swinging boom + height of bridge crane’.

3.4.2 Reel handling on transfer rails

Transfer rails (Fig. 40) are automatically or manually controlled parent reel feeding
devices. They are a continuous railroad from the reel to the unwind station. Between
these machines, there are usually storage stations and gates. Some of the storage sta-
tions are equipped with a turning device, which feeds the bottom broke into the pulper.
The required number of storage stations is dependent on the predicted capacity or run-
nability of the following process. Production should flow as smoothly as possible. None
of the machines should become a bottleneck. The number of waiting parent reels
should be minimized. Also, a situation where the following process is only waiting for
paper from the previous parts of the line is not desirable.

reel gate unwinder

storage stations

Hf
Figure 40.Transfer rails.

Gravity is the most common way to move a parent reel along transfer rails. Rails
are slightly inclined. A parent reel is gently pushed from a storage station and then it
rolls automatically to the next storage station. The next challenge is to stop the rolling
parent reel. Several different braking methods have been developed. Some manufactur-
ers use a mechanical brake and others use hydraulic dampers. In both cases, the most
important goal is to avoid high deceleration.

181
CHAPTER 2

To allow traffic between the tending and drive sides of the paper machine, the
transfer rails have gates. In principle, these are divided into two categories, personnel
and cargo gates. Construction is similar, only the size is different. The locations of these
gates depend on their use. A typical location for a cargo gate is after the reel. A person-
nel gate would be located at the unwind preparation position. Other gates are located
where needed.

3.4.3 Reel handling with rail cart

The crane or transfer rails
cannot be used for traffic
between different aisles of a
machine hall. The standard
application in this case is a
rail cart, sometimes called a
reel cart (Fig. 41). It is driven
along cross-directional rails.
The parent reel is rolled onto
this cart or lifted by crane.
The cart is powered by line
current or a battery. In some
cases, this kind of cart is -»
also used for MD reel traffic, Figure 41. Rail (reel) cart.
but it is not very common.
A sophisticated version of the rail cart has been developed. It moves on rubber
wheels and is guided on a pre-programmed route. These automatic guided vehicles
(AGVs) are standard technology in the car manufacturing industry, but they are not com-
mon for heavy loads like parent reels. It is a feasible application if the mill layout is com-
plex. The system needs a flat, hard floor surface. This floor construction requirement can
limit the capacity of a system. There are existing applications for 35 000 kg parent reels2.

3.4.4 Reel storage and waste pulping

Storage can ee a the structure of a parent reel. A recently produced pik:
SE is ene Paper le he reel s 2 5

baeates ihe eRe strain ofthe paper is uneven. The negative impact of storing par-
ent reels can be minimized with a well-built reel structure, but the best way is to keep the
storage time as short as possible.
After unwinding, there is normally some bottom broke left on the reel spool. This
wastepaper is fed into the pulper at positions designed for this purpose. Typically, this
position is a transfer rail storage station near the pulper opening. It is equipped with a

182
 Reeling and winding

device to rotate the reel spool. If the paper is strong enough and the spool is light, a
rotating device is not needed. The pulper will draw the paper web into the pulper. A tra-
ditional style of rotating device is a car tire with a motor. New designs use a gear cou-
pling driven by an electric motor. The rotating speed should be high enough so that
pulping the broke will not be a bottleneck to the process. Because of failures in the
paper manufacturing or finishing process, entire parent reels must occasionally be
pulped. This easily takes hours. The capacity of the pulper can also affect wastepaper
disposal time.

4 Winding
For the final winding of customer rolls, there are basically two types of winders: two-
drum winders and multistation winders. In a two-drum winder, the roll weight lies on two
winding drums and the growing weight of the roll increases nip load against the drums.
Depending on | the roll diameter and pees Paes therou ofa one->-meter- ace Sue

Modified tes r nders ¢ ed to reduce the maximum nip load. Basically,

there are four methods. In the first method: nip pressure can be decreased by installing
a controlled method of relieving air pressure between the drums and the roll. This
method is well suited for porous papers, where air can be ventilated out of the roll
through the incoming paper web if paper feed is between the drums.
A second alternative is to widen the drum nip using a supporting belt in place of
the front drum. When the winder is inclined, more and more of the roll weight is sup-
ported by the belt. This results in a lower maximum nip pressure.
The third type of modified two-drum winder widens the nip by using one or two
soft material covered drums. With a compressive material, the nip is wider and maxi-
mum pressure lower.
A fourth type of modified two-drum winder utilizes the variable geometry provided
by a pivoted front drum in combination with compliant nips at the winder drums and rider
roll to widen the gap between the drums as the roll builds up.
Multistation winders are used for the most demanding paper grades, where two-
drum winding is insufficient. The following grades and paper properties typically require
multistation winding:
- Thin papers with low stiffness, low COF (coefficient of friction), and low tensile
strength

- - Coated grades with high density and high roll diameter

- Glossy papers with low friction, high density, and high roll diameter

- Coated rotogravure papers with high smoothness and gloss, low COF, low
binder content, low stiffness, and low tensile strength.

183
CHAPTER 2

As a summary, the following table (Table 4) describes the suitability of winder

types for paper grades:

Table 4. Suitability of winder types for paper grades. B = Belt support, A = air
relief, S = soft roll, 1 = most suitable, 2 = also possible.

Paper grade (| Two-drum Modified Multi-station

a Two-drum
Newsprint 2 (B, A, S)
SC, directory paper 2 (B, 9)
Coated mechanical (B, S)
Uncoated woodfree 1 2 (B, A, S)
Coated woodfree 2 (B, S)
Containerboard 1
Cartonboard 1 2 (B, S)

4.1 Problems and challenges by paper grade

4.1.1 Newsprint
The basis weight of newsprint has decreased from 48.8-52.0 g/m* to 40-45 g/m?. This
is a big difference in stiffness and strength. At the same time, roll diameters have grown
and deinked pulp is today the main raw material. Increased density and filler content
together with changes in COF make the paper so prone to roll defects and process dis-
turbances that multistation or modified two-drum winders are recommended. Conven-
tional two-drum winders have problems with wrinkles, bursts, out-of-roundness, and roll
structure. One reason for this is the low COF due to flotation deinking and its chemicals.
In some cases, when ONP and washing deinking is used, the COF can be too high,
resulting in roll bouncing and eccentricity. Newsprint is normally offset printed, where
dustfree paper is required. This places high demands on the slitting system and dust
removal. Multistation winders and even high-speed two-drum winders can make soft
rolls from newsprint. Because web tension must be kept low to achieve good runnability
and high nip loads produce nip-related defects, the only way is to use tangential force to
make a hard roll. However, the effect of center torque on the roll periphery rapidly
decreases as roll diameter increases.

4.1.2 Glossy grades

The density of uncoated and coated glossy papers is normally more than 1000 kg/m,
This is the limit where crepe wrinkles, bursts, bagginess, ridges, corrugations — which
are typical defects of hard rolls and high nip loads — become common. Wrinkles and
bursts are also problems with multistation winders at the core and in the roll edge area,
because the main part ofthe pga force comes through the core and roll bottom.

184
 Reeling and winding

der and atthe \

inter
in northern cc

of the C
nterd without
web

4.1.3 Uncoated woodfree

The main problem with uncoated woodfree grades is the winder vibration related to a
high COF and roll eccentricity. An increased use of carbonates instead of clay pigments
(even in surface sizing) and also ASA-type hydrophobic sizes instead of AKD have
increased the COF, resulting in vibration. Also, the two-drum winder speed must be kept
at a high level because paper machine speeds are increasing. Good results have been
achieved by optimizing the use of different chemicals to obtain the optimum COF level.
The running speed of woodfree machines has increased considerably, but is still
less than the speed of wood-containing paper machines. The capacity of a two-drum
winder for a new paper machine is completely utilized and a second winder is required.
However, many high-speed machines have only one winder in spite of the speed
increase of the paper machine. If vibration is a problem, reduced speed or special pro-
gramming of speed controls is needed, which will reduce winder capacity. Also, narrow
and small-diameter rolls are slit on the same winder, which has a negative influence on
capacity. High maximum running speed and automation level are critical success factors
for woodfree winders.

4.1.4 Coated woodfree

Problems with coated woodfree are similar to those of coated mechanicals. The main
differences are:

- Higher basis weight, better strength, and stiffness (bursts and crepe wrinkles
are not common).

- Matte, dull, and silk grades are also produced, resulting in problems with gloss
marking, high COF, and vibration.

- Mineral content of the paper can be up to 50%, which increases slitter blade
wear.
Because the basis weight range of coated woodfree grades is large, the web tension
range is also large and the highest web tensions required are close to board web tensions.
CHAPTER 2

4.1.5 Containerboard

Containerboards, i.e., corrugating medium and linerboards, are normally wound with
conventional two-drum winders. Boards are bulky, web length in a roll is short, and
board machine production is high. Normally, there is only one winder per board
machine. If the board machine is modern, a winder of the highest capacity is needed.
However, the web is strong and high running speeds and fast acceleration rates can be
used. Usually, problems encountered are other than roll quality, i.e., noise, dust, and
winder capacity related to automation level and availability. The edge trim transport sys-
tem is also critical. A good system is equipped with two separate high-capacity pulpers
directly under the winder for narrow and wide edge trims.

4.1.6 Cartonboard and graphical board

Cartonboards are normally coated glossy or matte products. Bulk and stiffness are
important and should be retained after winding and storage. Matte and dull grades are
demanding with respect to marking and bulk decrease. Deinked pulp (DIP) is also used
in the middle layer. DIP and coating are demanding due to slitter wear and dust. Roll
bottom curl is also problematic, and large-diameter cores must be used.

4.2 Future trends

4.2.1 Raw materials

More recycled fibers made with better deinking processes will be used. This
will increase roll density and filler content and have an effect on the COF level
(normally more slippery webs than with virgin fibers).

More coated grades with a higher coating amount, but also lower basis
weights will be common. Fiber content of the papers will decrease while pig-
ments and chemicals increase. Paper density, slitter wear, roll weight, and
variation in the COF level are consequences.

Chemical pulps of several types of short fibers will increasingly be used (non-
wood fibers, Eucalyptus, Acacia, etc.).

Because of closed water systems, fine material of fibers and pigments will be
retained in the paper together with sizes and functional chemicals like reten-
tion aids, foam control agents etc. These have an effect on the COF level and
thus on winder performance.

Carbonates and special pigments will be increasingly used. These normally

have a higher COF than conventional pigments (kaolin, talc).

4.2.2 Papermaking and winding

The average paper machine width has increased annually about 100 mm. In 1952, the
maximum trim was about 5200 mm, in 1972 about 7200 mm, and in 1992 about 9200

186
 Reeling and winding

mm. It is estimated that in 2000 this rule will become invalid, and width development is
estimated to decrease. To get the same production increase as earlier, the speed
increase should be greater than has historically been the case.
Today, the annual speed increase is about 50 m/min or 3%. Design speeds of
printing paper machines will be 2000 m/min in the year 2000. Coating and calendering
are developing more and more toward on-machine processes. Consequently, only one
coater and one calender are needed for a paper machine. However, two winders are
needed. This increases investment cost.
Competition with electronic media requires reduction of total winding costs, which
means lower operating costs, less breaks, less broke, and fewer culled rolls. Winders
must be highly automated, working with a minimum crew (one operator per winder).
Universal winders are needed, where high automation level, good capacity, and the best
roll quality are combined in the same winder. This means that the capacity is better than
with conventional two-drum winders and roll quality better than with a conventional mul-
tistation winder, regardless of the grade.

4.2.3 Roll size

Rotogravure roll widths have increased continuously. The widest printing machines are
3600 mm. Maximum practical printing paper roll diameters are 1300 mm for offset and
rotogravure. Maximum SC and LWC roll densities can be 1300 kg/m®. The weight of this
kind of rotogravure roll is over six metric tons. If this roll would be made at a diameter of
1500 mm, the maximum roll weight would be over nine tons!
Offset printing machines are still mainly around one meter wide. However, more
and more machines will be 1440 mm.
Printing machine speeds have increased and will increase at about the same rate
as paper machine speeds, but the speed level is about half that of the fastest paper
machines. Rotogravure and offset presses can run 900 m/min. To reduce the number of
flying splices, roll diameters must grow accordingly.
In some cases, the winder must be suitable for both rotogravure and offset rolls.
This can require different core diameters. If these rolls must be trimmed in the same set,
a multistation winder can be used. However, development seems to focus production on
one grade, i.e., rotogravure or offset. Less variation in roll width, weight, and core diam-
eter is always a better situation for a modern winder when capacity and roll quality are
concerned.

4.3 Two-drum winders

On two-drum winders, a set of rolls is wound side-by-side on two winding drums. A con-
ventional two-drum winder winds rolls on two drums of equal diameter and symmetrical
geometry (Fig. 42). The weight of the set is supported equally by the drums and the
nipload at the end of the set is defined by the weight of the rolls. Designs with different
drum diameters and geometries, which divide the roll weight nonequally, have been
developed but the basic principle remains the same. To overcome the problems that

187
CHAPTER 2

arise from excessive nipload, new models of two-drum winders have been developed.
These include winders with air relief, belt support, variable geometry, and soft nip cov-
ers. The advantages of a two-drum winder are simple operation and maintenance as
well as high production capacity.

Figure 42. Two-drum winder. |

4.3.1 Winder functions

A basic two-drum winder consists of equipment to fulfill the main functions of a winder:
unwind, slitting, and windup. Equipment to handle parent reel change and set change is
also needed.
An unwind stand with a brake generator or mechanical brake maintains the web
tension needed for web handling through the winder. The unwind can be maneuvered
sideways and oscillated to get the ee into the He Liceul and to sf
Soe Bre T

Bisa the a through the winder requires a set of guide/lead rolls. Full width
lead rolls usually need to be driven to maintain equal speed with the paper web. Sec-
tional guide rolls are undriven. The web is spread and flattened with bowed rolls for slit-
ting under tension. After slitting, the sheets must be separated so that paper rolls on the
winding drupe do not run oosthesgane roll pete iseevaldedRIC “WebSeSpleaain _

Slitting of the web takes place with a pair of shear-cut rotating blades. The tan-
gential shear-slitting method is widely used in the paper industry. In this slitting method,
the web path is tangent or nearly tangent to the bottom band (Fig. 43). The number of
slitter pairs needed is defined by the customer, with the maximum number being limited
by the minimum roll width to be slit. Positioning of the slitters can be fully automated.

188
 Reeling and winding

Some special grades need

very narrow roll widths,
which can be achieved by a OVERLAP (OR CORD LENGTH)
special arrangement of nar- BETWEEN THE BLADES
row top slitters on slitting
rings assembled on a silit-
ting drum. Other techniques
for slitting are crush slitting,
waterjet, and laser, but these
are not widespread in the
paper {eee In the

web in the vicinity of the cut edge.

The optimum position of the cut point is ensured by the slitter blade geometry and
the proper cant angle (shear angle or toe-in) between top and bottom blades. The depth

5 mm depending on the grade of paper to be wound. For grades where the slitting
It is not critical, the overlap is greater. There should be a light top slitter side load
against the bottom slitter, typically 20-45 N depending on paper grade and axial runout
f the blades. In principle, the side load should be as light as possible because this will
increase blade life. If there is axial runout in the blades, the side load must be increased
yet the best slitting result.
The speed at which the bottom slitter band is driven is very important. The botto
d is responsible for driving the top slitter blade. Because the top blade is overlapped
th the bottom band, it will rotate slightly slower than the bottom band. For this reason
he bottom band is usually driven a bit faster than the web. This ensures that the top slit-

189
CHAPTER 2

grades, the top slitter blade follows the speed of the web. In this case, it is recom-
mended to decrease the overspeed of the bottom band in order to minimize rubbing
between the top slitter blade and bottom band, and increase the blade life.
The web is separated
after slitting by spreader
bars, D-bars, bowed rolls, or
sectional spreader rolls. A @
dual spreader arrangement
allows a eee ah of web
pepalabon, he

web sprea ing and SSpatalins dances aresate Eines Sec. roll, fixed aplaatien
or bowed tube which are mainly used in applications with a narrow winder or few rolls in
a set. (See “Separating the cut webs in the two-drum winder’).
The windup section consists of winding drums and a rider roll that applies the
necessary load at the beginning of a set when the weight of the paper rolls does not
provide enough nipload. During running, the rolls at each end are held in place with
core chucks. The first/rear winding drum is speed controlled, and the second/front drum
is usually torque controlled to give a tightening effect during winding.
Winding drums can be friction coated with tungsten carbide or other coatings to
increase traction and wear resistance. Drum grooving is designed to prevent air entrap-
ment in rolls and air bags in front of winding nips. Excess air in the set easily results in
air bursts when running non-porous thin papers.
The conventional rider roll is of straight stiff construction that loads more in the
high caliper/diameter areas than the low caliper areas, somewhat equalizing roll diame-
ter variation. The articulating rider roll consists of segments which load each position
equally, thus allowing different roll and core diameters in a set.
Set change equipment consists of a cutting device, set ejector and lowering cra-
dle. New cores are inserted manually or with core-loading equipment. Further automa-
tion of the set change sequence includes automatic core gluing and tail fastening with
tape or glue.
Manual parent reel change takes place such that the empty reel spool is ejected
on rails and a new reel is inserted with a crane. Automated reel change equipment con-
sists of transfer rails and waiting stations for full parent reels and storage rails for empty
reels. An automated reel change might include an automatic back splicing device, per-
haps with the capability of a commercial printing quality butt-joint splice.

190
 Reeling and winding

4.3.2 Automated functions

In order to keep up with a continuously running paper machine, the winder needs to run at a
high speed and acceleration rate because, as a batch process, it must stop for each set.
However, the productivity of a winder that runs at full speed is mainly affected by stop times,
which can be minimized by automation. The most commonly automated functions are:
- Slitter positioning

- Reel spool ejecting

- Reel inserting
- Reel splicing

- Core gluing

- Core inserting
- Web cutting

- Set ejecting
- Tail gluing or taping.

These functions can be combined into automatic reel and set change sequences
and, with complete automation, become a continuous winding operation (Fig. 45). As the
name implies, continuous winding changes the batch winding process into a continuous
process where the operator only needs to monitor the winder operation. All sequences
occur automatically until there are no more parent reels available to wind into sets.

: Automatic
Automatic paper roll] |Automatic Automatic Automatic parent Automatic parent reel handling
set handling set change slitter positioning reel splicing reel handling from PM-reeler

Automatic tail Automatic Continuous

Automatic web fastening
fastening core handling winding
to the cores

191
CHAPTER 2

4.3.3 Two-drum winding parameters

A two-drum winder uses the winding parameters of tension, nipload, and torque or pref-
erably the winding force (Fig. 46). The term winding force is preferred because it is more
general and descriptive than torque or torque differential. The pitfall with the term torque
is that it is not applicable when winders of different geometry, drum diameter, or inertia
are compared. The concept winding force, being tangential load exerted by the second
drum on the wound roll, is independent on the winder type. Tension is controlled by the
unwind brake generator or mechanical brake with feedback from load cells usually
located below one of the guide or sectional rolls. Using tension, the web is spread and
flattened on the slitter table rolls for slitting. Tension also gives the basic strain to the
incoming web at the windup.

RIDER ROLL
NIP LOAD

Roll diameter

ELECTRIC DRIVE

TENSION SPEED WINDING FORCE

Roll diameter Roll diameter Roll diameter

Figure 46. Control of two-drum winding parameters.

The main functions of

the first winding nip are to pre-
vent air entrapment and con-
trol roll tightness. Nipload of
the winding drums is a result of
the weight of the set and the
rider roll load. At the beginning
of a set, there is not enough kN/m
Nipload
weight from the paper rolls and
the rider roll defines the nip- 700 900 1100 1300 1500
load. When the set weight Rider roll nipload==Drum Nipload]
increases, the rider roll load is Diameter mm
typically decreased. The end Figure 47. Two-drum winder nipload.
diameter of the set and the

192
 Reeling and winding

density of the paper roll define the nipload at the end of winding. At that phase, the rider
roll only rides on top of the set for safety reasons. Thus, the nipload curve makes a
smooth alteration from the start value defined by the rider roll to the end value defined
by the roll weight (Fig. 47).
On a conventional two-drum winder, the nipload increases uncontrollably pe)
the roll diameteriincreases. The rider roll can add, but not SU SaueTes load. Th C

SC; LWC. and ether relatively thin grades which are nipload sensitive.
The third parameter of a two-drum winder is winding force, which is the force after
the first nip, controlled by the front drum torque. Winding force can also Be
eerpleted
asa tension after thee first ni reas . On a two-dru

4.3.4 Two-drum winders with a soft nip cover drum

Soft nip covers have been introduced to overcome the problems related to high nipload in
a two-drum winder. Usually the front drum is covered with a softer material (polymer). The
soft cover makes the nip wider. The peak pressure and penetration of the drum into the
roll is reduced. However, to optimize the effect of the soft roll, the modulus of elasticity and
Poisson ratio must be matched to the corresponding values of the paper roll. To widen the
nip, the modulus of elasticity of the soft cover should be less than or equal to that of the
paper roll. The material properties have to be carefully designed for elasticity and endur-
ance. Another effect of the soft cover on the front drum is the change in weight distribution
on the drums. The rear drum is slightly relieved when the soft cover is depressed by the
roll, and the weight of the set therefore moves slightly toward the front drum.

4.3.5 Two-drum winder with air relief 2 ee

Rider roll
A two-drum winder can be equipped with nip load
devices that maintain overpressure
between the winding drums (Fig. 48). The
supporting area increases when the roll O
diameter increases; thus, with only a low
pressure, air relieving is effective. With Nip load

pressure < 10 kPa (0.1 bar), the nipload

of a newsprint roll (Fig. 49) can be held
within a See [ange iene 4 eee Air

“Figure 48.Two-dru m winder withair relief.

193
CHAPTER 2

10.00 ee — 2 mews ; 90.00

9.00 80.00

8.00 - ~ 70.00

a4 - 60.00
6.00
| - 50.00
5.00

0.00 — Paar ae i 0.00

100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000 1100 1200 1300 1400 1500
Diameter (mm)

— Drum Nipload ae Rider RollLoad Relief Pressure|

Figure 49. Nipload of a winder with air relief.

Figure 50. Two-drum winder with belt support.

194
 Reeling and winding

4.3.6 Belt-supported winding

This member of the two-drum winder family is based on winding geometry (Fig. 50)
where the weight of the roll set is partially transferred to a belt bed as the roll diameter
increases. This reduces the nipload at the rear drum to the level where no nip-induced
defects exist and air entrapment is still prevented. The nipload of a belt-supported
winder can be automatically controlled for various roll densities by belt tension. Thus, a
belt-supported winder is easy to run with various paper grades. With belt-supported
winding, the nipload is not the main roll buildup tool. Low nipload together with the high
capability of winding force allows the most effective use of traction from the belt drums.
The winding force affects all sheets equally and maintains equal roll hardness through
the whole web width. The advantageous relationship between a powerful winding force
and a low nipload allows large roll diameters with minimal nip-induced defects.

4.3.7 Variable geometry winder

The variable geometry winder —.
in connection with the articu- x
lating rider roil is a modifica- aie
tion of the two-drum winder to —
extend the range of applica- 0
tion into areas of newsprint,
SC, and LWC jumbo rolls. AL) )( \ AOI} lo 0
Equipped with compliant nips _
on the drums and rider roll, it. 5
also accommodates cores of _
different sizes. The variable
geometry describes the piv-
oted front drum which moves
away from the back roll as
the roll builds up. An asym-
metric design with pivoting
rider roll beam with drums of
different diameters reduces
the opportunity for roll vibra-
tion (Fig. 51).

4.3.8 Winding challenges of

two-drum winders
The most often encountered
winding defects produced by
a two-drum winder are crepe

195
CHAPTER 2

ations and high niploads. These can exist on a conventional two-drum winder due to the
uncontrollable niploads at large roll diameters. Local high nipload combined with local
low tension results in internal slippage below the roll surface and crepe wrinkle buildup.
A low paper coefficient of friction increases the probability of crepes occurring. The only
proven remedy is to change the winder type to modified two-drum with a rebuild, or to
replace it with a multistation winder. Statistically, the situation can be improved by
increasing web tension and winding force or with agents that increase the coefficient of
friction of the paper.
Corrugations (Fig. 53)
are also nip-induced defects
due to a poor caliper profile.
Rolls are built-up on local
high peaks of caliper. This
results in diameter variation
across the roll width and dif-
ferent web draw and shear
stresses on the roll surface.
The cure for corrugations is
to go from nip-controlled
winding to tension and wind-
ing force-controlled winding
which will strain the web Figure 53. Corrugation.
more evenly.
Dished rolls (Fig. 54)
can result from inadequate
web separation. The paper
under tension contracts
between the unwind and
windup. When the paper is
wound into a roll again, the
tension is relieved and each
sheet in the roll becomes
wider. If there is not enough
web separation, the rolls in
the middle of the set push
each other outward while new
layers are wound in the Origi-
nal position. This makes the ;
edge rolls dished while the Figure 54. Dished oll.
middle rolls remain straight. ...
Core eccentricity and roll bouncing are related probit on two- afar winders.
When caliper profile variation results in slightly different roll diameters in a set, the rolls

196
 Reeling and winding

rotate with di it angular speeds. This le ‘24

Lor

g and the cor-

es do not elon-
€ during winding

Winder vibrations ona

two-drum winder are related _
to the resonance frequency |¥
of the system, which con- 2
sists of the winding drums, See "Tange sabes
the set of rolls, and the rider of =
roll system. Vibrations might
also be due to unbalanced
winding drums. The latter
can be reduced with stiff Frequency
Hz
drums manufactured to high
precision. The resonance
frequency is excited at the .
multiple of the roll rotation : 200 400 600 ce a 1000 1200 1400 1600 :

speed. During acceleration,

the winder runs through
these resonance zones so
quickly that excess vib
is rarely seen. At full spe

4.4 Multistation winders

The transition from two-drum winders to single-drum winders has resulted from the fact
that large-diameter rolls made of high-density, thin paper grades are difficult to be
wound on a traditional two-drum winder. The nip load increase produced by the roll

197,
CHAPTER 2

weight has become one of the most serious limiting factors. The rider roll load acting on
« 7 ee machines
only a few rolls ofthe set, especially on as also been sleet

LWC- and SC-roto grades are typical paper grades that are generally wound with
single-drum winders, or multistation winders, as they are now called. This evolution —
the use of multistation winders instead of two-drum winders for LWC and SC papers —
originated over 20 years ago. The reason was that a sufficient roto roll size was not
practical on two-drum winders due to many roll defects and runnability problems at
printing presses. Nowadays, newsprint grades are also included in the same group of
difficult paper grades to be wound with multistation winders because their basis weights
have been decreasing continuously and, at the same time, roll diameters have been
increasing. All the nip-sensitive paper grades belong to the same paper group as well,
for instance, coated fine paper grades.

4.4.1 Multistation winder types used today in paper production

There are many types of multistation winders, some quite old, which are still used in a
normal winding operation. In the next sections, a short selective historical review will be
presented. These winders have been developed in response to the demands from the
papermaking industry, with the newest winders being the most sophisticated. All multi-
station winder types developed during about the last 20 years have not been included.
The main stress here focuses on the generality and importance of the multistation
winder type to the modern paper industry. The point to note is how well certain winder
types evolve and survive, in terms of winding physics, the ever-increasing challenges of
roll quality and size set by the printing industry.
Multistation winders are characterized by winding stations, where each roll is indi-
vidually wound up (hence the name “Multistation winders” for this group of winders). The
roll separation after slitting is automatically made by geometry, i.e., no spreading is
needed for roll separation, only for slitting and generating proper CD tension in wound
rolls. The multistation winders can be divided in three chronological groups that show
the evolution of winding geometry and how winding tools are used for making roll struc-
ture. The groups are as follows:

- Core-supported winders

- Core- and periphery-supported winders

- Core-, periphery-, and rider roll-supported winders.

198
 Reeling and winding

Core-supported multistation winders

Some manufacturers of these winders are listed below, along with their major product in
this category:

1. Jagenberg (Vari-Roll)
2. Valmet/Wartsila (Twin-Winder)

3. Beloit (HTC Bi-wind)

4. Goebel (EW 4).

5. Cameron (MIR).

These winders were characterized by 100% core support: Both the roll weight
and nip force needed load only at the core ends. This fact set high demands on core
durability. The roll bottom (layers near the core) experienced rather high fluctuating
loads during winding and also during unwinding at a printing press or other converting
machine, if the roll weight was high (very wide large-diameter roto rolls). This winding
geometry worked well to control nip-induced problems, but it created other problems in
the area above the core chucks: core bursts and core delaminating possibly during
windup or at least on unwinding. For small rolls, core loads are more reasonable, and
these winders are still very successful in producing small rolls.
Some basic operations of all winding, namely unwinding, web control, and slitting
are very similar on all types of winders. So these functions will not be reviewed with mul-
tistation winders (see the “Two-drum winders” section). The unique capabilities of multi-
station winders, as compared to other winder types, are the result of the winding
geometry and the way the winding tools (parameters) are used for building the roll struc-
ture, in other words, the structural factors of the winder. The fact that rolls are supported
by core chucks on both sides makes it necessary that the rolls be wound alternating on
either side of the center drum.
The simplest form of core support winder is, of course, a pure center winder with
no nip at all, which is still used in some special applications. In this winder, the driving
force is applied to the center of the roll (via the core) and not to the roll surface (hence
the name “surface winder,’ which can be given to all the winders using nip effect to drive
roll rotation). The pure center winder (without nip), however, is not suitable for high-
speed winding because of air lubricating problems between paper layers in wound rolls;
a considerable nip load is a well-known tool for preventing air from getting inside paper
layers and makes highsspeed winding ee

type is not very Saye ETEeeerleeeniit has the’same core load mrobienskas the other
winders in this group. Also, the roll structure (hardness at start) can be different on dif-
ferent sides of the drum assembly because one drum gap will pull the core and roll bot-

199
CHAPTER 2

tom in, while the other drum gap will push the core and roll bottom out of the gap. Some
core support winder types are shown in Figs. 56 and 57.

Sais

Figure 56. Wartsila twin-winder.

Figure 57. Beloit

HTCBiwind.

Common features of these winder types are as follows:

- One center drum is used.

- Rolls to be wound are pressed horizontally against the drum by means of

hydraulically or pneumatically controlled winding arms, which either make a
linear or a circular movement.

- Web tension is controlled by the brake generator.

- Rider rolls are fixed above the rolls, hanging from the frame, and contact the
winding rolls for the first 300-400 mm diameter.

200.
 Reeling and winding

- Acenter drive applies torque into the winding roll to make tighter roll starts.
Originally, relatively low torque was applied by using plain core chucks in one
winding arm only. Later, more powerful drive motors were used, and on both
arms if needed. Expanding chucks are necessary for transmitting higher
torques, say 150-300 Nm.
- The required nip load between the roll and drum is controlled by winding arms.

The range of the normal winding parameters (web tension, nip loading, rider roll
loading) are typically at the same level as in two-drum winders. The older small drive
motors generated rather small torque values compared with the traditional drum torque
difference in the two-drum winder. By using more powerful center drive motors on both
winding arms, and high-quality expanding chucks, a much higher center torque is devel-
oped. This torque is, in fact, the “winding force,’ i.e., the force after the first nip controlled
by the center torque, and is quite comparable with the drum torque difference in the nor-
mal two-drum winder which can be achieved at the start of winding. Since the center
torque diminishes inversely proportional to the roll diameter, the effect of the center
torque will drop quite rapidly. In many cases (such as LWC- and SC-roto rolls), however,
the winding force at the start of aig is ule ca for we (Ol 1)ares at

Multistation winders with core and periphery support

These winders are characterized by a roll support mechanism that uses the core and
roll periphery. This offers more gentle treatment to the core ends during winding, but the
situation at a printing press unwind stand remains the same; i.e., the entire roll weight
together with accelerating belt loads are totally supported by cores. This sets high
demands for roll and winding quality because of me HS fluctuating ERS atthe roll

rolls meter and width) without nip-induced surface defects and core burst and lami-
nation problems in the core chuck region. Some special features of these winders are
reviewed in the following paragraphs, as are the demands that the paper grade and roll
size set for winding techniques. Some applicable winder manufacturers are:

- _Jagenberg (Vari-Top)

_- Valmet (JR 1000 and JR 1000 E)

- Beloit (HTC-S Biwind)
- Voith (Duoroller Il).

201
 CHAPTER 2

Figures 58 and 59 show some winders.

wie Le]
OL. oe 0)
MM MI

Figure59.HTC-S BiWind.

Jumbo rolls of critical grades (LWC- and SC-roto grades) can be more than 1 250
mm in diameter and wider than 3 500 mm, weighing more than 6000 kg. So very high
stresses are created over the core chuck area during unwinding. If the roll starts (< 50
mm paper on the core) were wound with insufficient wound-in tension (WIT), this
unwind stress could cause crepe wrinkles and bursts near the core. The insufficient
wound-on tension, however, is not the only reason for core burst problems in unwinding.
Certain paper properties can be as disastrous; for instance, inadequate CD
tensile
strength (in fact, the important factor is MD/CD tensile strength ratio). The higher
this
value is, the higher is the tendency of jumbo rolls to suffer core bursts in unwinding.
The

202
e
 Reeling and winding

MD friction coefficient between paper layers (both static and dynamic) is an important
factor, too. The higher the friction is (on the normal friction range 0.3-0.5), the higher is
the tendency toward core bursting in unwinding. The key factor concerning the printing
press unwind is the roll weight; it is the fluctuating unwind chuck load which gradually
starts the core burst disaster. On the traditional roto printing machine, there are usually
two accelerating belt units, which load the roll from above during unwinding, thus
increasing the critical chuck loads on the unwind stand. Extra loads as high as 30 kN
exerted by accelerating belts are normal on many “modern” printing machines. This
means that the roll load is increased by the same amount. Some new generation print-
ing machines are in operation for unwinding superheavy jumbo rolls. They have acceler-
ating belts relieving the rolls to be unwound from underneath, which is the most natural
way to eliminate the core burst problem at the printing house, independent of the roll
weight.

Multistation winders with core-, periphery-, and driven-rider roll support

In addition to core and periphery support, these winders are equipped with supporting
(belted) rider rolls. These units are equipped with a motor drive for supplying auxiliary
torque if tighter winding is needed. Some special features of this winder type are shown
in Fig. 60.

i i AY.
iL

em
A
ts

‘Figure60.Multistation winder
The ever-increasing size of rotogravure rolls, changes in paper grades, and paper
machine functions create big challenges for winding. Even the core- and periphery-sup-
ported multistation winders available today are pushed to their practical limits.

203
CHAPTER 2

Winding problems are mainly due to insufficiencies in available winding tools

(parameters), which can cause problems such as core bursts in unwinding large LWC
and SC rolls. The reason for core burst problems arises from the combined effect of
bending of the core and high lifting chuck ne
force by heavy rolls. The chuck relieving
force is relatively high on big roll diame-
ters, because the nip load is not normally
allowed to exceed 3 500—4 000 N/m. This
effect exposes the paper near the core to
cyclic tensile and compressive stresses
near the core chucks in the same phase
with roll revolutions. The fluctuating load
has a damaging “aging” effect on paper
and, as soon as the forces near the core
exceed the paper tensile strength, the
paper layers will be torn off and stick out
from the roll end (Fig. 61).
This tearing action usually hap-
pens 10-30 mm from the core. The core
burst problem occurs mostly at printing
presses (see the section “Multistation
winders with core and periphery sup-
port”). The modification of modern print-
ing presses to put the acceleration belts
below the roll so as to partially relieve the —_Figure 61. Core deflection and stress by different
weight may mean that, in the future, the multistation winders or printing machines.
highest stress on roll bottoms will occur
on the winder in the paper mill. This possibility has spurred development of new winding
methods mills can use to guarantee the most gentle roll handling before unwinding on a
printing machine.
As stated previously, the core burst problem can sometimes be eliminated by
winding the rolls very tight at the roll start/bottom. This hardness near the core is difficult
to achieve with nip/rider roll load only because nip effect, to be effective, requires some
amount of compliance under the nip. Adequately high center torque at the beginning is
more effective in producing tight roll starts, but high center torque is not possible as roll
diameter increases, because of core durability problems. Core strength characteristics
have improved during recent years to meet the increasing demands of roto roll winding,
but core durability still remains a problem when very high center torque is used with nor-
mal fiber cores. Some paper grades, like newsprint, demand harder rolls than can nor-
mally be wound with traditional multistation winders. Softness of rolls can cause
durability problems in transport and runnability problems in a printing machine. New
generation multistation winders can produce high-quality rolls at a speed in excess of

204
 Reeling and winding

2500 m/min, with a maximum diameter 1800 mm, maximum width 4000 mm, and maxi-
mum weight 10 000 kg.
In addition to this, the set change and reel change times are as short as the fast-
est two-drum winders. The rider rolls are equipped with a belt or covered suface, which
allows very high rider roll load at the start of winding without causing any marking prob-
lems. This means the rider roll loading can be used much more effectively in building the
roll bottom. At the beginning of winding, the rider rolls support the core and produce the
desired nip load up to a diameter of 6(00 mm, when normally the desired nip load level is
reached by roll weight alone. The same rider roll units can be used at the end of winding
(over 600 mm diameter) to relieve the roll from underneath: The relieving force may be
10 kN/m, which means 30 KN relieving force for a 3-m-wide roll. This reduces the
mechanical stresses during winding and minimizes bending; these are the main causes
of core burst problems at the windup. The core chuck loads are much lower in the core-,
periphery-, and driven rider roll support winder than in traditional multistation winders
(Fig. 62).

Loadicore chuck kg Roll width 3000 mm

4500 -

|oe

4
i Existing ieaea fo
1500 + 7 A
+ ; 3c a
1000
4 Rider roll support : :
ow multistation winder Rider roll support
es ae > c i; of ___ multistation winder

6 200 400 660 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800

Diameter mm
Le

| ‘Figure 62. Core chuck loads for core-periphery supported winders.

Center drives using chucks can be replaced by surface drives using rider roll
belts (Fig. 63). The center drive effect is replaced by surface traction integrated in the
belted rider rolls, which provide a strong tightening effect (winding force), up to the max-
imum roll diameter. Even the strongest center drives will lose the tightening effect when
the roll diameter increases. The winding force created by center drive motors drops rap-
idly as the diameter increases (Fig. 63).

205
CHAPTER 2

Ps
Winding force
Nim
900 +
|
Roll width 3000 mm

Rider roll support ee

multistation sinder sare

Rider roll support

multistation winder
40 KW center drives
20 KW center drives
20 k

0 200 400 600 80!10 1000 1200 1400 1600 8 1800

t Diameter mm

Figure 63. Winding force created by center or surface drive.

It is usually very important to get tight roll bottoms (diameter < 600 mm) for cer-
tain paper grades. The belted rider roll drive is a very effective tool for this. Often, a high
power belt drive is not needed after 600 mm diameter.
Another problem with big center drives is how to transmit high torque with
expanding chucks through the cores to the roll, without durability problems. This can be
avoided with the belted rider roll.
The web runs through the winder below the floor level (Fig. 60). This feature
enables paper web moisture to be controlled so that web shrinkage during set change
can be reduced. Also, some winder noise sources (slitters, drives, trim chutes) are
located below the floor level, which reduces the overall winder noise level.

