Chapter Foreword

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 reviewer
Gerald J. Kramer, Beloit Corporation
David R. Roisum, Finishing Technologies, Inc.
Mark A. Sorenson, Küsters Beloit LLC
Published in cooperation with the Finnish Paper Engineers' Association and TAPPI

Foreword
Johan Gullichsen and Hannu Paulapuro
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

Papermaking Part 3, Finishing - Page 1

Chapter

through continuous product development in order to meet the ever-increasing demands on its
performance. It must also be produced economically 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. TAPPI 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 contribution
throughout the project. Thanks are also due to all TAPPI-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
Metsä-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 professors. 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.

Papermaking Part 3, Finishing - Page 2

Chapter Preface

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
Hämäläinen 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
Kyytsönen 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
Mäenpää Tapio, Lic.Tech. (Eng.), Development Manager, Valmet Corporation, Calenders
Mäkinen 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
Pietikäinen 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
Veräjänkorva 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

Preface

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Chapter 1 Calendering

Mikko Jokio
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 I 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

Juha Ehrola, Ari Hernesniemi, Harri Kuosa, Markku Kyytsönen, Pekka Linnonmaa, Tapio Mäenpää, Reijo Pietikäinen,
Rob Stapels, Mikko Tani, Hannu Vuorikari
Chapter 1

Calendering
1.1 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 work and plasticizing of the web.
The main target of calendering is to modify the surface structure and/or caliper of the paper to
the level needed by the following processes. In the case of printing, the main calendering targets are
to reduce surface roughness and compress the pore structure to obtain a good printing result. The
targeted surface structure depends on the printing method. As with most processes, along with the

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Chapter 1 Calendering

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 optimization
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
calendering).
Precalendering is used mainly for controlling the caliper CD profile. The better the caliper profile
of the paper is, the better runnability will be attained in the following processes.
Special paper grade calenders can have other purposes such as controlling silicon 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 papermaking 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 calendering 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 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.

Figure 1. Early supercalender.

To treat the web more evenly, a calendering method using a soft surface roll made of pressed
paper sheets was developed. 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 calendering processes of today  hard nip
calendering 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.
Further development in the last ten years has made it possible to develop a 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.

1.2 Calender types

1.2.1 Hard nip calender

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Chapter 1 Calendering

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.
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.

1.2.1.1 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 temperature. 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 temperature 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, even with a low linear load in
the nip. As a paper web always has unevenness because of formation of the paper (different fiber
floc sizes), this kind of high pressure can cause blackening of the paper web. This can be seen as
black, transparent points in the paper. A similar kind of unevenness can cause mottling in a printed
result due to uneven oil (and printing ink) absorption. High pressure densifies the paper web and
crushes some of the fibers and breaks 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 pressure 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
phenomenon limits the amount of pressure that can be applied to the paper web. Elongation of the
paper web can cause blowing, a problem in which the web loses contact to the rolls and forms an air
pocket before a nip. In a multiroll calender, widening and elongation must be compensated for by the
tension, nip loads, and shrinkage of the web.

Figure 3. Web-handling problems in a hard nip calender.

Another problem in multiroll calenders is barring ( Fig. 4). This is a vibration behavior of the

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Chapter 1 Calendering

calender roll stack that begins due to unevenness of the paper web entering the calender or
mechanical vibration induced by the calender, drives, surrounding machinery, or out of roundness in
rolls. Because all rolls in the calender work together in the calender stack, the vibration pattern is
transferred from one roll to another, finally causing the rolls to acquire a shape that has several
waves in the surface. This marking of the roll causes excessive vibration and a howling noise,
resulting in MD thickness variations in the calendered paper web.

Figure 4. Calender barring model.

Advantages of hard nip calendering:

- Cost-efficient operation
- Effective influence on caliper profile
- Simple tail threading.
Drawbacks of hard nip calendering:
- Danger of blackening
- Mottled surface of the web (gloss mottle and oil-absorption differences
- Loss of strength
- Loss of bulk
- Limited printing results
- Runnability of the process limits operating range
- Severe operational problems caused by barring and vibration.

1.2.1.2 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 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 surface to
temperatures of 80°C −120°C. The lower end of this temperature range has no real influence of the
surface quality development of the web. More important is that the water circulation evens out the
roll surface temperature in the cross direction (CD) and therefore helps to produce a better caliper
profile. The higher end of the temperature range significantly increases the smoothness
development potential of the calender.

Figure 5. Two-roll hard nip 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

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Chapter 1 Calendering

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 distribution 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 cylinders, 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 paper machine drives or in tension mode
by using tension measuring rolls as paper carrying 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 high operating temperatures. This is done normally with heat transfer oil. High temperature
produces better web surface quality, uniformity, and smoothness ( Fig. 6), and preserves bulk and
strength properties. Heating up both nip rolls, however, is complicated because the other roll is a
deflection 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.

Figure 6. Calendering with different calendering concepts.

Another type of gradient calendering process is the moisture gradient calendering. 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.
Multiroll hard nip calender
Research has shown that the surface properties of the web develop according to the total pressure
pulse 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

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Chapter 1 Calendering

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. Having more rolls in the stack increases the linear load in
the bottom nips. This method of creating linear load is simple and rather 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.

Figure 7. Multiroll calender.

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 position
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 permit adjusting the
edge support forces pneumatically or hydraulically. These overhanging 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 deflection 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 drying cylinder to the top portion 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, belts, air-blowing trays, and suction
conveyor belts. The tail strip runs down to the pulper from the last drying cylinder 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 reeling 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.

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Chapter 1 Calendering

Figure 8. Threading devices.

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 calenders 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.
1.2.2 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.
1.2.2.1 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).
The major difference in the nip behavior of soft calenders is that both the web and the roll cover
are compressing, which results in a significantly lower actual pressure in the nip compared to hard
nip calenders. The nip is longer, allowing better heat transfer and subsequent deformation of the
calendered web. Another significant difference is that the compression of the web in both high and
low spots is more evenly distributed. The deformation of the soft cover reduces the maximum local
nip pressure resulting in more uniform calendering. A hard nip calender tends to equalize the caliper
of the paper web resulting in small-scale density variations in the web. The soft calender tends to
equalize density of the web resulting in differences in caliper ( Fig. 9).

Figure 9. Hard and soft nip calendering.

Soft calendering offers many benefits over hard nip calendering. Because of the more uniform
density, the absorption properties of the web and printing results are more uniform. As the local high
spots are not compressed very hard, there is less gloss mottling in the printed image. Lower
maximum pressure allows the web to be calendered to better smoothness without danger of
blackening. The strength properties of the web are maintained better compared to hard nip
calendering.

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Chapter 1 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 supercalenders in processes that do not require the full
potential of supercalenders.
1.2.2.2 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 temperatures (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 temperature and low pressure together produce a very
good structure. The surface is plasticized 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 cylinder heated to a high surface temperature with
steam, hot oil, or electricity. The cylinder is usually chrome plated. The calendering 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 commonly used. Though the temperature of
the hot cylinder is high, soft rolls can be used; because of the thick board, the soft roll has no contact
with the hot cylinder surface. Therefore, rubber and polyurethane, which can only withstand
temperatures up to 80°C, can be safely used.

Figure 10. Gloss calender.

Since the linear pressures are low, 20−80 kN/m, the soft surface rolls are normally 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 promising that attempts were undertaken to develop a roll cover that
could withstand higher linear 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, Küsters Corporation, called their product.

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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.

Figure 11. Soft calender.

For two-sided calendering, two nips that have an inverted 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 compensated 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 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 calenders finishing both sides twice. There are
also special calenders combining a hard nip calender and soft calender.

Figure 12. Soft calender concepts.

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 compensated 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 operation and maintenance
procedures are performed. In this sense, a soft calender can never be as easy to operate as a hard
nip calender. The edge areas are especially critical as there might be direct contact with the hot roll.
Because the roll cover cannot withstand this contact, several methods have been developed to cope
with this problem. Cooling the edge of the soft cover with cold air is a very frequently used
alternative. Another possibility is to taper the edges of the soft roll to eliminate direct contact. The

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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 minimized, and the roll change must be
easy and safe. In some cases, the roll change can even be performed while the paper machine is
running without shutting down. 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.

Figure 13. Newsprint soft calender.