4.4.2 Paper and roll size demands for winding techniques

Traditionally, roll hardness (i.e., compression pressure between paper layers as a func-
tion of roll diameter) should be constant or slightly decreasing from the core to the roll
periphery. This is important for most rolls and paper grades. For small- and medium-
sized rolls, it is especially important to have sufficient, but not excessive, roll hardness
because many kinds of roll and Se defects can be ata ey Un WEtoo

206
 Reeling and winding

SC-roto grades), the “proper hardness’ can be so high that the winding tools are inade-
quate and severe core bursts at printing presses will be the inevitable result. This kind of
roll defect depends on various paper properties: MD and CD strength, MD/CD strength
ratio, ZD-/MD-/CD-elasticity, interlayer friction, filler and coating material, etc. Usually
the best way to make very heavy jumbo rolls is to wind quite tightly at the very start of
winding (up to diameter 300-400 mm), and after that use the normal winding tech-
niques at the “proper” hardness level.
Traditional multistation winders (with insufficient center torque, or totally without
center torque) could not make the very first wraps of paper around the core tight
enough. The effect of web tension was limited because of winder runnability problems
and because the tension level at the start of winding was often too low. Since torque
was not practically important, the only effective tool for making tight roll bottoms was nip
load. So a typical result was a loose roll bottom with all the concurrent difficulties at the
printing press. That was why winder manufacturers had to develop more powerful center
drives on both winding arms and expanding chucks for transmitting higher torque into
the roll.
The multistation winders in use today differ greatly in winding parameter ranges.
Center torque can be relatively small or nonexistent. The core chucks for supporting the
wound rolls and transmitting center torque from the drive into the core can be plain or
expandable. This means that their ability to transmit higher torque values differs greatly.
Sufficiently high center torque is a very effective tool for making a tight roll start, but it must
be so high that the winding force range 600-1000 N/m (center torque--based iincrease in

paper grades, r
If very high tightness is needed at all diameters, other winding tools might be necessary.
Examples of other possible winding tools for extremely tight rolls are: rider roll loading at
all diameters, belted rider rolls, belt drive on the rider roll, or a belt drum winder, which can
maintain very high belt-based winding force at all diameters.
The rider rolls are a very important winding tool on multistation winders, too.
Rider roll load and availability also varies greatly. For narrow rolls, depending on paper
grades and proper les,fice rolls are not typically used at all on roll widths below 1000—
1200 mm. If roll tightness at the start is important, then rider rol loading isrec om

ae rolls in multistation winders have traditionally been lightweight metal drums

with or without elastic coating. With a proper elastic coating, higher rider roll loading is
possible. The same is true with belted rider rolls, which also allow the use of rather high
rider roll loads. For normal hard rider roll units, it is possible to have self-aligning pivot-
ing pe ciatisiis for correcting eo SHI SEM ala by paper see aie varia-

It is the matter of paper properties and roll size that dictates the winding parame-
ter ranges necessary for a particular type of production. These parameters are web ten-

207
CHAPTER 2

sion, nip load, rider roll load, center torque (via core chucks), and “surface torque” (via
auxiliary drum or rider roll belt drive). Paper surface roughness and air permeability can
dictate how much nip load, rider roll load (and at what diameter range), and what kind of
drum coating must be used.in each case.

4.5 Winder automation

Winder automation is the equipment and controlling devices that are added to a basic
winder to increase capacity and improve roll quality.

4.5.1 Maximizing capacity

Winder automation is needed in the first place to add winder capacity so that it can keep
up with the higher speeds of modern paper machines.
If the mill wants to produce highly varying roll widths and/or if there are a lot of slit-
ters in the winder, i.e., 15-30 pieces, then the trim change time becomes critical. In multi-
station winders, where winding stations and rider roll equipment are moved along with the
slitters, a manual trim change is not practical due to the length of the repositioning time. In
these cases, an automatic trim change sequence is needed. In the multistation winder,
trim change also means new web threading, which adds to the trim change time.
With heavy grade board winders, the roll builds quickly so set changes occur
often. Increasing capacity by increasing winder speed is only a partial solution, since
set winding time is short and run time at maximum speed is small compared to acceler-
ation/deceleration and set change times. Automatic set change provides the solution
with only 25-50 seconds winder stop time.
The speed reference is an important control parameter that also affects winder
capacity. Maximum speed and acceleration/deceleration values should be utilized to the
maximum extent. Speed reference rounding times, especially at low speeds, should be
minimized. Speed is normally limited by the winding process, acceleration, deceleration,
and rounding time by the drive and its tension regulation. In some cases, winder vibra-
tions require winder speed to be changed to prevent resonance. Optimizing winder
capacity while at the same time keeping roll sizes within tolerances is achieved by auto-
matic stop functions.
Other types of automation equipment that help maximize winder capacity are par-
ent reel change without using a crane, automatic web splicing, automatic web thread-
ing, and web tail gluing on the finished roll. Specific computer information packages that
can increase capacity include information handling via recipe system that minimizes
time to make adjustments at paper grade change, and a communication link to the mill
computer which can send trim data automatically to the winder to eliminate data entry
time and errors.
Separate automation sequences can be combined into the fully automatic contin-
uous winding machine (Fig. 64). It can run Cone until there are no parent reels
available or web breaks. .

208
 Reeling and winding

Automatic paper roll Aut i

||Automatic | Automatic Automatic parent | |Automatic parent reba ananng
set handling set ne Slitter positioning) jreel splicing reel handling from PM-reeler

Automatic web fastening Auto matic tail Auto matic Continuous

to the cores fastening core handling winding

“Figure
64.Continuous winding.
An important factor in winder capacity maximization is easy and comprehensive
diagnostics, especially when the winder is highly automated with a large number of
inputs, outputs, and control loops. Diagnostics functions aid the operator and mainte-
nance personnel to quickly locate and fix the cause of the trouble.

4.5.2 Optimizing roll quality

The second goal of winder automation is consistent, good roll quality.
Winder automation tools optimize roll quality by using the winding parameters in
meters isnnot left to the winder operator.

winding TES and the winder SpernIDE only chooses the right recipe to
use or it is selected by the winding order that is received from the mill computer through
the communication link.
The basic winding parameters in the two-drum winder are the so-called “TNT”
set: Tension, Nip load, and Torque. Speed is also an important winding parameter, but it
is normally left to the operator to adjust its level according to the winding situation. Oth-
erwise, the automatic stop program handles speed reference generation. The reference
value calculation takes care of the necessary smoothing and rounding of the signals
and cE Ganto minimize disturbances |in the roll structure due to transitions.

209
CHAPTER 2

Good roll quality also means keeping the roll width, diameter, and length within
customer specified tolerances. The automatic trim change equipment and automatic
stop fulfill these needs.

4.5.3 Controlling roll structure

Roll structure control means controlling the radial pressure (hardness) or tension distri-
bution in the finished roll. This is one a by Eyepel ae sla sis dls

Recipe library
A winding recipe library can hold dozens of winding parameter recipes. The recipes are
normally stored locally on the winder automation system hard disk drive. If the mill has a
local area network and the winder can be connected to it, the recipes can also be stored
on a network file server. This makes backups of the local disk unnecessary.
The number of recipes actually needed varies according to how many paper
grades the mill runs and other winding conditions. In some mills, only one recipe is
needed; but in coated fine paper or LWC mills, where uncoated deg are also pro-
duced, several dozen recipes might be needed.
A recipe system user interface (Fig. 65) makes it easy to create and change the
recipe contents. This work is mostly done during the winder startup and afterward when
paper grades change or customer feedback requires fine tuning of the winder. The rec-

Figure 65. Recipe display screen on the winder operator PC. :

210
 Reeling and winding

ipe authors should be only authorized personnel who are given access to the recipe
library editor. The winder operator only has to select one of the recipes to use.
Winding recipes contain data that the winder automation control system uses in
generating the actual reference values for hydraulic or pneumatic actuators or electric
motors like the brake generator or the winder main drive. This data can be discrete
numerical set values like speed or tension levels or data defining continuous reference
value curves from a set of x-y points or mathematical formulae. These reference value
curves are functions of the roll diameter as calculated at run time.

Reference values for two-drum winders

Recipes for two-drum winders might contain the following reference value curves:
speed, web tension, rider roll load, drum position, and winding force. Discrete set values
contain speed, rider roll load and tension level set values, acceleration and decelera-
tion, rounding times for the speed reference, and so on.
The air relief two-drum winder recipe also contains the relief pressure curve for
the air support and the belt support winder recipe has the belt tension curve.

Reference values for multistation winders

The special nature of individual winding for each roll in the set makes multistation
winder recipes more data intensive.
The multistation winder reference value curves are the winding station nip loading
and center drive torque, rider roll nip load, web speed, and web tension. In some winder
types, the center drive torque has been replaced with the rider roll surface traction refer-
ence curve (for example, in the case of belted rider rolls). Discrete set values contain
speed, tension, winding force and nip load set values, and acceleration, deceleration,
and rounding times for the speed reference.
There are many types of operator interfaces and station programming philoso-
phies. In some the reference curves for station nip loading and torque/winding force do
not need to be programmed individually for each winding station. Instead the user can
select from preset template curves for convenience. Typically, all stations use the same
curve,; the only exception might be the first and last station which must account for the
different winding situation at the web edge. Also, very narrow or wide rolls benefit from
specialized reference curves.

How to create reference value curves

Reference value curves can be either generated from mathematical formulae or from x-
y point sets.
Formulas exist at least for the rider roll load and drum torque difference in the two-
drum winder and for the web tension in all winder types. Also, the belt-supported winder’s
winding force uses a mathematical formula and the variable geometry winder uses a drum
position formula. The rider roll load formula adjusts the rider roll relief so that drum nip
load remains constant. All mathematical formulas try to compensate for the roll size

211
CHAPTER 2

increase and subsequent mass-induced nip load. Also, the formulas account for higher
web speed and air penetration into the winding nip. The web speed itself is calculated
from S-curve formulas parametrized with acceleration and rounding times.
Using mathematical reference curves is straightforward: choose values for the
parameters based on knowledge of winding theory, and let the automation system cal-
culate the actual reference at run time from these parameters. Mathematical reference
curves are easier to use than graphical curves that must be programmed by x-y points.
The graphical x-y point reference curves are used in those cases when there is
no useful theoretical knowledge of how that winding parameter affects roll structure to
put into mathematical format. In some cases, both methods are available to the user; for
example, the mathematical reference curve is used whenever applicable, but in special
situations an x-y curve is programmed. The graphical reference curves are calculated
from the x-y point set at run time through an interpolation method based on polynomi-
als. The most basic method uses first degree polynomials, which generates a piecewise
linear function. The only drawback is possible sharp corners or steps in the first deriva-
tive. Higher order polynomials such as splines or Bezier curves create smoother curves.

Roll structure measurements

A winder automation system only has one direct on-line roll structure measurement —
density measurement.
Roll density measurement is a paper thickness measurement which is converted
to roll density for display using the formula p= b/d, where b is the operator-provided
basis weight. The paper thickness is measured from the rate of roll diameter increase.
Since the paper thickness is small compared to the roll diameter, the measurement is
averaged over several roll revolutions. Roll diameter can be measured with a linear posi-
tion sensor from the core or the rider roll or from the rotational speed ratio of the roll and
the supporting drum. The paper thickness is calculated by subtracting two successive
average roll diameters and dividing the result by the averaging revolution count.
The resolution of the density measurement is limited, perhaps only 10-20 kg/m?.
This is barely enough to indicate possible roll defects. Higher resolution requires a higher
averaging count, which means poorer diameter resolution. If the measurement is made by
counting roll revolutions, core chuck slippage, especially in multistation winders, can
cause excessive error. This can be avoided by measuring the roll diameter with a linear
sensor and using the web length measurement instead of counting roll revolutions.
The wound roll density alone is not enough to monitor the winder performance;
the incoming parent reel density and caliper are also needed. They can also be mea-
sured with the same density measurement method or with some other caliper measure-
ment. The density difference then shows how the winder is changing the roll hardness.

4.5.4 Optimizing winder capacity

The winder automation system maximizes capacity by minimizing time spent in the
winding sequence steps: run time at constant speed for each set, acceleration/deceler-
ation times, set change time, parent reel change time, trim change time, and web

212
 Reeling and winding

threading/splicing times. Set change time includes the functions of web tail gluing, web
cutting, finished roll ejection, core handling, and insertion and set winding start.
Trim planning is not part of a winder automation system, although an automatic
trim change sequence is.

Automatic stop
A winder can be stopped according to the following criteria:
- At the required customer roll length

- At the required customer roll diameter

- Atacertain amount of paper left on the parent reel

- Just before paper defects in the parent reel.

Stopping is done by continuously calculating the web speed reference being sent
to the winder main drive so that all changes are smooth, speed set level is reached, and
the final stopping diameter/length is reached at zero speed. Note however that the end
speed can be nonzero, for example, the end gluing speed or just a low speed for a
paper defect to pass through the winder without breaking the web.
The changes in the web speed reference must be smooth enough for the web
tension control to work properly. The brake generator motor torque is calculated from
the desired tension and the parent reel diameter. The inertia compensation term from
the winder acceleration and parent reel inertia is added to it. The tension controller itself
is very slow and cannot compensate for changes in the speed. If speed changes were
too fast, the motor torque would make sudden jumps and cause disturbances in the web
tension.
The automatic stop is done with as close to the maximum deceleration as possi-
ble and also by using the shortest rounding times allowed by the web tension regulation.

Set change
Each of the major suppliers of winders have entire systems that provide for automatic
set change. The efficiency of these systems varies with the most efficient systems hav-
ing set change times around 30 seconds. Described here is one such system.
The two-drum winder automatic set change sequence (Fig. 66) starts with core
insertion from the core table at run time, and the cores are treated with glue or tape for
web pickup. The core set is positioned according to the trim.
The automatic stop decelerates the winder to the set change speed, and web
tension is also reduced to the proper set change level. The finished roll web-end gluing
starts during deceleration; this glues the tail of the wound roll onto the body of the roll.
When the correct speed is reached, the web is cut and the roll ejector pushes the fin-
ished set into the lowering device. The web is held in position while the new core set is
inserted by the core holder attached to the roll ejector into the pocket formed by the
front and rear drum. The core chucks are closed and the rider roll lowered onto the set,
and the winder is ready to run the new set.

213
CHAPTER 2

Figure 66. Automatic set change.

The set change in a multistation

winder uses much of the two-drum winder
equipment and procedures. However,
core insertion at the winding stations
must be handled separately by manipula-
tors or robots.

Reel change
Most of the major suppliers of winders have
systems that provide for automatic reel
change. Described here is one system.
The automatic reel change (Fig.
67) equipment lifts the empty reel up to
the storage rails without the need to use a
crane. There are several temporary stor-
age locations for new parent reels. The
parent reel is moved automatically to the
unwind stand.
The previous web and the new web
can be automatically joined together with
a splicing device, or, if there is no paper in
Figure 67. Automatic reel change. : oo
the winder, automatic web threading can
be performed.

214
 Reeling and winding

Trim change
Automatic trim change equip- |
ment consists of devices to
move the slitters andthe core —
chucks to new positions
according to the trim data. In

SE
the multistation winder, the
winding stations and rider roll
equipment are also moved.
The core gluing device uses haa, stripe
the same trim data to skip Application
over the core ends, as does
the web end gluing device
when switching off glue noz- Figure 68.Glueapplicator.
zles that are too close to the ne
cuts. This prevents excess glue from getting on the drums on betncen rollss (Fig, 68).
Before the slitters and stations can be moved, they must first be selected. This is
done by software in the winder automation system, which selects them according to the
cut positions. Unused slitters and stations are moved out of the way.

Web threading
There are many automatic web threading systems available. The web is taken from the
parent reel at the unwind and transported through the winder. The slitters are engaged
and running, so they cut the sheet as it passes. The separated webs are then raised to
the drums or winding stations.

Splicing
The butt-joint splicing device (Fig. 69) can make a good quality splice, which can be run
smoothly through the printing machine. However, this splice can only be made at the
unwind, so a front splice is still manual work. The winder must also be stopped for splicing.

215
CHAPTER 2

Continuous winding
A fully automatic winder (Fig. 70) can be run in the continuous winding mode: the set
change occurs automatically when the set is ready and the new set is run immediately
after the set change. The winder does not stop at the set change and the operator does
not have to press the start button. This running mode eliminates the last latency times
caused by human factors. The winder runs continuously until either a web break or the
winder runs out of parent reels to put in the unwind stand.

Figure 70. Fully automated two-drum winder.

4.5.5 Operator interface

The winder automation user interface provides a window to view the winding process
and a means to control the automation sequences. It serves as a troubleshooting and
diagnostics station for maintenance and operations personnel and also provides on-line
documentation.
A good operator interface is essential in fully automatic continuous winding with
only one winder operator.

Control room

The control room user interface uses one or two computer monitors with graphical user
interfaces. They can be augmented with a winder special process keyboard for quick
access to the main functions like starting and stopping the winder.
The user interface consists primarily of two or three display screens that the oper-
ators mainly use, but there can be several other screens for maintenance work and
information display. Also, on-machine video of the winding process can be shown on the
display screens or on dedicated video monitors.

Local controls

Winder local controls (on or near the machine frame) can also have color display and soft-
key buttons with a graphical user interface. This makes operating the winder much more
flexible, because all basic winder functions can be accessed from any operator station.

216
 Reeling and winding

4.5.6 Diagnostics
Diagnostics functions are an essential part of a fully automatic winder control system.
The winder capacity might be in full use and downtime is not allowed.
Diagnostics can indicate a fault, identify it and its cause, and suggest corrective
actions.
Fault indication is based on process and diagnostics alarms. Alarms are gener-
ated from binary signal interlocks or analog signal alarm levels. Alarms are shown on
display screens in text lists and graphical elements.
Identifying the actual cause of a problem can be difficult since the winder automa-
tion system has only limited information available. The most sophisticated troubleshoot-
ing expert systems (Fig. 71) can analyze the control program and measurement data
and infer the cause of the malfunction from this knowledge base.
On-line documentation and maintenance manuals help in determining corrective
actions when the problem has been identified. The entire winder documentation includ-
ing drawings and diagrams can be included in electronic format and retrieved on the
winder display. The document can be in HTML-format, which can be viewed with popu-
lar web programs.
A lack of good winding process measurements restricts the availability of process
alarms for roll quality control. Some roll defect alarming can be performed indirectly by
monitoring the actuator feedback from nip loads, tension, and torque.

sc
‘Figure 71. Diagnostics display screen oy op:a window eee the oe Hea) for the
re | spoo locking. Le : 7

217
CHAPTER 2

4.5.7 Communication and information services

The winder automation system can be networked to the mill production control system.
The winder can receive trim data and set diameter/length and send back production
information. Also, paper defect information received from the mill computer can be uti-
lized by the winder operators.
The winder automation system can also collect and maintain its own production
information database that can help the supervisor optimize winder usage. The system
displays produced tons and meters by shift, day, or longer period, and also the waste
amount. Time usage information is also available.

4.5.8 Control system equipment

Winder automation control system equipment consists of several programmable logic
controllers (PLCs) and one or two industrial personal computers for user interfaces and
data storage. The PLCs handle all real-time control actions and PID loops. The process
input/output can be centralized in the electric room or distributed in the winder frame
(referred to as distributed I/O).

5 Theoretical background
9.1 Winding theory
The purpose of winding models is to predict the internal stresses in a wound roll sub-
jected to known external forces. This leads to a boundary value problem of continuum
mechanics. The basic set of equations consists of

a) Equations of motion
b) Compatibility equations (geometric relations between the displacement coor-
dinates)
c) Constitutive equations (experimental laws describing the relation between the
stresses and strains of the material to be wound).
In order to be able to solve these equations, several simplifications have typically
been made:
a) The roll is assumed to be in a state of planar stress (two-dimensional model).
b) The spiral geometry of the roll is approximated as strained hoops on top of
each other.
c) The equations of motion are static (or quasi-static).
d) The constitutive equation is Hooke's law with non-constant coefficients.

e) The only applied force is the web tension (center winding).

Under these restrictions, several winding models have been developed. The cor-
nerstones in the development of rigorous winding theories are considered to be Alt-
mann's Linear Anisotropic model"! in 1968 and Hakiel's Non-linear Anisotropic model’2
in 1986. Further improvements consist of inclusion of visco-elastic constitutive

218
 Reeling and winding

equations 13 ape for SSeS effects ™, and air entrainment considerations’.

date yar 1eory of nit ced stress is ack a serious
gn Cae: ir paper industry,
/ ent includes nips ever, theoretical understanding
of the Bast laws of the winding process= Awleerste help the papermaker or winding
equipment designer to solve various winding related problems and hence to improve
winding quality.
This section starts with a glance at the practical winding tools used in modern
winding equipment today and continues with a brief introduction to the theory of some
winding models. The aspects of experimental winding surveys are not covered in this
text but can be found in the reference’®,
5.1.1 Practical winding tools
The internal roll stress distribution is controlled by three winding parameters: web ten-
sion, nip load, and winding torque. More precisely, the web tension is controlled by the
unwind motor, the nip load partially by the rider roll and core chucks and the winding
torque by the torque difference between the paper roll and the winding drum. Figure 72
shows two basic winding configurations — centerwind and center-/surface wind. Incen-
terwind, the gee result ei ace on the tension. G suite

The second forte tines of Fig. 72, the center-/surface winder, improves
the centerwind with two additional controls: nipload N and torque differential AT = Tp—
Tp. In addition, the nip effectively prevents air entrapment. Now the tension of the web T
just before the drum is not equal to the wound-in tension (WIT) which enters the roll just
after the nip. As in the centerwind case, the WIT determines the hardness of the roll.
The function of the additional winding parameters N and AT is to influence the WIT.
However, no one has been able to theoretically determine the functional dependence of
WIT on the three winding parameters 7, N, and AT: Hence, the following text describes
only the Rane ce of ie pico auisiis involved in how the elielinte Hy: anole pied to
Ay yo ys pet
e parame ters arenot Independe

Paper Roll

219
CHAPTER 2

example, if someone is able to figure out the dependence WIT= WIT(7) for fixed N and
AT, this dependence can look totally different for other values of NV and AT:
Let’s first look at the behavior of the web tension prior to the nip. When the web
enters the drum, there is first a region where the web sticks to the drum surface. Hence,
the strain must remain equal to that in the open draw. The conclusion is that the tension
must also remain unaltered because the stresses are calculated from the unchanged
strains. When the web gets closer to the nip, there might or might not be a slip region,
depending on the values of the other winding parameters. In the slip region, the tension
might either increase or decrease, again depending on the state of the other winding
parameters. Further changes in the tension are induced when the web passes through
the nip area. These nip-induced tension changes are caused by the nip load N and
torque differential A7:
J. K. Good and his group at the Web Handling Research Center (WHRC) at Okla-
homa State University have been able to establish a WIT formulas for Centerwinding
(Tj = 0) and Surface winding (Tp = 0) for low nip load range’”. These equations read,

WIT = uN, Surface winding (1)

WIT = T + p,N, Centerwinding (2)

where i; is the kinetic coefficient of friction between paper layers. These formulas have
also been experimentally verified in the laboratories of WHRC for nip loads below 2 kKN/m.
For higher nip loads, the experimental values are lower than those predicted by the W/T
formulas. It should be noted that in this study only the web tension and nip load can be
considered as active winding parameters, while the torque differential (7p for centerwind-
ing and sgfor surface Wing g) iscoterie by the gesiiedea prone.

to assume a fy developed kinetic friction; hence, this

also arias the range of applicability of the W/T equations. If u,N is higher than the
actual frictional force, then Eqs. 1 and 2 will not apply. This occurs when either compo-
nent of the product u,N is sufficiently high. Experimental results confirm this conclusion.
Tests made at WHRC with a web of high pj, have also shown that the area of applicabil-
ity of Eqs. 1 and 2 is shrunken.
What is presented here can be considered as the state of the art of W/T. Before the
needs of the modern paper industry are met, there is still much research and development
to be done. Some essential features still missing from current winding models include:

- Effect of the drum diameter

- Effect of the roll diameter

- Influence of the torque differential AT

- Behavior at high nip load and paper friction.

220
 Reeling and winding

Fortunately, many of these items are currently under intensive research and there
is hope that new, more comprehensive WIT models will soon be available!

9.1.2 Winding models

When the wound-on-tension is known, the internal roll stress distribution can be calcu-
lated. As mentioned before for centerwinding, this information is readily available,
whereas for center-/surface winding we still have to wait for a proper WIT model to be
developed. The most advanced winding models are presented by Hakiel’@ and Olsen 4.
Olsen’s model is actually the same as Hakiel’s with centrifugal effects included. The
basic equations of motion in Olsen’s model are Caychy’s elasticity equation for axisym-
metrical plane stress in the presence of centrifugal forces:

fe)
a +6,-6, = pwr (3)

where +r _ is_ radius to a point in the roll

Ce stress in the radial direction
CO; stress in the tangential direction
local density of the roll
0) instantaneous angular velocity of the paper roll.

The linear and orthotropic constitutive equations (Hooke’s law) used in these
models read:

= O/)5.—(V.,/£,)3; (4)

€ = (1/E,)0,-(v,,/E,)9, (5)

where €, is_ strain in the radial direction

e strain in the tangential direction
ae radial modulus
E, tangential modulus
v Poisson's ratio of the web.

In Eqs. 4 and 5, the tangential modulus and Poisson's ratios are assumed to be
constants and the radial modulus E,. is assumed to depend on the radial stress o, ina
known way. The function E,. = E,.(o,) is normally determined from a pile test where a
stackof sheets of the web material is pressed at known force and the displacement is
measured. The slope of the resulting curve o= o(e) then gives E,. This experimental
data is usually curve-fit to represent E,. in a polynomial form, i.e.,

221
CHAPTER 2

Ei= CoCo rome, (6)

where C; (i=0,...,3) are constants depending on the web material.

Utilizing the compatibility equation

Oe
r=—+e,-€, = 0 (7)
Or
and the Maxwell relation

Ls
Deleomen Es
OES:
EE (8)
8
r t

together with Eqs. 3-5 and 7, an ordinary second order differential equation
for o,.= 6,(r) is obtained:

ndion do, : 59 me 22 p R (9)

ee +3r + - Eye |r =~ +v,,)par,Ry<r<R.
Because of the term 1-E/E,(o,.), this equation is nonlinear and no analytic solu-
tion has been found. Hence, numerical solution methods have to be employed.
Before proceeding to the description of the numerical method, two boundary con-
ditions have to be introduced in order to obtain a complete set of equations. Let us first
consider the boundary condition at the core. Core stiffness E.. is commonly defined by

6,(Ry)
€(Ro) = EC
(10)
where Ro is the outer radius of the core. With this definition, the core stiffness can be
experimentally determined by applying a known pressure to the outer perimeter of the
core and measuring the resulting hoop strain’. Utilizing Eq. 3, 5, and 10, the following
equation is obtained:

do, E Oye x9)

Ro—=— (Ro) = 5,(Ro)( z+ Pn 1)—pa°R (11)
dr

This is the boundary condition at the core. At the outer periphery of the roll, below
the outermost paper layer of thickness h at r = R, the boundary condition obtained
directly from Eq. 3 becomes

ene WIT
0,(R) = pw Rh- a (12)

Above the outermost paper layer the boundary condition is o,(R+h) = 0.

222
 Reeling and winding

Let us now consider a roll with outer radius R in a given state of radial stress 0,(r)
(Ro < r< R). Let us add a single lap of paper of thickness / under a web tension WIT(R)
onto the roll. This induces an additional radial stress Ao,(r) in the roll. By differentiating
Eq. 9, the equation for this increment of inter-layer radial stress becomes

,d Ao, dAo, Ey 22
ae |d0, = +¥,)pA@r?, Ro<r<R+h (13)
E,(6,)
Here the quotient E,/E,, is considered to be a constant during the winding-on of
the single lap~ 7. The corresponding incremented forms of the boundary conditions in
Eqs. 11 and 12 read

dAo,, E ae
7, (Ro) = AG, (Ro)( +V- 1)-pAw Ro
Ro— (14)

and

Ac,(R) = pa’ Rh- ao (15)

Once the incremental radial stress is known, the corresponding incremental tan-
gential stress Ao, can be calculated from Eq. 3:
r
Ao,=r a + Ao,+pAw’r’, Ryo<r<Rth (16)

Since no analytical solution to Eqs. 13-15 has been found, a numerical proce-
dure has to be implemented. Following the outline of the references ’* ‘4, a finite differ-
ence formulation will be presented. Assume that the roll consists of j-1 laps, each of
thickness h. The radius r; to the inner boundary of the ith lap is then:

r, = Rot (i-Dh, 1Sisj-1 (17)

Let us denote the radial stress at r; after j laps have been wound by o,. ijand the
increase in the radial stress at r; caused by the winding on of the lapj by AO, jj. When
the derivatives in Eq. 13 are approximated by central differences, we obtain:

“A, ij Ao rit+lj
+B, AG-,, + C,Ao,;_,, j = Dy,25iSj-1,j23
fe (18)

223
CHAPTER 2

where
2

A. = iyo af (19)
Dt a .

E\ 2r
eee (20)
Pee reels
a E i hie

Cl ae wer (21)
Uy ae Dh

and

Dy = -(3+¥,,)p(@;
i,
-0;2 _1)72 (22)

Equation 18 constitutes a set of j-2 linear equations for 7unknowns AO; ji(i=1;
J). Two additional equations are obtained from the difference approximations of the
boundary conditions in Eqs. 14 and 15. The forward difference Sp progn of the
boundary condition at the core is

Ro E, Ro A6, 1) = -pRo(@;
70,0; +(1===) Ce:-—0;_ 1) (23)

The boundary condition at the roll periphery is

Ac. ., = p@,r,h-—_
. ; (24)

The procedure starts at j=1 when the first lap is wound. Then

WIT,
AG,1; = P,r,h- (25)
1

which is also the total radial stress at 7, i-€., 6,7; = Ao,77 . When the second lap is wound
on, the boundary conditions in Eqs. 23 and 24 are sufficient to solve the incremental
stresses Ao,.;2 and Ao,.2. Now the radial stresses at 7; and r> can be calculated:

0,12 = 9,11 + AG,19

26
0,92 = AO, ro

224
 Reeling and winding

After the third lap is wound on, Eq. 18 is needed for the midmost lap in addition to
the boundary conditions. The value of 6,99 is used in calculation of E,. when calculating
B>3 from Eq. 20. This procedure goes on until the last Nth lap is wound on. After adding
the jth lap (j =3,...,N), the incremental stresses Ao,,;; (i =1,...,/)are calculated from Eqs.
18, 23, and 24. Now the stresses are updated as

CaS Oe ei Ati » (hes lens..j) (27)

The total tangential stresses 0; jj Can be calculated from the difference approxi-
mation of Eq. 3 once the total radial stresses are known:

97 (i+ 1) 7 ~ Or,é-1)j 2
Seto: denn
apes a ey (28)

As an example, the results obtained by applying the procedure to newsprint wound

at a tension of 5000 kPa are shown in Figs. 73 and 74. The other parameter values are
shown in Table 5. Note that in Fig. 73 the radial pressure P = —o,. has been plotted.

Table 5. Web properties of newsprint.

Parameter —
Thickness, um
Poisson's ratio 0.01
E;, GPa 3.37
Co, kPa 0.0
Cy 50.6
Co , kPa”! -0.0964
Gay kPa” 0.0001
Ro, cm 9.0
E,, GPa 8.0
p . kg/m? 670
0

atmospheric

225
CHAPTER 2

Radial Stress Distribution

400
[kPa]
Pressure
Radial

0.05 O.0F5 o4 0125 O15 0175 0.2

Radius [cm]

Figure 73. Radial pressure distribution for newsprint wound at atension of 5000 kPa.

Tangential Stress Distribution

Tangential
[kPa]
Stress

Radius [cm]

Figure 74 Tangential stress distribution for newsprint wound at a tension of5000 kPa.

226
 Reeling and winding

5.2 Web spreading

When we talk about web spreading at reelers and winders, it is essential to divide
spreading into two separate areas:

1) Spreading the machine wide, uncut web

2) Separating the longitudinally cut webs (especially in the two-drum winder).

5.2.1 Spreading the machine-wide, uncut web

Here the term “web spreading” means controlling the web strain in the cross machine
direction (CD). While recognizing CD compression stresses may cause the web to buckle
and wrinkle because of elastic instability, it is fair to state that a web of paper cannot take
CD compression. Cross machine spreading causes a CD tensile stress in the web.
In a paper machine
reel, the function of web
spreading is to straighten the
web in the cross direction for
winding. Thus, the location
of the spreader roll is imme-
diately before the reel drum
as shown in Fig. 75.
The location of the
spreader roll in relationship
to surrounding rolls is more
effective closer to the reel
drum. Figure 75. Location of the spreader roll in a reel.
In the winder, the ; —
function of the spreading of
the machine-wide web is to
straighten the web in the MACHINE REEL
cross direction to ensure a
good quality longitudinal cut
TERS
SEM
(slitting). This applies both to
the single- and two-drum CUSTOMER
ROLLS

winders. There can be one

or more spreading rolls on
the winder, guiding the web
between the parent reel
(unwind) and the slitting
devices, as shown in Fig. 76. ' 7 A | é
In the single-drum Figure 76. Example of spreader rolls in a two-drum winder.
winder, where the web length
from the parent reel to the slitting devices is ional the spreader rolls also have an impor-
tant function of ensuring a smooth and steady web run.

eel
CHAPTER 2

Especially in the two-

COUPLING
drum winders, spreading ROLL SEGMENT BETWEEN THE
before slitting also affects BEARING ROLL SEGMENTS
web separation and therefore a a 2)
ry7 ie WMAVM,
the gaps between the wound ia
rolls; this will be discussed N

more in the next section

(“Separating the cut webs’).
3a) CURVED SPREADER ROLL
There are numerous
ways to spread the web.
Pr rie ROLLS
Non-rotating members are
=n arn: BEARING
neglected here because
they cause dusting and SS).

hence are less and less

used in today’s machines. PLATE AND AIR BELLOWS
FOR LOCAL ADJUSTMENT
The most commonly used
web spreader in reels and
winders is a bowed rotating END PLATE; CONNECTED TO MOVING ARMS
roll. This kind of spreader roll
is a series of narrow width 3b) CURVED SECTIONAL ROLL
rolls, which are mounted so
Figure 77. Two common structures of a bowed roll: (a) curved roll ©
that they form a bowed row
(b) curved sectional roll.
of rolls (Fig. 77).
The direction of the
bow is toward the web run- WINDING DRUM
t

ning direction (Figs. 75 and

76). The spreading effect is |

caused by the small angle lu

Z|
Bi
between the web running a
lu
direction and the roll rotating
= c

Zz
lu

plane. This is depicted in 2 i}

!

Fig. 78, which is a top view met

Q Ean)
ROTATING 4
ait KW
PLANE nal a
oO
= ZZ ra a
of Fig. 75. = o—
Os
= fe
rT

The roll guides the Qa

xt

| ce
uu
web in the tangential direc- a
wo
tion by friction. This leads to r

the so-called “normal entry

SPREADING =
law”, i.e., as long as there is FORCE |

no loss of traction the web

comes into contact and
leaves the roll in the tangen-
DIST.FROM CENTERL|NE
tial direction of the rotation (OR THE ANGLE)
with normal entry.
Figure 78. Spreading force as a function of distance from winder |
The optimum bow
centerline.
amount depends on the

228
 Reeling and winding

paper grade, the surface of the rolls, the web tension, and the wrap angle and is gener-
ally between 0.05%—0.5% of the web width. Small curves provide good spreading, but
they can be problematic in bow accuracy, where there may be a local area without the
spreading effect. Big curves have a problem of losing paper traction at the roll ends if
the angle between the rotating plane and the web running direction (machine direction,
or MD) grows too big as depicted in the graph in Fig. 78. The angle 8 between the MD
and the rotating plane is 0 degrees at the centerline of the machine. From the centerline
toward the end of the roll, the angle B starts to grow as does the frictional spreading
force. When the angle B gets over a certain value, the spreading force drops dramati-
cally. This value depends on the parameters listed above (shown in the graph with a
dashed line as an optional behavior).
The bow amount of the roll should be so small that this certain value of the angle
is not reached at the end of the roll.
However big the curve is, this angle B starts to grow from 0 degrees in the middle
of the web and thus there will always be good spreading.
Spreader rolls have two basic constructions (Figure 77):

a) Rolls having a bent shaft inside (curved roll)

b) Rolls arranged on an outside beam (sectional roll).

The surface of the curved roll can be of rubber or steel having a hard chromium
or tungsten carbide coating for wear resistance. Sectional rolls are of hard anodized or
tungsten carbide coated aluminum or steel coated like the curved rolls. Both roll types
have grooving on their surface to let the air run between the web and the roll without
causing a loss of friction.
Often, the curved rolls use an electric drive motor. This ensures that the roll can
follow the web speed even with small wrap angles. The roll can also be driven with a lit-
tle under or over speed (up to 5%). It must be recognized that with forced speed differ-
entials, there are added uncertainties as to the web tension before and after the
spreader, the generation of dust, and ioe wear of uescovers. 3est spreading results are
rasa a ee tchingofthe rollsy he web speed. With sec-
tional rolls, the driveis not needed. Because of the apna peaking and aiaaieda
structure, the rotating resistance of these rolls is so small that a very small wrap angle
(> 5 degrees) is enough to make the sectional rolls rotate. The speed at which the web
driven roll loses traction is a function of the web wrap, web tension, web porosity, sur-
face roughness of the web and roll surface, and grooves in the roll to facilitate the
removal of boundary air film. Higher web speeds generally require more effort to main-
tain web traction.
Another difference with these roll types is the stiffness. In curved rolls, there is
limited space for the inside axle, whereas the outside beam of sectional rolls gives
greater stiffness.

229
CHAPTER 2

5.2.2 Separating the cut webs in the two-drum winder

Web separation after slitting is needed to allow the rolls to expand in the cross direction.
wepds running | O TY-Ule VINQEe >

tting there is even

6b) SINGLE ROLL

Here we concentrate
on the three best-known
types of web separating
devices in the two-drum Figure 79. Devices to separate the cut webs. _
winder: 7

1) D-bar spreader (Fig. 79a)

2) Single-roll spreader (Fig. 79b)

3) Folder spreader with bent bars or rolls (Fig. 79c).

230
 Reeling and winding

These devices cause

the web separation in differ-
ent ways. They do not have
any common features, and
problem-solving methods of
one type cannot be applied
to another. The only com-
mon thing is their location in
a winder (Fig. 80).

D-bar spreader
A D-bar spreader is a non-
rotating, single bar that has
a bow perpendicular or
nearly perpendicular to the
-par
Figure 80. Web separation with a dual spreader.

which results in the web seeking

anew position
ofminimum energy.
e D-bar spreaderis best applicable on narrow winders with only a few cut
webs, where the non-rotating bar will not cause severe dusting. The D-bar spreader
must have a means of local adjustment of the bar curvature that can be made during
winding to separate all the rolls.
The variables affecting web separation with a D-bar spreader are:

a) Location between the previous roll and the rear drum

b) The bow amount

c) The wrap angle

d) The bow direction (though this is not of major importance as long as the direc-
tion is close to the web’s normal direction).
Regarding variable a): It is important to locate the D-bar spreader closer to the
rear drum than to the previous roll (Fig. 79a). Also, the separating effect is stronger
when the total distance between the surrounding rolls is smaller.
Regarding variables b) and c): The optimum bow amount and wrap angle
depends so much on the paper grade and the location of surrounding rolls that no gen-
eral rules can be given. Increasing either of these variables gives more separation up to
a certain point, after which the separation remains the same. This phenomenon limits
the usage of the D-bar spreader to narrow width winders with few cuts. Increasing the
wrap angle also results in more dusting, and typically the angle is less than 20 degrees.