Another important aspect in machine layout is the space requirement for the hydraulic systems,
oil-heating systems, electrical drive arrangements, etc. A soft calender 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 calender 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, especially 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 transporting both top and bottom rolls. In wider
calenders, however, an open-faced arrangement 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 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 actuator. 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

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surface.
Three-roll soft calender
One nip per side of the paper is not always enough for finishing the sheet. More finishing capacity
can be obtained by adding more similar nips. This is, however, an expensive 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
surface 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 calenders or slow speed on-line calenders. For higher speed
on-line calendering, a horizontal roll arrangement is used.

Figure 14. Four-nip soft calender.

The three-roll unit is a good process tool, especially for one-sided finishing, offering a high finish
capability at a reasonable price. It is an interesting unit for two-sided finishing  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.
1.2.3 Supercalender
A supercalender is a multiroll calender composed of alternating hard and soft rolls. The soft rolls
allow heavy linear loads to be used to obtain good smoothness without severe blackening or mottling
of the web. The control parameters of a supercalender are:
- Linear 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 compressed 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 compressed 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 number 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

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the web from the bottom portion. The most common number of rolls is 10 or 12.
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 smoothness or gloss. At one time 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.

Figure 15. Supercalender.

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 intermediate 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 cylinders. 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 linear 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 capacity 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 capacity 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 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
bottom 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.

Figure 16. Supercalender loading hydraulics.

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After the filled rolls have been changed out of the supercalender, they are left to cool to room
temperature. After cooling down, the rolls are refinished by turning or grinding. The refinished rolls, in
turn, are put back on the supercalender. In wide 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 refilling 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 maintained 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.
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 distance. 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 accomplished 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 section has its own drive
motor and a proximity switch to set the exact gap.
Another widely used automatic spindle system 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 is 1 −2 minutes.

Figure 17. Supercalender spindle arrangement.

One special arrangement for setting the gap is used in closed frame supercalenders with quick
opening. 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 calender. This kind of arrangement is easy to
operate on closed frame calenders that would require four spindles for setting the correct gaps.

Figure 18. Closed-face supercalender.

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Because the filled roll change in a supercalender is carried out practically daily, all other tasks to
be performed 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 it is in front of the
roll to be changed, rotating the nip guard out of the way, sliding the crane lifting attachments to the
roll journals, and lifting 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 qualified 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 rapidly. Today, in
almost all supercalenders, polymer rolls can be used in any position with respect to mechanical
loading. The only reason that might still require traditional filled rolls to be used is the paper quality.
Polymer covered rolls do not require as much 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 substantially increase
supercalender capacity. Another benefit of polymer rolls in supercalen-ders is the improved caliper
profile. When filled rolls are used, active profiling cannot be done because the roll is deformed so
easily that the linear pressure profiling is lost within 15 −30 minutes. A traditional supercalender,
therefore, cannot influence the caliper profile with linear pressure profiling. However, zone-controlled
steaming has influence on both gloss 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 surface produces lower gloss values, especially when several rolls
are changed at the same time. However, the roll is getting smoother in the calender and, after a few
hours of running, the surface roughness is close to the roughness of the hot roll surface (0.2 −0.3
microns Ra). The behavior of the polymer roll can be quite different. Some rolls get rougher in the
calender, and some become extremely smooth. This phenomenon has a strong effect on the
achieved paper quality.

Figure 19. Overhanging load compensation.

Swimming-type single-zone rolls provide sufficient control for narrow calenders, but
zone-controlled rolls are necessary on wider calenders. Supercalenders have the same linear
pressure distribution problem that affects the multiroll hard nip calenders: overhanging loads.
Because a supercalender has rolls that have different rigidities and also overhanging loads that vary
from nip to nip, the linear pressure CD-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

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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 control. 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 loosened from the surface of the web and sticks on the surface of the calender rolls.
Because the supercalender is a separate process, it is very important that the machine reel
quality after the calender is so good that winder runnability and reel quality after the winder is not
influenced by the calender windup. In any case, every winding stretches the paper slightly as it is
under tension and consumes the stretch potential of the paper. There still has to be enough stretch
potential for the printing machine to ensure the runnability of the printing process. Today, almost
solely, center-driven windups with adjustable rider roll load are used. Center 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.
1.2.4 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 supercalenders. Each of these had its
advantages and disadvantages. The rapid development 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 problem
with supercalenders using filled rolls. For speeds above 1600 m/min, three supercalenders 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 technology developed for soft calenders had reached a point so that
supercalender filled rolls could be replaced with polymer covered rolls. Experiments were conducted
in existing production lines and it was soon determined that, if more than two or three rolls were
replaced with polymer rolls, the paper quality was somewhat deteriorated. But, since today's polymer
rolls can withstand linear pressures, load cycles, and temperatures that are higher than that of the
filled rolls, there are ways to compensate for the heat energy lost from the mechanical drive power. If
existing 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 Küsters-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