231
CHAPTER 2

A single-roll spreader
In a single-roll spreader, the curve direction is toward the web’s running direction (Fig.
79b). The web separation is based on the same phenomenon as spreading the machine
wide web (see “Spreading the machine-wide, uncut web” and Fig. 78).
The previous description of this spreading method applies also to its use in web
separation. The location of the roll is closer to the rear drum than to the previous roll.
The basic rolls are the same as shown in Fig. 77. What has been previously stated
about the bow amount (Fig. 78) of the roll is also important here; if the spreading friction
is lost at the ends of the rolls, the webs in this area will not be separated.
Like the D-bar, the use of this web separation method is limited to narrow winders
with few cuts.

The folder spreader (dual spreader, Z-spreader)

The folder spreader consists of two separate bowed bars or rolls (Figs. 79c and 80).
The web separation effect is based on folding the cut webs.
The following description applies to rotating rolls used as spreading elements
(Fig. 77). Unlike the other spreaders, carbide coating with good paper friction is avoid-
able because frictional forces caused by misalignment or manufacturing inaccuracies
misdirect the webs. The use of non-rotating bars or pipes is described at the end of this
section.
Figure 81 can provide a better understanding of the folding spreading.

ROTATING

JAAR
PLANES D

‘amie
LL}

ra C
Lu
OC | “

[az =

zt
O
Fa,

aNd eu, |
—-
VIEW.A
B
Figure 81. Web separation with a dual spreader.

232
 Reeling and winding

In Fig. 81, there is a side view of a folder spreader as well as a view taken in the
direction in which the web enters and leaves the spreader (view A) showing only half of
the spreader. The layout and the scale is changed from Fig. 79c for the purpose of clar-
ification.
As the rolls are curved, the rotating planes of individual rotating elements along
the roll differ from each other (see also Fig. 79). In Fig. 81, these planes are drawn with
a dot-dash-line as they are in the middle of the drawn cut webs.
To get all the cut webs into contact with the first roll in the direction of the rotating
plane of the corresponding part of the roll (normal entry law; see “Spreading the
machine-wide, uncut web”), the webs must come from a direction perpendicular to the
bow direction (Fig. 81, contact line A). This perpendicularity (as well as in the second
roll and the exiting web) is very critical to even web separation; as soon as the bow
direction changes, the cut webs seek new positions so that they fulfill the “normal entry
law,’ which leads to uneven gaps between the cut webs.
In contacting the first roll, the webs bend along it and leave the roll at contact line
B in Fig. 81. They leave the roll in the direction of the rotating plane of that section of the
roll and so in their different directions and, as a result, they start to separate from each
other.
The second roll is, in a way, the opposite of the first roll. It has a similar amount of
bow as the first roll and is located so that the webs leave the roll perpendicular to its
bow direction (line D). The contact line C of the entering webs is such that the wrap
angles over both spreading rolls are the same. The result of locating the second roll this
way is that again the “normal entry law’ is fulfilled entering and exiting contact lines. C
and D. After the second roll, all the cut webs run in the machine direction and thus arrive
perpendicular to the next roll which is the rear drum. As each slit web passes from the
second spreader roller to the drum, it untwists from the local angle of the spreader roll.
This twist angle is nominally an equal and opposite twist angle experienced by the web
as it approaches the first spreader roller.
The magnitude of the individual split separation is determined by the radius of the
spreader rolls, the width of the slit webs, and the height of the “Z-fold” geometry of the
web run through the spreader.
Web separation is disturbed if there is misalignment such that any of these four
contact lines, or the contact lines of the previous or following roll, do not lay on the “fold-
ing path” of the cut webs. The webs will seek new positions where the normal entry law
is again fulfilled at every contact line, and this will lead to uneven gaps.
With web separation by folding, there is no change in the laws of friction, path
lengths of the web, etc., despite changing the winder width or increasing the number of
cut webs. Therefore, the folding-type spreader is applicable to all winders. The spread-
ing action is sensitive to manufacturing and mounting tolerances that tend to increase
as the width of the machine increases, so good web separation is more difficult in wide
winders.

233
CHAPTER 2

Non-rotating separating elements

When slit webs slide over curved bars, such as D-bar spreaders, the web path no longer
conforms to the “Normal Entry Law”. Each web slides through the path of least resis-
tance and is encouraged to change its direction based on the local angle of the curved
bar and the web wrap around it. If for a given web, the lengths of web run are not equal
for all parts of that individual slit web, that web is required to bend laterally and twist as
required to fit the geometry. This makes the final CD position of the web as it makes
contact with the drum a function of web physical properties and the local web tension.
Through the years there have been multiple variations of single and double
srs bar SHU MIE SN, with some significant successes and BES

lelto each other and parallel to the incoming web aimed upstream against the flow of
the web. For a sliding web, the mechanics of a folding spread are fundamentally differ-
ent from that experienced by a web tracking a rotating spreader roll.
For lightweight webs, it may be appropriate to float the web on a hydrostatic air
film to reduce friction, reduce the generation of dust, and reduce wear of the bars.
With this geometry, as long as the radius of curvature of each bow, bow orienta-
tions, and web wrap angles are equal, then the length of the web run through the
spreader is constant for all positions across the web; thus, no uneven MD tensions are
generated.

Dual spreader variables

The distance between the spreader rolls. A greater distance gives more
spreading.

- Bow amount or radius of the roll’s curve. A bigger bow (smaller radius) gives
more spreading.

- The wrap angle over the rolls. A bigger wrap angle gives more spreading.

234
 Reeling and winding

Symbols used in Chapter 2

Ajy Biz C;;, Dj; Coefficients in finite difference equations
Gy (=1 er) Coefficients in polynomial representing E,
Core modulus
Radial and tangential modulus of elasticity
Paper thickness (caliper)
Nip load
Core outer radius
Paper roll outer radius
Polar radial co-ordinate
Radius of ith lap
Web line tension
Roll center torque
Drum center torque
Torque differential
Web line speed
Wound-In-Tension. Web tension which enters the roll after the nip
Radial and tangential strains
Kinetic coefficient of friction between paper layers
Poisson's ratios of the roll
Density of the roll
Radial and tangential stresses
Radial and tangential incremental stresses
O;i» Ori Radial and tangential total stresses at radius Fr
AG;ij,AGEif Radial and tangential incrementai stresses at radius r, after lap /
is wound on
0) Instantaneous angular velocity of the roll
Instantaneous angular velocity after jth lap is wound on
oi

235
 CHAPTER 2

MReferences
. Valmet, Internal instruction.
. Frye, K. G., Winding, TAPP! PRESS, Atlanta, 1990.
. Tulokas, J., “OptiReel-Proven New Breed of Reels,” Valmet, 1995.
. Valmet, Internal instruction.
. Airola, N., “Pohjahylyn minimointi SC-syvapainopaperia valmistavalla
paperikoneella,” M.Sc. thesis, Teknillinen Korkeakoulu, Helsinki, Finland, 1996.
. Roisum, D., Valmet internal reeling presentation.
. Valmet, Internal instruction.
. Laplante, B., Pulp Paper Can. 94 (1):57 (1993).
. Valmet, Internal instruction.
. Freeh, R. A., Tappi J. 78 (10): 206 (1995).
. Altmann, H. C., Tappi 51 (4): 176 (1968).
. Hakiel, Z., “Nonlinear Model for Wound Roll Stresses,” 1986 TAPP! Finishing and
Converting Conference Proceedings, TAPP! PRESS, Atlanta, p. 9.
. Qualls, W. R., J. Appl. Mech. 64 (3):201 (1997).
. Olsen, J. E., Tappi J. 78 (7):191 (1995).
. Forrest, A. W. Jr., “Wound Roll Stress Analysis Including Air Entrainment and the
Formation of Roll Defects,” 1995 International Web Handling Conference
Proceedings, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, p. 113.
. Roisum, D. R., The Mechanics of Winding, TAPP! PRESS, Atlanta, 1994.
Good, J. K., “Stresses Within Rolls Wound in the Presence of a Nip Roller,” 1991
International Web Handling Conference Proceedings, Oklahoma State University,
Stillwater, p. 123.
. Gerhardt, T. D., ASME J. Eng. Mat. Tech. 112 (4): 144 (1990).
. Smith, P. and Bagnato L., “Relationship of the Paper Machine Reel to the Winding
Process”, TAPPI 1993 Finishing and Converting Conference, TAPPI PRESS,
Atlanta, p. 123.
20. Smith, P, “A New Reel for Todays (and Tomorrows) Paper Machine”, 80th Annual
CPPA Meeting, Technical Section, CPPA, Monteral, p. 217, 1993.
21, Lindstrand, B.,“Reel Spool Sizing and It’s Affects on Converting Performance’,
TAPP! 1994 Finishing Conference Proceedings, TAPP! PRESS, Atlanta, 1994.

236
BCHAPIER 3
Roll wrapping and handling

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237
SCHAPTER > aT
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238
CHAPTER 3

Hannu Lasander, Jukka Makinen, Jukka Ponkamo, Raimo Ruohio, Kari Terho

Roll wrapping and

handling
1 Introduction

The roll wrapping and handling refers to processes and operations that take place after
the paper or board is wound into rolls at a paper or board mill. The full width reel of paper
or board is typically slit and wound into rolls with machine winders. The rolls can be either
parent rolls for on-site converting or shipping rolls destined for end users outside the mill.
The roll wrapping and handling system at the mill (sometimes called “roll finishing”)
focuses on the necessary material handling (roll handling) and providing the rolls with pro-
tective and finishing touches in preparation for the mechanical and climatic rigors of trans-
portation to the end user. It also furnishes rolls with end user defined labels and markings
to ensure accurate logistics control during transportation. Such an internal transportation
system typically consists of equipment for conveying, weighing, identification, and label-
ing. In addition, the system typically includes sequences that provide the roll with wrap-
ping, strapping, sorting, grouping, and upending. Warehouse operations like storage
management and shipping can also be connected to these operations.
The produced paper ;
grade and the stresses asso- ie
ciated with the chosen
method of transportation
determine the list of neces-
sary finishing processes.
Lighter weight paper and
bleached board usually
receive a full wrap on the
body as well as the ends.
Sheeter parent rolls to be
converted within the mill are
sometimes sleeve wrapped
to prevent moisture welts
eadel : | |
(piping). Figure 1 shows how ae

winder dis-
a roll handling system moves __ Figure 1. A roll-handling system moves rolls from the
rolls from the winder dis- charge area throughout
the wrapping until the upending line at the
charge area throughout the warehouse.
wrapping until the upending

239
CHAPTER 3

line at the warehouse. Some paper and board grade rolls might not require wrapping.
Such a grade like corrugating medium can receive a full-width sleeve wrap before the
straps are applied. Unbleached board grade rolls are typically applied with two or three
straps, a label, and sometimes an end stencil. In addition, enhancements such as end
bands are used with publication grades to dress up the appearance of the roll.
Wrapping is the only process providing the roll with protection over which the mill
has complete control.
Labeling and stenciling, whether on paper or board, distinguish between various
customer orders and grades at the mill, in transit, and at the end user's facility. Effective
roll-handling systems take into account the paper grade and prevent roll damage or
other adverse conditions’.

2 Roll handling

2.1 Winder area layouts

The roll-handling system begins at the
winder discharge area (Fig. 2) where lay-
outs will differ from mill to mill for a num-
ber of reasons. Depending on the grade
of paper being produced, a different
winder style (two-drum or multi-station)
might be required. Building size can be
another consideration or limitation, along
with traffic aisles and service require-
ments of various other equipment. Roll
dimensions, safety clearances, system
Capacity requirements, and the level of
automation will also affect equipment Figure 2. Rolls on the winder discharge deck.
choices and layouts.

2.1.1 Two-drum winder discharge area

Today’s two-drum winders use a lowering cradle for placing rolls directly onto the floor
level. Benefits of the floor level discharge area with in-floor conveyors include improved
ergonomics and safety. There are no obstructions in the area, which means traffic pat-
terns will be easier. Another advantage is that rolls can be stored on the floor in front of
the winder discharge area. Elevated arrangements create obstructions and are limited
to systems where in-floor approaches become cost prohibitive due to high civil con-
struction costs. Operations in the winder discharge area can include cleaning the rolls of
loose paper, taping the tails, and plugging the cores. Barcoded core tags, used for roll
identification downstream, are also applied here.

240
 Roll wrapping and handling

The winder discharge area must be designed for both gentle handling of rolls and
minimum manual work. The discharge deck is a concrete slope with a segmented deck
stop assembly. Rolls are divided by the means of these stops as every second roll stops
at the first row and the rest continue further. Behind the winder discharge conveyor is a
(retractable) plate stop which stops the roll on the conveyor or, in case of emergencies
downstream, in the retracted position allows for storage of roll sets behind the conveyor
on the floor. This arrangement is very typical of most wide, high-speed, two-drum wind-
ers. Adding a full-width plate stop adds a place for one more set. A concrete deck offers
the benefit of being quieter than a steel deck, whether flush or elevated. Sloping of the
deck (declining angle) depends on the roll hardness.
A further refinement of the seg-
mented deck stops interfaces them with
the slitter positioning, whereby the appro-
priate deck stops are automatically raised
to match the slitters. Sloped winder dis-
charge decks provide for unassisted
movement of the set from the winder to
the conveyor. Problems arise when the
roll set is stopped at the conveyor, due to
the back bounces (waving). The tradi-
tional plate stop, while effective in stop-
ping rolls of certain stronger grades of > oe i
paper, has the following negative charac- _ Figure 3. The set cushion stop at an 8-meter trim
teristics when handling fragile, lightweight — width fine paper winder eliminates back bounces of
papers. Torn outer layers contribute to _the roll.
loose paper generation scraps that will
block photocells and cause disturbances at the roll wrapping machine (where the lead-
ing edge of the wrapping paper is likely to fall off when the torn outer layer finally gives).
Denting through several layers is a problem for bulky board grades; the end user might
need to slab off the damaged layers. In general, loosened outer layers are prone to fur-
ther damage during transportation and can result in more slabbing for the end user. A
solution for these types of problems is the Set Cushion Stop (SCS), as shown in Fig. 3.
This design is segmented, since rolls within the set will not always roll at the same
speed and arrive at the unit at the same time.
The choice of conveyor style after the winder is based on several considerations.
One is the sensitivity of the paper grade. At this stage, selected conveyors are typically
steel slat conveyors, which are divided according to the slat’s pitch lengths — short,
medium, and long pitch. Unwrapped rolls of fragile grades of coated and uncoated light-
weight papers are conveyed always on steel slat conveyors. Some heavier grades can
be conveyed on belt conveyors; however, a risk of telescoping and tearing of outer lay-
ers is evident in all grades. Minimum roll width, along with the diameter-to-width ratio
(aspect ratio), can limit end-against-end style transfers of a roll from one conveyor to

241
CHAPTER 3

another. In this respect, a roll less than 0.4 meters in width at an aspect ratio of 3:1, in
single rolls or
unsecured multiple roll
groups, can be unstable.
Steel slat conveyors, flush ic £ a
with the floor, are best suited
to crossing by clamp trucks
or similar heavy traffic. Fig-
ures 4 through 6 show
examples of two-drum a ==
winder discharge areas.
Applications of the q
above layout include any ec
paper or board grade where
the rolldestinationisina BT]
side bay upstream or down-
stream alongside the Figure 4. Straight conveyors and a roll through turntable (long pitch
machine. Advantages steel slat conveyors).
include correct rolling direc-
tion and the possibility of
handling high-aspect-ratio
rolls. Disadvantages are the . aie |
amount of kick-offs and
cushionings, space usage,
and the amount of equip-
ment required. Figure 5
shows an alternative solu-
L
|

tion for a conveying problem

similar to that in Fig. 4.
This layout makes use LJ
of end-against-end transfers >|
and a turntable with convey-
ors. The conveyors are short
Figure 5. Straight conveyors and a conveyorized turntable ke
pitch steel! slat type? The pitch steel slat conveyors).
application is similar to the
previous example. Advantages here include a minimum amount of equipment, no roll-
ing, and the ability to adjust the roll orientation for downstream identification. However, it
is not recommended for narrow rolls less than 0.4 meters.

2.1.2 Two winders side-by-side

Two two-drum winders, side-by-side, serving a single paper machine, have been the
standard in Europe for such grades as newsprint since the 1970s. Typically, one of the
winders is located on the centerline of the paper machine and the second winder is on
the side, in a side bay. The reels of paper are moved from the centerline of the paper

242
 Roll wrapping and handling

machine to the second winder in the side bay with a reel cart. Figure 6 shows how two
two-drum winders side-by-side are integrated with the roll-handling system.

Figure 6. Two-drum winders side-by-side: shared conveyors on the left, independent on the right.

This layout features a U-loop where conveyors are used to gain maximum live
storage. The disadvantage of sharing one conveyor between two winders is the interfer-
ence that occurs when rolls from one winder are conveyed past the second winder. One
remedy, of course, would be to stagger the winders with independent discharge convey-
ors from each, as on the layout at the right.

2.1.3 Discharge area of multi-station winders

Multi-station winders, some-
times called “single-drum”
winders, discharge rolls onto —
both sides of the windup iN oi l
section in staggered posi- : HUE ne
tions. Half of the set is dis-
charged between the windup. Lil
and the unwind; the other = ae 2 z
half is discharged on the
front side of the windup. The 2
inboard discharge area is ||
limited in size between the ii = eee
windup stations and the
inboard conveyor. On the
front side, more space can Figure 7. Basic© eonveyor configuration fora multstation winder.
be allowed (Fig. 7). Due to
its more complicated nature, the multi-station winder’s throughput is ypieAllY less than
that of a two-drum winder — which is why paper machine lines usually have two multi-
station winders.

243
CHAPTER 3

The previous concept

can be extended to cover
i.
two winders by extending
both conveyors as shown in “yor bie, j on:
Fig. 8. The issue of interfer- |
ence with two winders shar-
ing one conveyor is not
critical since the time
between sets is quite long
due to the lightweight papers
and consequent long linear
web length in the roll typi-
cally wound on this winder
style.
However, ifnecessary, — Figure 8. Two multi-station winders with shared back side and front
the interference between two _ side conveyors.
winder operations can be
minimized by using independent discharge conveyors both in back of and in oe. of
both winders, as shown in Fig. 9.
The short pitch steel slat conveyor’s ability to transfer rolls end-against-end with-
out damage can also be used in the discharge areas of multi-station winders. The rolling
between the back and front has been eliminated with conveyorized turntables for gentler
handling overall (Fig. 10).

2.2 Layout considerations

The wrapping machine is
typically located close to the
winder discharge area.
Therefore, there are two
contradictory requirements
to consider: (1) minimizing
the number of handling
stages kick-offs, cushioning,
and rolling of the unwrapped
roll before the wrapping
machine and (2) maintain-
ing flexible operations and
affording surge capacity, live
storage, on the conveyors.
One might first have a Figure 9. Two multi-station winders with independent discharge
vision of a single conveyor or conveyors.
straight conveyor line from

244
 Roll wrapping and handling

the winder to the wrapping

machine. The system, how- it —
ever, would be very inconve- _ oes
nient to operate due to the - p | ee
interaction between the y !
winder discharge operations i int ]
and the wrapping machine iin wl Hee
feed. Especially on fragile = 7 “ : eae
paper grades, such as any
coated or uncoated wood-
containing paper, it is essen-
tial to load conveyors while
i IE Le

i
the conveyor is stopped. A
single conveyor line, then,
would be down for a consid- -
“Flone:10. Short oy steelslat conveyor and conveyorized turnta-
erable length of time. In bles.
order to allow for the flexibil-
ity requirement, the conveyor line must = divided.
This means that the equipment which transports the unwrapped paper must do it
gently. In this respect, it assures that the roll quality and appearance that others have
worked so hard to achieve is preserved all the way to the press room. In addition to
smooth cushioned stops, other equipment choices are also important. For example, belt
conveyors can damage lightweight paper, as seen in Fig. 11. Telescoping of the outer
layers is possible.
The increases in roll size and weight — especially in fragile, lightweight, rotogra-
vure grades — prompted the development of the short pitch steel slat conveyor style.
This conveyor style enabled even, relatively narrow rolls to be transferred end-against-
end from one conveyor to the next. A short pitch slat conveyor, combined with convey-

ave a ney steel slat ne:

Figure 12. Short pitch:
itweight paper rolls. me rollorientation. a

245°
CHAPTER 3

orized turntables, enables smoother turning of corners in a system with minimum equip-
ment and minimal space, as seen in Fig. 12. This type of conveyor has 50-63 mm chain
pitch and inverter drives with slip compensation features to help to maintain constant
conveyor speed regardless of loading.
Another successful design for gen-
tle handling of unwrapped rolls is the
powered articulating cart conveyor (often
called “carousel conveyor’). Here the roll
is conveyed on a cart, a solid piece of
steel, and transported through inclines,
declines, and curves without being sub-
jected to stress of any kind (Fig. 13).
The loading onto this conveyor
takes place on the fly through a special
loading station which simultaneously
accelerates the roll while itis being low-_ Figure 13. Carousel conveyor with unwrapped rolls.
ered onto the cart with a minimum of
impact or risk of breaking the outer layers of paper on the roll. There is also an unload-
ing station that operates in a similar manner.
Depending on the produced paper grade, rolls are shipped or transported to the
internal converting; for instance, in mills with sheeters where some or all rolls are con-
verted into sheets prior to transportation. Sheeter parent rolls are often stored prior to
converting. The in-process storage can involve only a clamp truck operation at a con-
ventional warehouse, or more likely today, an automatic storage and retrieval system
(AS/AR) or automatic vacuum crane storage. These systems minimize the clamp truck
handling of rolls, which helps the runnability in the converting process. To assure run-
nability, the sheeter/coater parent rolls often receive a partial wrap, a sleeve wrap with-
out headers in either kraft or stretch film.
These types of layouts often require automatic means of route selection within
the system to direct the roll flow into different areas such as sheet finishing, storage,
shipping, and shipping warehouse.
Today’s large, integrated systems rely on barcodes and laser scanners for direct-
ing the roll flow to the proper address.

2.3 Vertical transportation in different layouts

The roll handling (and wrapping) system layout is often split between two floors: the
machine floor and the basement or warehouse floor. The layout will depend on various
things such as terrain, existing paper machines, building costs, etc. As mentioned
above, conveyors can decline or incline. Maximum angles depend on paper grade
(unwrapped or wrapped) and the minimum diameter to width ratio although these
angles rarely exceed 8 degrees. True vertical transportation is provided by different low-
erator designs such as:

246
 Roll wrapping and handling

- Continuous chain lowerator

- Single-stage (single-tray) lowerator

- Two-stage (two-tray) lowerator
- Lowering upender (combining lowering and upending functions)

- Lowering scoop.

The choice is based upon several factors such as system layout, capacity, and
roll dimensions.

2.4 Roll sorting

Automatic roll sorting can be
based on sorting pockets,
pocket conveyors, or sorting
ramps before roll upending.
The main purpose of roll
sorting is to boost the effi-
ciency of the warehouse
operation.
Each sorting setup
provides different options
with different results. The
purpose of the pocket is to
hold a roll from a random roll
flow waiting for its match. Figure 14. A layout with three pairing pockets along aconveyor. The —
Once the matching roll is roll on pores No. 3 waits untilitss match arrives.
found, the waiting roll is
inserted into the flow follow-
ing its pair and are then
grouped together for upend-
ing in a stack. A sorting
pocket combines a kicker
and a cradle (Fig. 14). The
pocket conveyor arrange-
ment has an intermediate
stop with a conveyor that
moves the roll to the left or
right conveyor, as in Fig. 15.
Conveyor length and roll ‘Figure 115. An alternative method iis aconveyorpocket locatedon
sizes determine the number the side of a ramp — one side or both sides. Again ee determines
of pairing pockets that can e canie done.
be fitted; there is also a pos-

247
CHAPTER 3

sibility to locate them across from each other. Both of these sorting methods, however,
offer relatively low sorting capacity.
When there are several paper machines and various other finishing stations to
keep up with, more effective sorting is often necessary. In these cases, a sorting ramp is
the solution because it can handle a roll flow of more than 150 rolls per hour with a con-
veyor line that moves rolls continuously.
In high-volume mills, it is advantageous to use a sorting ramp where each roll is
directed immediately onto the correct sorting intermediate lane, as in Fig. 16.
After sorting, the roll bilge label is oriented for the clamp truck operator. Two to
four rolls are then conveyed to the upender, which stacks them for more efficient clamp
truck removal.
A sorting ramp can be programmed to feed multiple rolls to the upender. There,
up to three rolls are stacked (one on top of another) and upended onto a storage con-
veyor to form side-by-side stacks that are one, two, or three rolls high. A twin-roll clamp
attachment is needed.
By using a heavy-duty clamp truck (with a twin-roll attachment which can carry a
“six pack”), many rolls are moved to the shipping dock in a single trip.

2.5 Label orientation

Label orientation systems typically employ turning rolls and label sensors to turn the roll
so that the label is visible to the clamp truck driver when the roll reaches the pick-up posi-
tion. The label sensing is based on contrast between dark wrapper and “white” label or on
the knowledge of roll diameter and exact label placement on the roll body, as with auto-
matic labeling systems. The label orientation turning rollers can be located along a con-
veyor (lifting turning rollers), on a ramp (turning rollers with cushion and eject), and at the
bottom of the ramp (fixed turning roller and two position cushion stop) (Fig. 17).
Systems with inkjet stenciled information can rely on the stencil applied, for
instance, three times around the roll body.

Figure 16. A hae steel with a Carousel Figure 17. Label orientation station atasorting
conveyor infeed to the sorting ramp in the ware- ramp uses itingturning Cue
house followed by label orientation, upender and a
flat top conveyor.

248
 Roll wrapping and handling

2.6 Automated storages

2.6.1 Automatic storage and automatic retrieval systems (AS/AR)
Mills that have a requirement for a large
in-process storage of, e.g., sheeter parent
rolls, have utilized various departures
from conventional clamp truck served
warehouses. Hi-rack AS/AR (Fig. 18)
offers a lot of versatility; other than in-pro-
cess rolls, it also can handle fully
wrapped rolls, regardless of wrapping
method, and even palletized loads. The
main components of an AS/AR system
are delivery station(s) with conveyors, a
rack structure — either free standing or Figure 18. AS/AR system moves roll into a rack
style which supports the building, storage storage locations.
and retrieval machines (cranes with
shuttles), delivery station(s) with convey-
ors, and the control system.
Rolls can be stored on the bilge,
upended by themselves, or on a slave pallet.
One of the benefits of the AS/AR
system is the ability to provide large stor-
age space in situations where the floor
space is limited by making the rack stor-
age high. The benefit derived from an
AS/AR are many: just in time converting
and shipping, reduced inventory levels,
better inventory control, less product
damage, less manpower requirement,
significantly higher storage capacity for
the given floor area, and less clamp truck
traffic to mention a few. Many AS/AR sys-
tems have been integrated with Automati-
cally Guided Vehicle (AGV) systems.

2.6.2 Automatic vacuum crane storage

The previously described AS/AR offers a
lot of flexibility and capability, but it is a Figure 19. Stacker crane delivering aroll to stor-
very expensive solution. An automatic age position. -
vacuum crane-based storage system
(Fig. 19) can be used for storing in-process rolls quite effectively, and at a lesser cost.
The main component is an automatically operated crane with a vacuum head which car-
ries the roll from the top end. The crane is capable of positioning itself very accurately.

249
CHAPTER 3

The rolls are stored upended in stacks. Stack heights can reach up to 14 m, depending
on the paper grade. Crane span is the limit of the width, and the length is the same as
the crane track. One of the largest systems has the storage size of 28 m by 150 m. The
rolls are presented to the vacuum pickup on a flat top conveyor. The roll needs to be
accurately and positively located in the pickup position to assure clades Wig operation.
The retrieval side is also via a flat
top conveyor usually followed by a
downender, which lays the upended roll
on its bilge for conveying into the convert-
ing. Vacuum crane technology has also
been applied in newsprint ship loading
applications at coastal mills and shipping
terminals in the Pacific Northwest areas
of the United States and Canada. The
vacuum crane attachment consists of
several vacuum heads assembled into a
device capable of lifting 6—12 rolls ata Figure 20. Automatic vacuum crane warehouse.
time.
A major benefit of the vacuum crane storage style is the possibility to maximize
the use of warehouse space since no aisles are required . Gentle handling, i.e., less
clamping, is also realized with this type of storage. The applications range from cut size
basestock to tissue parent rolls. Figure 20 shows a view of an automatic crane storage.

2.7 Roll upending

An upender is a mechanical L-shaped
device that accepts the roll on its bilge.
The long leg receives the roll in the bilge
position, upending takes place, and the
short leg discharges the upended roll.
This eliminates the turning sequence oth-
erwise done by the clamp truck. Combine
the upender with a label positioner, and
the roll presentation to the clamp truck
has been greatly improved. One more
step in improved presentation is the
stacking of rolls while upending. A stack Figure 21. An in-line upender discharges a stack
of rolls is presented to the clamp truck, two rolls onto theflattop conveyor.
and with a single pick-up maneuver, two : a
or more rolls are off the truck! Include sorting, grouping, and siaeiing with a deubia ‘ol
clamp attachment, and you will improve efficiencies greatly (Fig. 21).
Electrical crank arm-powered upending machinery provides high-speed, smooth
acceleration and deceleration through the movement, resulting in a high cycle rate. Time
for upending is approximately 5 seconds. The cycle rate depends on the upender configu-
ration. These are in-line feed, 90-degree discharge, or independent discharge legs.

250
 Roll wrapping and handling

2.7.1 In-line and side-feed upenders

The upender can be fed with
rolls in two ways: In-line
(end-against-end) or side-
feed, using a kicker and
cushion stop. The in-line
system lends itself easily to
stacking, as consecutive
rolls can be easily grouped
(stacked) (Fig. 22).
Side loading is
accomplished by kicking the
roll off the conveyor, across
a ramp, and cushioning it
onto the long leg of the
upender. Figure 22. “Four-pack” of rolls in twin clamps.
In this way, an
upender can be located at the end of a long pitch slat conveyor in a situation where end-
against-end transfer is not feasible, as in the case of narrow rolls.

2.7.2 Lowering upender

A lowering upender com-
bines the function of a sepa-
rate lowerator and an
upender in a single piece of
equipment. It lends itself to
paper mill lay-outs where
wrapping and/or strapping is
done on the machine floor
and shipping and warehous-
ing is on the lower floor
(Fig-23).
Safety features
involve a positive stop gate
Figure 23. Lowering upender.
(in-line feed) and other
safety devices. Capacity
depends on the vertical drop, but is seldom more than 120 rolls/hour. Higher capacity
can be achieved by roll grouping or dual installation. Dual installation offers reliability
and redundancy in addition to added capacity. There are systems where damaged rolls
returned for rewrapping or wrapper stock is being brought upstairs with the lowering
upender in reverse mode. This is a good example of versatile capability of this device.

251
CHAPTER 3

2.8 Flat top conveyors for upended rolls

Typically, flat top belts and
slat conveyors are used after
upenders. Roller conveyor
can damage the roll end on
sensitive grades.
The flat top conveyor
should be long enough to
allow for surge capacity. Pre-
ferred length is in excess of
30 m. In some cases, the
warehouse system can be
divided into several
branches, each serving a
different area. :
The flat top conveyor Figure 24. On an elevated flat top conveyor with a clamp truck pick-
can be elevated or flush with — ing side-by-side stacks, labels are positioned so that the clamp truck
the floor. The decision is driver can see the labels as the rolls are approaching on the flat top
made based on access Conveyor.
requirements. A flat top con-
veyor along a wall is a good application for an elevated conveyor, either belt or slat (Fig.
24). A flat top conveyor in the middle of a warehouse is best served by a flush-mounted
flat top slat. The conveyor is installed approximately 10-15 mm above the nominal floor
and the concrete is beveled on the sides to allow clamp truck cross-over while prevent-
ing roll edges from dragging on the floor.

2.9 Roll on the bilge pickup with rotating clamps

This is the most basic of all
approaches. Rolls are
picked off the floor with a
clamp truck. The rolls can be
kicked off, e.g., from the low-
erator onto the floor or from
a single or multiple kick-off
station(s) on a conveyor.
Bilge pickup can also
take place directly from a
conveyor or from a specific
pick-up point on a ramp. In
both cases, a label orienta-
tion system can be used,
i.e., prior to the pick-up Figure 25. Clamp truck turning the roll while reversing.
point, the roll is turned so .

poe
 Roll wrapping and handling

that the shipping label ends up in a radial position where it is visible to the clamp truck
driver. Label orientation greatly improves the presentation of rolls for clamp truck pickup.
However, a bilge pickup is more prone to roll damage due to the possibility of
dragging the roll on the floor upon pickup or hitting the edge of the roll on the floor while
turning (Fig. 25).
Multiple kick-off station-based systems require more clamp truck capacity to pre-
vent the discharge system from backing up. All the rolls in a line of rolls on the floor
need to be removed before that particular kick-off can be used again. Either a ramp ora
conveyor have the ability to advance for each roll removed, making room for a coming
roll. Clamp maintenance requirements are increased when the clamp or the roll con-
tacts the floor.

2.10 Roll shipping

“Shipping rolls” are not converted at the mill site but are, as the name implies, shipped
from the mill in roll form. Depending on the situation and the carrier, the shipping rolls
can be hot loaded from ongoing production or can be stored at the mill to be cold loaded
at a later time. The carrier might be a truck, train, or vessel. For an exporting mill, most
likely a combination of these will be used. In most cases, inland mills load their rolls onto
trucks or trains and coastal mills might, in addition, have their own ship loading facilities
or use port terminals nearby. Warehousing roll systems employ roll-handling and con-
veying devices with clamp trucks in varying proportions, depending on the degree of
system sophistication. That is, fixed roll-handling equipment is used to better present
the rolls for clamp truck or crane pickup. It should be noted that, in most cases, rolls are
shipped upended.

2.11 Automatic truck loading

Paper industry applications
of automatic truck loading
are most often at mills that
do not have their own ware-
houses at the mill sites but
shipping or distribution ware-
houses are located within
reasonable driving distance
so the whole production can
be continuously trucked with
a reasonable number of
vehicles. Automatic truck
loading is usually connected
to a certain type of sorting
system so that optimal loads ‘Figure 26. Automatic truck loading.
can be formed. The truck
bed is often equipped with a specific onboard conveyor system. Figure 26 shows a spe-
cial truck being automatically loaded.

253
CHAPTER 3

3 Roll wrapping
3.1 Paper roll protection
The final product leaves the paper mill in sheet or roll form. Both cases demand protec-
tive wrapping for transportation. This paragraph focuses into the latter case, which in
turn is an essential part of paper finishing operations. Some of the key aspects, such as
why the roll must be protected and what values it brings to the product, are reviewed.
The following text approaches this protection issue from the viewpoint of the warehouse
personnel.

3.1.1 Requirements for roll wrapping

A typical transportation of paper rolls can take from a few days up to few weeks,
depending on the distance and logistics operations. During that movement, a roll is re-
loaded for transportation at least twice and typically handled in various warehouses with
different clamp trucks. Papermakers can control most of these operations, but there are
still a few items that are more difficult to control, such as the weather and the human
factor. Changes in air temperature and humidity have the potential to result in humidity
changes inside the roll and on the outer roll surface.
Both of these factors can cause product deformation. These quality defects can
result in breaks or other problems at the converting machines. In this sense, all the
warehouses and warehouse personnel before the final use of the roll have the potential
to cause roll damages.
The warehouse “strat-
egy” can be divided into two
categories. The “classic
style” warehouse employs a
clean floor with specified
fields for different orders.
Warehouse management is
based on large barcoded
labels used to identify rolls
during clamp truck handling.
Rolls are stored on vertical
stacks, each containing 2-8
rolls. This type of warehous-
ing is the most common (Fig.
27). Another option for ware-
housing is an automatic stor-
age system (AS/AR) as
discussed earlier.
Upon shipment, each roll is picked up and loaded into a truck or railcar that trans-
ports the roll to its final destination. The logistic chain between the mill and end user can
have several re-loadings and different types of vehicles. A typical continental transporta-
tion is based on trucks, and a clamp truck is used for loading and unloading the roll. The

254
 Roll wrapping and handling

mills that are located far from

the end user typically trans-
port rolls via sea route in
cargo ships. This type of
transportation utilizes a flat
cassette and a terminal trac-
tor (Fig. 28). Rolls are then
unloaded from a flat to the
next vehicle with a clamp
truck. Although those clamp
truck operations have been
reduced to a minimum, there
are still quite a number of
them. And as the human fac- =
tor is a fixed part of this Figure 28.Fenialltractor moves a roll cassette from aa cal) ship -
phase, the problem of occa- __ ina harbor warehouse.
sional mishandling of the roll
is to be tackled by protecting the roll against mechanical stresses like end scratches,
sheet breaks, and other abuse. These running time hazards can also be a result of
excessive time in a storage stack. Counting all these potential problems together, the
protective wrapping is a necessity.

3.1.2 Impact of the paper grade

Paper grade largely determines the type of finishing and system features in the roll han-
dling and wrapping system, at least for the most common grades of paper and board.

Newsprint
Typical for all wood-containing grades is the high content of mechanical pulp and some-
times fillers, which make the sheet quite weak and fragile. Outer layers of unwrapped
rolls tear and break easily, generating loose paper, which in turn causes household
problems and disturbances in the roll handling and wrapping system. The most common
roll sizes for newsprint range from 1000 mm to 1300 mm in diameter and from 400 mm
to 1 625 mm in width. Roll density can vary from 630 kg/m? to 750 kg/m?.
Finishing often includes inkjet stenciling of the roll number and an unwind arrow
on the unwrapped roll end. Multiple roll packages are common. Rolls are shipped fully
wrapped in kraft.
Newsprint roll wrapping specifications sometimes include endbands of 250-300
mm wide on the end of the roll. These are applied with an overhang, which is crimped
before heading. This practice is not as common as it once was, and the same is true
with center bands. Labeling involves body and end labels. Color coding or stenciling on
the roll body is also common.

255,
CHAPTER 3

Uncoated and coated groundwood-containing publication paper grades

These grades include uncoated grades — a step up from newsprint — such as directory,
SC, and LWC on the coated side. The same principles apply here as in newsprint for off-
set printing; however, the roll sizes and densities can be drastically different, especially
for the rolls of SC or LWC paper intended for rotogravure printing. Diameters might not
differ from the above values, but roll widths are as high as 3800 mm and roll densities
can approach 1200 kg/m?. The increase in density leads to significantly heavier roll
weights and, consequently, the handling of unwrapped rolls must be much gentler than
is the case with lighter weight papers. Rolling of the unwrapped roll is minimized to
retain roll quality. Wrapping specifications call for heavy inside headers and up to 4—6
turns of wrapper. End bands are sometimes used. For these value-added grades, the
end bands are either colored or printed to enhance package appearance. Alternative
enhancement features might include preprinted wrapper stock. Multiple roll packages
are also common. Inkjet stenciling and labeling are similar to that of newsprint rolls.

Coated woodfree printing and writing grades

This grade is most often produced for offset printing, rolls, or sheets. Roll handling at the
mill is fairly straightforward because of moderate roll sizes and weights; however, the
coating can be sensitive to damage and denting. Roll dimensions typically range from a
diameter of 700 mm to 1500 mm and widths of 400 mm to 2600 mm. Mills with on-site
sheeting have in-process warehouses for the parent rolls. These systems range from
simple clamp truck-served areas to more sophisticated Automatic Storage and Retrieval
Systems (AS/AR) or automatic vacuum crane storages where rolls are automatically
brought to the sheeters without being touched (and possibly damaged) by clamp truck.
Rolls are shipped fully wrapped. Use of preprinted, colorful wrapping material is
common. Multiple roll packages appear frequently, and body and end labeling is typical.

Uncoated woodfree printing and writing grades

A large segment of these papers are used for writing, typing, copying, computer printing
and books (offset), and envelopes. Woodfree furnish makes this grade relatively strong
from a roll-handling point of view. The extreme variation in roll dimensions, however, can
make this grade challenging to handle and wrap. A paper machine can produce sheeter
parent rolls for a 12-pocket cut size sheeter, a diameter of 1500 mm, and a width of
2545 mm, weighing 3400 kg. Assuming a paper machine output of 1000 tons/day, this
would yield 294 rolls per day which in turn would translate into an average of 12—13 rolls
per hour. However this very same machine might produce envelope rolls 200 mm wide
at 1100 mm diameter weighing only 153 kg. Even if these were wrapped in twin- and tri-
ple-roll packages, this could still mean well over 3000 rolls per day. On the other hand,
the maximum roll width is driven by development in cut size sheeters. For example, a
15-pocket sheeter would call for 3175-mm-wide rolls. Diameter increases from the typi-
cal 1500 mm to 1830 mm have also been considered to improve the sheeter efficiency
due to the web length advantage offered by the larger diameter roll size. Roll density
can range from 700 kg/m to 850 kg/m?.

256
 Roll wrapping and handling

Shipping rolls of this grade are commonly shipped fully wrapped in kraft, com-
plete with headers. Radial stretch wrapping with headers is also used; sheeter parent
rolls destined for on-site converting often receive a sleeve wrap either in kraft or stretch
film to assure good runnability by eliminating moisture welts, which can appear in humid
atmosphere.
Sheeter parent roll storages described above are very common in mills with on-
site sheeting. Multiple roll packages for shipping rolls are common. Inkjet stenciling of
unwrapped rolls can result in penetration of ink into the edge of the roll. This can lead to
a quality problem, for example, in envelope grades if no trim is taken off the roll during
converting. In addition to a body label (one or two on a roll), end labels are also used by
some mills.

Uncoated and coated kraft and board grades

These grades include a variety of unbleached and bleached papers and boards used for
technical purposes, technical packaging, bags, sacks, and corrugated containers (liner-
board and corrugating medium).
Unbleached varieties
of these are often shipped
without wrapping, with the
ends strapped either with
steel or plastic bands
(straps). A body label and
sometimes an end stencil
are used for roll marking.
Board parent rolls destined,
for example, for extrusion
coating are often wrapped,
and likewise the extrusion
coated shipping rolls are
often both wrapped and Figure 29. Strapped board roll withlabels and end stenciling.
strapped. Stretch wrapping
is more commonly accepted than with lightweight printing and writing grade papers.
Some of the corrugating medium receives both a sleeve wrap in heavy liner and straps.
Characteristic for most of these grades is a heavy basis weight, which makes them quite
easy to handle as rolls. Linerboard and medium, for example, as commodity grades,
have fairly standard roll sizes. Their diameter is seldom anything but 1500 mm with
width ranges from 1000 mm to 2300 mm. Figure 29 shows a strapped, labeled, and end
stenciled linerboard roll.
Roll densities vary quite widely for some bulky, absorbent grades — from 540
kg/m to nearly 1000 kg/m? on some coated board grades. Multiple roll packages are
often found in grades that are fully wrapped.

257
CHAPTER 3

Pulp in roll form

Both dissolving and fluff pulp are produced in roll form. These heavy pulp sheets are char-
acteristically strong, but the rolls are somewhat softer than those of printing and writing
grades. Product contamination can be an issue for the unwrapped product roll, as well as
the product contaminated by residues left behind after wrap removal. The effects are sim-
ilar from both a process and end-use point of view. In fluff pulp, both sources of contami-
nants can cause appearance and/or hygiene-related problems. In the case of dissolving
pulp, contaminants can cause disturbances in the conversion process. Roll sizes are on
the small side, with diameters of 750 mm to 1500 mm and widths of 200 mm to 1500 mm.
Density will be around 650 kg/m? to 700 kg/m?.
These rolls end up in
a shredder at the end user’s : | ‘ Frm co
rs : .Poconos * : oF 2

facility, which means the roll

Lp see

handling does not need to — |

be particularly gentle for the
sake of the product. Multiple
roll packages are common,
often tied with two longitudi-
nal plastic straps which also
hold the headers. These
straps also help stabilize
packages which would oth-
erwise be very difficult to : eee
convey. Some rolls are Figure 30. A twin pulp roll package wit h headers held by longitudi-
shipped without wrapping; nal straps.
others are wrapped in either
kraft or stretch film. For stretch wrapping, two methods are being used: radial with head-
ers and axial without headers. Labeling is often limited to a body label only; see Fig. 30.

Tissue

In the case of tissue, the web can be slit at the reel. Tissue roll handling is quite unique
compared to handling of printing or packaging grades. The extreme softness and low
density are the main features with tissue. A flat spot of up to 500 mm can form on the
roll bilge when the roll is laying on a solid surface. Rolls like these will not start rolling,
even on a sloped surface, without being ejected. Through-air-dried (TAD) grades should
not be left on a flat surface, but a cradling surface should be used instead. Tissue sheet
is often slit at the reel of a tissue paper machine into two or three parent rolls, which are
conveyed either to on-site converting or to wrapping for shipment to an off-site convert-
ing facility. Depending on the converting systems at the mill, there can be a combining
winder where full width webs from two or more tissue parent reels are combined and slit
into smaller rolls. Tissue roll handling starts with a core shaft pulling station either at the
reel or at the winder. After the set is carried away by a conveyor, the shaft is dressed
with new cores and returned to the ready position for the next reel or set. Handling of

258
 Roll wrapping and handling

core shafts and cores is an important operation that affects the crew efficiency of the tis-
sue-handling area. Figure 31 shows a system with AGVs and automatic crane vacuum
storage.
Tissue rolls can be
deformed if they are handled
by a clamp. In some sys-
tems, this has been over-
come by using upenders
which palletize the roll
before being handled with a
forklift truck. Another truck
attachment alternative is a
prong that is inserted into
the core of the tissue roll.
The truck then carries the
roll on the prong without
touching the roll body. Figure 31. Tissue roll-handling system.
When considering
more automated systems, automatically guided vehicles (AGVs) can help create systems
where clamp/prong truck traffic is eliminated. With AGVs, the rolls are handled in the gen-
tlest manner, and even tasks such as the returning of cores from the converting to the reel
core shaft dressing station can be taken care of efficiently. The use of AGVs might also be
combined with an automatic crane vacuum storage system for a very effective “total” solu-
tion. Tissue roll sizes range from diameters of 750 mm to 3350 mm and widths from 500
mm to 3400 mm. Densities vary greatly from 200 kg/m? to 400 kg/m?.

3.2 Wrapping process

Roll package contains a
range of different materials.
The roll package is a combi-
nation of predetermined
materials and actions that
are entered into the mill
computer system‘, “Wrap-
ping” is the term used for the
process and to describe the
machine that merge those
together. In such a wrapping
machine, a roll enters the FIXED LASER SCANNER OVER SQUARE METHOD
BARCODE AT THE AREA

machine through the identifi-

cation station. Each roll is “Figure 32. Rollcore. barcode identification is se on a fixedras-
identified from a barcoded terized scanner or ne motion.
label, which is typically

259
CHAPTER 3

located in the center of the roll core. At the identification (|.D.) station, roll dimensions
and its weight are measured. These key values are then cross-compared to the roll data
that is retrieved from the computer's database. Barcode identification is either manual or
automatic. There are numerous options for barcode identification, ranging from hand-
held laser gun/wand to an omni-directional scanner system. The automatic barcode
identification employs the linear method or the fixed method. In the linear method, no
rotation is required while the barcode is identified from the scanning area. That barcode
scanning area can be a result of two scanning lines or a rasterized area from a single
scanning head. The solution depends on the barcode size and shape (Fig. 32).
Before the roll pro-
ceeds to the wrapping sta- {3} Checkpoint Video Mi
tion, its end is marked with -
an inkjet stencil. This mark-
ing typically includes vari-
ous data such as roll |.D.
number, width, paper grade,
diameter, weight, and
unwinding arrow. These
alphanumeric characters are
important for later use of the
product, and they are well
protected inside the pack-
age. This marking system
typically has an internal
feedback system that con-
trols the inkjet marking with
a good print-out quality. In
addition to this self-checking _ Figure 33. An optional method for quality control can utilize
feature, anewtrend for more Machine vision and optical character recognition.
accurate quality control has
been implemented. As an optional function, a machine vision system can be used to
verify those end-marking printouts (Fig. 33).
After these identification operations, the roll is framed with the roll data. That data
moves with the roll to the next station. The frame has a tracking number that determines
materials, operations, and further logistics phases. The wrapping process itself is a
chain of actions that creates the package. The wrapping process consists of the follow-
ing actions: wrapper feed, head application, wrapper cut, attaching layers, and labeling.
Each phase is explained in more detail later in this text.
Are there any different styles to create a protective package?
Basically the final target is the same. How to get there, is another matter. When
the wrapping process is reviewed as a physical phenomenon, the most characteristic
phase is the wrapper feed. In this respect, wrapping can be divided into two categories,
according to the used wrapper: wide and narrow.

260
 Roll wrapping and handling

The wide method is “a traditional” method, and it employs 6-8 wrapper unwind
backstands. The wrapper is fed through a wrapper dispenser nip, and it is selected
according to the roll width. Wrapper widths are optimized to match with the “daily” roll
widths. The selected wrapper width consists of the roll width and the crimp overhang for
both roll ends. This phase is relatively fast as the rotation time is minimized, the wrapper
is applied in full width, and the feeding speed is up to 1.5 m/s. When compared to the
narrow method, this type of wrapping machine typically reaches capacities over 150
wrapped rolls/hour.
The narrow method
has only one or two travers-
ing wrapper unwind back-
stands. It creates the
wrapper by overlapping
wrapper layers on each
other. This type of wrapping
machine offers a space-effi-
cient solution. On the other
hand, it is respectively slow
with wide rolls, because the
wrapper feed demands more
time due to the extended
rotation time for wrapper
applications. The wrapper Figure 34. Themost essential part ofthewrapping process uses
application procedure can either wideror narrower ey feed.
be either straight or spiral
style. Figure 34 illustrates
WRAPPER +
both wrapper application INNER CRIMPING
VAPOUR BARRIER

methods.
Before the wrappers
are applied, each roll is first
furnished with inner heads to
protect the roll end from
occasional glue, edge crimp- END
STENCILING
KE
ing, and for end protection
LABELS &
later in transportation (Fig. MARKINGS

35)°. Then there is the wrap-

per feed with different
“styles.” Finally roll is applied | Figure35. Roll.‘wrapping includes endstenciling, inner heads,
with outer heads and labels. wrapper sheet, one pce ae se outer heads, nae
Wrapper feeding is the most 7 aelabeling. ee
essential part of the wrap-
ping process. This phase applies most of the wrapping material on the roll.
The wrapper application phase can be divided into four styles: traditional, over-
lap/offset, spiral, and sleeve wrap. As mentioned above, the wrapper applied is either

261
CHAPTER 3

wider or narrower than the roll. In both cases, the feed path is straightforward and the
application is straight or spiral.
In the traditional wrapper feed method, the wrapper is fed through one of the
wrapper dispenser nips under suitable tension. This style also provides a higher capac-
ity level than the others, as the wrapper width and application sequence is optimized.
Another wrapper feed method combines one or two wide wrapper sheets into one
wide wrapper. This type of wrapper application feeds first one end and then the other
end of the roll. In addition, an existing wrapping machine can be furnished with an addi-
tional wrapper unwind. This offers additional wrapper feed for those rolls that exceed
typical wrapper widths. Feed sequence is therefore in two phases: first the bottom end,
and then the other end by using additional wrapper feed. In this respect, offset wrapper
effectively reduces the number of wrappers used in a traditional style wrapper feed. In
simple terms, there is no need to store extra wide wrapper material that might dry
before use because it is used only from time to time.
A spiral wrapper feed employs a traveling wrapper dispenser that feeds relatively
narrow wrapper in an angle while it moves from one end to another during rotation of
the roll. The wrapper feed direction is related to the wrapper width as it creates the
wrapping from several overlapping layers of the wrapper material. Typically this style of
wrapper applications demands only a single wrapper width.
A fourth style is a “sleeve” wrap. It can be used for those rolls that are stored into
intermediate storage or as a protective wrap for grades like corrugated medium. Each
method that was mentioned here can create such sleeve wrap. The sleeve wrap pro-
tects the roll’s center area from clamp truck handling. Another important issue is the
slackening. It prevents roll layers from slackening and conserves a roll’s tightness. This
method does not demand end heads while no crimping is made and because the wrap-
per does not exceed the width of the roll.
Stretch film wrapping
is an optional narrow wrap-
ping method. It uses either
radial or axial wrapper appli-
cation or combines both of
these two. The wrapper
application is based on
stretching a thin LDPE (low-
density polyethylene) film
around the roll body. This
method uses a film roll that
is typically narrower than the
roll with wt without end Figure 36. A range of wrapper feed styles from wide kraft to stretch
heads. Figure 36 shows the film uses different materials and space requirement. Approximately
differences between these 80% of the wrapping machines employ the wrapper feed that is
methods in order of capacity. _ illustrated in the left-hand upper corner (1). :

262
 Roll wrapping and handling

3.2.1 Overlap wrapping

As mentioned earlier, the wide wrapper is a typical solution worldwide. The choice of
widths, however, involves a compromised selection of wrapper widths. In this respect,
different wrapper widths demand individual wrapper unwind backstands and a range of
different wrapper rolls in the storage.
In order to tackle these issues, the overlap concept was introduced in the late
1980s. In this type of wrapping, the wrapper feed is based on multiple parallel layers,
which are overlapped to gain sufficient strength and width. Today there are again sev-
eral options to create this type of wrapping. The overlap wrapper feed can be a combi-
nation of a traditional wrapper backstand arrangement with additional off-set wrapper
feed for those rolls that do not fit in the daily category. When the floor space is limited
and the wrapper material storage must be minimized, it is possible to employ a travers-
ing backstand arrangement like that shown in Fig. 36, Nos. 2, 3, and 4. This type of
wrapper feed generates sufficient wrapper width by overlapping the wrapper sheet from
one or two wrappers. Each of these wrapper feeds uses straightforward wrapper feed
path.
The third option uses wrapper feed from one wrapper unwind backstand that
feeds the wrapper in an angle to the roll bilge, generating spiral wrapper feed path. The
roll end overhang for crimping is made after the bilge wrapper feed with the same or
with a separate wrapper unwind backstand. Figure 37 illustrates the differences
between these overlap concepts.

3.3 Wrapping materials

An ideal roll wrapping pro-
cess provides optimum pro-
tection, it is inexpensive, and
it provides great appear-
ance. In practice, quite often
this part of the paper finishing
compromises between costs
and results. As an example, a
newsprint mill with an output
of 500,000 rolls per year uses Figure 37. The wrapper feed can be based on straight feed path or
approximately US$5 oneach _ spiral feed. Straight wrapper feed typically use wider wrapper mate-
package. In this respect, rial than spiral, which in turn demands more time to feed the whole
there is a potential to cut roll width.
costs by optimizing the wrap-
ping process and materials. Each package consists of 1.25 to 3 rounds of wrapper, two
inner heads, adhesive and vapor barrier, labels, and outer heads. An average package
has two sheets of corrugated inner heads, two to three rounds of 220-g/m* kraft wrapper
with 300 mm overlap for crimping, 250 g/m? outer heads with PE-coating, and pre-glued
and pre-printed 120 g/m? labels on the roll body and end.

263.
CHAPTER 3

3.3.1 Wrapper stock

Depending on the location of the paper mill, the wrapper material varies from testliner
(recycled liner) to linerboard grades. The basis weight varies from 100 up to 300 g/m?.
Most papermakers use vapor barrier as a part of the package to protect the product
from humidity changes. There are two basic ways to provide this barrier: the wrapper
sheet has either extrusion coating or the barrier material is applied as a separate layer
to the roll. The former method uses wrapper stock that has two wrapper sheets that are
100-125 g/m® and laminated with 20 g/m? LDPE (low-density polyethylene), so an aver-
age basis weight of a wrapper material is 220-270 g/m? with the coating. In addition, a
one side extrusion coated wrapper of, for example, 150 g/m? can also be used. Natu-
rally a one side coated wrapper requires a few extra rounds to achieve sufficient
strength. The latter way demands additional vapor seal material such as plastic film or
an additional coated wrapper sheet. This latter type of moisture barrier has not achieved
popularity due to its slower wrapping process and more complex machinery. There is
however an average recommendation for roll wrapping®.

Table 1. Wrapper specification.

Stretch at break MD 2%-4% ISO 1924

Stretch at break CD 6%-7% ISO 1924
Tensile strength MD 20 kN/m ISO 1924
Tensile strength CD 10 kN/m ISO 1924
Friction coefficient 0.4 ASTM 1894
Moisture content 8%-11% ISO 287
WVTR (50% RH, 23°C) <5 g/m?/24 h ASTM F 1249
WVTR (75% RH, 25°C) <10 g/m2/24 h
Puncture strength, treble sheet 50-60 J
Rub strength 100 times
Bursting strength 1000 kPa ISO 2758
Tear strength MD 3.0 N ISO 1974
Tear strength CD 3.5 N ISO 1974
Surface strength 18 TAPPI T 459

264
 Roll wrapping and handling

From these values,

the water vapor transmission
rate (WVTR) is a character-
istic element to describe
wrapper material usability. In
addition, cross-directional
(CD) stretch and tensile val-
ues are also important as
the wrapper is exposed to
clamp truck handling. Many
papermakers use preprinted
wrapper stock to enhance
visual outlook. The pre-
printed wrapper is most use-
ful with a one-end printing
because the roll end is - Figure 38. A newsprint roll on a slat conveyor. Rol lisfurnished with
clearly identified by the large barcoded labels. _
clamp truck driver (Fig. 38). _

3.3.2 Inner heads

An upended roll must be secured by use of end protection. A sufficient protection can
only be achieved with inner heads. The head itself must protect the roll end from occa-
sional glue and polyethylene, mechanical stress from crimping, static stress of the
crimping while stored stacked, and other shocks during transportation. There are two
options to apply the inner head, before crimping. One option is to apply it beforehand at
the wrapper feed. This pre-application is typical on the wrapping machines that use on-
line crimping. In other words, crimping is simultaneous to the wrapper feed.
The other option, post-apply, inserts the head after the wrapper feed into a “tube.”
This style of head insertion is typically used in a wrapping machine that applies 1.25
rounds of wrapper. The crimping sequence is right after head insertion. The inner head
or “end disc” material varies from a plain testliner sheet to three-layer corrugated con-
tainerboard. The selected material is related to the paper grade and logistics operations
before usage. Naturally, more cushioned head provides better end protection.

3.3.3 Outer heads

Applying to the outer head is among the final phases of the wrapping process. Conse-
quently, it is a necessity. First, it is needed to keep the roll inside the wrapping. Second,
it seals the roll end against humidity changes. Finally, it protects the roll end while stored
stacked in the warehouse. The outer head is attached to the roll end by means of press
plates, through heat sealing.
The outer head material varies from extrusion coated testliner to linerboard with
an average cross weight of 250 g/m? . The selected material is related to the paper
grade and logistics operations before usage. An average outer head is based on the fol-
lowing values.

265
CHAPTER 3

Table 2. Outer head specification.

Friction coefficient 0.45 ASTM 1894

Moisture content barrier, polyethylene layer — minimum of 25 g/m?
Rub strength 200 times
Surface strength 18 TAPPI T 459

3.3.4 Gluing and sealing the package

Each layer of the wrapper is attached to each other to gain more strength and to seal
the package. In order to seal these layers, there are a few methods and materials to be
chosen (Fig. 39). The traditional method applies support glue from glue nozzles to the
wrapper sheet. The other method uses heat sealing to attach the layers together. Both
methods demand a gluing element that can be one of the following: hotmelt, cold glue
(PVA), waterglass, or PE with the heat sealing. Support glue is applied to the wrapper
during the wrapper feed. For this sequence, there are again two options. The glue noz-
zles move according to wrapper edges to glue the crimp down, or a glue nozzle
beam/applicator is used and the layers are glued across the width. Most wrapping
machines use hotmelt glue, which has in turn mostly replaced cold glues and water-
glass. There is a range of different suppliers for additional glues; therefore, they are not
listed here. The continuous heat sealing method has increased in popularity since its
implementation in the early 1990s. This method uses the vapor barrier coating as a

MOVING NOZZLE HEADS & TAIIEDGE FIXED NOZZLE HEADS a EEE

FIRST ROUND
~ Q = FIRST ae,
Ju
—
. .
INNER & OUTER j INNER & OUTER
HEADS CRIMPING J HEADS CRIMPING

* 7 LEADING EDGE / LEADING EDGE

GLUING g@P GLUING

END STENCILING,
& LABELS

CONTINUOUS HEAT SEALING TAIL EDGE

* GLUING
FIRST ROUND. i nd
.
INNER & OUTER
HEADS CRIMPING

CONTINUOUS,
SEALING

END STENCILING eae END STENCILING,

\ . & LABI

Figure 39. Different gluing and sealing methods create a square, linear, line, or wide gluing eae that —
attaches the wrapper layers and in turn improves durability of the package.

266
 Roll wrapping and handling

gluing element. The PE is heated during the wrapper feed, and wrapper layers are
attached together.

3.3.5 Labels
Each roll must be labeled with barcoded labels and other markings. The label material is
typically related to the label printer, whether labeling is manual or automatic, and wrap-
ping material. The label itself is either paper or plastic. The backside of the label is plain,
preglued with dry gum, or coated with self-adhesive glue. Naturally, the plain label is
attached to the roll by applying glue to the backside of the label. When using a preglued
label, spraying water to the backside of the label activates the glue and the application is
made within 10 seconds. Self-adhesive labels demand additional equipment that peels
the release paper off and rewinds it. The labeling sequence once was one more manual
task among the others. Today it is part of the typical automated sequence. In this
respect, the most useful label material is the preglued label. It is either continuous sta-
tionary or sheets, depending on the label printer.

3.3.6 Stretch film

The stretch-wrapping machine typically applies PE (polyethylene) film. The film is on a
roll form and is usually applied during rotation of the roll. During the application
sequence, the film is stretched and forced to fit tightly according to the roll surface. Each
wrapper layer is a combination of several rounds of the film. Each layer of the film is
attached by the internal friction and optional coating of the film. In other words, stretch
film does not need additional glue to attach layers. This material is in a roll that contains
30-50 kg of 0.5-m-wide film on a 76-mm core. Each film roll provides wrapping for
approximately 130 rolls (diameter 1 m, width 1 m).

3.3.7 Recycling the wrapping material

When the wrapped roll reaches its final destination, such as press room, it must be
unwrapped. What happens to that roll “jacket” is an environmental question. The wrap-
per sheet represents most of the whole package. That part of the package is a most
valuable resource for recycling because it contains virgin fiber.
As we learned earlier, inner heads and outer heads are mostly the same material,
and all these materials contain vapor barrier. However, they are still quite easy to sepa-
rate for the purpose of secondary fiber recovery. On the other hand, wrapper and heads
and additional materials such as glues and labels are impurities that can result in stick-
ies in the pulping process. Therefore, it is essential to minimize their quantities. Labels
with dry gum glue separate more easily from wrapper than self-adhesive labels do. So
what is the solution for more environmentally friendly roll packaging?
Improving the current wrapping system by optimizing the use of materials will cer-
tainly decrease the environmental load. But tailoring each roll “jacket” by customizing
the gluing pattern and adjusting all other parameters might not answer all environmental
concerns. A paper roll with a “jacket” of continuous heat sealing has more environmen-
tally friendly value than a roll wrapped with traditional gluing methods. This is because a

267
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heat-sealed wrapper is both recyclable” and free of impurities due to its sealing
structure®. The stretch film PE wrapping can be recycled like other plastic materials. In
this respect, the label should be PE as well. If the label material is paper, it must be sep-
arated before the wrapping material is delivered to the recycling.

3.4 Multi-station wrapping machines

Whereas the earlier part of this text focused on the field of roll wrapping from the mate-
rial point of view, this section exposes the wrapping machines and the wrapping process
more thoroughly. One of the most important features of the wrapping machine is its
capacity and design speed. First, the design speed of the wrapping machine is related
to the number of rolls per hour. As an example, a high-speed newsprint mill with a single
paper machine with a web of 9 meters, running 1750 m/min, can have an approximate
output of 100 rolls per hour. Comparing it to a board mill with one board machine with a
web width of 5 meters can result in a roll flow of only 60 rolls per hour. In this respect,
there is either a shortage of time or plenty of time to wrap the roll. When making this
comparison, there is also a question of how many wrapping machines are in use or if all
production is wrapped in a centralized wrapping machine’. The following paragraphs
review the issues of traditional wrapping and then stretch wrapping.
Merging all paper rolls
re
into the same stream can
result in high pressure at the
wrapping machine. In some
mills, roll flow can exceed
150 rolls per hour which
equals less than 24 seconds
cycle time at the wrapping
machine. The wrapping pro-
cess includes a range of dif-
ferent sequences. Part of
these sequences can be
simultaneous, but many of
them demand a separate tim-
ing. If all these sequences
could be squeezed into a Figure 40. A traditional inner and outer head delivery system :
minimum timeline in a single- UP heads from shelves with eight different head sizes. A wrapping
station wrapping machine, machine with automated headiisat floor leveland has an elevated
the timeline would not match __ackstand platform.
24 seconds; it would double
in time. Consequently, the wrapping process must be divided into separate stations. A ae
ical concept includes a separate station for: identification, indexing, wrapping, labeling,
header press, and end labeling. In each station, the elapsed time from roll arrival to depar-
ture from the station must be less or the same as the cycle time of the machine. All sta-
tions can be fully automated to reach higher capacity and uniform quality (Fig. 40).

268
 Roll wrapping and handling

3.4.1 Identification and centering

Each paper roll must be identified before any wrapping sequences can be started. The
barcoded tag is identified with a laser scanner or CCD camera. Its digit string is com-
pared to the string retrieved from the roll management system’s database. During data
processing, roll dimensions are measured with mechanical arms. At this station, the roll
is also centered according to the wrapping machine centerline for further transportation
with the indexing conveyor. Beneath the identification cradle is also located the roll
weighing sensors of the net weigh. All these roll values are cross-compared to the data-
base values and, when matching, it is confirmed by “framing” the roll with roll number.
That piece of data moves with the roll to the next station. The frame has a tracking num-
ber which determines each roll’s wrapping materials, marking operations, and further
addressing’® 17,
That roll number defines each sequence that is made. Depending on the layout
configuration and the computer's response time, those pre-wrapping operations that are
executed at the |.D. station might need to be divided into separate stations to improve
the cycle time.

3.4.2 Indexing from station to station

A typical multi-station wrapping machine has a so-called “waiting” station. It is a buffer-
ing station that is needed to synchronize the roll flow. This type of intermediate station
holds the roll until the wrapping machine has completed its previous sequences. It is
also the first station of the high-speed wrapping machine. In such a machine, all stations
are in-line and rolls move with an indexing conveyor. The minimum cycle time of the
wrapping machine equals the time that the indexing conveyor uses for each index. This
type of conveyor moves each roll from various stations simultaneously.

3.4.3 Wrapper feed and crimping

The next phase and station to indexing is the wrapping. Although the wrapper feed was
discussed earlier, there is a range of different details related to this phase. The wrapper
material is located on a wrapper unwind equipment, or backstand. Backstands are on
the floor level or elevated ona platform. Backstands below this platform are typically fur-
nished with a powered cart to ease roll exchange. Changing the wrapping material
demands either an overhead crane with a clamp or an advanced wrapper roll exchange
system. Depending on the number of backstands, the wrapper dispenser has 1-10
nips. When a nip is driven, the wrapper unwinds from the backstand and it proceeds via
wrapper path through the cutting and gluing. The leading edge is applied with glue or its
surface is heated, just before the wrapper sheet reaches the nip of the roll and turning
roller. The additional gluing method can be divided into two styles: traveling glue nozzles
or fixed nozzle beam. The former style creates a square gluing pattern, and the latter
applies glue lines. An optional method to attach wrapper layers uses the heat sealing,
which is typically used to seal containers that are made of liquid packaging board (LPB).
Two different heat-sealing styles are in operation, the heatbar and the hotpack.
The former style employs a heating element that is located under the wrapper feed
table. The leading edge of the wrapper surface is heated in advance and then attached

269
CHAPTER 3

with the roll nip. This type of sealing also demands stopping the wrapper for cutting and
in order to heat the tail of the wrapper.
The most recent style of heat sealing — the hotpack — offers faster sequences.
This style uses a heating unit that melts the wrapper coating continuously during the
wrapper feed. The use of continuous heat sealing method creates a wide sealing pat-
tern that covers the whole wrapper width.
All these methods not only attach wrapper layers but also improve durability of
the package. Crimping the edges on both roll ends can be accomplished on-line or off-
line. The crimping arm moves according to the roll end and rotates its crimping paddle,
which results in tight radial crimping.
When the gluing pattern is made according to the square style, the wrapper cut is
made with traversing cutter from a stopped wrapper sheet. In this respect, it also
decreases the cycle time. The other option for wrapper cutting is an on-line cutter, which
operates during the full wrapping speed with a tilting or rotating blade system.

3.4.4 Header press

The outer head seals the package at the end of the wrapping process. This phase uses
a header press that has vacuum zones to hold the head until the plate attaches it to the
roll. The plate applies the head to the roll end by heat sealing, using pressure and tem-
perature. The head press plate’s surface temperature is close to 200°C to gain sufficient
head attachment.

3.4.5 Head delivery

One of the most fascinating
and challenging phases of
the wrapping process is the
head delivery (Fig. 41). The
inner and outer head material
varies from flimsy testliner to
stiffened corrugated board.
Depending on the paper
grade, roll diameter varies
from 500 mm to 2100 mm.
Consequently, there is a wide
range of different sized roll
heads, ranging with the roll
diameter. It is, in turn, possi- - a
ble to cut each inner and Figure 41. A schematic illustration of a high-speed wrapping
outer head to match each machine. Inner and outer heads are delivered withanindustrial
diameter. A high-speed wrap- robot. Heads are picked up from the 4 x 4 ee ae haswoto
ping machine demands fast 8-12 different head sizes.
head delivery, and this phase
is most often fully automated to gain improved capacity and constant nie

270
 Roll wrapping and handling

It also demands com-

promising in the range of dif-
ferent sized roll heads. Roll
heads are stored on a pal-
ette in a pile up to 2.5
meters. Depending on the
head delivery system, the
head is either loaded into
shelves or picked from the
palette ©. A typical auto-
mated head delivery system
consists of a head storage
area, delivery arm, and posi-
tioning arrangement. A tradi-
tional head delivery system : Se i,

employs head shelves anda ___ Figure 42. A joint-axis robot applies inner and outer heads to the
pick-up arm that applies the roll end. Heads are picked up directly from the palettes, up to 9 dif-
head and the roll end ferent head sizes.
(Fig. 40). This type of head
delivery is relatively fast as it can reach a cycle time of 20 seconds.
This type of configuration has optimized application sequence with minimized
head application path. A robotized head delivery picks up directly from a palette and
applies the head to roll end. The most frequently used head sizes are located in the first
two rows. The use of this type of solution for head delivery can reach a cycle time of 24
seconds (Fig. 41). A joint-axis robot head delivery picks up directly from palettes that
are located in a circular area. The same vacuum gripper picks up both heads; therefore,
the cycle time of 32 seconds or less can be achieved (Fig. 42).
A combination of head shelves, an auxiliary system, and robotics can result in
cycle times up to 20 seconds or less. Dividing the head delivery sequence into different
phases splits this sequence and therefore reduces time required for the head delivery.

3.4.6 Labeling and marking

The labeling and marking sequences are the most final phases of the wrapping pro-
cess. Labeling stations are typically located close to the wrapping machine, or the label-
ing station is a part of the wrapping machine. Labeling used to be a manual task. This
phase is similar to head delivery and is among the first ones to be automated when
upgrading the wrapping machine for higher speed. An automatic labeling station not
only improves cycle time but also supports a uniform image for the company. It ensures
that each label is applied in the appropriate way and, in turn, it reduces the workload of
the wrapping machine operator. It is typically tailored for each mill. The size of an auto-
mated labeling station is related to the label size, material, and quantity. Even though
each mill has different labeling requirements, a typical labeling solution applies one
label to the body of the roll and another to the end of the roll. This phase can be based

27]
CHAPTER 3

on a manipulator or an
industrial robot. More chal-
lenges can be found in multi-
ple-sized labeling. The
recommended solution for
multiple labeling is a non-
robotics, belt-conveyor
method (Fig. 43). This type
of labeling station can also
be used in producing the unit
identifier barcode zone dur-
ing the label feed.
Accurate roll identifi-
cation has become a more
important issue due to the '
EDI (electronic data inter- Figure 43. A roll labeling system that applies one label from six
change) messages between _ Paper trays to the roll body and prints a barcode zone around the roll
producer and end user.Most 04Y.
European papermakers use
barcoded labels, and an increasing number of mills have started to use unit identifier
barcoding’%. More detailed information on each individual roll and its location in the
logistic chain can be retrieved through EDI. In this respect, papermakers can create
more accurate and real-time roll flow control systems. In addition to more efficient logis-
tics, the label is used as a sales tool. A concept such as shown in Fig. 43 can apply one
of six different brand named labels.

3.5 Single-station wrapping machines

Where the multi-station roll
wrapping machine divides
the process into different
stations, a single-station
wrapping machine uses only
one station for all phases. In
using a single-station wrap-
ping machine, such as in
Fig. 44, the operator needs
only to apply the roll end
headers and labels. All
phases of the wrapping pro-
cess that were mentioned
earlier are proceeding step- Figure 44. In a single-station wrapping machine,the roll enters
by-step because they just where each part of the wrapping ees takeslace. Theeee
cannot be simultaneous. The — applies heads and ae
wrapping process is per-

272
 Roll wrapping and handling

formed by the operator. Next to roll identification, the operator applies the inner heads to
both roll ends. The wrapping machine feeds, crimps, glues, and cuts the wrapper. Dur-
ing that wrapper application sequence, the operator applies the outer heads to the
header press plates.
After the header press sequence, the operator applies the labels and the wrap-
ping process is finished; the roll is ejected back to the roll-handling system. Depending
on the number of operators, this type of a wrapping machine can achieve a Capacity of
over 60 rolls per hour. When the floor space is limited, it is possible to locate a wrapper
backstand on an elevated platform. In such a setup, the roll flow typically moves through
the machine under the wrapper backstands.

3.6 Stretch-wrapping machines

The stretch film wrapping
machine employs a narrow
wrapping method. The wrap-
ping sequence is either
radial or axial or a combina-
tion of both of these two.
This type of wrapping is
especially suitable for tissue
paper grade rolls (parent
rolls for toilet tissue, facial
tissue, and paper towels)
and some board grades.
Stretch wrapping provides
sufficient protection against —_Figure 45. A stretch-wrapping machine rotates the stretch film
humidity changes and lighter — around the roll while the elevated roll rotates. The roll package is
mechanical protection for created from 0.5-m-wide film.
intermediate warehousing. =~ 92 _ oe
Some mills that have only a few clamp truck-handling stages use stretch wrapping for
export rolls.
The axial stretch wrapping process (cocoon style), such as in Fig. 45, rotates the
stretch film around the roll while the roll is rotating. This wrapping sequence is automatic.
During the application sequence, the film is stretched and forced to fit tightly according to
the roll surface. Each wrapper layer is a combination of several rounds of the film. The
operator typically only applies the labels and replenishes the wrapping film roll.
In some grades, the operator applies the inner heads to both roll ends before the
wrapping. After the wrapping process is complete, the roll continues ahead on the con-
veyor. In addition to the axial wrapper application, the radial wrapping is used to achieve
more durable packaging. Such a wrapper application can be located on the same wrap-
ping station as the axial or divided in a separate station to gain more capacity. Depend-
ing on the number of the operators and the level of automated functions, this type of a
wrapping machine can achieve a capacity of 60 rolls per hour.

273
CHAPTER 3

4 Process management
4.1 General
The process management system described in this section takes care of the equipment
control and roll data related functions in the paper mill’s roll-handling and wrapping
area. The roll-handling and wrapping process management system is usually based on
the computers and electronic control devices. Most of the functions are performed auto-
matically with no human interaction. The operator starts, stops, and supervises the pro-
cess. Manual interaction is needed only during maintenance and clearing disturbances.

4.2 System structure

The process management system’s func-
tions can be divided into several levels as
nope Roll and Process User
shown in Fig. 46. Data Management badInterface |
The data management functions : ;
are run on a real-time computer system. t
The system communicates with the equip- Equipment Controllers
ment controllers and the production plan-
ning system. The data management level t
communicates with the equipment control- Sensors and Actuators
lers and makes the decisions that are t
dependent on the roll and order data. This
Process
system also generates reports and com-
municates with the other computer sys- Figure 46. Process management system levels.
tems. The system’s user interface provides
tools for the operator to manage the roll-handling process. Typical user interface includes
a graphic display and one or more input devices. The operator can monitor the process
through the display and give commands using the input devices.
The equipment controllers are usually programmable controllers (PLC), which
read the sensors and switches, and control the motor starters, valves, and other actua-
tors. These controllers take care of all basic functions, i.e., sequencing and safety inter-
locks of the roll-handling system.
The main data management functions are as follows:

- Roll production management

- Roll identification and tracking

- Roll marking, weighing, and labeling

- Roll handling process supervision and control

- Reporting.
The system receives the necessary customer order and production schedule
information from the production planning system and reports production data to the
upper level system. This system can also provide process monitoring and system diag-

274
 Roll wrapping and handling

nostics functions. It gathers information from the equipment control level, refines it, and
produces graphic displays and reports to help the operators run the system smoothly.

4.3 Winder and rewinder

A winder slits the parent reels (or rolls) to smaller rolls that are suitable for the cus-
tomer’s use. The roll production is made according to the trim patterns produced by the
production scheduling. A roll is made at this point. At the winder, the physical roll is cor-
related with the customer order line item. The customer order line defines the required
paper roll’s characteristics and roll dimensions. The order line can also contain informa-
tion for the roll handling and wrapping process.