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conditions. Since calendering capacity is no longer a limiting factor, multigrade on-line production
lines can be created. 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.
1.2.4.1 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 polymer 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 configuration. 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 (compared to a
supercalender) which means that the top and bottom deflection compensated 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 supercalendering speeds 2.
Since the calender is built for a polymer multi-nip calendering concept, no slideways 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.

Figure 20. Janus calender concepts 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 difference 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 supercalender has, and tail threading is performed
with nips open as with a soft calender.
In the first installed calender, this is accomplished with suction conveyors and two ropes that
lead the tail threading strip through the calender stack.

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Figure 21. Tail threading for an on-line multi-nip calender 3.

1.2.4.2 Prosoft calender

The typical Prosoft calender configurations are 2 x 3 rolls, 3 + 5 rolls, 2 x 5 rolls, and 2 x 7 rolls.
Prosoft calender is similar to the other multi-nip calenders in the characteristics of using polymer
rolls and elevated process temperatures. 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.
1.2.4.3 OptiLoad calender

Figure 22. OptiLoad calender.

The OptiLoad calender (Fig. 22) came onto the market about the same time as the Janus calender.
This concept is also based on polymer 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).
The loading arrangement of the calender is unique ( Fig. 23). By designing the calender 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.

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.
1.2.5 Specialty calenders
1.2.5.1 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 different from standard hard
nip calendering. In a wet stack, moisture gradients are effectively 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

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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.
1.2.5.2 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 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 relatively 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.

1.2.5.3 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.
1.2.5.4 Brush finishing
Brush finishing develops surface 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 horsehair against
the web (Fig. 26). The control parameters are the speed difference between the web and the brush
rolls and the direction of brush rotation. There are two ways to do brush finishing: to the web
supported by the mating roll or to the free web between supporting rolls. Brush finishing has 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 marginal due to dust problems in
the finished web and the introduction of hot soft calendering as an alternative.

Figure 26. Brush calender.

1.2.5.5 Long nip calenders

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It has been known for a long time that using bigger diameter rolls and roll covers with lower dynamic
elastic moduli develops a better surface quality/bulk relationship. Thus, there has been an interest in
moving toward long nip calendering (Fig. 27). However, this has not resulted in any major new
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.

Figure 27. Long nip calender concepts.

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 producing board grades.
1.2.5.6 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 calenders 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 compress the web. In the soft nip process, rolls can also
rotate independently, then the engraving is only in the hard roll.

1.3 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.

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
- 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).

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Calendering variables affecting mechanical work act on two nip variables: nip pressure and nip
dwell time. Later sections of text describe all the main variables in more detail.
1.3.1 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 cellulose. 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.
1.3.1.1 Glass transition temperature
All viscoelastic materials of paper can be expected to exhibit a glass transition and possibly other
transitions as shown in Fig. 29. There are five regions of the viscoelastic behavior for linear
amorphous polymers. In region 1, the polymer is glassy and frequently brittle and the Young's
modulus is high and relatively constant. Bone dry wood polymers are in region 1 when the
temperature is lower than 150°C. Increased moisture content lowers that temperature 4.

Figure 29. Five regions of viscoelastic behavior for a linear, amorphous polymer.

The glass transition temperature (region 2) is the first phase where moldability of the paper in the
nip is greatly reinforced. The glass transition temperature of different polymers varies widely with
structure and other parameters. Glass transition temperatures of paper polymers can vary from room
temperature (polymers of coating color) to 250 °C (polymers of wood). Figure 30 shows that the glass
transition for dry polymeric wood components occurs at rather high temperatures 5.

Figure 30. Published data relating to main softening temperatures, i.e., glass transition
temperatures, Tg, of the wood components under completely dry conditions 5.