4.4 Roll tracking

The process management system keeps track of the rolls in the mill floor. The system
controls the roll flow and gives roll destination addresses to the machine control sys-
tems. It also monitors the roll conveyors and gives necessary information to the opera-
tors that supervise the roll-handling system. Roll movement control is based on the
barcode identification, radio frequency tags, or roll tracking by the equipment control-
lers. In Some cases when the rolls are moved manually, they can be identified by a
hand-held barcode reader or by entering the roll location information manually to the
process management system (Figs. 47 and 48).

Figure 48. The roll S core tag barcede |is dented

- appliedon the rllsend, _ and the roll’s ae is stenciled.

4.5 Intermediate (in-process) storage

At some mills, it is necessary to store rolls during the manufacturing process, such as in
mills where the rolls are cut into sheets. The intermediate storage is a buffer capable of
storing hundreds or thousands of rolls. An automatic crane storage is a typical solution
for this purpose. Each upended roll is picked up with a vacuum gripper and stored in
stacks. The storage management system optimizes use of the storage space and con-
trols the roll in-feed and retrieval operations. Storage management is a part of the pro-
cess management system.

275
CHAPTER 3

4.6 Wrapping
Most customer rolls are wrapped or
strapped before they can be shipped to
the customers. The wrapping protects the
roll against mechanical and climatic
stresses during warehousing and trans-
portation. The wrapping process might
not be the same for all rolls. There are
several customer-dependent wrapping
parameters, such as number of wrap lay-
ers, special wrap material, number of
labels and label information, additional
markings, and so on (Fig. 49). Thus the Figure 49. Customer labels are printed and applied
wrapping line’s control system needs to the rolls in the wrapping line.
wrapping instructions from the roll data-
base to wrap the rolls correctly. All rolls are typically weighed. The roll’s gross weight is
printed on labels and is also sent to the business information system for shipping mani-
fests and invoicing.

4.7 Roll sorting

Roll sorting can be accomplished by pair-
ing pockets, a sorting deck, or an auto-
matic storage and retrieval system
(AS/AR). The main function of roll sorting
is to group similar rolls together to boost
the efficiency of warehouse operations.
The rolls are grouped according to cus-
tomer order line, i.e., grade, basis weight,
dimensions, delivery address, and deliv-
ery time (Fig. 50). Sorted roll groups are
discharged from the sorting deck and a
stacked by an upender. Roll grouping Figure 50. Sorting deck divides ro lls into the lanes.
minimizes clamp truck traffic in the ware- _ by customer order.
house, as the clamp truck can now carry
more than one roll at a time. This also reduces the number of times each roll is handled.

4.8 Warehouse

In most paper mills, rolls are stored in the roll warehouse awaiting shipment. There can
be thousands of rolls stored in the warehouse. The process management system must
be able to determine the inventory and location of each roll. Rolls in the warehouse are
handled by clamp trucks. There can be a wireless radio terminal on board each truck to
display the roll database and handling functions for the clamp truck driver.

276
 Roll wrapping and handling

A barcode-reading device con-

nected to the wireless terminal allows for
easy roll identification (Fig. 51). Usually
there is a bar-coded roll identifier printed
on the roll’s shipping label or directly on
the roll’s bilge. All rolls must be identified
when taken from the warehouse or
moved to another location inside the
warehouse. These transactions are also
stored in the warehouse database.

4.9 Shipping Figure 51. The barcode on the label is identified by

In the shipping area, the rolls are taken a vehicle-mounted barcode reader which is con-
from the mill’s warehouse and loaded onto nected to a wireless radio terminal to exchange data
trucks, boxcars, or vessels. The process with the process management system. —
management system tracks the rolls,
deleting them from the warehouse inventory database and adding them to the database
for shipped rolls. The system also produces shipping documents for invoicing and trans-
portation. (Actual invoicing, however, is done through the mill’s business data system.)

4.10 Reports
The process management system maintains a database of information about the rolls
and roll-handling process. Thus it is able to produce several reports. A typical report
contains the weighed roll production over a defined time period, showing the efficiency
of the entire mill operation — including trim and other losses between paper machine
tonnage and tonnage of salable paper. This report shows total weight and number of
rolls by customer order. The system can also produce reports which describe the roll
flow inside the mill or a report of warehouse inventory. The modern data systems offer
flexible tools to create additional reports without exhaustive programming.

4.11 Remote links

A communication link allows remote system supervision and maintenance. The link can
be, for instance, the public telephone network, local area network, or the Internet. The
remote communication can be used in a variety of ways such as:

- Remote maintenance tools for the mill’s maintenance department

- Maintenance and upgrade services by the system supplier

- Production data collection for mill management

- Order status monitoring services for the mill’s customers.

There can also be video cameras located in the roll-handling and wrapping area.
This assists operators in supervising the entire roll-handling and wrapping process. The
video signal can also be accessed through the remote data link.

2t7
 CHAPTER 3

BReferencsess aa
. Transfennica, Transportation and Handling of Paper, Sanomaprint, Finland, 1980.
~—

Makinen, J., Valmet Paper News 11(3):28 (1995).

Ojala, P and Makinen, J., Das Papier 50(10):102 (1996).
. Fahllund, K. and Makinen, J., Asia Pacific Papermaker 6(4):65 (1996).
a® . ‘Wrapping Recommendation for Paper and Board Reels,” Transportation Damage
&®
ND
Prevention Council for Finnish Forest Industries (4/1992, 3/1997).
6. Kélgran, M., “Wrapping of Paper Reels,” Nordisk Paper Group for Distribution
Quality, NPG, November 1995.
7. Rainer, S., Certificate of Repulpability of PE Coated Wrapping Materials for Paper
Reels, Wisapak, 1992.

8. Joutsjoki, J., “Conserving Rolls and the Environment — Options for More
Environmentally Friendly Roll Packaging,” TAPP! 1997 Finishing and Converting
Conference Proceedings, TAPP! PRESS, Atlanta.
9. Makinen, J., Pulp Paper Europe 1(7):16 (1996).
10. Ojala, P and Makinen, J., Paper Asia 13(1):23 (1997).
11. Makinen, J., Asia Pacific Papermaker 6(10):29 (1996).
12. Ponkamo, J., TAPPI J. 79(10):107 (1996).
13. Makinen, J., TAPPI J. 79(2):127 (1996).
14. Nielsen, M. C., Pulp & Paper (10):39 (1992).
15. Harrison A., Pulp & Paper (4):42 (1994).

278
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conwanodxastinasnks aakehes ERE eet 348
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ADDIOVIatlONS ...:i.cscnsasasesniasotinsacnsanacsevausencsnexannicansunensinntencecielage eee een nr 353

280
CHAPTER 4

Anu Hamalainen, Pekka Niemi, Lauri Pirnes

oheet finishing aaa

1 Introduction
1.1 Sheets and sheet finishing
The original format of paper was a sheet, and the hand-made sheets still remind us of
papermaking history. The technology of producing “endless” paper was a major break-
through about two centuries ago. Nevertheless, a relevant share of the paper and board
production even today is delivered in sheets. This is a fact that is very often almost for-
gotten, despite the major effects to the costs and technology.
Why is sheeted paper and board needed today? There are several reasons:

- For short printing series, it is more economical to use sheet-fed printing

presses, as the initial investment is lower than that of web presses.

- Sheet-fed presses offer more flexibility in the size of the final product. The flex-
ibility can be increased further through several printing presses as the invest-
ment cost is relatively low.

- Sheet-fed offset printing presses ensure an excellent register and print quality.

- Sheet-fed printing eliminates curling and cracking of the bulky folding box-
boards.
- Anincreasing number of ink-jet and laser printers both at home and in the
offices has boosted the consumption of the cut size sheets.

The two major categories are parent size and junior size sheets’. The customer
often orders a slightly bigger sheet than the final product will be, i.e., the untrimmed
sheet will be clear-cut after the converting or printing. A trimmed sheet size is often
used in office printing. There are several standard size series like A for trimmed sizes
and SRA and RA for untrimmed sizes. During recent years, the term cut size is limited
to mean the most typical trimmed sheet sizes in the office printing and duplicating, syn-
onymously to the junior size, meaning sheet sizes smaller than A3 or 11 in. x 17 in. Syn-
onymous with the parent size sheets are the folio sheets, meaning both trimmed and
untrimmed sheet sizes as well as any other sheet size bigger than A3 or 11 in. x 17 in.
Folio sheets have widely varying sheet lengths and sheet widths (Tables 1 through 3),
typically starting from about 350 mm and ending around 2 m, but even larger dimen-
sions exist.

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CHAPTER 4

Table 1. Example of standard trimmed sheet sizes*.eZ

eo Millimeters |
Designation | Millimeters Designation
AO 841 x 1189 A5 148
x 210
Al 594 x 841 A6 105 x 148
A2 420 x 594 A7 74 x 105
A3 297 x 420 A8 52 x 74
A4 210 x 297 AQ 37 x52
A10 26 x 37

Table 2. Bond papers and bristol papers — common sheet sizes’, Bond papers basis
weights 49-90 g/m?, index bristols basis weights 130—796 g/m?.

Bond Papers Index Bristols

Millimeters Inches
711 x 864 28.0 x 34.0 572 x 889 22.9 X 35.0
610 x 965 24.0 x 38.0 648 x 775 22.9 X 30.5
559 x 864 22.0 x 34.0 921 x 876 20.5 x 34.5
432 x 711 17.0 x 28.0 572 x 724 22.5 X 28.5
483 x 610 19.0 x 24.0 216 x 279 8.5 x 11.0
445 x 572 17 De 22.5
432 x 559 17.0 x 22.0
279 x 432 NOX 1720
216 x 356 8.5 x 14.0 Legal size
216 x 279 8.5 x 11.0 Letter size
'These are the generic sizes that are the metric equivalents ofinches, rounded to the nearest millimeter.

Table 3. Examples on u ntrimmed sheet sizes.?

Primary range R
Size of sheets, millimeters
Direction of manufacture Direction of manufacture Corresponding ISO 478:1974
parallel to the longer parallel to the smaller identification
dimension dimension be
860 x 1220 1220 x 860 RAO
610 x 860 860 x 610 RA1
430 x 610 610 x 430 RA2
Supplementary range SR
Size of sheets, millimeters
Direction of manufacture Direction of manufacture Corresponding ISO 478:1974
parallel to the longer parallel to the smaller identification
dimension dimension
900 x 1280 1280 x 900 SRAO
640 x 900 900 x 640 SRA1
450 x 640 640 x 450 SRA2

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 Sheet finishing

Cut size sheets are normally cut to a standard size, like A4 and A3 (width 210
mm, length 297 mm, and width 420 mm, length 297 mm, respectively) as well as legal
size and letter size. A typical application is duplicating, copying, or printing directly from
a computer. Thus sheets are cut into the final format.
The tolerances for sheet sizes are given in standards ANSI X3.151-1987, DIN
19309/11.90, and EN20126:1990 (Table 4)* 3: °. In practice, the customers using the
most modern converting or printing technology expect much tighter tolerances (see
“Sheet finished product”) which can be achieved with modern sheet cutters.

Table 4. Sheet size tolerances according to some standards.

Bond papers and Bristol papers —- common sheet sizes, ANSI X3.151-1987
Sheet size/Dimension | Tolerance
larger than 8.5 in. x14.0 in. +0.0625 in.(+1.59 mm) length, width
(larger than 216 mm x 356 mm)
8.5 in. xX 14.0 in. or less +0.03125 in. (+0.79 mm) length, width
(216 mm x 356 mm or smaller)
long dimension larger than 32 0.0625 in. (1.59 mm) from 90 square
in.(813 mm) degrees
long dimension 32 in. (813 mm) | 0.03125 in. (0.79 mm) from 90 square
or less degrees
Sheet size Tolerance
210 mm x 297 mm (A4) +0.75 mm length, width,
diagonal difference
Dimension Tolerance
150 mm or less +1.5mm length, width
more than 150 mm, 600 mmor |+2mm length, width
less
more than 600 mm +3mm length, width

Due to the papermaking process, the fibers are strongly oriented to the running
direction of the web, resulting into a difference between machine and cross direction in
the paper properties like stiffness, tensile strength, etc. The difference in these proper-
ties greatly affects the functionality of the final printed or converted product. When the
paper machine direction is along the sheet’s long edge, the sheet is cut long grain (LG).
In the opposite case, the sheet is cut short grain (SG). In Europe, the paper machine
direction is normally the latter dimension, i.e., 700 x 1000 mm long grain sheet and
1000 x 700 mm short grain sheet, respectively.
Paper sheets are very often sold according to their number and the nominal basis
weight although most of the sheets are weighted too. A common way of stacking sheets
is on a wooden skid to form a pallet, but smaller units are often needed. Therefore, a
certain sheet count called a ream can be packed separately either into a paper wrap or
a carton box. The most common number of sheets in a ream is 500, but there can be
100, 125, 150, 200, 250, or 1000 sheets in one ream.

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1.2 The world’s paper and board sheet production

There are very few sources reporting the volume of paper and board sheet production
or consumption in the world separated from roll volumes. However, it has been esti-
mated that in the year 2010 the world’s total paper and paperboard demand will exceed
400 million metric tons®. The estimation of the writers is that more than 10% of the vol-
ume will be sheets, i.e., around 43 million metric tons, out of which about 40% are car-
tonboards like solid bleached board (SBS), folding boxboard (FBB), and white-lined
recycled-based board. The annual volume of office paper cut size sheets is estimated to
be about 12 million tons, and the volume of coated and uncoated woodfree folio sheets
is about the same or higher.
Most of the customers for sheets are professional printers and converters to
whom the paper sheet is an important raw material and a major cost factor. Combined
with the increase in office paper consumption, there is also a major group of end-users
who are not familiar with the special properties of the paper and who see paper just as
one of the office supplies needed in a modern business life.
Traditionally, the applications using paper in sheet form were relatively slow and
sometimes sheets were seen as an efficient way of using any second grade material.
This is no longer the case, as the speed of sheet-fed printing, duplicating, and copying
machines is increasing. Thus the quality of the sheets has become more and more
important. At the same time, the demands for improved flexibility, Just-in-Time deliver-
ies, and smaller deliveries are increasing. Due to changes in the printing run sizes and
print layouts, the demand of short grain sheets is growing too.
The increased sheet volume will have an impact on both the existing sheet finishing
capacity and the new investments into the sheet finishing. The demands are partly contra-
dictory, for example, the increasing demand of smaller delivery sizes and shorter sheet
lengths, which make it most difficult to reach the top efficiency in the sheet finishing.
Therefore, it is most probable that there will be more and more automation to shorten or
eliminate efficiency losses. Wider sheet cutters can be a part of the solution, but the sheet
cutter manufacturers will also improve construction speed and speed curve. One of the
developments in this field is the lighter cross cutting drums, constructed of fiber compos-
ite. On the other hand, the human factor is important too, and there will be room for
improving the team work and management systems in the sheet finishing plants.

2 Specifications of the sheets and their raw material

In “Sheet finished product,” the requirements for the ready-made sheets are discussed,
and in “Raw material for the sheet finishing,” the properties of good raw material for
sheet finishing are described, based on practical experience.

2.1 Sheet finished product

The specifications of sheet finished products vary according to the converting method
and the end use of the product. A sheet finished product can be either board or paper,
folio sheets, or cut size sheets. The end use of the product varies from multicolor printed
boxes to copy printing sheets.

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 Sheet finishing

The specifications of sheets must be extensive and exact enough, so that the
toughest requirements can be met. By this way, it is ensured that the sheet finished
product is suitable for most final uses. As sheeting is a fixed industrial process, it is not
possible to adjust the specifications according to every end use of the product sepa-
rately. The specifications must match all the time at the highest level required.
Today most of the paper mills work according to a quality assurance system. The
specifications of sheet finished products are written into the specifications of a quality
assurance system and to the working instructions for the sheet finishing personnel. This
makes it possible that every person in the sheet finishing plant can control the quality.
Some of the sheeting specifications, e.g., sheet dimensions and the count of sheets can
be followed by measurements, but many properties are only inspected visually or optically.
In the following chapters, the requirements of the sheet finished products are
grouped into customer-related, quality, and housekeeping in the sheet finishing.

2.1.1 Customer-related requirements

First of all, the product must be in accordance to the order. The delivered amount must
match the ordered amount and the order must be ready in time. It is very important to
know the machine direction of the sheets (see “Sheets and sheet finishing”) when produc-
ing boxes, publications, or printings because the machine direction stiffness is bigger than
the stiffness of cross-machine direction. The sheet size must be right; sheet piles must
have the same height according to the order. The printing side must be piled either
upward or downward, as defined by the customer. Ream marking and the wooden skid
shall be according to the customer order; the requirements of the sheet packing are dis-
cussed in “Packaging of the sheets.” The possibility to transfer the delivery and product
information in an electronic form can be also very valuable to the customer.

2.1.2 Quality and housekeeping in the sheet finishing

The sheet dimensions must be inside tolerances. When making specifications for sheet
dimensions, it must be remembered that sheet cutters are not like new ones all the time.
The variations in the paper moisture content, winding tension, etc., can also cause
some deviation from the target dimensions. The following tolerances are typical, when
cutting with a modern sheet cutter:
- Board sheet lengths < 1000 mm, tolerance < 1mm

- Board sheet length > 1000 mm, tolerance 1%o

- Paper sheet lengths +1 mm

- Sheet width tolerance < 1mm

- Square sheets, i.e., the variation from 90 degrees must not exceed the toler-
ance of the length dimension.

- Cutsize sheet width and length tolerance is +0,5 mm, and maximum deviation
0.6 mm between the sheets within one ream. The maximum difference in diag-
onal length for any sheet within a ream, +0.4 mm.

285
CHAPTER 4

The paperboard customers normally wish that the tolerance did not get under the
ordered size. It should also be noted that the customer expectations vary market by
market.
Sheets must not blur together or stick together due to electrostatic charges or too soft
coating, as the sheets will be impossible to convert. The blurring is most common when sev-
eral thin paper webs are sheeted at the same time. The electrostatic charges as well as the
properties of the coating should be taken care of in the previous process phases.
Both slitting and cutting must be clean and free of dust. The dust will accumulate
on the printing plate and other machine elements, and the printing machine has to be
washed more frequently. Normally the slitting edge is across the printing machine, and
the possible dust and debris will be spread across the printing machine width.
The condition of the sheet surfaces must be good. There should not be any coat-
ing faults, holes, cracking, folds, markings, or impurities because they will spoil the print-
ing result and the product will be wasted. Sheet piles shall be free of impurities too.
Most of impurities can badly damage the printing plates or they can spoil the whole
making. Some of the customers have special preventive methods for impurities, like
food packing lines, that are equipped with very effective detectors for all kinds of steel
impurities. The risk of the following impurities should be minimized:

- Tapes from a flying roll change or the roll end tapes fixing the tail of the web to
the core

- The splicing tapes of the parent roll

- Pieces of edge trim strips or pieces of paper or board from jamming

- Glue from the ream wrapping

- Pieces or fractions of the transporting belt used in the sheet cutter

- Steel pieces from damaged bearings from the press roll

- Oil or grease, especially after the maintenance stops

- All kinds of little parts from the sheet cutter like screws, nails, parts from bro-
ken lamps, etc.

- Dust, sand, or wooden sticks. The sheeting finishing plant must have good air
conditioning. The impurities in the air have to be filtered so that they do not get
on the sheets.

- Insects. Nowadays it is common to use special electric lights, which catch the
insects. The incoming air should be filtered too.
- Short sheets can run into the sheet pile after a start-up or during jamming.

The sheet edges must not be damaged, as the damaged sheet edges can lead to
sheet tearing in the printing machine. The printer normally uses the whole sheet area,
and even the smallest edge damages can ruin the printing result. When preventing
damages, the following should be noted:

286
 Sheet finishing

- There should not be any damage of the parent roll if the sheeting is done with-
out slitting the edges.
- The belt section, the overlapping of the sheets, as well as the side and back
plates of the lay-boy station can damage the sheet edges.
- Transporting and handling of the sheet piles with a pallet-turning device can
also damage the sheet edges.

Sheets with curl do not sell well. If a light curling of the sheet cannot be avoided,
most of the customers prefer the curling in machine direction to be a little downward
rather than upward. If the curling is upward, the sheet edges get crushed in the printing,
dying, or gluing machine.
Piles need to be straight and the piling good; the piling accuracy should follow the
tolerance of sheet width. The packaging must be correct, in good condition, and neatly
folded; the labels and bar codes need to be correct.
In the sheeting operation, as in all process operations, it is important to take care
of the following requirements often audited by the customers:

- Aclean and well lighted sheeting plant

- Clean and well painted machines similar to new ones

- Active personnel properly dressed

- Competitive productivity performance figures are a sign to the customer that

he is a part of a reliable and high-quality converting chain. Furthermore, the
quality and productivity development of a sheet finishing plant is a sign of a
commitment to the future. It is also very important to take care of the environ-
ment, like checking that the packaging materials are suitable for recycling and
the sheet finishing broke is recovered as raw material.

A supplier of sheets must collect information about the suitability of his products
for different converting methods. He must be ready to advise both new and old custom-
ers when they are planning new products or in case of converting problems.

2.2 Raw material for the sheet finishing

Sheeting is made directly from a machine reel (usually by a duplex synchronous sheet
cutter) or from a wound roll mainly by simplex sheet cutters. The most modern sheet
cutters are synchronous sheet cutters. It is possible to cut several paper or paperboard
webs simultaneously. A high basis weight or other technical reasons (like difference in
brightness, shade, or thickness of the rolls), or only one optical sorting device in use can
limit the number of the webs to one, only.
The demands set to a sheet finishing raw material roll are grouped under the
titles “The effect of winder operations,” “Paper or board properties,” “Handling and ware-
housing,” and “Others.”

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CHAPTER 4

2.2.1 The effect of the winder operations

The winder operations critically affect the quality of the sheet finishing raw material rolls.
The rewinding direction of the roll must be correct. Sheets are delivered to the
customer either topside or wireside up. If the product has been wound the wrong way, it
is not always possible to change the unwinding direction, e.g., due to old fashioned fly-
ing splice backstands. The sheets will be piled wrong side up. The optical inspection
units are also checking the wrong side of the web. When compensating the butt roll curl-
ing of a thick board, like folding boxboard, the coated surface easily cracks. Therefore, it
is best to wind boards coated side in, as the de-curling unit will stretch the coated side
instead of compressing it, and the chance of cracking decreases.
The width of the roll has to be correct and the web should not “wander” in cross
direction. The sheeting is sometimes done without slitting, and roll width variations lead
to sheet width variations. The edge trim must be as narrow as possible due to economi-
cal reasons. If the web wanders in cross direction or the roll width varies, the trim edge
strip can snap apart and the sheet cutter must be stopped.
The paper web near the roll core must be properly wound as tension variations
will lead to a sheet cutter stop or variations in the sheet length, and the rest of the roll
often has to be wasted. The web is usually fastened to the core by glue, tape, or
stitches. However, the latter are losing their popularity because they can follow the end
of the web and damage a printing machine or sheet cutting knives.
Roll tension has to be high enough, and even across the web. A loose roll creates
tension control problems in the sheet finishing and can lead into sheet length variations.
Tension variations across the web are often caused by thickness or moisture variations
of the product, and can cause wrinkles or folds at the press section of the sheet cutter.
Tension variations also make the curl-compensation difficult, as the effect of the de-curl-
ing unit is minor to the loose parts of the web.
The slit edge of the roll needs to be free of dust. When sheeting is performed
without the slitting, winder slit edges will be the sheet edges. The winder running speed
is about five times higher than the running speed of a sheet cutter, and it is important to
pay enough attention to winder slitting quality level. At some mills, the quality of roll slit-
ting is so bad that it prevents sheeting without slitting. If rolls have bad slitting, the dust
of the edges accumulates on the web conductors of the sheet cutter and will be
removed later by wider webs.
The web splices should be performed and marked properly. Both the splices inside
the rolls and those deriving from the roll change have to be removed during the sheet fin-
ishing. The unwind direction of a roll must be marked, and the rolls need to have labels
with all the necessary information. Marking of the unwind direction helps one to bring the
rolls to the sheet cutter in a right position. The usage of bar codes on the label or other
means of electrical data transfer helps to avoid mistakes in recording the rolls at the sheet
cutter. The roll dimensions, diameter, running meters, and weight should be in accordance
with the label. If the information on the label is false, the planned number of sheets cannot
be produced, which results in a short delivery or wasted sheets. The running meters of
rolls to be cut as one set should be as close to each other as possible.

288
 Sheet finishing

2.2.2 Paper or board properties

The thickness and the moisture profiles of the roll must be good, and the roll must be
free of wrinkles. If the slitting coincides with the bad profile, the sheet edge curls upward
or downward causing feeding problems at a printing machine and weakening in the
printed quality. A bad profile can also cause variations in the sheet width.
Paper surfaces must be free of loose particles like slitting dust, coating dust,
pieces of board or paper, insects, and other impurities. All these impurities are pressed
against the product surface in a roll nip. It might be impossible to extract them by the
sheet cutter dust removal system; thus, they end up in the printing or converting
machine along the sheets.
The product must be free of curling other than the normal butt roll curling and free
of all internal tension.

2.2.3 Handling and warehousing

The roll must be round. Out of roundness caused by, e.g., a roll lift truck will cre-
ate problems in the unwinding web tension control, leading to sheet length variations. If
a roll is stored in a lying position, the roll can lose its roundness. Sometimes lift truck
handling can also damage the core in such a way that the chucks at the backstand do
not go into the core. Therefore, it is important to equip the clamps of the roll lift trucks
with a pressure adjustment device. The core plugs can protect the core too.
The rolls shall have the same temperature and relative humidity as the sheet fin-
ishing room. If the rolls have been in a cold storage for a long time, they must be brought
into the sheet finishing room at least one day before the sheet cutting. Many paper mills
and merchants have made their conditioning recommendations specific to the paper
grade in question.
The rolls shall not be damaged. Transportation, handling, and storing can dam-
age the roll. If the roll is damaged so badly that it is impossible to unwind the roll, the
damaged part must be removed before the roll is put to the backstand. Sometimes it
can be necessary to remove a damaged roll from the backstand for correction or reject-
ing, if the damage is in the middle of the roll. This means an additional machine stop
and start-up and many minutes of lost production time. It can be possible to unwind and
cut into sheets the damaged paper or board, if the sheet cutter is equipped with a good
inspection unit and a reject gate. However, the thinner and weaker the web is, the more
probable is a web or a slitting edge break unless the damage is removed. The produc-
tion loss at the sheet cutter is not the only defect of a roll damage, but the loss of mate-
rial can be very expensive too. One layer of paperboard in an 1800-mm diameter roll is
about 5 meters long!
Proper handling and transportation of the rolls can prevent the damages. The lift
trucks and floors must be in good condition to avoid damages. The packaging of the roll
has to be correct. As the roll packaging material is quite expensive, most integrated
mills do not pack the rolls for the transportation and warehousing inside the mill.

289
CHAPTER 4

2.2.4 Other factors

Roll core size and type need to be selected properly. The most modern sheet cutters
have adjustable core chucks so that it is very easy to run rolls with different core sizes.
However, there are still lots of core chucks either in millimeter or inch sizes that are
changed manually. These chucks are slow to change, and that is why it is most practical
to cut rolls with the same core size. It is best to check the inner core diameter whenever
ordering the raw material rolls.
The core must be strong enough to resist quick deceleration and acceleration
before and after roll changes and machine stops. Normally it is possible to recycle the
cores several times, sometimes after sawing away the worn part. Metal core ends can
save the core from wearing out too soon but, on the other hand, they can damage the
chuck. In some mills, there is a practice to join short cores together by gluing them and
thus recycling them several times. White cores can be recycled by pulping them
together with the rest of the roll paper.
The number of the rolls should be correct; i.e., the amount of waste created in the
sheet finishing is taken into account, but not to excess, and last but not least the product
to be sheeted should match any other specifications.
The better the paper or board runs in the sheet cutter, the smoother will be its
handling in the following converting processes. Generally speaking, the quality of the
product cannot be improved at the sheet cutter; only some of the faults can be removed
through rejecting with the help of the automatic fault detectors. The only property that
can be improved to some extent at the sheet cutter is the curling of the web. Often faults
like profile variations are even more easily detected in the sheet piles than in a reel.

3 Sheet finishing process and machinery

The typical elements of a modern sheet cutter are discussed shortly in “Sheet cutting
process” according to the process order. “Typical features of sheet cutting machines
and factors affecting the selection of those” discusses and gives practical hints in select-
ing the sheet cutting machinery; the chapter is divided into separate sections for folio
sheet cutting, cut size, and guillotines.

3.1 Sheet cutting process

3.1.1 Unwinding
The unwinding section of a sheet cutter consists of backstands with brakes, a web ten-
sion control system, a decurler, and a web guiding system (Fig. 1). In addition, modern
sheet cutters can have automatic splicers and core removal systems.
Nowadays the maximum dimensions of the rolls sent from board mill to sheeting
plants are as follows: diameter 1 800 mm, width 2 500 mm, and roll weight about 4 500
kg. The diameter of paper rolls seldom exceeds 1 500 mm.

290
 Sheet finishing

Web quiding roll

(Il
The 4

“SAS ¥
Ht 4ero_ speed
20a } splicer

VIA
Hf Lifting device ie

|? ao ‘4 f Oooo)

=Z | 0))Hi LA—
a

as i
ZZ =
Chucks

Backstands

- Figure 1.Sheet cutter backstand. :

There are basically two types of

backstands: with shafts or shaftless.
Shaft-type backstands were common
over 20 years ago, and it is still a practical
system for solutions where the width of
the web is less than one meter. Shaftless
backstands allow increasing automation
of the roll loading and handling. Shaftless
backstands are equipped with chucks.
Chucks can be either conical or expand-
ing, which are typical today (Fig. 2).
The weight and width of the roll
and the size and quality of the core deter- —
mine the selection of the chucks. Itisvery ent
important that the core does not slide on Figure 2Extensible chuck for asheetcutter
roll
chucks during production when the sheet __ stand. :
cutter is accelerating or decelerating the _ pee Oe
speed. The chucks can be equipped with an air pressure control ae a entice Boetion
indicator, to make sure that the rolls are fixed on chucks during production. With this
optional equipment, the working safety is improved.
Modern chucks are constructed so that it is possible to clean the chucks with air
pressure, for example, when changing rolls.

291
CHAPTER 4

The backstands are equipped with brakes to adjust the web tension according to
the impulses from the web tension control system. Drum and disc brakes are commonly
used on sheet cutters, but electric motors (break generators) are used as well. As brak-
ing generates heat, it is important to take care of cooling the system. Mostly this is done
by means of air. At the same time, it is possible to remove dust from the brakes. Water
and oil are also used for cooling (Fig. 3). The brakes must not make noise or emit harm-
ful particles into the air of the sheeting room.

Stop—pressure

Regulation pressure

Reel rotation
proximity switch

Assembly flange

Rotating hub

J ‘:
j \i /

Piston ring /
/\ !
'
7\
/\

Mie
Oil return

Figure 3. Oil-cooled sheet cutter disc brake.

3.1.2 Roll change and splicing

Due to the technology of the sheet cutter, roll change can be accomplished as follows:

When using a manual roll changing system, the sheet cutter must first be
stopped. Then the butt rolls are removed and new rolls fitted in. After the splic-
ing, the production can start. The whole procedure is fully manual.

In the zero speed splicing system, the sheet cutter is equipped with double
backstands. A zero speed splicer system allows the tail of the new roll to be
prepared while the machine is running. When the sheet cutter comes to a
stop, the splice is automatically made at each web position. The sheet cutter is
then accelerated back to the normal operating speed. A zero speed splicer is
normally used on multiple web sheet cutters where all the rolls run down to the
core at about the same time. A zero speed splicer consists of a splicer frame,
splicing heads mounted inside the frame that bring the webs together, and
knife assembly inside the splicing head which cuts the old web once the splice
has been made’.

292
 Sheet finishing

- Flying splicing can be done in half or full speed of the sheet cutter. Parent rolls
are prepared with splicing tape while the machine is running.To make a flying
splice at full machine speed, the new parent roll is accelerated to the speed of
the expiring parent roll by an electric drive. The drive is linked to the automatic
web tension control system, which controls sheet tension to a preselected
level. The complexity of flying splicer system is in the roll stand and its control.
The roll stand has to be fitted with drives that must accelerate the new roll up
to running web speed?,
Depending on the average order size and the roll diameter, the production time effi-
ciency is 10%-25% better with the flying roll change stand than with one normal backstand.

3.1.3 Web tension control

The task of the web tension control system of a sheet cutter is to keep the tension of the
webs constant during the production. Poor control of the web tension can cause wrin-
kles in the running web, sheet length variations, or decurling problems.
Four types of web tension control system are normally used:
- Manual
- Load cells
- Ultrasonic systems
- Dancer rolls.
Manual web tension control requires the sheet cutter operators constantly to
adjust the web tension during production. The system requires the operators to be alert
all the time, especially when the speed of the sheet cutter is high.
Load cells read the actual tension of the web and control the brake pressure to
maintain the present tension. This system allows the operator to adjust the web tension
at any time. Though their systems are quick responding, they have no forgiveness for
web fluctuations due to out-of-round rolls. In some cases, the load cell based tension
control can under- or overreact to quick stops and start-ups of the sheet cutter.
Ultrasonic systems follow the roll diameter and decrease the brake pressure
according to the decrease in the roll diameter. The system does not read tension or cor-
rect the tension variation due to the out-of-round rolls.
Dancer roll web tension control system uses an electrically or pneumatically pre-
loaded dancer roll. It is adjusted by the operator. The system follows the position of
dancer roll and controls the brakes mechanically or electrically”.

3.1.4 Web curl compensation

The task of the decurler system is to compensate the curl of the web, which especially
appears in the butt roll, i.e., near the core. The compensation is accomplished by means
of decurling bars (Fig. 4). The quality and surface properties of the paper or board
determines what kind of decurling bars can be used: fixed or rotating. The edge of the
bar can vary from sharp to round.

293
CHAPTER 4

Limit Decurler bar inserts

switches aR , : Rey

aa, neat Fez: |C

( _— ems Spindle eli Double
decurler bars

Figure 4. Web decurling device.

Fixed decurlers are mainly used in fine paper applications, for example, on cut
size sheet cutters.
Rotating decurlers are used, when sheeted material is prone to damage, i.e.,
coated grades.
In some cases, for example, when sheeting thick coated grades, decurling must
be done in two steps. The two-step decurling system is used to prevent cracking or
marking of the product.

3.1.5 Web position control

The task of the web position system is to conduct the webs to the slitters so that the trim
waste can be minimized. This system is especially needed when running without edge
trimming.
There are two types of web position control systems: movable roll stands and
web guidance bars.
In the most common system the edge of the web is monitored, for example, by
the aid of photo cells, which send commands to the roll stands to move in order to cor-
rectly track the web. The movement of the roll stands is performed manually or automat-
ically. The weakness of this system is its slow response time, which can cause wrinkles
or untrimmed edges of the web at higher speeds.
At higher speeds, a web guidance system is preferred. In this system, the web
guidance unit is separated from the unwinding and a series of rolls aligns the web. This
system offers quick responsiveness’2.

294
 Sheet finishing

3.1.6 Slitting
On the slitting section, the
webs are cut between a
driver bottom knife and a
rolling top knife (Fig. 5).
To get good slit edge
quality requires the cutter
devices to be in good condi-
tion and the plowing angle
and the overlapping of the
top knifes to be correct. The
slitting result depends on the
knife geometry. Typical slit-
ting knifes of a folding box-
board sheet finishing plant
are represented in Figs. 6 Figure 5. Cut size slitting unit.
and 7. The overlapping of
the top knife against the bottom knife should be as small as possible, 1-2 mm. Too ane
overlapping means a risk that the top knife might jump over the bottom knife. Too big
overlapping weakens the slitting result.

Knife rejected
when “A’ = 185 2, 10.03514

&s

oS

Q
3Q

yy |

IS) a eis y

Cv vw)
fos ar ee 8Beet|
(70.0514) f 34.200
0.3 HOC Soar?
MATERIAL: ASP 23

“Fi 6 Ap itn orb.

290
CHAPTER 4

@200
-02 @150 165
H79

ZOOAIA
4,
“6

Figure 7. A bottom slitting knife for board.

The angle between

the knives should be about
0.4—0.5°. The slitting point Locking device LiL
should be at the tip of the :
bottom knife so that the web Paper webs Side edge trim
is well supported during slit-
ting. The diameter of the bot- O
tom knives does not become Bottom knife shaft
smaller when they are Dust removal
Paper webs
sharpened. This guarantees
that all the bottom knives
support the web in the same a;
way. The pressure of the top g
knife against the bottom am |e
knife is adjusted by pneu-
matic cylinder. The pressure
is high enough when itis still Figure 8. Twin slitter.
possible to move the top

296
 Sheet finishing

knife against the bottom knife by hand. Too little pressure increases the risk that the top
knife jams on the bottom knife. The air pressure must be let in to the knife holders so
that there are no pressure variations during sheeting. As the diameters of the top knife
gets smaller during every sharpening, the slitting result weakens.
It is important to choose the knife material very carefully. The bottom knife is usu-
ally hard metal, and the top knife ASP or CPM. Nowadays ceramic or diamond coated
bottom knifes are quite common too.
When considering the quality of the edge, slitting is usually the critical factor,
which restricts maximum knife load. Therefore twin slitters are currently in common use
(Fig. 8).
The trim edge suction units must be mounted at the slitters so that the strips are
forced into them. In this way, trim edges are cut into pieces and they do not cause sheet
cutter stops and little parts of strips do not go to the sheet piles. If wide edge strips are
slitting the strip, the suction should be adjustable. This is made possible either by an
inverter or by using air before the fan.

3.1.7 Draw roll section

The webs are drawn by the

aid of a draw and press roll Seen Garr Cross cutting unit
section from the backstands Press roll eiVe
into the sheet cutter. The : ee
draw and press roll section
consists of a bottom cylinder
Paper web <6
and a pressing top cylinder pS Pm Nl =
(Fig. 9). The rubber-coated <@ fase!
press rollis either groovedor _
covered byspiral felt strips een. [|
for conducting the air away
from the webs. The plain |
rubber needs little service = ae — ~
and is easy to recoat by rub- __Figure 9. Draw press roll system of a sheet cutter.
ber, needs little pressure, “= . ;
and does not make marking; but, if the thickness or moisture profile of the web is not
very good, the web wrinkles easily. The individual possibility of loading or cutting both
edges of the upper press roll is necessary. The steel bottom roll is often coated with
tungsten-carbide, which allows a proper surface roughness. The surface of the press
roll must be ground or renewed regularly to avoid sheet length variation. Worn press roll
is also causing vibration at the sheet cutter.

297
CHAPTER 4

3.1.8 Cross cutting unit and reject gate

Except for the guillotine cut-
ting, it is the rotary cross cut- Knife drum
ting unit that performs the ,
Knife angle
essential procedure of the
sheet finishing, i.e., forming A bt atta”
a sheet from a continuos 4
paper web (Fig. 10).
Two basic systems of 4 |
the rotary cross cutting sys-
tems are: Paper web

- Cutter with one Figure 10. Rotary cutting knife drum.

rotary knife and
one fixed knife with
the rotary knife mounted in a helix on the knife drum

- Cutter with two rotating knives, with each knife set in a helix’”.
Whether the cross
cutting unit has a single
rotating or double rotating
knife system, the actual cut
Cutting line
is a scissor action between iN
the knife blades starting from
one edge of the paper web
and proceeding across the
web to the other edge (Fig.
11). The knives have to be in
a small angle toward the Running direction
right angle line of the run-
ning direction”.
Wittenberg ’’ has presented
a selection of mathematical B Cutting begins
formulas describing the A Cutting ends
cross cutting. & The angle between the knife
The truly right angle cut and the web running direction
against web can only be A-A The movement of the last
achieved by using a synchro- cutting point during the cut
nous double rotary knife cut- Figure 11. Cross cutting over the web.
ting (Fig. 12). In the
synchronous cross cut, the circumferential speed of the cutting knife has to be equal to the
web speed during the cut. In the case of cut size, for example, A4-sheet cutters, the circum-
ferential speed of the cutting knife is fixed and always equal to the web speed. In this special
case, the sheet length matches with the circumferential distance of the cutting knives’7.

298
 Sheet finishing

In a folio sheet cutter, it

is necessary to adjust the Rotary top knife, Double rotary knife system
"dead" bottom knife
sheet length. One option is to
adjust the diameter of the
knife drum, and have a con-
stant circumferential speed of
the knife drums. The more
common option is the vari-
able knife drum circumferen-
tial speed: During the cut, the
circumferential speed of the
knife drum is equal to the
speed of the paper web, and
Vp Speed of the paper web
the sheet length is adjusted Vom Speed of the top knife drum
by accelerating or decelerat- Vum Speed of the bottom knife drum
ing the knife drum when the
Figure 12. Single rotary and double rotary cross cutting knife sys-
knives are not cutting the tems.
web. At first, this was
achieved by using a mechanical gearbox, but lately the direct drive operation is winning
more and more room.
In the case of a mechanical drive, the circumferential speed follows a sinus curve
(Fig. 13), and the knife’s circumferential soeed matches the paper web’s speed in only
one point. As the knife is mounted in a helix of about 45 mm at the 2-meter-wide sheet
cutter, there is a variation of 0.10—0.15 mm in the sheet length, and the variation is
increased along the width of the sheet cutter. A similar problem does not exist in the direct

Synchronous cross cutter with Synchronous cross cutter with

mechanical drive direct drive
Short cut
NE Short cut Nie [Cutting limits < syncronous range
Cutting limits

No
Vp deviation

Syncronous point Syncronous range

long cut Vo long cut

b 350° 6 350
Syncronous system for high effieciency cross cutter

“Figure 13. Truespeed curve for 360° of the knife drum.

209
CHAPTER 4

drive operated cross cutting units, but the control of the drum masses in the acceleration
and deceleration limit the sheet cutter width. The widest modern sheet cutters with the
double rotating cross cutting knife system are today approaching the limit of 3 meters.
One solution to overcome the width limitation is to construct a duplex cross cut-
ting unit, as is often the case at the on-line sheet cutters directly following a paper or
board machine. It is also possible to decrease the weight of the drums by building them
of fiber composite or using a solution where only the mandrels of the drums are running
and the drums have standing shafts.
Reject gates work either individually for every sheet (divided gate) or undivided,
which rejects the full web width of the sheets at the same time. The latter version can
also be partly divided so that a wide trim edge can be rejected during sheeting. Divided
gates can save sheets, because less good sheets are wasted because of only one
faulty sheet. A negative side is that the sheet piles will have different sheet numbers.
They also vary in height, which makes storing difficult and might not be accepted by the
customers. Because of that, the divided gate is practical only for rejecting a part of the
web width during sheeting.

3.1.9 Overlapping
At the overlapping section, the tail of the sheet is lowered and the following sheet is super-
positioned. After that, the speed of the sheet is slowed down by the aid of a belt roller. The
speed of the belt roller is lower than the speed of the previous conveyor. Figure 14 repre-
sents a typical overlapping section construction. Overlapping is accomplished by aid of an
overlapping shaft or a suction box. When using a cylinder, the fingers of the cylinder are
pressing the tail of the sheet down, lowering the speed of the sheet at the same time.
Then the following sheet with higher speed is conducted on the previous sheet. This
makes it possible to use sheeting speeds about 300-400 m/min without sheet damages.
Overlapping cylinder is normally used on a cut size sheet cutter.

Slowing shaft Overlapping carriage

Figure 14. Overlapping sections.

300
 Sheet finishing

When using a suction box, the tail of the sheet is sucked down and the front edge
of the following sheet is blown upward. The timing of the suction and the position of the
overlapping conveyor must be adjusted according to the length of the sheet. A suction
box is normally used in the folio sheet cutters.
The level of overlapping is adjusted according to the requirements of the sheeted
material.
The belts or conveyors of the overlapping section should not mark the web, and
they must be strong. As the modern sheet cutters do not have individual stretch rolls for
every belt, the belts must be slightly flexible; otherwise, some of the belts loosen very
quickly. Sometimes the belts are broken or part of the belts are new ones and part of
them old, thinner ones. This can cause problems, like jamming in the sheet transporta-
tion; therefore, it is wise to change all the belts at the same time. Wide punched bands
or wires are often used at the overlapping section in order to avoid marking the sheets.

3.1.10 Sheet piling

The sheets are piled straight
on a skid (folio sheet cutters)
or into pockets (cut size
sheet cutters) as shown in
Fig: tS:
If necessary, the
reams are marked during pil-
ing. Normally this is done
with automatic paper strip
ream markers. On modern
sheet cutters, the marking is
done with ink. Ream mark-
ing helps to evaluate the
number of sheets, for exam-
ple, when feeding the reams
into a semiautomatic ream-
wrapping machine or during
the printing.
Modern folio sheet
cutters have duplex lay-boys
with auto skid changing.
Stacking is done continu-
ously without need to eae or ane the sheet cutter for a skid Gas
On cut size sheet cutters, the sheets are piled up into 500 or 1000 sheets per
ream. The reams are transferred automatically from the pockets to the packaging lines.

301
CHAPTER 4

3.1.11 Other processes

A splice detector is used to observe and remove splices through the reject gate. Modern
sheet cutters can have an optical inspection system, which continuously scans the web
and rejects any defective sheets at the reject gate. The equipment has been developed
to find the coating faults. The inspection unit can also be installed at the board machine
so that the sheet cutter only needs a reader that identifies the ink-jet color mark made
on the board machine to the edge of the web. The color of the mark tells the position of
the mistake both in the machine and the cross direction. Each web requires an inspec-
tion system".
Static electricity needs to be reduced, especially if the sheeted material is dry or
relative humidity in the sheeting plant is too low.
Trim waste is normally blown through a shredder or a shredder blower to a pulper
or dry handling system.
Dust from the web and from the sheets must be removed because it can cause
problems in further processing, for example, during printing. Through suction, the dust
removal system of a sheet cutter removes dust from the decurlers, the web, and the slit-
ting and cross cutting units. On some modern cut size lines, dust is also removed from
the reams by the aid of brushes and suction.

3.2 Typical features of sheet cutting machines and factors affecting the selection of those
3.2.1 Folio sheet cutting machines
The folio sheet cutters are constructed for cutting sheets of different sizes from one or
several rolls, whereas cut size sheet cutters can only cut a limited number of sheet sizes
(A4, A3). Guillotines are used to cut smaller sheets out of ready-made sheets. When
there is a need to cut very long sheets, it is possible to use a rotary sheet cutter in which
the web is stopped for the cross cutting and the cutting procedure is similar to the guillo-
tine cutting. When purchasing a sheet cutter, it is very important to know what kind of
sheets will be produced.
Sheet cutters are expensive machines and, if maintained well, they can run tens
of years. If a mistake is made when choosing a sheet cutter, the loss can be millions of
dollars because of bad quality or weak productivity. The mistakes must be corrected by
repairing or modernizing the sheet cutter. This leads to a higher amount of fixed capital
than originally planned. During the repairing and modernization, the sheet cutter is
stopped and it makes no production. On the other hand, it is not wise to buy a sheet cut-
ter with equipment which is not really needed. The working width is chosen according to
the roll widths to be sheeted led from the sheet widths (Fig. 16). The matter will be dis-
cussed further in “The effectiveness and the efficiency of the sheet finishing.”
During the sheet finishing, the product will touch a lot of equipment in a sheet cut-
ter — such as de-curling units, web guidance rolls, press rolls, sheet transporting belts,
decelerating elements, and the other sheets — during overlapping and the product can
get glazed, marked, or even cracked. Very smooth and glazed product can be so slip-
pery that the sheets are moving out of the stack during transport and can be damaged.

302
 Sheet finishing

o xe
SHARE

Oo OF OOo, Ono. Oo Of OC 1. Oo © (Oo 71070O ©

eh low xkox Vole [pe i=. fool Kon) Kop ope (ey (oa eh (| oti eh Tee) aes ee one ile (ol . fo)
by al =— — os Sa ces Eset b aad > aoe Byes hw Nye o =

WIDTH,mm

Figure 16. Breakdown of sheet widths in a board mill.

The folio sheets can be either paper or board. In the sheet finishing plants inte-
grated into a paper or board mill, it is wise to select a sheet cutter model specially devel-
oped for either paper or board sheet finishing.
Cutting products of various paper and board mills often employ unintegrated
sheeting plants. The purpose of a satellite sheeting plant located close to the customers
is to help a mill far away from the market to compete with quick deliveries. These sheet-
ing plants must have a large roll stock (common stock) consisting of several products
and several roll sizes. Some unintegrated sheeting plants are offering to their customers
sheet finishing and packaging services when they have no sheet finishing capacity or
the capacity is technically limited or the capacity is fully booked.
The sheet finishing plants selling sheet cutting services often must make compro-
mises with the techniques of their sheet cutters in order to satisfy the needs of both
board and paper sheet finishing. Typical machinery consists of a second-hand paper
sheet cutter, which can handle reasonably well both paper and board after development
of the press section and the cutting knives.

Differences of paper and board folio sheet cutting equipment

It is typical for paper sheet cutters to handle several webs at the same time. The draw
press rolls can have a fairly small diameter without the risk of cracking the product sur-
face, and the cutting knife (both slitting and cross cutting) angles are more obtuse. The
top press roll is strongly grooved so that the air between the webs is blown away before
the cross cutting unit. It is also typical for a paper sheet cutter to have more top belts at
the overlapping section and in the transportation of the sheets to the piling station. A low
bulk paper has a very small risk of belt marking compared to bulky board products.

303
CHAPTER 4

A paper folio sheet cutter can sheet at the same time, for instance, six or even up to
eight webs from the equal number of backstands (Fig. 17).Tomake sure that the web ten-
sion variations do not cause problems, it is best to control each web individually. Double
backstands with either zero splice or flying splice are now common, as well as the auto-
matic removal of empty cores as the sheet cutter standstill for roll change is avoided.
Normally paper sheet cutters are equipped with a simple web inspection unit,
which can only detect web splices. In board sheet cutters, it is common to have an opti-
cal fault detector, too, especially when sheet finishing coated grades. Depending on the
product, there can be a detector for both sides of the web or for one side only. Basically
it is possible to inspect every web in a paper sheet cutter similarly, but the investment
cost of the detectors often limits the number of such detectors.
The basic construction of folio sheet cutters for board is very similar to the con-
struction of paper sheet cutters, but they have been developed to sheet thick and stiff
boards (Fig. 18) . Bulky groundwood containing coated packaging boards need some
features to ensure the web does not get marked, slitting and cutting are dust free, dust
is removed, and the piling is gentle.

High speed precision sheeter with direct drive and three piler discharge
Unwind section
Edge control
Twin slitter
Cross cutting unit
Gate— and overlapping section
Sorting piler
QO
Wa
NoeTandem piler

Figure 17. Paper sheet cutting machine.

Tension Catching Reject Overlapping Loyboy stotion

UY oh +e laf 5 Rahs why ee =

: a ha g i i. Mi - ba} z Fee
|

Rotating back stand Decurler units Cutting knives \t

with a flying reel change mpty
pallet |stock Pallet
Slitting knives Trim removal infeed conveyor

Figure 18. Board sheet cutting machine.

304
 Sheet finishing

On-line sheet cutters and sheet cutters of the machine reels are as wide as the
board or laminating or coating machine. They are normally duplex sheet cutters, which
have two cross cutting units. Wide duplex sheet cutters are now constructed in such a
way that, after the slitting station, the web is led into two simplex cross cutting units.
Wound rolls are normally sheeted with simplex sheet cutters, and their working widths
shall cover all roll widths in the production chain. It adds cost to adjust the roll widths
with a winder to make rolls suitable for sheet cutters and transportation equipment lim-
ited by the roll dimensions and weights.
The sheeting of thin chemical pulp based boards (SBS) is very similar to the
sheeting of papers. The basis weight maximum is 250-300 g/m? for two-web sheeting
of these grades, depending on the bulk of the grade. Thick bulky boards are normally
sheeted only one web at a time as it is difficult to get a good slitting and cutting result.
When cutting only one web, it is possible to work with only one optical fault detector.
Another benefit is that all the sheets are from the same position of the board machine
web width. Thus the variations in the thickness and moisture profiles within the stack
can be adjusted during the printing. There are no color differences between the sheets.
The sheet cutting of very heavy and thick boards (over 600 g/m) is normally performed
on-line, i.e., instead of pope reeling in order to avoid curling and crushing of the board.

A modern folio sheet cutter

The breakdown of the sheet lengths (Fig. 19) should be known when choosing the
working width of the sheet cutter, as discussed in ”Cross cutting unit and reject gate”
and in “The effectiveness and the efficiency of the sheet finishing.” A narrow sheet cutter
can be a good choice, if short sheet lengths are dominating, as the construction allows
running with high speed, piling the sheets exactly on the stacks and achieving a good
productivity.

10%
9%
8%
7%
6%
5%
4%
SHARE

3%
2%
1%
0%
5
500 550 600 650 700 750 800 850 900 10001050110011501200125013001350140014501500155016001650

: Figure 19. Breakdown of sheet lengths in a board mill.

305
CHAPTER 4

A board mill normally uses many core diameters, about five per mill. As the sheet
cutter raw material rolls have to go into the same deckle with customer rolls, there is a
multitude of core diameters in use at the sheet finishing plant. Therefore, it should be
possible to change the core chucks of the sheet cutter quickly with minimum manpower.
The sheet cutter manufacturers have installed chucks, which are adjustable according
to the core diameter and solutions, where only the outer parts of the chucks are
changed. Well-organized chuck storing and suitable lifting aids decrease the need of
physical power.
A typical backstand of a board sheet cutter is either a rotating stand with flying roll
change (Fig. 20) or a twin stand for flying roll change (Fig. 21). Additional equipment
can be a middle arm, which gives better working widths when sheeting narrow rolls. If

Roll rotating direction

A splicing reel with cutting knife

Photocell
for measuring
the roll
rotating speed

Chucks /
for new roll “\

) eat
| <
Nace):
\
“dae: Wa
a e ee a ANS
( : “,
Ne
See
eae el |

Back stand
A new roll is provided with SS
rotating direction
flying splice tape join

Figure 20. Rotating backstand with a flying roll change.

Non stop. splicers Web collecting

section

to
sheeter

“T
Roll conveyors

Figure 21. Twin backstand with a flying roll change.

306
 Sheet finishing

the products are sheeted two webs together, there has to be one backstand for each
web. There are also tambour backstands with flying roll change on the market. The
backstands must be able to unwind the rolls whether the paper web topside is wound
inside or outside. The web guidance rolls of a board sheet cutter must have bigger
diameters than those of a paper sheet cutter to avoid web-crushing problems.
The web curl compensation rolls must be rolling to avoid damaging the surface of
the board. If the products also have other curling than the normal roll curling, the de-
curling unit must work into two directions. Products crushed easily can be handled by
two de-curling units. Modern sheet cutters are delivered with de-curling rolls having a
diameter of about 60 mm. De-curling rolls having a larger diameter lose their de-curling
effect. Roll diameters of 45-60 mm are most suitable for high bulk paperboards. For low
bulk paperboards consisting of recycled or chemical fibers, roll diameters of 30-45 mm
are used.
The slitting station is equipped with edge trim outlet. If the backstand of a board
sheet cutter makes it possible to sheet two rolls side-by-side, there must be trim outlets
in the middle of the sheet cutter, too. As the roll width varies at the folio sheet cutter, the
outlets must be movable. The trim edge slitters are equipped with supporting rings,
which prevent the strips from vibrating because of the suction. It is very important that
the trim edges are at the same level with the other webs during slitting and that they led
to the trim edge removal system only after the slitting, without touching the web edges.
The trim removal system must be so efficient that it can take up to 250-mm-wide
edge trims if needed. In case there is a need to cut wider edge trims, they can be driven
to the reject gate if it is partly divided or to the lay-boy station as a little sheet pile. If the
reject gate is not divided, it is possible to use thin plates mounted between the transpor-
tation conveyors to guide the waste sheets under the sheet cutter.
The diameters of the slitting knives must be large enough, 150-300 mm depend-
ing on the thickness of the product: the bigger the thickness is, the bigger the diameter
is. The strength of the knife holders must be high enough for the slit products. New
board sheet cutter slitting knives have a diameter of 200 mm, which is suitable for most
board qualities. The inner angles of the knives are 30° or under. Small angles do not
tear the product during slitting (wedge influence). The same applies to the cross cutting.
The material of the draw press rolls should not mark bulky board. Normally only
the bottom roll has a drive. That is why its material must be very hard and strong to
avoid decreasing its diameter because of wearing. Smaller diameter could cause mis-
takes to the speed ratio between the draw press and the cross cutting knives. The cover
material is normally molybdenum or tungsten carbide, and roughness must not mark
the coated grades. It is now possible to have the draw press roll reconditioned in the
machine without dismounting.

307
CHAPTER 4

When cutting board,

cross Cutting knife angles
should be sharp, sharper
than with cutting paper. Too
large of a knife angle should
be avoided, as it works like a
wedge and the board is torn
rather than cut. Examples of 2e35-5

folding boxboard cross cut-

ting knives are represented 40.1
0.0
in Figs. 22 and 23.
Belts of the over-lap-
ping section catch the
sheets from the cross cutting
knives. The space between
the belts must be adjusted
according to the board thick-
ness. If the space is too
small, there is the risk of the
board being torn. The cutting
speed of the knives must be Figure 22. Bottom cross cutting knife for board.
exactly correct, too. Other-
wise, the sheets are not
square and the cutting is not
good. When adjusting the
cutting speed, the speed has
to be decreased until a little
40-45
wave appears in the web
before cross cutting knives
and then the speed is accel- =2235-5

erated until the wave disap-

pears. After the speed AB+135

adjustment, the diagonal

dimension of the sheet is
checked. If it is not correct,
the speed must be re-
adjusted.
At the folio sheet cut-
ter piling section, the sheet
edges are lift upward by
wedges so that the stiffness
in machine direction
increases. At the same time, Figure 23. Top cross cutting knife for board.

308
 Sheet finishing

press belts push the sheets between the piling plates and air is blown between the
sheets. The plates are equipped with vibrators to help piling. There are many models of
the piling section on the market. Important features of a piling section are:
- Good pile building
- No wasted sheets due to skid changes
- No disturbances when guiding the sheets to the pile during skid change
- Ream marking is possible from the beginning of the piles and to all piles.
- Correct sheet count of the sheet stacks
- Minimum speed decrease during skid change
- Empty skids can be loaded with the minimum manual work and fast into the
lay-boy.
- Sheet piles are laid just in the center of the skids; there is no need to use a
sledgehammer.
- The slitting and cross cutting knives, and overlapping section as well as the
lay-boy section are adjusted automatically according to the new trim.
- The lay-boy station is spacious enough for storage of additional pile plates,
ream markers, and sheet size precision control table.
- The usage of wide skids should be possible even with full width trims in case
the final skids are not ready.
- The transport of ready stacks is as automatic as possible.
- tis possible to fix the identification information to the piles.
- Adding the corner protectors of the sheet piles and fixing the top sheet to the
pile are possible.
During recent years,
the sheet lay-boy stations, : a I
i.e., piling stations, have
been developed so that the
piles can be changed with-
out decreasing the sheet
cutter running speed. In the
new stations, sheets are not
wasted and piling or ream
marking is not disturbed by
the pile change. An example
called Contimat is repre-
sented in Fig. 24. In the
Son.
Contimat pile change, the
nonstop delivery system of a paper sheet cutter.
pile is divided by inserting

309
CHAPTER 4

elements similar to swords between the sheets. The ready-made sheet pile is carried
away, a new skid is brought to the lay-boy and the “swords” are drawn away, and the
sheets are carefully placed on the skid. The solutions with two or even three lay-boy sta-
tions are also very practical, but they need a lot of space both in cross and machine
direction. When sheeting with a double lay-boy, it is possible to prepare the free piling
station ready for the next order, while the last pile of the previous order is sheeted.
Ready-made sheet piles are transported from the sheet cutter by conveyors, lift
trucks, manually or electrically driven lift wagons, or by robot wagons. In the design, it
should be noted that the ready pallets must have the following features:

- Identification labels
- The slats of the skid must be in the right direction.

- The top sheets of the pallets must be fastened, and the corner protectors pos-
sibly added.

- Some of the sheets and pallets must be separated for quality control, and for
re-conditioning.

- The stacks must be piled exactly.

- The empty skids must be brought to the sheet cutter. °

When using conveyors, the pallets of the same delivery must be separated for
transportation. If there are separate piles, which will form a twin pile on the same skid,
they must be united. In some cases, the moisture protection material of the skids must
be prepared for packing line.
The identification label can be stuck to hang between the two top sheets of the
pile or on the top sheet of the pallet. In the latter case, it is not very easy to find the pal-
lets if they are stored before packing. Otherwise, it is the easiest way to fix labels
because there might be several piles side-by-side after the sheet cutter. Identification
information can also be fixed to the legs of the wooden skid. If corner protectors are
needed, they are added on the pallet before transporting to the packaging line. Some
mills transport the piles to the packing line by conveyors, some by lift trucks or lift fork
wagons, and some by self-steered automatic wagons. Some of the piles must be
repaired before the final packing. The conveyors of a modern sheet packing line are
able to transport the piles so that the legs can be pointing in either the transporting
direction or cross direction. The starts and stops of the conveyors have to be smooth in
order to keep the piles in good condition during the transportation. The “bridges” across
the conveyors should not damage the legs of the pallets.

3.2.2 Cut size machines

Cut size sheet cutters are mostly producing standard size sheets: in Europe, 210 x 297
mm (A4) and 297 x 420 mm (A3); and, in the United States, 8.5 in. x 11 in. and 11 in. x
17 in. Cut size sheets are mostly made from woodfree uncoated grades with different
brightness and basis weights.

310
 Sheet finishing

The working width of a cut size sheet cutter is defined by the aid of the number of
pockets — in other words, the number of reams from the width of the web. When choos-
ing the width of the cut size sheet cutter, it must be taken into account the width of the
paper machine to minimize broke at the paper mill. Currently, the number of pockets is
usually around 10 with a maximum 15 pockets.
Followed from the concise distribution of the sheet sizes, conditions at the sheet
cutter are constant, for example, standard roll sizes.
Typical features of a modern and efficient cut size line (Fig. 25) are as follows:

- The rolls are transferred with an automatically guided vehicle into the back-
stands.
- Six double backstands, zero speed, or flying splicer system

- Automatic core removal system

- Qil-cooled disc brakes

- Twin slitter

- Efficient dust removal system

- Automatic web guidance system

- Production speeds up to 350 m/min.
CHAPTER 4

3.2.3 Guillotines
Guillotines are needed when sheets are cut from sheets. Earlier, when sheeting quality
of a rotary sheeter was not good enough, guillotines were used for the final cutting of
sheets to create a glossy finishing of the sheet stack. Another function was to cut short
and narrow sheets, which a rotary sheet-cutting machine could not cope with. Printing
plants use guillotines for cutting the ready products for their customers. In the paper and
board mills and in their sheet finishing plants, guillotines are now mainly used for cutting
small sheet sizes and samples to the customers. Further possibilities of using guillo-
tines are discussed in “Guillotine cutting operations.”
The procedure of the
guillotine cutting consists of
unstacking the pile of ready- Single knife cut
made sheets with the guillo- Upper knife
tine cutting a 2-10 cm thick
pile of sheets at the same
time, edge-by-edge and
turning the sheets 90° in
between, and restacking the
sheets. Sometimes the ingo-
Cutting base
ing sheets are stripped from
a reel, especially when sam-
ple sheets are cut. During Figure 26. Single knife cut.
the cutting, the sheet pile is
slightly pressed to hold it still. Theoretically, the guillotine cutting can been seen as a
single knife cut (Fig. 26), where there is a “dead knife” cutting against a cutting base,
and the speed of the web is zero. The cutting knife is straight. The guillotine cutting
tends to blur the edges of the sheets; in the worst case the sheets create a block.
Therefore, it is necessary to separate the sheets before using them in a printing or copy-
ing machine.
The manual work during the guillotine cutting can be decreased by providing the
guillotine with auxiliary equipment such as:

- A self-propelled lift table

- An elevating unstacker with an airlift table, which has a flying carpet

- A paddle conveyor

- An inventory table

- A quick automatic measurement adjustment

- An elevating stacker and a lift table for stacking sheet piles.

312
 Sheet finishing -

Without unstacking and stacking equipment, the work involves a lot of manual lift-
ing. Guillotines are now equipped with diagonal cutting equipment, sheet calculators,
and ream markers.
When handling sheets
with an unstacking unit, a : liepraelet:
guillotine, and a stacking
unit, there is the risk of dam- |
aging the bottom and top
sheets of the pile, especially
during transportation to the
cutting table and pressing by
the pile holder during the
cutting. Bulky folding box-
board becomes marked very
easily, which is why guillotine
manufacturers have
designed special air tables
to avoid damages.
Figure 27 presents a
layout of a guillotine
equipped with a loading unit
(right) and an unloading unit Hl
(left), but other layouts are _———
also available. Figure 28 .
shows an example of a guil- Figure 27. Layoutofa guillotine cutting line.
lotine cutting line machinery. _ | . ..

“Figure
28.Guillotine cutting line.

313
CHAPTER 4

4 Packaging of the sheets

4.1 Packaging of the cut size sheets
4.1.1 Specifications of the cut size packaging
The end users of cut size sheets are mostly small consumers. Because the final distributed
product unit is a single ream, both the packaging and the content have to be faultless.
The cut size reams can be packed directly into corrugated board boxes without
wrapping (2500 sheets bulk packaging), but most of the production is wrapped in a
moisture-proof wrapper. The typical ream wrapper is printed polyethylene coated paper
wrapper. Polyethylene can be on top of the printing or against the product. Today printed
plastic wrappers (for example, polypropylene) are also in common use. Because of the
transparency of these wrappers, they are used especially with colored copy papers. The
ream label is either printed on the wrapper or fastened on the ream after the ream-wrap-
ping machine.
The most important requirements of the cut size package (ream and box) are:

- Faultless printing quality

- Identifying codes are clear and tidy

- Tight glue seams

- Properly fixed labels

- Undamaged and enough tight wrapper

- Properly fixed strap on the box.

4.1.2 The cut size packaging lines

After a cut size sheet cutter there can be one, two, or even three packaging lines
according to the product range. If the sheet cutter is producing, for example, A4, A3 and
bulk package, three packaging lines are needed. On the other hand, if the sheet cutter
is old or is making only special products and the production target is low, one packaging
line is an economical solution.
The main parts of the packaging line are a ream wrapping machine, a ream
inspection/rejection unit, a ream stacker/accumulator unit, and a case packer/lid
machine. In addition to this, there are identifying equipment, ream and box label appli-
cators, and box strapping machines on the packaging line. Maximum speed of a mod-
ern ream packaging line is 120 reams/minute.
The wrapping machine consists of an infeed conveyor, which carries the reams
into the machine (Fig. 29). The loader fingers transfer the ream onto the elevator sec-
tion. A pre-cut sheet of ream wrapper is fed over the ream. At the same time, a glue
wheel or nozzle to the underside of the wrapper applies hot melt adhesive. Then the ele-
vator is lifted upward pushing the ream into the wrapper sheet. At the same time, the
sides of the wrapping paper are folded down and then under the ream. Finally both end
flaps are folded down and hot melt glue is applied. After that the ream goes to the com-
pression section. If not printed on the wrapper, a label is applied to the ream end.

314
 Sheet finishing

After wrapping, the

ream is inspected by photo ih
eyes and with an air-jet for: MW
©
- Loose flaps <
- Open girth seal ©
- Pulled out tuck Nes
YD)

- Trailing labels

- Out of package ae
sheets. ® Mee~

Defective reams are a

NZ
automatically rejected and edi PRODUCT FLOW
diverted to the reject storage
A Wrapper Roll
conveyor. B Incoming Reams (Sheeter fed or hand fed)

After inspection, the é a ae Ween eee ew

reams are conveyed into a E Bee ioc Ree int the wrapper

ream stacker/accumulator sce

unit. Operators select the Rear Underfold
Front Underfold
desired stack configuration, Rear Tuck (Both ends)
Front Tuck (Both ends)
normally 5 reams. A Bottom Flap Fold (Both ends)
Top Flap Glue (Applied to underside of flaps)
descending elevator system _ Top Flap Fold (Both ends)
stacks reams to a preset : afm
RAS
OZ a yt (Compresses end flaps to complete

height. If downstream equip-

ment stops, the reams can _Figure 29. Cut size ream wrapping.
be transferred onto the accu-
mulation belt. Accumulated reams are automatically fed back in line wnen downstream
production resumes.
Single- and double-stacked reams (5 or 10 reams) are packed in a case packer
and lid machine (Fig. 30). The reams are transferred to the case packer onto a case
blank supported by an elevator. The elevator descends, folding up the sides of the
case. Then the case is transferred forward and the end flaps are folded. At the same
time, hot melt glue is applied onto the flaps which are then compressed against the
ends of the case. A lid blank is transferred above the previously completed case. As
the case moves ahead, it is elevated upward to contact the lid. Hot melt glue is applied
to the lid. Then the end flaps are folded and compressed, and the case is ready for
labeling and strapping.

315
CHAPTER 4

to case
labeler

Lid hopper
i: ie Glue applied
compression
to
Carton
lid flap
Lid Folded
Carton hopper
\ Case end flap side
compression

Glue applied to
carton flap

from ream
accum /stacker

Figure 30. Carton packing of stacked cut size reams.

The ready-made cut size sheet cases are conveyed and elevated to another
stacker that, according to a preprogrammed scheme, organizes the cases to form one
layer on a wooden skid. The stack is formed layer by layer, and finally transported to the
shrink or stretch film wrapping. The wrapping station is similar to those discussed in
“Palletizing.” The unit identifiers are normally added on the outside of the wrapper. As
the number of pallet sizes and possible box layouts is limited, there are only very few
skid types and sizes in use in a cut size sheet finishing plant. The pallet packing station
does not normally include a pallet scale, as most of the cut size sheets are sold accord-
ing to the number of sheets/nominal basis weight.

4.2 The ream wrapping and the carton packaging of the folio sheets
4.2.1 Specifications of the folio sheet packaging
Folio size sheets are packed, like cut size sheets, in moisture-proofed paper wrapper or
Straight into a corrugated board box.
The most important requirements for the folio size sheets are:
- Faultless printing quality

- Tight glue seams

- Properly fixed labels

- Undamaged wrapper, which is tight enough.

Printing papers, like art printing papers and also office papers, are often sold
under a merchant brand name printed on the wrapper.

316
 Sheet finishing

4.2.2 Ream wrapping and carton packaging machinery

The folio size sheets are nor-

mally wrapped into 100-500
sheet reams. The pallets are
conveyed to the ream-wrap-
ping machine straight from
the sheet cutter or mostly
through interval storage.
AGV, truck, or a conveyor
can transfer the pallets. An
example of the folio sheet
ream wrapping machine is
presented in Fig. 31.
The feeding of the
reams into the wrapping
machine can be done manu- |
ally or automatically. The
ream is then transferred to Figure 31.Folioone ream wrapping machine.
the wrapping stage, where _
the wrapper sheet is folded and glued ree the ream. Before ahs the reams, a label
can be placed on the end of the ream.
Automated carton packing machine can be integrated into a sheet cutter or a
freestanding unit, including an automatic size change. First the ream or reams are
placed on a carton bottom blank which is then formed around the block of paper with
sides and ends being folded and glued at the flaps. Next a lid is placed on the stack. The
sides and ends of the carton top are folded over and glued to the filled carton bottom. A
label is inserted and the cartons are conveyed to the palletizer’?.
4.3 Palletizing
4.3.1 Requirements for sheet pallet packing
Pallet packing must protect paper and board sheets when they are stored at the mill, at
harbor terminals, at the customer warehouse, and during transportation from the mill to
the customer. The packing must look good, it is possibly provided with logos from the
mill, and it has to be equipped with easy to read identification labels. The labels cur-
rently provide unit identifier bar codes to make it possible to handle the information by
computers. Normally at least two labels are used on one pallet, one on the long side of
the pallet and the other on the short side.

Wooden skid

The skid can be made from plywood, board, or from different co-products of the wood
processing industry, but timber is still the most common material. The width and the
length of the skid should be at minimum 2 mm and at maximum 30 mm larger than the
respective sheet dimension. The height of a pallet is normally limited by restrictions of

317
CHAPTER 4

printing machines. It is not wise to build a very high pile if the sheet size is small
because there is a danger that the pallet might fall easily. It is safer to pack two or three
small sheet piles on the same pallet for transportation. Figure 32 presents a typical
wooden skid for board.

en ee
Cover
——— —with 10-12 X 100 mm slats spaced apart

Bottom
—number of legs 4, 6, 7 or 9
—runn ers porallel with the long or short side
—single or double: 1 or 2 stacks per pallet
—location of legs 10 mm or 100 mm inwards
from the ends
—non—stop rod space >25 mm
—gop of 95 ar 120 mm when the runner is
porallel with the short side
—gap of 115 or 140 mm when the runner is
parallel with the long side

Figure 32. Skid and cover for board sheets.

Many mills use so-called “Siamese skids”, which means that the legs of two nar-
row skids are bound together with steel or plastic bands and the piles are under the
same wooden cover. A customer can divide a Siamese skid into two individual pallets by
removing the cover and cutting off the fixing bands. After that, it is easy to take the pallet
to the printing machine.
Most of the skids for paperboard are a nonstop type, which makes it possible to
run the printing machine without stops during a pile change. It is also important that the
skid is open on four sides, so that a forklift can move it from all sides. The width of the
forks is often limited in number and by the diameter of the skid legs. Skids and wooden
lids for paper packing must be constructed in such a way that blanks are close to each
other, as the narrow gaps between the blanks might damage the sheets.
Most of the skids are for one use only, especially in the board sheet finishing
where there are very few standard pallet sizes. The use of the European Pallet Pool’s so
called EUR pallet’ for carrying the sheets is limited, as the standard pallet size 800 mm
x 1200 mm very seldom matches with the sheet sizes in use. The only exception is cut
size deliveries, in which EUR pallets are utilized. However, it is more common to use a
one-way pallet having the dimensions 800 mm x 1200 mm.

318
 Sheet finishing

Some countries, like Australia, stress the quality of timber used as packaging
material, which has to be proven to be insect-free. The wood raw material of EUR pallet
is also specified.

Skid moisture protection

Most of the mills use a polyethylene sheet placed below the stacked sheets for skid
moisture protection. The dimensions of the sheet are normally 100-200 mm larger than
the dimensions folio sheet. Thickness varies a lot, but 50-100 um is generally used.
Some mills still use polyethylene laminated paper sheets. Normally the moisture protec-
tion is above the wooden skid, but some mills have started to put it under the skid. Thus
the operator of the printing machine does not need to pull it away in the nonstop stack
change.

Pallet wrapping
Both paper and plastic wrappings are used. It has been easier to construct an automatic
plastic wrapping line than a paper wrapping line, but now there are some automated
paper wrapping lines on the market, too.
Paper wrappings are often printed and equipped with a company logo. Polyethyl-
ene laminated paper is commonly used. Paper pallet labels can be used with the paper
wrapper but, with plastic wrappers it is better to use plastic labels that can be recycled
along with the wrapper. Some mills first wrap the pallet with a thin stretch plastic film
and then with a printed paper without polyethylene lamination. The paper wrapper is not
strong enough to protect the sheets without a strong wooden cover and steel or polyes-
ter bands.
Plastic wrappers are divided into (a) stretch films, which are very thin and flexible
and normally used together with a pallet cover and bands, and (b) shrink films, which
can be wrapped like stretch film or slipped as a hub around the pallet. The hub can be
pre-formed, or it can be cut from a roll of plastic hose. Pallets with a shrink film wrapping
are often packed without bands and a cover; a lot of packing cost is saved and the
amount of wasted packing material decreased. The top corners of the pallet can be pro-
tected for example with board flaps.

Pallet damages
The most common damages are as follows: the pile is moved and is not in good condi-
tion, the corners or the edges of the sheets are damaged — often by a forklift truck, or
the wooden skid is broken. To prevent the damages, many mills load their sheet prod-
ucts directly into containers already at the mill. The use of container freight is increas-
ing, and it is a general opinion that it is the safest way to make sure the customer will get
his order in time and in good condition”°.

O19
CHAPTER 4

Environmental requirements
European Union directives are increasing the need of recyclable packing materials, and
many countries have their specific restrictions, for example, a limit on the content of
plastics in the packaging materials. Recycling fees for packaging materials are also
common.

4.3.2 Pallet packaging equipment

The development of sheet packing has been remarkable during the last few years.
Because of the requirements of increasing productivity, it has been necessary to
decrease the need of manual work on packing lines. This has improved the quality of
packaging and decreased the amount of damages. Below is listed some of the best
achievements from this development.
- There is not much variation in the appearance of packaging.

- Fewer straps are needed.

- The pile variation is + 2 mm.

- The top sheets are not wandering.

- tis easier to change the appearance of a pallet.

- Labels can be put on every side of the pallet and on various heights.

- Pallets can be identified by electronic readers on the packing line, during

transport and by customers.

- The number of damages has decreased.

Prior to the pallet packing, it is very important to check that the sheets are inside
the edges of the wooden pallet; otherwise, they could be damaged when binding the
pallet.
Figure 33 illustrates a pallet packing line of folio sheet finishing plants. The first
important unit is the scale station, which is connected to the mill data system. The unit is
identified either by an operator or automatically by a laser reader or a camera. The data
system checks the unit matches with the customer order. If plain, clear shrink plastic
wrapping is used, it is possible to add the labels to the piles under the wrapping and to
use cheaper paper labels. If the mill uses some other packing method (stretch film,
wrapped shrink film, or wrapper), the labels have to be added on the outside of the
wrapping material.
After weighing, the pile is wrapped. In a case of shrink film wrapping the pallet
goes into a shrinking oven and cooling press. The cover station and labeling follow the
wrapping stage. When covers are used, it is also necessary to bind the pallet with the
steel or plastic bands (2-4 pieces per pallet).

320
 Sheet finishing

Shrinking oven Cooling Press

Labelling

Top shrink film sheet

aa \_ Cover station
Shrink film wrapping

Dust removal unit

Wage and identifying

with camera

Loading conveyors

Incoming
pallets

“Figure 33. Layout ofa board mill packing line.

One or two individuals

operate this kind of packing
line. Identifying, weighing,
wrapping, covering, and bind-
ing can now be arranged
automatically. With the latest
solutions, labeling and cover-
ing can be performed by
robots, as shown in Fig. 34.
When packing sheets,
there are some difficulties in
getting the correct net and
gross weights on the pallet
because the pile is weighed
together with the wooden
skid and the bottom mois-

321
CHAPTER 4

Empty pallets

Reel store Sheeting salle Pallet pack Product store oS

pallets

it
ES

Ream pack

Figure 35. Layout of a folio sheet finishing plant.

aa Sane

Roll stock

Sheet finishing

Piling of the Piling of the

accepted sheets] rejected sheets

Manual
handling
—Unpiling
—Quality control
—Guillotine

Pallet stock

Figure 36. Work flow scheme of the sheet finishing.

(322
 Sheet finishing

ture protection material, and one packing line normally has only one scale. The weight
of the wooden pallet and other wrapping materials must be determined exactly.

5 Other processes in the sheet finishing

Along with the sheet finishing and packaging of the ready-made goods, there are sev-
eral other processes in a sheet finishing plant. Figures 35 and 36 show a layout of a folio
sheet finishing plant and a work flow scheme.

5.1 Co-processes to the sheet finishing

5.1.1 The incoming packaging materials
In a modern sheet finishing plant, the volumes of the incoming packaging materials are
so large that they have to be taken into account when planning the layout. Pallet skids
(1.5-3 skids per ton of paper) and cartons (about 80 per ton of A4 80 g/m? office paper)
are especially space consuming. Ream and pallet wrappers, as well as metal and plas-
tic straps, are normally in the roll form and are thus less bulky.
Space, equipment, and labor are needed for the handling of the incoming pack-
aging material. There might be several trucks to be unloaded per day and an intermedi-
ate stock to be loaded and unloaded. The storage has to be recorded, and if the number
of the articles in the packaging material stock is large, a computer system connected to
the mill system is a practical tool.
The variety of the packaging materials needed is greatly affected by the custom-
ers served (Table 5). In a paperboard sheet finishing plant serving customers from
around the world, the sheet sizes vary so much that there are hardly any standard pallet
skid sizes. The case can be the total opposite in a cut size sheet finishing plant, but
there can be hundreds of different ream wrappers, cartons, and ream and carton labels
instead.

Table 5. Example of the nominal packaging material consumption in the cut size sheet
finishing. Paper basis weight 80 g/m?, reams 500 sheets, five reams per carton, 500 kg
per pallet.

Ream wrapper, paper 80 g/m? + PE plastic15 g/m? kg/ton

Ream labels pieces/ton
Cartons pieces/ton
Carton lids pieces/ton
Carton labels pieces/ton
Carton strap m/ton
Pallet skids pieces/ton
Pallet labels pieces/ton

323
CHAPTER 4

Depending on the infrastructure, it must be considered which of the packaging

material if any will be own production. The target is to build a network of packaging
material suppliers working according to the Just-in-Time principle. It is very difficult to
estimate the packaging material consumption from experience; the orders of the pack-
aging materials should be based on the production plan of the sheet finishing plant and
the prognosis of the sales estimates available.

5.1.2 Re-piling and sorting

The majority of the modern precision sheet cutters’ production is high-quality piled
sheets on the skids ready to be shipped to the customer. Depending on the grade and
quality of the paper, there remains a side flow of material that has to be handled manu-
ally after the sheet cutters. The main reasons for the side flow can be either gaining pre-
mium production material that would be wasted, or very high quality demands of the
product that cannot be fulfilled through the quality control, inspection, and rejecting pro-
cedures at the sheet cutter.
First of all, the rejected material needs a suitable space and, according to an
audited quality system, it has to be separated from the normal material flow. Typical pro-
cedures of the rejected material are re-piling and sorting which can be performed man-
ually. The only additional equipment might be forklifts for moving material and sorting
tables with necessary daylight, UV-, etc., lighting systems.
In handling large material flows or when there is a need to save manpower, it is
advisable to look for auxiliary devices like pile turners, with which it is easy to remove
badly piled sheets or sheets of second grade material. The aeration and vibration device
helps to correct bad piling. Sometimes it can be necessary to combine two sheet piles on
one skid or vice versa, or change the piling of the paper from top-side up to top-side down.

5.1.3 Guillotine cutting operations

In a modern sheet finishing plant, the guillotine-cutting device is an auxiliary device. If
used with skill, it will boost the productivity of the rotary sheet cutters, cut down the
amount of broke, and help to give quick service to the customers.
The order size of the folio sheets is often as low as from one to three tons, or even
less. No matter how efficient and automatic a folio sheet cutter may be, the small orders
tend to decrease the productivity of the sheet cutter. In case there is no idle capacity, it is
worth checking if additional folio sheet production could be gained by dropping the small
orders away from the folio sheet cutter’s production program. Instead, a number of parent
size sheets in bigger lots will be cut at the folio sheet cutter, and the small orders will be
finished with the guillotine. This can also help provide satisfactory delivery times for small
orders, which often are important trial orders. The additional folio sheet cutter production
should have more value when compared to the extra broke created.
The guillotine can also save broke, especially in cases when the roll size and lin-
eal meters do not match to the sheet order size and the handling and storing of the rest
of the rolls is complicated. It can be practical to cut the rest of the rolls to a certain, pre-
defined parent sheet size and put the pallets in stock. Whenever the next suitable sheet

324
 Sheet finishing

order comes in, these pallets will be taken out of the stock and cut with the guillotine to
the right size. The pallet stock control has to be efficient, preferably with the help of elec-
tronic data processing, so that the turnover rate is good. Practical experiences have
shown that the pallet stock works best with fine papers when the number of different
sheet sizes is limited.
Sometimes the guillotine can help to save part of the material that might other-
wise be wasted because of a poor quality. This kind of waste saving also needs strict
control on operations in the sheet finishing plant, because normally the saved material
no longer suits the original order but must be directed into another one.
The equipment required for a guillotine cutting is discussed in more detail in
“Guillotines.” The operations discussed in this chapter mean that guillotine cutting has to
be seen as an important part of the production facilities. Therefore, it is necessary to
consider the efficiency of the guillotine cutting and provide the cutting line with proper
automatic in-feeding and out-feeding tables, etc. Just as important as the equipment is
properly trained and motivated personnel using the guillotine cutting line.

5.1.4 Quality control and traceability of the products

The specifications of the sheets and their raw material are discussed in detail in “Speci-
fications of the sheets and their raw material.” It is the responsibility of the sheet finish-
ing plant management to train the personnel so that these specifications are all known
and applied to the daily work, as there is a lot of visual follow-up and quality control
needed in the sheet finishing.
Whether the quality control is integrated into the work of the machine operators or
separated to specialists, certain tools are needed to perform the control. Basic equip-
ment includes a precision table for inspection of the sheet size and square. It should be
noted that the size of the precision table covers all the sheet sizes cut, and that the table
is accurate enough — at least 0.01-mm accuracy is needed. Another tool used is a mea-
suring tape that has to be in good condition. Again the necessary accuracy has to be
noted: A normal European measuring tape has a grading of 1 mm, and thus differences
below 1 mm cannot be measured without other tools! The accuracy of a sheet counting
device is also very important, especially when the paper is sold according to square
meters or in reams.
In order to carry out the quality control in a proper manner, there has to be a plan
about what is measured and when. A protocol of the measurement results has to be
recorded and stored for future needs. It is also advisable to prepare statistical quality
control reports to assist in the quality improvement work and target setting.
In addition to the measuring equipment and tools as well as a measurement plan
and protocols, there has to be a system to verify the accuracy of the measuring equip-
ment. It is possible that the precision table or a measuring tape becomes worn; there-
fore, its condition and accuracy has to be checked on a regular basis with an
independent measurement. Every measurement tool and equipment must have a regu-
lar verifying system.

325
CHAPTER 4

The maintenance of
the machinery in the sheet
finishing plant is also an
important part of the preven- ff B
ie 23
- O @)
tive quality control. / ?
The traceability of the
production is an important x
element of a good quality 7FRR= a 3-00-0/01
control record. At the pack- aie po esp4 abras2. oso Np
ing line, the pallet gets a unit AN
identifier printed on the label 0037632474
which connects it to the mill @
data system. Figure 37 pre-
sents an example of an iden- Product code
Basis weight
Sheet width
tification label of a sheet Sheet length
Code for accepted pallet
pallet. By using the unit iden- Order number
Calculated weight of the sheet pile
tifier, all information needed Planned
Number
height
of the
of the
sheets
sheet pile

Number of the sheet cutter

is easily found and the trac- Machine reel number
Two first digits; number of the pocket;
ing back to the raw material two last digits; number of the pile set
Bar code
Z= Bar code in numbers
T-AXc-TOWmoVIoa>
roll is possible. It has to be
noted that, in the paper Figure 37. Identification label of a sheet pile.
sheet finishing, the raw
material data can be large because, in one typical ream, there can be paper from up to
eight paper rolls. As a sheet pile can be collected from several raw material roll sets, the
sheets can have origin in up to 36 rolls! Part of this information is also included in the
unit identification label. The unit identifier is expressed both as a series of numbers and
as a barcode. In Europe, most of the mills follow the unit identifier instructions of CEPI.
Smaller units than full pallets can have an identifier too; e.g., the cut size reams
have an identifier, which connects the ream to its raw material rolls and converting date
and machinery.

5.2 Sheet finishing broke and waste handling

5.2.1 The creation of the sheet finishing broke
A remarkable share of the raw material paper will become broke in the sheet finishing
process. At a cut size line, the total broke can be less than five percent as calculated
from the ready-made net tons; in the folio sheet finishing of the coated grades, the broke
percentage is typically 10-15. Theoretically, it is possible to cut a paper roll into sheets
without any broke at all, but this is hardly ever the case.
There are several ways of categorizing the sheet finishing broke, depending on
how detailed the information is. Dividing the broke according to the major cause catego-
ries could be:

326
 Sheet finishing

- Trim waste, i.e., material lost as the narrowest possible edge trim

- Planned broke caused by the roll being wider than the width of the sheets and
the narrowest edge trim, and the running meters of the roll not matching to the
total length of the sheets needed

- Quality broke created as faults in the paper at the paper machine or coating
machine

- Damage broke caused by the transportation and other handling

- Machine broke caused by any malfunction or setting of the sheet cutter or any
other operation causing broke in the sheet finishing.

The major categories can be divided into more defined subcategories; some mills
are using up to fifty different categories. Detailed categories are useful when the record-
ing of the broke is done automatically; for a human being it is difficult to use more than
20 categories. On the other hand, the categories should help to address the attention of
the operators and management to the areas, which affect the customer satisfaction and
cost. Therefore too detailed information might not be relevant.

5.2.2 Handling of broke

The first place where sheet finishing broke is created is the preparation of the rolls to be
transported to backstands. It is a standard procedure to strip a few possibly damaged
layers of paper from the surface of the roll after the removal of the roll package, but this
habit should be questioned. Normally the broke is treated manually by placing it to a
broke cart. In an integrated sheet finishing plant, the practice of stripping the top layers
especially should be questioned.
A continuous flow of broke is created at the slitting unit of the sheet cutter. The
manual handling of the edge trim has been replaced by pneumatic systems that take in
the trim broke immediately after the slitting unit, conveying it to a material-handling fan or
a shredder cutting the broke. The pieces are conveyed to a cyclone where the material is
separated from the air. The material is then directed to a pulper or a baling system.
An uncontinuous flow of broke comes from the rejecting gate after the cross cut-
ting unit of the sheet cutter and from the manual or automatic rejecting of reams. The
broke-handling system has to be created so that it can handle the full capacity of the
sheet cutter. The sheets coming through the reject gate or from the ream rejecting are
normally placed on a conveyor that takes them either into a broke cart or a shredder. As
a shredder cannot handle thick piles of material, it is necessary to break up the reams
and sheet piles by a steep incline belt conveyor (50 degrees) or by using a slow rotating
drum. The shredded material is then conveyed pneumatically to a material-handling fan
and to a cyclone for air separation, and then directed either to a pulper or a baler.
The pneumatic systems of handling the sheet finishing broke, for the most part,
have replaced manual methods, although there are still several kinds of combinations of
both systems. Installation of the pneumatic systems has resulted in remarkable
improvements like increased production, labor savings, fewer contaminants in the
broke, a cleaner working environment, space savings, and safer operation ’®,

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CHAPTER 4

When installing a pneumatic system, a number of special features have to be

taken into account:

- The mitigation of the conditioned air from the production area through installa-
tion of proper diverter and damping systems and by taking the required air
from outside of the production area

- Sound insulation to mitigate the noise level

- Avventilation system for the heat produced by the large material-handling fans
and motors
- Asecondary system for the edge trim handling in case of disturbances in the
shredder system, as trim handling is essential to keep a sheet cutter running

- lf apulper is the final point of the sheet finishing broke handling, it might be
necessary to have a baling unit as a secondary system in case the pulper is
not in operation or when several kinds of materials are handled in the same
sheet finishing plant.

5.2.3 Minimizing the amount of the broke

The key to minimizing the amount of broke in the sheet finishing is to know the reasons
for broke and acting accordingly. Minimizing of the sheet finishing broke does not con-
flict with the quality standard of material to be delivered to the customer. Very often a
close control of broke and proper actions improves the quality level in the sheet finish-
ing. In the cut size sheet finishing, the total broke can be as low as 3% calculated from
the net weight of the ready-made goods. In the folio sheet finishing, the total broke can
be less than 10% for uncoated grades, and 10%—12% for coated grades.
As stated in “Raw material for the sheet finishing,” the sheet finishing plant can
expect premium quality rolls to be delivered as raw material. If this is not the case, the
sheet finishing broke, i.e., quality broke or damage broke, can increase dramatically.
The problem has to be tackled accordingly, either curing the transportation or handling
damages or the quality problems in the papermaking process.
It should be considered carefully, whether it would be worth the capital and ware-
housing cost, to have a small “common stock” of the fastest moving grades, in case a
replacement roll is needed.
Although it is important that enough rolls are reserved for a sheet order, an
excess Of rolls is often added to the category of the planned broke. If the running meters
of a roll do not match to the number of the sheets to be produced, a lot of broke can be
created. When cutting several webs at the same time, it is most important to have rolls
that have matching running meters, as normally all the rolls are changed at the same
time and the excess of meters will be lost on the core removed from the sheet cutter.
Special attention has to be paid on the running meters already at the paper machine
winder operation and also during the transportation and handling chain to avoid strip-
ping the roll.
If the roll is too wide compared to the width of the sheets, again more planned
broke is created. If the sheet finishing operations are based on the common stock basis,

328
 Sheet finishing

there should be a clear limit (for example, +150 mm) as to how much the roll width can
exceed the actual width of sheets cut parallel. The minimum edge trim is normally only
10 mm, sometimes even narrower.
In case several small sheet orders are planned to be cut from the same roll or roll
set, it is wise to cut the smallest orders first; otherwise, the raw material can be lost in
the bigger orders.
Machine broke is often a “waste-basket” category; i.e., any broke that cannot be
categorized belongs to this group. Thus, it is important to study the most important sub-
categories of broke. The operation of the rejecting gate has to be studied carefully,
whether it is operating automatically or manually. Sheets are lost due to inaccurate
sheet length, when accelerating or decelerating the sheet cutter and due to splices.
Sometimes quality faults and roll damages also increase the machine broke, or they are
misleadingly reported under machine broke. Jamming of the sheet cutter or a part of it
is acommon cause of broke. The roll ends are often rejected, too, especially if there is
no proper curl compensation system. The role of the machine operators — their motiva-
tion and skills — must not be underestimated in preventing the machine broke.

5.3 Roll storage and the transportation of rolls to the sheet finishing plant
The location of the sheeting plant in view of the paper mill will determine the way the
rolls should be packed. Because the packaging of rolls creates a remarkable expense, it
is important to optimize the packaging.
If the distance between the sheeting plant and the paper mill is long, the rolls
have to be packed for shipping out of the mill. For short transportation, the packaging
can be lighter, for example, with less wrapper, using slight stretch wrap, or supplying the
rolls without end shields. If the sheeting plant is integrated to the paper mill, it should be
possible to transport the rolls without any packaging by the aid of an automatic conveyor
system, avoiding unnecessary handling.
The buffer roll storage
for the sheeting plant is nor-
mally storage where the rolls
are piled by a lift truck. Now-
adays, fully automatic roll
storage is also quite com-
mon (Fig. 38). Modern and
efficient buffer storage for
unpacked rolls is an air-con-
ditioned and computer-con-
trolled roll storage. The rolls
are transported from the
paper mill by the aid of an
automatic conveyor system.
A vacuum-lifting crane takes
care of the rolls in the stor-

329
CHAPTER 4

age. The automatic crane stores the rolls in piles according to the orders of the com-
puter system. The piling accuracy is +5 mm, so the whole storage space is efficiently in
use. The crane is also equipped with a safety system in case of an electrical outage.
The rolls are conveyed automatically to the sheet cutters on the orders of the operators.

5.4 The storage of the ready-made sheets

The method of warehousing the ready-made sheets in connection to the sheet finishing
plant varies from a simple storage area where the pallet products are stacked on top of
each other to the most modern automatic high rack warehouses (Fig. 39).

Deep Lane System for Pallets

(High Density)

MZ

Figure 39. Pallet warehouse.

The simple warehousing solution is satisfactory in those cases when the ready-
made goods are shipped immediately, or they only wait for the right vehicle for a few
hours or a couple of days. The investment cost of such a warehouse is low, but the oper-
ational cost can be high, as the operation involves labor as well as a number of forklifts.
Along with the large amount of handling the pallets, the risk of damage also grows. As a
rule of thumb, the capacity of the stack storage is about 1 ton/m®. If the production is
large, it is possible to operate the storage so that most of the ready-made goods are
moved to a transportation vehicle directly from the production without an intermediate
warehousing.
Automatic storage and retrieval systems (ASRS) of the sheet finished goods have
become a common solution in high-volume sheet finishing plants and as paper mer-
chants’ storage. The function of the warehouse is not only to store the ready-made

330
 Sheet finishing

goods, but also to offer improved customer service. In a paper mill, very often at least
part of the storage includes so-called flat stock, i.e., the units stored are not nominated
to a customer but are labeled just before shipment. Typically an automatic warehouse
can hold 5,000—10,000 tons of pallets ’”~22.
The ASRS consists of a bar code reader or another automatic solution that iden-
tifies both the incoming pallets or skids and checks dimensions of the unit. Any discrep-
ancies lead to manual handling of the pallet. The accepted unit can be placed on a slave
pallet and transported to its place by a crane or a system of elevators and conveyors.
The positioning of the pallet can be optimized according to the predicted turnover rate of
each product. The aisles are normally double deep, and the racks can be up to ten sto-
ries high. A crane can handle up to four pallets at the same time. The retrieval of the pal-
lets works in connection with the shipping plan: The cranes collect the units to be
shipped the next day and transport them to the shipping docks during the previous
night. The units can be relabelled, if needed. Similarly, the units can be called from the
flat stock for further processing, like guillotine cutting.
The design of an automatic warehouse has to include a careful study of the mate-
rial flows, which includes not only their averages but the peaks as well. As the produc-
tion most probably will increase in the future and more volume should pass through the
warehouse, it is wise to include a plan for the ASRS capacity increase in case it is
needed, so that ASRS does not become a bottleneck in the production. A critical factor
of an ASRS’s functionality is the computer systems to which it is connected or by which
it is operated. H. Debor’® gives a more detailed discussion on the design of an ASRS.
An ASRS offers many advantages:

- Reduced unit cost and manpower

- Reduced number of damaged units or inventory losses, thus improved cus-

tomer service and reduced material loss
- Improved product turnover, “first in, first out” principle fully in practice.

- These benefits overcome the disadvantage of the higher investment cost

whenever the volumes handled are big enough.

5.5 Conditions in a sheet finishing plant

Temperature and humidity in the sheeting plant should be equal to the printing house.
Normally relative humidity is 50% and temperature 20°C. The general idea of controlling
the relative humidity and temperature is to maintain the moisture content of the paper in
order to avoid any dimensional unstability. The geographical location of the sheeting
plant determines what kind of equipment there should be to maintain a standard air con-
ditioning.
If the temperature outside is very low during wintertime, it is important to prevent
the flow of cold and dry air into the sheeting plant. This is possible by the aid of wind
chambers and door blowers.

331
CHAPTER 4

Heating exchangers with regulators take care of the control of the temperature.
The moisture control of the air is possible to arrange, for example, by the aid of steam
moisturizing equipment where pure water is first vapored and then mixed into the air-
flow. During wintertime, it is useful to clean and circulate part of the outgoing airflow to
save energy costs.
When the sheet finishing plant is located in a hot and humid climate, it is possible
to work in a higher temperature than 20°C, and adjust the relative humidity accordingly.
However, sometimes it is necessary to condensate water vapor to control the excess of
humidity.
Temperature and moisture of the air should be equal all over the sheeting plant.
This is arranged by the aid of pipelines covering the whole plant. In addition to this, sep-
arate mixing blowers with pipes are needed.
Efficient and qualified sheet production assumes systematic cleaning in the plant.
A clean and well arranged plant is both a pleasant workplace and also indicates high-
quality operation to visitors.
An efficient dust removal system at the sheet cutters, a central cleaning system,
and systematic cleaning of the floors by the aid of a washing/brushing machine are nec-
essary to maintain the tidiness. Packaging materials also have to be handled in an orga-
nized way.
The minimum level of general lighting in the sheeting plant is 500 lux. More light
is needed in places where the quality control of sheets is performed’.

5.6 The maintenance in the sheet finishing plant

Many sheet cutters 25 years old or even older are still cutting sheets. They have been
upgraded several times (so naturally they are not as modern and fast as new models),
but they are still very practical in use and cost of fixed capital is low.
All mills today have a quality assurance system, and it is very important that ser-
vice and maintenance are also included in the system.
When planning how much money will be spent on the service and the mainte-
nance, the cost as well as the productivity has to be considered.

- If the amount of incoming orders exceeds the capacity, more running time can
be gained by improving service and maintenance and by eliminating the unex-
pected repairs and downtime. This is possible by decreasing the number of
wearing components or by improving their material and by improving their per-
formance while a sheet cutter is running (lubrication). One can make a plan
according to which smaller service and repairs are carried out when a sheet
cutter is stopped because of trim change, roll change, etc.
- How much can the average speed of the cutter be improved? It is possible to
improve the speed by keeping all adjustable parts and equipment in good con-
dition and by improving tools and methods. If there are things that prevent run-
ning the cutter with maximum construction speed and it is possible to improve
them by maintenance or by developing the components, actions must be
taken accordingly.

332
 Sheet finishing

How much better and more stable quality can be achieved by good service
and maintenance? There are several things that affect the quality of the
sheets. The most important ones are slitting and cutting knives and adjusting
them and the condition of knife holders and their moving rails.

Other positions, which have a major effect, are:

Core chucks of backstands and breaks can cause variations in sheet length.

Tension adjustments can cause similar kind of problems.

Curl correcting units can mark the surface of the coated paper or board or
crush it.

If the sorting device is not in order, it cannot detect the faults of the product or
it rejects sheets without any faults.

If the bearings of the web-leading roll are not working well, the rolls can mark
the web.
Draw press can mark the board, or it can be so worn-out that the necessary
tension of the web varies or cannot be achieved, resulting in sheet length vari-
ations.

The reject gate can cause jams.

Belts and overlapping press rolls can mark the board and decrease the driving
speed.

The components of the lay-boy station like wedges, belts, plates, lift tables,
and ream markers have a great influence on the quality of the sheet piles.

An electric control system and drive including gearboxes, couplings, and elec-
tric motors need good service. Also a sheet calculator is important.

Normally air pressure and vacuum is also needed. All filters, valves, and fans
need service. If the dust removal system is not working well, loose dust can
get on the product.
The service and maintenance items should be listed and work instructions written
so that nothing is left out of the service and maintenance program.
It is practical to arrange work so that the sheet cutter operator can inform mainte-
nance personnel directly about minor problems and so operating personnel can help
maintenance personnel in their work. When aiming for good productivity, it is now com-
mon that the operating personnel also participates in the maintenance work.
It is very important to have good knowledge of the use and operating life of differ-
ent components. This helps perform the service and maintenance in time to avoid unex-
pected downtime. The aim is that every day the sheet cutter is like a new one, and new
spare parts eliminate normal wearing early enough so that the quality of the sheeted
product will not fall off.

333
CHAPTER 4

Although daily service is performend diligently, the sheet cutter sometimes needs
bigger maintenance measures, for example, when changing the bearings of the cross
cutting unit. When an older sheet cutter with a mechanical cutting station drive is in
question, it is better if this work is carried out by an authorized expert of a sheet cutter
service company. The frequency of these big maintenance operations can be every few
years and that is why the maintenance personnel of the mill might not have enough
experience. When using the help of experts, both time is saved and mistakes are
avoided.
Sheet cutters are different from each other, but the purpose is always the same:
to slit and cut paper or board into correct dimensions. That is why selection of correct
knife materials, knife service and maintenance, sharpening methods, storage and han-
dling, and maintenance of knife holders are key components in successful sheeting. An
operator of a sheet cutter can help with the maintenance by
- Keeping the machine clean and well lubricated and by checking that all com-
ponents are working

- Operating the machine according to the manuals

- Checking regularly all parts (dust removal, defect detector, knife holders, etc.)
- Watching for any wearing or abnormal noise or function
- Developing further his own working practices (operating, adjusting, checking)
- Co-operating with and informing the maintenance personnel.
Maintenance personnel can

- Help and provide expertise in repairing the machinery

- Carry out the most demanding maintenance and repairs (rebuilding, changing
worn-out parts, major check-outs)
- Keep machinery records updated
- Develop the maintenance.

6 The effectiveness and the efficiency of the sheet finishing

6.1 The capacity of the sheet finishing
The production level of a sheet finishing plant can differ drastically from the expected.
Very often the actual production of a sheet cutter is only 10%—20% of the theoretical
maximum (Table 6). The factors affecting the production of a sheet cutter and a sheet
finishing plant are numerous, and they have to be known both when planning new sheet
finishing capacity and when operating the existing machinery.

334
 Sheet finishing

Table 6. Theoretical technical capacity and actual efficiency of a folio sheet cutter?’

Sheet cutter: Paper: ae a

max. working width, m 2.23 Grammage, 100
g/m2
max. speed, m/min 350 Sheet size, 630 x 880
x mm
mm
max. knife load, g/m2 600
number of backstands 6
max. reel diameter, m lds
time of reel change, min 20

Lo Theoretical Actual aahEfficiency, %

1. Design capacity
Working width, m 223, 1.8 0.81 Width efficiency
Speed, m/min 350 250 0.71 Speed efficiency
Knife load, g/m2 600 600 1.00 Knife load efficiency
Production, t/d 674 389 0.58
2. Sheet size spesific
maximum capacity
Working width, m 2.23 1.89 0.85
Speed, m/min 320 250 0.78
Knife load, g/m2 600 600 1.00
Production, t/d of
Bilin 298 408 0.82
3. Actual continous
production capacity
Reel diameter, m ihe) 1.2 0.80 Reel diameter effi-
ciency
Production time, h/d 19.87 19.06 0.96
Production, t/d 433 Km 16318 0.72

The efficiency of a sheet cutter will be discussed more in detail because, in most
sheet finishing plants, the sheet cutters are the critical element of the productivity. How-
ever, the role of the other equipment and functions in the sheet finishing plant should not
be underestimated. A modern cut size line is an integration of a sheet cutter, several
packaging machines, conveyors, and auxiliary equipment — each affecting the produc-
tivity of the whole line and each being a possible bottleneck. A modern folio sheet cut-
ting line is often as tight an integration as a cut size line, and a cartonizer or a ream
wrapping machine can ruin the productivity of a sheet cutter.

335
CHAPTER 4

6.1.1 The definition of the sheet cutter efficiency

The efficiency measurement of a sheet cutter is a tool to assist the planning for a sheet
finishing plant, the performance follow-up and bench marking of the existing machinery,
and the seeking and correction of bottle-necks. There is little relevant literature pub-
lished on which to base sheet cutting efficiency measurements.
The theoretical maximum capacity of a sheet cutter can be expressed as follows@*:

T,, = MpXnxbxvxt (1)

where 7,, is theoretical maximum capacity, kgs/day or kgs/year

Mp basis weight of the paper web, kg/m?
number of the paper webs cut simultaneously
maximum working width of the sheet cutter, m
maximum speed of the sheet cutter, m/min
SS
SS
= production time, min/day or min/year.

Each of the factors on the right-hand side of the formula can differ from the theo-
retical maximum and thus the effective capacity is:

Tei cA Nact* T,,/ 100 ; (2)

where 7),., is actual capacity, kg/day or kg/year

Nact efficiency factor, %.

Efficiency factor on the other hand is a combination of several sub factors:

Nact F, Nn XN XN XN, (3)

where 1, is actual knife load, % of maximum

Nb actual working width, % of maximum
ie actual speed of the sheet cutter, % of maximum
Nt actual production time, % of maximum.

The factors in Eq. 2 often strongly differ from 100% resulting in very low values of
Nact- Thus, it is not a surprise that the actual sheet cutter capacity is much lower than
the theoretical design capacity.
Equations 1, 2, and 3 give only a very general picture of the factors affecting the
actual production of a sheet cutter. A more detailed presentation based on both
literature“? °4 and practical experience is given in Table 7, splitting the factors into three
major categories: construction of the sheet cutter and auxiliary equipment, production
planning and other mill factors, and details determined by the customer order.

336
 Sheet finishing

Table 7. Typical factors deteriorating the capacity of a sheet cutter. C = construction of

the sheet cutter and auxiliary machinery, P = production planning, etc., mill factors, O =
determined by the customer order.

cro
Number of webs Max. slitter knife load, g/m? X
Max. cross cutting knife load, g/m? X
Number of backstands x
Furnish of the paper web (amount of filler, coating, x
mechanical/chemical fibers)
Quality of the cut (condition of the knives) x
Order size, tons x
Actual working width Number of pockets, i.e., number of the parallel sheets x
Sheet width, mm x
Roll width, mm x
Max. trim waste, mm x
Actual speed of the Design max. speed, m/min x
sheet cutter Machine speed curve vs. sheet length x
Sheet length, mm x
Condition of the paper web x
Runnability of the paper web Ca
Friction of the paper web GO. Hk
Skills and motivation of personnel x
Actual production Time to load rolls and feed webs, min Kel EX
time Time to set a new sheet size, min ork ey
Number of sheet size changes x
Number of grade changes Oy) x
Time to change the skids reamos
Max. sheet pile height, mm x
Actual sheet pile height, mm x
Max. roll diameter, mm x
Actual roll diameter, mm X
Actual running metres of roll, m x
Order size, tons x
Maintenance shutdowns, min x
Shift system, hours/day; days/year x
Out of rolls, min x
Out of orders, min X
Out of manpower, min X
0 eX
|
Jams, min
Skills and motivation of personnel

337
CHAPTER 4

6.1.2 The construction of the sheet cutter

Width
The construction lays the ground for the production capacity of the sheet cutter. Each of
the elements from the backstands to the sheet stacker unit are major factors, but first of
all comes the width of the sheet cutter.
The machine element limiting the width is the cross cutting unit, which is most
complicated especially in the folio sheet cutters as discussed in “Cross cutting unit and
reject gate.”
The sheet cutter width selection should also consider the most common roll and
sheet widths to be cut. In Table 8, there is an example of the folio sheet width range in
comparison to some sheet cutter widths. The wider the sheet cutter is, the larger the
production can be, although the production increase does not linearly follow the width.
When selecting the width of a cut size sheet cutter, the roll width and the maximum trim
width of the paper machine are of crucial importance. In the selection of a folio sheet
cutter width, the raw material roll width and the paper machine trim width have less
importance. In some cases, there may be little use for the extra sheet cutter width, if the
wide raw material rolls do not give a good paper machine trim.

Table 8. The effect of the sheet size to the number of parallel sheets and theoretical
increase in production’.
Share of Sheet Sheet Number of parallel sheets Theoretical increase
volume | width length Max. working width of in production, %
the sheet cutter
% mm mm | 1630 mm | 2130 mm
20 630 880 2 3 3 0
15 450 640 3 4 4 5.0 0
9 610 860 2 3 3 45 0
8 460 640 3 4 4 4.0 0
7 700 1000 2 3 3 an 0
if 430 610 3 4 5 Ze 1.8
6 640 900 2 5 3 3.0 0
6 640 920 2 3 3 3.0 0
8 650 920 2 3 3 leo 0
3 440 630 3 4 5 1.0 0.8
3 720 1040 2 2 3 0.0 ARO
2 640 910 2 3 3 1.0 0
2 620 940 2 3 3 1.0 0
2 710 1020 2 3 3 0.0 0
2 650 900 2 3 3 1.0 0
1 700 1020 2 3 3 0.5 0
1 720 940 2 2 3 0.0 0.5
1 720 1020 2 2 3 0.0 0.5
1 720 1100 2 2 3 0.0 0.5
1 880 1260 1 2 2 0.5 0
100 bg ao A1.8 5.6

338
 Sheet finishing

Backstands
The backstands have a threefold effect on the sheet cutter efficiency. First, the number
of the backstands affects how the maximum knife load can be utilized. Second, the type
of the backstands has a great influence on how much time the roll change takes
(removal of the butt rolls, setting in the new rolls, splicing them, and feeding in the paper
webs). Today the run of one roll set takes a little longer than one hour, so there are
about 20 roll changes per 24 hours. Earlier the machine had to be shut down for the roll
change that took 20-30 minutes, and more than 15% of the production time was lost
due to roll changes. The zero speed and flying splice backstands have cured the time
loss to the minimum. Another factor influencing the time loss during roll changes is the
maximum roll diameter that can be placed into the backstands, as it directly affects how
often the roll change has to be made. Typically a maximum paper roll diameter is at
least 1.5 meters and for paperboard rolls at least 1.8 meters. The larger roll diameter
also benefits in the waste created in the roll change and, due to nonmatching lineal
meters, within the rolls of one set.

Knife load

The maximum knife load of the slitting unit and the cross cutting unit describes the total
basis weight of the webs cut at the same time. Typically the knife load of the slitting unit
limits the cutter before the cross cutting unit. For example, a single slitting unit can
accommodate 600 g/m* of coated fine paper knife load, when at the same time the
cross cutting unit can do up to 800 g/m?. The solution might be the installation of a sec-
ond slitting unit, and slitting the paper webs in two sets.
Behind the maximum knife load of the cross cutting unit lies its construction and
design, but also regular maintenance, like removal of the backlash in the driving system,
are needed to keep up the maximum level.

Web speed — speed curve

The design web speed of the sheet cutters rarely exceeds 450 m/min, i.e., about 500
folio sheet cuts per minute. The limiting factor is that the sheet has to be stopped totally
at the end of the sheet cutter for piling. The speed has to be decelerated down to about
70-80 m/min at the lay-boy and to zero at the stacker; these decelerations create a risk
of damaging or marking the sheets, especially when running coated grades.
The actual average running speed of a cut size sheet cutter can come very close
as the knife drum circumferential speed is all the time equal to the paper web speed. In
the case of a folio sheet cutter, the maximum speed can only be achieved when cutting a
specific design sheet length. If the sheet length is shorter or longer than the specific
length, the maximum possible speed will be lower as well. The pairs of sheet lengih/speed
can be expressed as a speed curve, specific to a sheet cutter design. In Fig. 40, there are
examples of both the theoretical and actual speed curves of a sheet cutter.

339
CHAPTER 4

m/min
SPEED,
WEB

0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800

SHEET LENGTH, mm
a_ Actual after improvements _, Proposed —«~ Before improvements |

Figure 40. Theoretical and actual speed curves of a sheet cutter.

The designed speed curve should reflect the most common sheet lengths cut at
the sheet cutter. Earlier the long grain sheets were more common; thus, a specific sheet
length close to one meter was ideal. Lately more and more short grain sheets are
ordered and delivered; thus, many sheet cutters are running along the very unfavorable
area of the speed curve.

Size change, overlapping, and lay-boy

As the typical fine paper folio order size is 5 tons or less and folding boxboard order size
is often less than 3 tons, there is inevitably a great demand for a fast sheet size change.
A sheet cutter from the 1970s with a low level of automation could lose about 10% of the
running time to the sheet size changes. Thus the money spent on the automation of the
slitting unit setting as well as a lay-boy and sheet stacker might be earned back as a
higher utilization rate of the sheet cutter. Along with the automatic size change, it is also
important that the overlapping and the lay-boy can cope with the full production of any
sheet length and width.

Skid change, ream collecting, and removal

When the skid change of a folio sheet cutter is manual, some 10% of the sheet cutter
running time can be lost. Thus the automation of the skid change has been a welcome
improvement to gain more production time. The single unit stackers with automatic skid
change as well as the early double stacker unit system allow running with a lower speed
during the skid change. The latest duplex or triplex stacker unit systems enable running
with a normal speed, thus minimizing a production loss close to zero.

340
 Sheet finishing

6.1.3 The operational factors

There are many operational factors affecting the runnability and the actual Capacity of
the sheet finishing plant. According to practical experience, the following are the most
important ones.

Roll size, order size, and sheet sizes

As the order size becomes

smaller, the efficiency of a
Production t/h
sheet finishing line tends to
drop due to the increased
time needed for settings
(Fig. 41). As a rule of thumb,
it can be said that the
\
smaller the orders are, the
more important is the high
i
i)
GW
number of automatic setting
in a sheet cutter or the auxil- t/h
PRODUCTION
iary machinery.
Because of the
extreme sheet sizes, : : GS ie 2G so VeRO
whether small or large, addi- _ ORDER SIZE, t
tional setting of the machin-
ery might be necessary, thUS Figure 41. Effect of the order size to the folio sheet cutter productivity.
affecting the time efficiency.
The machine speed can also
suffer from the extreme sheet sizes more than it should according to the speed curve of
the cross cutting unit either because of the other elements of the sheet cutter line or the
limited experience or skills of the personnel.
The roll size can affect the efficiency in several ways. If the roll is remarkably
wider than the parallel sheet widths plus the minimum trim waste, the extra wide trim
waste can decrease the speed of the sheet cutter, whether handled by the trim waste
system or run through the sheet cutter as a narrow sheet. In case the running meters of
the roll do not match sheet order size, running time can be lost due to removal of the
heavy butt rolls.

Paper furnish and basis weight

It is a well-known fact to any sheet cutter operator that a coated paper is easier to cut
than an uncoated paper with a similar basis weight. On the other hand, paper contain-
ing mechanical fibers is much more difficult to cut than a paper furnished of chemical
fibers only. If the fiber composition is the same, the added amount of filler or coating
color normally makes the cutting of the paper easier. However, the coating affects the
friction factor of the paper, and typically adjustments of the overlapping and lay-boy sec-

341
CHAPTER 4

tions are needed. In case the furnish and the surface properties of the paper web are
constant, the higher basis weight makes the paper more difficult to cut. If the sheet cut-
ter cannot be fully adjusted according to the paper furnish and the basis weight, either
the machine speed or the sheet cutting quality will suffer.

The quality of the rolls

If the target is to run a sheet finishing line with the maximum efficiency, only premium
quality rolls according to “Raw material for the sheet finishing” should be accepted for the
sheet finishing. If the rolls are damaged or there are any other faults caused by previous
phases, typically either the machine speed will suffer or production time will be lost.

Maintenance and disturbances

Maintenance and disturbances affect both the time efficiency and the speed of the
machinery. The role of maintenance is to keep the sheet finishing machinery in good
condition in order to achieve the targeted capacity. As corrective maintenance takes
some of the running time, it is advisable to study the possibilities of preventative mainte-
nance and to have a well-planned maintenance schedule, including the change of the
cutting knives.
A skilled analysis and removal of the causes of the disturbance can improve the
time efficiency remarkably. As modern sheet finishing lines have a complicated operat-
ing and control system, a self-diagnosis system can be included. A continuous pres-
ence of skilled electronic maintenance personnel along with the operating personnel
can be an asset to boost the production further.

Manpower, skills, and motivation

Last but not least, the effect of the personnel, their skills, and motivation has to be
stressed, as they are the keys of the good productivity. The efforts of the management,
the supervision, and the operators can make it possible to overcome many technical
problems; thus, a sheet finishing plant with not so modern equipment can compete with
a modern plant.
The rotation of the operators improves their understanding of the demands of
each job in the sheet finishing plant and can lay the groundwork for a proper team. The
teamwork has to include the assignments to specific tasks as well as emergency duties.
As described in “The maintenance in the sheet finishing plant,’ it can be practical for the
sheet finishing operators to take part in the maintenance of their machinery, especially
the knife changes.

342
 Sheet finishing

6.2 The effective sheet finishing production

6.2.1 Design capacity
It is wise to plan the sheet finishing to have at least 10%—15% additional Capacity to the
average Capacity needed to cover the peaks of the demand. The investment cost of the
sheet finishing machinery is comparatively low in a paper mill of high investments. The
heavy investment of the paper machine demands high operating rates. Thus the sheet
finishing plant of lower investment intensity must not be a bottleneck of a paper
machine.

DISTURBANCIES
1%

REEL CHANGES
9%

UNPLANNED RUNNING TIME]

MAINTENANCE 66 %
1%

SIZE SETTING DISTURBANCIES

2%

SKID CHANGES
0%

REEL CHANGES
1%

UNPLANNED
MAINTENANCE
3%

RUNNING TIME
89 %
CHAPTER 4

The start-up and the shutdown of a sheet finishing plant and its individual equip-
ment are much easier than those of a pulp mill or a paper machine. Thus it can be
advisable to use various shift systems, not only the most common paper industry shift
system of seven days a week, three eight-hour shifts a day. In case the sheet finishing
plant or parts of it are shut down for the weekends, the necessary planned maintenance
can be carried out without losing valuable running time. On the other hand, during the
peak of demand, the weekend production is an option.

6.2.2 Actual capacity

As the performance of the sheet finishing plant is affected by a multitude of factors, it is
important to follow the efficiency and the actual production in detail. K.G. Frye@4 has
presented a method to follow time efficiency in detail; normally this kind of reporting is
based on the running of the main motor of the sheet cutter. It is just as important to
report the causes of any downtime as it is to report the running time and to refine this
data to information that assists the management together with the personnel to tackle
the problems. In Fig. 42, there is an example of a time efficiency pie chart, printed from
the reporting of an early 1970s folio sheet cutter and a modern sheet cutter. A similar
kind of reporting should be extended to the other machinery and equipment of the sheet
finishing plant that is critical to the performance.
Although there can be a lot of variation in the actual production, it is important to
report it at least on a daily, monthly, and annual basis. The daily productions printed in
the size order form a production durability curve (Fig. 43), which is a helpful tool for
management to determine the expected production.

TONS/DAY

BOUL: iicencmwanecs

i Oars
200 4 ner

woe SHEET CUTTER |

150 +4
SHEET CUTTER 2)
SHEET CUTTER 3

100 4 oe ee eae

50 4

Figure 43. Production durability curve.

344
 Sheet finishing

Many sheet finishing plants have also found it useful to pre-calculate the
expected running time for each order, partly to help the production planning, but also to
set a clear production target for the machine operators.

6.3 The principles and problems of the production planning

The production planning of a sheet finishing plant differs from that of a paper machine to
some extent. The most important factor in a paper machine production plan is a high oper-
ating efficiency including a high trim width. A high operating efficiency is also very impor-
tant in a sheet finishing production plan, but means for achieving this target are different.

6.3.1 Folio sheet cutting

In folio sheet cutting, the role of the production plan is to organize the customer orders
in a running schedule that maximizes the capacity utilization. Because the sheet and
order sizes vary and it is seldom technically possible to cut more than one sheet size at
the same time, the trim width of the sheet cutter can only be affected by the number of
parallel sheets. The sheet length defines the maximum speed of the cross cutting unit.
The basis weight of the paper is also given, but it is important that the actual knife load
is maximized whenever it is not limited by the order size. The paper grade and basis
weight as such play a minor role, although they can affect the runnability of the sheet
cutter. It is more important for good production time efficiency that similar sheet widths
and roll widths follow each other. The freedom of the production planning depends on
the delivery lead times and stock turnover rate targets.
When programming a separate folio sheet ream wrapping machine or cartonizer,
the ream size is the most important factor. By organizing the similar ream sizes to follow
each other, the time efficiency of the packing machine will be maximized. It can be diffi-
cult to maximize the sheet cutter and a packing machine capacity utilization without an
intermediate stock (thus longer lead times). If a thorough optimization will be made, it is
necessary to know the share of the ream wrapped/cartonized orders and a breakdown
of the order sizes, basis weights, sheet, and ream sizes, etc.*°.
6.3.2 Cut size
Normally the production planning of a cut size is rather simple when comes to different
sheet sizes and paper grades. As the setting time for start-up of punched hole sheets as
well as A3 or 11 in. x 17 in. is a considerable loss of production time, these special runs
are scheduled to take place only once every two weeks, once a month, or any other
suitable intervals. The change from one paper grade to another can mean some adjust-
ments and also some waste, so the changes are kept to a minimum in respect of the
delivery lead times as well as the stock turnover rate.

6.4 The cost of the sheet finishing

Depending on the paper grade to be sheet finished, the cost of this operation typically
varies from 15% to 40% of the roll price or even higher. It is not only the direct labor cost
and the packaging materials that have to be taken into account. A thorough cost analy-
sis should include the following:

345
CHAPTER 4

- Price of sheet finishing waste, possibly credited with the waste compensation

- Variable cost, like packaging materials, sheet cutting knives, and the electricity
used by the sheet finishing machinery

- Cost of the transportation and handling of the roll to the sheet finishing plant
as well as the handling and the loading of the ready made pallets from the
sheet finishing to a vehicle
- Warehousing cost, including the capital cost of the inventories like rolls, ready-
made pallets, and the packaging materials

- Direct manufacturing cost, including the cost of labor and its training, mainte-
nance, and materials used in the production

- Capital cost, interest, and depreciation of the sheet finishing machinery, land
area occupied by the sheet finishing plant, buildings, forklift trucks, etc.

- Indirect manufacturing cost and overheads like cost of management, produc-

tion planning, and other salaried staff, the building and its maintenance, heat-
ing, lights, office equipment, purchasing, bookkeeping, etc. The definition of
the overheads belonging to the sheet finishing can vary, but a good word of
advice is to use an Activity Based Cost allocation.
- If the sheet finishing plant is operating as a profit center of the ready-made
goods, the purchase price of the raw material rolls will be an important ele-
ment of the cost structure.

Figure 44 represents the allocation of the sheet finishing cost items at different
decision-making levels.

COST
“| Purhacing, follow-up and
Desion making level Ys development of finishing services
Capital cost ye /
Investment/deinvestment Fixed assets (machinery,y buildings)
g /
é. P
Charge for capacity
Interest on fixed assets ( -"- } ms allocation {if any)
Inderect fixed cost
Anual budgeting vi Interest on inventories
Overheads /| Variable cost
Salaries
Direct fixed cast Finishing charge
Monthly production planning
Wages
Maintenance cost Cost of waste
Electricity, supplies
Interest on inventories
|
Variable cost
One delivery Cost of waste Transportation cost
Transportation cost
Packaging materials Packaging materials
Integrated (mill s own) sheet Contract sheet
finishing plant finishing plant

Figure 44. Implementation of the sheet finishing cost at different decision making levels.

346_
 Sheet finishing

The total cost structure is important when making strategic, long-term decisions,
like investment or non-investment, or starting or stopping the production of a paper
grade. When making short-term decisions, like annual budgets, sometimes the capital
cost of the sheet finishing machinery, land area occupied by the sheet finishing plant,
buildings, forklift trucks, etc., and the overhead costs are not taken into account, as they
are seen as “sunk cost.” If the scope of the decision is very limited, like the sales of a
spot lot of a second grade paper, it can be satisfactory to cover the cost of waste, vari-
able cost, and direct manufacturing cost. However, any regular paper sheet business
should be able to carry the full cost of the sheet finishing.
CHAPTER 4

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Walde, P, “Noise Abatement in the Sheet Finishing Area, ” TAPPI Finishing and
Converting Conference Proceedings, TAPP! PRESS, Atlanta, p. 209.
Wandschneider, M. J., Plamann, C. L., Smith, S., “Cut Size Reams: To Wrap or Not To
Wrap,” TAPPI 1991 Finishing and Converting Conference Proceedings, TAPPI PRESS,
Atlanta, p. 5.

Weinberg, M. L., “Close Shave,” Package Printing Conv. 43(9):48 (1996).

West, R.., “Paper Roll Requirements for Sheeting,” TAPP! 1990 Sheeting and Packaging
Short Course Notes, TAPP! PRESS, Atlanta.
Wilhelms, S. M., “Quality Improvement in Self Directed Sheet Work Teams,” TAPP! 1991
Finishing and Converting Conference Proceedings, TAPP! PRESS, Atlanta, DA.

352
 Sheet finishing

BAbbreviaton:s_ __a
A3 A standard sheet size 420 mm x 297 mm
A4 A standard sheet size 210 mm x 297 mm
A series A standardized series of sheet sizes
AGV Automatically quided vehicle
ANSI American National Standard Institute
ASP Asea Steel Powder (steel harder than normal tool steel)
ASRS Automatic storage and retrieval system
B series A standardized series of sheet sizes
CEPI Confederation of European Paper Industry
CPM Crusible Powder Metal (steel harder than normal tool steel)
DIN Deutsche Institute fur Normung e.V.
EN European Norm given by European Committee for Standardization
FBB Folding boxboard
ISO International Standard Organization
LG Long grain, the paper machine direction is along the sheet’s long edge
R Primary range of untrimmed sheet sizes
RAO Untrimmed sheet size 860 mm x 1220 mm
RA1 Untrimmed sheet size 620 mm x 860 mm
RA2 Untrimmed sheet size 430 mm x 610 mm
SBS Solid bleached board
SG Short grain, the paper machine direction is along the sheet’s short edge
SR Supplementary range on untrimmed sheet sizes
SRAO Untrimmed sheet size 900 mm x 1280 mm
SRA1 Untrimmed sheet size 640 mm x 900 mm
SRA2 Untrimmed sheet size 450 mm x 640 mm
UV Ultraviolet light, which has a shorter wave-length than the visible light

353
mw Conversion factors a
To convert numerical values found in this book in the RECOMMENDED FOR\M, divide
by the indicated number to obtain the values in CUSTOMARY UNITS. This table is an
excerpt from TIS 0800-01 “Units of measurement and conversion factors.” The complete
document containing additional conversion factors and references to appropriate TAPPI
Test Methods is available at no charge from TAPPI, Technology Park/Atlanta, P. O. Box
105113, Atlanta GA 30348-5113 (Telephone: +1 770 209-7303, 1-800-332-8686 in the
United States, or 1-800-446-9431 in Canada ).

To convert values |
Divide To obtain values expressed
Property expressed
in RECOMMENDED FORM by In CUSTOMARY UNITS
Area square centimeters [om?] 6.4516 square inches [in]
square meters [m2] 0.0929030 | square feet [ft2]
square meters [m2] 0.8361274 | square yards [yd]
Burst index kilopascal sq. meters per gram 0.0980665 grams-force per square centimeter per
[kPa * m2/g] (gram per square meter) [(af/em?)/(g/m?)]
Density kilograms per cubic meter [kg/m°] 16.01846 pounds per cubicSeiSoeh hele Lae
foot [Ib/ft*]
kilograms per cubic meter [kg/m 3)|1000 grams per cubic centimeter [g/cm]
L
Force per unit newtons per meter [N/m] 9.80665 grams-force per millimeter [gf/mm]
length kilonewtons per meter [kN/m] 0.1751268 pounds-force per inch [Ibf/in]
|Frequency hertz [Hz] cycles per second [s ]
Length nanometers [nm] 0.1 angstroms [A]
micrometers [Lm] 1 microns
millimeters [mm] 0.0254 mils [mil or 0.001 in]
millimeters [mm] 25.4 inches [in]
meters [m] 0.3048 feet [ft]
kilometers [km] 1.609 miles [mi]
grams [g] 28.3495 ‘| ounces [oz]
kilograms [kg] 0.453592 | pounds [Ib]
metric tons (tonne) [t] (= 1000 kg) 0.907185 tons (= 2000 Ib)
Mass per unit grams per square meter [g/m?] 3.7597 pounds per ream, 17 x 22 - 500
area grams per square meter [g/m?] 1.4801 pounds per ream, 25 x 38 - 500
grams per square meter [g/m?] 1.4061 pounds per ream, 25 x 40 - 500
grams per square meter [g/m?] 4.8824 pounds per 1000 square feet [Ib/1000 ft?]
grams per square meter [g/m ‘) 1.6275 pounds per 3000 square feet [lb/3000 ft?]
grams per square meter [g/m al 1.6275 pounds per ream, 24 x 36 - 500

354
 Conversion factors

To convert values
To obtain values expressed
Property expressed
In CUSTOMARY UNITS
in RECOMMENDED FORM
Power watts [W] 1.35582 | foot pounds-force per second [ft¢ Ibf/s]
watts [W] 745.700 | horsepower [hp] = 550 foot pounds-force per second
kilowatts [kW] 0.74570 | horsepower [hp]
watts [W] 735.499 naehorsepower
Pressure, stress, kilopascals [kPa] 6.89477 | pounds-force per square inch [Ibf/in“ or psi]
force per unit Pascals [Pa] 47.8803 | pounds-force per square foot [Ibf/ft?]
area
megapascals [Mpa] 0.101325 atmospheres [atm]
Pascals [Pa] 98.0665 grams-force per square centimeter [gt/cm?]
Pascals [Pa] 1 newtons per square meter [N/m 2 ]
meters per second [m/s] 0.30480 ‘| feet per second [ft/s]
millimeters per second [mm/s] 5.080 feet per minute [ft/min or fpm]
Thickness or micrometers [Lm] 25.4 mils [mil] (or points or thousandths of an inch)
caliper millimeters [mm] 0.0254 mils [mil] (or 0.001 in.)
millimeters [mm] 25.4 inches [in] |

355
 ;;:_-_-_--__-
IVSRIICS cal. banccchintt esureitn tee ae cain ai ae 353 bottom: DrOkG@ scx... .uenccee 173-174, 181, 183
accelerating: DONS wcesies een eres, 203 bowed: (OUSixecse zs erase coe ree 188, 190
DUE SHONGGycecnar cated usar tans. eauatinass 22, 10G, Whe broke...58, 144, 150, 157, 168, 173-175, 177,
automatic reel Change ............:ceeeee 105, 214 181, 183, 187, 287, 311, 324-329
automatic set change ................. 208, 213-214 Drush Caledelic.c.<c-.cu te ceaa eee 41, 66
automatic storage......246, 249, 254, 256, 276, BOE FOU siiikcnccsteaee tee 288-289, 293
331, 349
C
automatic storage and
caliper control ............... 19, 54, 58, 61, 66, 75,
RETHOVAl SVSTOIN insite ae, Sete 246, 276
108-114, 137-138
automatic trim change........ 208, 210, 213, 215
CAlaGG ick. ocsehaeeee eee e 162-164
automatic truck lOading.............ccccceeeeeeees 253
Carolee 2 137, 283, 316-317, 323, 349-351
automatic web Splicing... cic... scenes 208
carton Dackseing #0 ee 316-317
automatic web threading............ 208, 214-215
CASE Daceh tame xe oe 314-315
AUtOMAtlONl &.2.-+-s2ees: eee 32, 101, 104, 144,
center drive ......... 35, 100, 153, 162-163, 166,
160, 185-187, 190-191, 208-213,
201, 205, 211
215-218, 240, 284, 291, 340
center torque.....171, 184, 201, 205, 207-208,
B 235
DiGGHES 1.300 ee ee ee 348 Center. winding te:5c8 OF eee 218
backstand.......... 263, 268-269,273, 289, 291, centerwind ........ 144, 150-151, 164-165, 172,
293, 306-307 178, 219-220
DANI. soe eee 69, 95, 166, 188-190 chilled GaSb WONoc.iisic tease ae ee 72, 80
DAE COUG: covert theta taconiteaera eae ae 331 chuck..197, 201, 203-205, 212, 290-291, 306
Seal ieee aniepeme 5 ease eRe 18, 117, 119, 147 circumferential speed ................. 298-300, 339
01) eee Ae 28, 42, 51, 67, 98, 146, 183, 188, coefficient of friction ..146, 183, 196, 220, 235
194-195, 201, 203, 205-208, 211, COMMON STOCK 2.5 ee 303, 329
242, 245, 252, 286-287, 300-301, communication link.............00. 208-209, 277
803,519, cer continuous winding............ 191, 208-209, 216
blackening......... 17-18, 24, 29, 50, 55, 57, 85, COMEEG! POON <isacadsnceckeeec eee 28, 216
119-120, 138 control system ........ 28, 74-76, 101-102, 112,
board 115, 118, 151, 197, 211, 217-218,
calendering....... 15, 21, 24-25, 40, 47,51, 249, 276, 290, 292-293, 333, 342
53, 64-68, 102 CONnVeyiNg............. 22, 239;242, 250, 253, 327
FECLING/WINCING. .......0.c00000e 186, 189, 208 coordinated speed change control ............. 116
FON WIADDINDoses cxaevccistisensce 239-241, 257, CORE acta 144-146, 155, 184, 187, 190-191,
268-270, 273 197-225, 240, 258-260, 267, 275,
sheet finishing.....284-285, 288, 295-296, 286, 288-293, 306, 311, 328, 333
302-308, 312, 314, 316, 318-319, COME DUISE ms cases cere 199, 201, 203-205
321, 333-334 core diameter ............. 159, 187, 190, 290, 306

356
 Index

(OGES 0 a 290 F

Chanese wee tee eO et es 180, 249, 331 filled roll sc. 15, 29-31, 33-34, 82-89, 91,
CHiMpIiG Ais Sees 261-263, 265, 269-270 94-95, 118-119
COS SICITUING Bei kicsaccac tetas, 298-309, 338-339 ANON ING aN ON cease ok So tncn ty cease 74
cross cutting knife......06.0....00.0. 299-300, 308 LALACORSC) 11: Wiese Mie ne 288, 293, 304, 339
curl'compensation..:.......2%........ 293, 307, 329 TOUNOUSNCClazer sors cee 281, 299-308,
CUSTOIEIT ONES. 25. Se. ee. a4; 1765213 316-324, 326, 328, 335, 338-341,
CURSIZES ian. 250, 256, 281-302, 310-326, 343-345, 349
328, 335, 338-339, 345, 348, 352 frame......... 19, 27-28, 33, 100, 200, 216, 218,
cutting......... 95, 150, 166, 189-191, 197, 213, 260, 269, 292
269-270, 284-286, 288-290, 312- trichhomcalentetse:.. Mercer ee eee41
313, 324-325, 327-328, 331-346, ThiCUOMalNONCema. es eae 197, 220
351 Tunisie 28, 36, 41, 43-44, 51, 54, 59, 66,
D 123, 127-128, 256, 341-342
DEBAMODT OAC vismianicnsecscccnnsedtet ns 230-231 G
damages.......... 88, 93-95, 254, 286, 289, 300, GIOSS:Galender ...:.....eeebeta tee 24-25, 66
313, 319-320, 328-329 QHOSSHCOMMOM are conesscercasecessnacosn tse 57, 114
TUES BG) ek Ge, rr a oe 293 gluing........ 190-191, 208, 213, 215, 261-270,
RUCUTAN) oo ok oconccaacecsvesnautielel 288, 302, 307 286-290, 314-316
5)SAAS ee a I AS a ere 170, 286 QOGSENCC KGa.d scccxe cesses 162, 164-166, 168
deflection compensated rolls.....19, 28, 30, 36, grade change.............. 115-116, 150, 173, 208
38, 57-58, 68, 76 grooving... 99, 157-158, 160, 170, 190, 229
NO SIMA CAD ACM Yeccc shctcysn«sc-nuxeseescaanvons 336, 343 QUOUDIN a. meee geass ne 239, 200-251, 276
diagnostics functions. ................. 209, 217, 275 Guillotine ....298, 302, 312-313, 324-325, 331
distributed control system...................c.000. 102
H
double backstands ...............000 292, 304, 311
andeCOatihngSe. 2eae. co eee eer Mee. 81
double rotating knife system................000... 298
hard nip calendev........... 15, 17-21, 23, 25-27,
Cire PURI es tenes coer coset yecs 297, 307
38, 40-41, 54, 60, 66-67, 105,
OES 0-0: ee 190, 231-232, 234
111-112
ND 287, 300-301, 305, 340, 348
EGUCINICSS (nck ete eee enest268, 270, 273
(CS omen eee 42, 66, 184, 186, 229, 234, 286,
GAT SEANNG). sicccccsscasonactasssccncees’s 265, 267-270
288-289, 292, 302, 304, 311, 332-
INGaLOMON coc ccsse vie catesctavecssvemes 20, 25,4105 138
334, 350
OTEZEO CE) .s<<<20zevnssacasesessdeaee Semen Re124
dust removal ...... 184, 289, 302, 311, 332-334
|
E
identification.............. 239-240, 242, 259-260,
efficiency
268-269, 272-275, 277, 309-310,
CAJENCENING iit...
Winks Soese Ae 78, 94, 107
Jif, o20
reeling/winding...144, 150, 162, 167, 172,
ig (0)US kee eer eee eee 28, 267-268, 286, 289
176-178, 213
induction heating....17, 69, 107-108, 112, 137
roll wrapping 247, 250, 256, 259, 276-277
WAS
EC serine teeece weenie eis eee 286, 289
Sheet FINISHING... 2937302, 325, HTPGTIRCURMND scxxetaiersberssceeten coesceence 154-156, 159
334-336, 339, 341-345 INVEREONY TaDIOX cistteteeunnte eons St
PREV AUN OISEACKEN IR sx ccdedearconpettacecncncn
dpe 312
environmental requirements..............:00 320 J
eh!cWy ||(Re eon beret ee Sites metre 318-319 MUNRO SILO rsa ceca ee ase cee Bage ka cae 281

oof
K nip load
KITT GANGLey Ps cn ceulen eet teceneeveertireneces 308 calendering.......17, 28, 35, 39, 77, 84-85,
KAITO HOB Ciecviccovsetecactesarseee 297, 336, 339, 345 88-89, 100, 103, 107, 109, 111-
TI2EA23
L reeling/winding...143, 149-155, 158-160,
label ....67, 240, 248, 250, 253, 257-258, 260, 164, 170-175, 183-184, 192, 197,
267-268, 271-272, 276-277, 288, 199, 201, 204-212, 217-220, 235
310, 314-317, 320-321, 326
LADOWORIGNTALON iseseeessexeccdesarcticpaateecense 248, 253
nip load control ..............0 151, 158-160, 164
PE0 eee oe 287, 307, 309-310, 333,
Nip! process: heseee 42, 120, 122-124, 132
339-340, 342
NOT Mal -Srvtry TAW eats need actee te eee 233
Lev OMUNO ieee cottasteatileeas: 160, 164, 170-171
GDM aG MING R setae ca cage cnet 314-315 0
limichetlee a at are: a, Conk arti ea Bonz OFFHTING PYOCESS scx.cccndactntaohnga eee 24
linear load....17, 19, 21-22, 25, 28-30, 36, 39, Operator IMERACE -..000 hoe ace 101, 216
44, 46, 48-50, 54-58, 61, 67-69, OPUCALINS POCHON: <tescsecseacereanen seer 288, 302
Soi =1.15 Optimizing ONIONS: .c:20 sce s vsores ee 115
Ocal CONtOIS Saeawun: nie ene 216 order size ........... 293, 324-325, 340-341, 345
OU)SRG12! i een eRe (a ne Oe 283, 340 COSCHIAUOD +01cncvsctatoneie: 97, 118-119, 170
LONGO Cale NCOs nee Veeco Bk ete eee 42 overhanging loads.............::css07 21-22, 35
LG: aera. Geek obese ce creases 49-50, 256 OVErAD WIAD PING ss. ci2ccct. dence 263
Overlapping ....... 261-263, 287, 295, 300-303,
M
309, 333, 340, 342
PUVAC UG CARO INGER nae cs nen xotnseacenses
reece58, 128
MACHINE -CONION 3 .ccvecsecereereve 104-105, 275 P

PAPI G scosssene extn 18, 21, 31, 83-84, 88, 90-95, packaging material ............. 289, 319, 323-324
114, 119, 166, 170, 185-186, 189, pallet. ver. 249, 283, 310, 316-321, 323,
205, 239, 257, 260, 269, 271, 274, 325-326, 330-331, 348
285, 288, 294, 297, 301, 303, 309- pallet. packing) StaHOM ir. . nciccendsceccencco
enn 316
310, 339 a1] C92 |(1a Qe nn eReeae 316-317
Maxwell elation. cicacsnsietatemttstecaacinte apa Parallel SMOGES \escnsuwde armed toe erates 345
PEM AS UG Whites situs srcvsndtodratear
sieeve eet 176 parent reel .............. 144, 148-160, 162-166,
VEASUTTMN GRADO a -dersidbease eee ee a2o 168-169, 171-175, 178, 180-182,
PUTT: LAVOUMR te ids nanceeahee nenaee 182, 321 185, 188, 190, 208, 212-215, 227
NOISTUNE QRACIGNES . .Aknccccmeoe cern ieee 20, 48 POLO SIZG feces tee tie tear a 281, 324
IMOISTUNG DIOTNCES cadusrcninaccsnance 147, 172, 297 PETIPMEFAl TOPCO cee ccscssczasater tases 153
MOISTUFe NLOLECHOM GM. ckic dee aces 310, 319 PIG GHAINGGis... isvsninasse ecarea cee 310, 318
IMORHOMAG, sieeve seisces ate03, 116.217, 200, 200 piling ......... 287, 301, 303-305, 308-310, 317,
PLATO cst scninatrctncat eoeeeeee 178, 329, 342 324, 330, 339
multi-nip calender ......... 35-36, 38-39, 49-50, piling accuracy .oe..22...eeeaeeers 287, 330
06-57, 59, 62-63, 95, 123, 127 plastic. elongation .6..2ete eee. 145, 149
multistation winder....146, 187, 196, 198, 203, plasticilyuinu. tae 43-44, 52, 60-61, 146
208, 211, 214-215 pocket ....17, 40, 110, 157, 165, 213, 247-248
N pocket blowin Pie dee ce ee 165
newsprint........ 16, 27, 36, 41, 47, 54-58, 109, pope reel. .Ask.ssaieeaid natin eee ene 160
positioncontral ...: ee eee ees 294
146, 174, 177, 179, 184, 193, 195,
PRECISION. TADIS ,..:c:<cseselpasemeen
eee ees 325
198, 205, 225-226, 242, 250, 255-
256, 263, 265, 268 DVESSTOll=2. os eee 286, 297, 303, 307

358
 Index

DROSSMIQMGOVICE:. g.cteacz beset hiss scaleone 167-168 reject gate...289, 298, 302, 307, 327, 333, 338
PROCESS MANAGEMENT ..s.ccs-sdsccxeeneleccs 274-277 relative humidity......... 133, 289, 302, 331-332
production efficiency.......... 144, 172, 176-177 Fereeleraae. Ao. 2s SOF. Do. 171-172, 178
production time......... 289, 293, 336, 339-340, rider rollidrive:..fes- eke fee... 100, 206
342, 345 roll change ...... 21, 32-33, 117, 119) 286; 288:
profiles........ 19, 31, 34, 40, 47, 57, 62, 80, 93, 292-293, 304, 306-307, 332, 339
103, 107, 112, 114-115, 117-118, roll diameter
147, 173-175, 289, 305 calendering......25, 31, 43-44, 48, 78, 111
profiling....17, 34, 75, 110, 112, 138, 151-152 reeling/winding.. 144-145, 147, 175, 183-
184, 187, 190, 192-193, 195-196,
Q
quality control ...111, 117-118, 217, 260, 310,
198, 201, 204-206, 211-213, 220
(Ol WIADDING 22.eet eee eee 248, 270
324-326, 332, 350
sheet finishing............. 293, 307, 337; 339
CLEVE) (che 5. oas 173350
roll hardness ......... 85-86, 106-107, 145, 149,
R 195e197,,207, 212,241
ECE) AT OTIS ea ae I Pe RR 221 FOUL SIPING Pee bean eactorvecs ects eee 253
GAD LUGE Sas 2 peel ti A ea nr 324 NORE SOC eteecse ie Sasa tee aes 247, 276
ready-made sheets............. 284, 302, 312, 330 KOMSUOLGUG sear cracascse eee 145, 329-330
TCLS, oh eae eR EI ee On 283 ROM TACKING ances caaterscvcces
co aera ee ee ae275
RECTMEPRS ICCUON ct eiicescsaecextssscacsacuetaoavecentoe: 314 roll width ............... 75, 87, 145, 187-188, 196,
ERNE, cS Se 314 210, 242, 256, 261, 263, 288, 307,
FO ANWIMANKING. .cccscesesscvasseon: 285, 301, 309-310 329, 338
GO ANTS LACHORoom onpcenh oc adigaccestvasxcsacnches 314-315 roll wrapping......... 94, 96, 239-241, 254-255,
PCEVINEE |)112) i aaa le ee Se 314 261, 263-264, 268, 273, 277
ream wrapping.......... 286, 314-317, 335, 345, roll-handling system.......... 239-240, 243, 259,
349, 352 273-275
PE CRIC GAA Scintncaadd.sb keaton. 209-211
S)
FOCWIO, SY SLOP Tai cno ueecthectdvecctonecas 208-209, 211
Second generation reel ...............cscecceeeeees 163
FOC VCINIG oto rtee- 267-268, 287, 290, 320
Siidiicsenaees 22, 28-29, 69, 71-74, 79, 86, 96,
ECACC OCLOlcicbiccccicee wisincésscarcaeton Sets 170
152, 229, 259, 300
HES NAMOUNO chit stiactietensacrmeeok144, 178-182
SNAIIOSS canna agence: cadaver meer eee 291
FCN SPOOL thee ezs 22, 97-99, 101, 105,
Sheeticountza:.caeke noes 283, 309
148-154, 156, 160, 162, 164-169,
SHECTCOUMUMG COVICE vee cae eer ucccoraseteeee 325
171, 173, 176, 178, 180-183, 190-
sheet length....... 285, 288-289, 293, 297-300,
191, 217, 236
329, 333, 339-340, 345
reel spool storage............... 150, 162, 169, 178
Sheet WIG eecteee 285, 287-289, 338
reel structure....100, 144, 153, 155-156, 159-
SOMONE Meech are tooth tececeeeee 283-284, 340
160, 169, 172-173, 182
SITEOUChneraccnreseeoe ere 258, 302, 327-328
TALES TG inet nen enn TE 168
SHRM {UN sss sxisecrscsae ee 319-320
reeling ...22, 99-101, 103, 117-118, 143-144,
GISIMOBESKIG «dey ccunsenserssceotateee eee 318
146, 149-160, 162-164, 168-169,
SIME HOW fd x cancaitisenranatoerentan eee 164-165
172, 177-178, 232, 236, 287, 305
SUTIPIOXGS eae. ie Ae nest are 287, 305
GCCHIIGHOCIOGE caer sadobanteaccenuniees 158-159 SKI! semen? 283, 285, 301, 309-310, 316-319,
reeling parameters ............. Veet 0, 193, 105 321, 323-324, 340, 348, 352
reeling process.......... 143-144, 150, 152-153, SKC CHANGE sn wcoviresrobet retest 301, 309, 340
156-160, 162, 169, 177
LECMAG TANS ccascefoncceagracsenid 151, 160, 162, 169

359
iF eee ae 145, 184-185, 188-190, 192, TACOADIITY: inercesaryecteasny ateeee 180, 325-326
198-199, 227-228, 230, 286-289, {ANSI ORAS es ccna teters 98-99, 180-182, 190
295-297, 302-305, 307, 309, 327, trim edge. ces ee 2 288, 297, 300, 307
333, 339-340, 350 trim:.edge SUCTIONLS 20 u....../.:.0e eee 297
SUTRIVGURIMION 4; ua deat ears See cae acne 295-296 tungsten carbide................... 81, 190, 229, 307
soft calender............ 20, 23-29, 38, 42, 46-48, tun) ees 153, 158, 162-169, 171, 177
52, 54-55, 59-60, 63, 66-67, 82, tUrMUP CeVICES............020+4- 150, 160, 165-167
84, 95, 103, 105, 109, 112-113, two-drum winder............... 146, 183, 185, 188,
119, 126 192-198, 200-201, 209, 211-214,
Son TOS. 2a 23-24, 27-29, 36, 44, 50, 216, 227, 230, 240, 242-243
66-67, 80, 82, 84, 92, 103, 114,
U
119, 126, 193
unit identifier ..............200+ 272, 316-317, 326
SONG up seesee239, 247-248, 250, 253, 276,
CITPERHTA OO ES acces cccencse 281, 294, 346, 348
287, 324, 333
unwinding
SOMING COVIGE S2s...:ees cee ates. 287, 333
CHIBNOONNGS So. cateeee 30, 96-99
GSICO CUNY Esecsnaintnsavcctantorne 284, 299, 339-341
reeling/winding........... 145, 148-149, 158,
TOLALN oS Sepp ean reteset 32-33
167, 178, 182, 199, 201-204
SORA PRG Nizacxenaqveo~nganacansseenutiesseaee 262-263
TOU WEED DING Wvisvcossic.soniceth
ns 260
SORCE ELECTION ts scndtedt sacs Ree 302
Sheet FINISHING... 288-290, 294,
SONGHIG:.c.ce 400! 30, 92, 98-99, 101, 105, 185,
190-191, 208, 213-215, 286, 292-
upending ..................:.239-240, 247-248, 250
293, 339
stacking......250-251, 283, 301, 312-313, 348 W
steaming ........... 23, 29, 34-35, 44, 48, 55-57, warehousing.............. 251, 253-254, 273, 276,
62, 66, 123 287, 289, 328, 330, 346, 349, 351
SUID 2. oc eRe. Re See ees 152, 314 WSIS 2a. eee 24, 149, 162, 167, 173,
stretch film........ 246, 257-258, 262, 267-268, 175-176, 178, 182, 218, 290, 294,
273, 316, 319-320 302, 307, 325-327, 339, 341, 345—-
Stretch wrapping ................ 257-258, 268, 273 347, 350-351
supercalender................ 15, 29-36, 38, 56-58, WRLOTIOT orcs, 0s jcsaxcivstaaceasexnne
eee! 167, 189
62-63, 82-83, 85, 87, 95-96, 105, web separation........... 190, 196, 228, 230-234
114-115, 118-119, 122 web spreading.............. 20, 100, 144, 190, 227
SUNTACE) DOK D>. <0 asssnciassenreaee agentes 174 web tension.....22, 96, 98, 100-101, 145-154,
Surface winding.................. 152, 160, 220-221 160, 166, 182, 184-185, 188, 190,
SVACIMOMOUG Fal sac coistigeasnsanensemetese 287, 298 196, 200-201, 207-208, 211-213,
218-220, 223, 229, 231, 234-235,
T
289-290, 292-293, 304
tail threading ............. 18,.22,.36, 35°50) #70:
weighing.....203, 239, 256, 269, 274, 320-321
174, 177
Wel sitek:ete. 55 eo ee 40-41, 66
tail-threading equipment ...............ccccccee 168
TAPE TUNUD COVICE Ss coisurcteacaucnscneteete 166-167
winder automation .....144, 208-213, 215-218
temperature gradient................ 20, 46, 66, 128
winder capacity .. 185-186, 208-209, 212, 217
tension control......26, 96, 149, 152, 160, 165,
213, 288-290, 292-293 WINGO stderr scccxee 35, 143-160, 164-173, 183,
threadinige..kee.. 20, 26, 28, 98, 117, 166, 186-223, 227, 230-232, 236, 285
208, 213-215 winding parameter recipes ................. 209-210
torque differentials: 23 eee 192, 220 winding parameters...144, 149, 192, 201, 209,
219-220

360
 Index

winding process..91, 103, 143-148, 164, 191

208, 216-217, 219
WIMNGMNG GANNON ory ness oy tec os doctotecvaseeescassson
WVDRIOUIIG MROORY cece cc. rectocuenVicavesceestenss AVR A
windup .............. 30, 35; 62, 96-101, 105, 118,
143, 188, 190, 192, 196-197, 199,
205, 243
WIM ss Sante 165, 201, 203, 220-221, 223, 225
woodfree ...16, 25, 28, 52-53, 59, 61, 67, 185,
256, 284, 310
wrapping material....... 256, 261, 267-269, 320
WIKIO oc cnceccs.ss 96, 158-159, 195-196, 227
Z
ZOROIS
OCOU SINGING) sterre nse s tessshaae eesetbawnsen 292
zone-controlledroll .......... (OS%2 70; 109142

361
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 Economics of the Pulp and Paper Industry 10. Papermaking Part 3, Finishing edited by
edited by Magnus Diesen Mikko Jokio
Forest Resources and Sustainable Management 11. Pigment Coating and Surface Sizing of Paper
edited by Seppo Kellomaki edited by Esa Lehtinen
Forest Products Chemistry edited by Per Stenius 12. Paper and Paperboard Converting edited by
Papermaking Chemistry edited by Leo Neimo Antti Savolainen
Mechanical Pulping edited by Jan Sundholm 13. Printing edited by Pirkko Oittinen and Hannu Saarelma
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Chemical Pulping edited by Johan Gullichsen 14. Process Control edited by Kauko Leiviska
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and Carl-Johan Fogelholm 15. Materials, Corrosion Prevention and Maintenance
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‘ Recycled Fiber and Deinking edited by edited by Jari Aromaa and Anja Klarin
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N Lothar Géttsching and Heikki Pakarinen 16. Paper Physics edited by Kaarlo Niskanen
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' Papermaking Part 1, Stock Preparation and 17. Pulp and Paper Testing edited by Jan-Erik Leviin
Ov Lo
co cop) Wet End edited by Hannu Paulapuro and Liva Sdderhjelm
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Papermaking Part 2, Drying edited by 18. Paper and Board Grades edited by Hannu Paulapuro
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Markku Karlsson iz. Environmental Control edited by Pertti Hynninen