Water is a very effective softener for paper polymers. Increased water content lowers the glass
transition temperature considerably. Figure 31 shows the glass transition temperature of the polymer
components of paper as a function of the overall moisture content when 60% of the total cellulose
and hemicellulose material is crystalline. The curves for cellulose and hemicellulose are very close to
each other, so only one curve is shown. Lignin can take up only a limited amount of moisture. For
moist native lignin, the glass transition temperature above a moisture content of 2.5% is about
115°C. Mechanical pulps at higher moisture content show two such glass transitions, one for the
cellulose-hemicellulose fraction and one for the lignin 6, 7.

Figure 31. The glass transition temperature of the main paper polymers as a function of the overall
moisture of TMP paper. Water is a plasticizer 6.

1.3.1.2 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 plateau region.

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As the temperature is raised past the rubbery plateau region for linear amorphous 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 4.
1.3.2 Paper and thermo roll temperature
All paper polymers are softened by increasing temperature. In calendering, paper temperature in the
nip can be increased most effectively by increasing the temperature of the thermo roll. Incoming web
temperature can vary from 30°C−40°C (off-line calendering) up to 100°C (on-line calendering).
Increased paper temperature in the nip means that the same calendering and smoothing effect can
be gained with lower mechanical (linear load) work. Figure 32 shows the effect of thermo roll surface
temperature on smoothness (Bendtsen) of uncoated linerboard. In one nip soft calendering, thermo
roll surface temperatures were 150°C and 205°C. Increased temperature improves paper
smoothness.

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

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 8.

Figure 33. Temperature profiles (shown schematically) through the thickness of the paper webs
passing through calender nip.

Note that in Fig. 33: (a) The temperature differences between the thermo roll and the paper are
generally small, as are the temperature variations through the thickness of the paper. When the
paper is compressed, it deforms uniformly throughout its thickness; and (b) in temperature-gradient
calendering, the cold web is in contact with very hot calender rolls, causing high temperature
gradients between the surface 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 (PPS-S10). Increased
calender temperature gives a smoother surface at the same bulk level or better bulk at the same
smoothness level. The board was calendered with a one nip soft calender and surface temperatures
of 150°C and 205°C8.
The thermo roll temperature has a significant effect on paper temperature in the nip, as seen
above. A thermo roll surface temperature, at running conditions, can vary from water-cooled/heated
rolls (30°C) to oil heated (over 200°C). Different kinds of thermo rolls and their temperatures are
described in the section on 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 205°C.

1.3.3 Moisture
The plasticizing effect of water on the glass transition temperature of the paper polymers is

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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 140 °C and the speed was
1050 m/min. With constant linear load, much better smoothness was gained at the higher base
moisture.

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.

The final moisture target limits the moisture content in the calendering process and, in most
cases, is from 4% to 9%.
Calendering can also be boosted with the moisture gradient. Surface moisture can also be
increased by a moisturizer, which minimizes the increase in the overall moisture content. Surface
moisturizing can be accomplished with a steam shower that increases the surface moisture and
temperature of the paper. The effect of steaming is a function of web temperature before steaming.
The higher the temperature is before 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 the web temperature is over 70 °C, the effect of
steaming is lowered dramatically. To gain an effective steaming result in the on-line calendering
process, cooling of the web is recommended.
1.3.4 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 pressure and nip length
calculations, see "Review in calendering modeling studies."
In hard nip calendering, where both of the rolls are not resilient, the nip pressure is higher at
constant linear load than in soft or multi-nip calenders because of the narrow nip.
Linear load affects the paper thickness and large-scale (formation related) smoothness by
compressing the paper structure. Higher linear load/nip pressure also improves the surface
properties (micro roughness, gloss) by increasing the replication of the roll surface patterns to the
paper.

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

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m/min. Hunter gloss increases from 25% to 50% when linear load increases from 40 kN/m to 650
kN/m.
1.3.5 Number of nips
One way to increase the effectiveness, i.e., mechanical work of the calendering, is to increase the
amount of nips. Increasing the number of nips increases the nip dwell time without decreasing the
maximum nip pressure. Figure 37 shows the effect of the number of nips on LWC paper gloss in a
12-roll multi-nip calender. Linear load was 450 kN/m, thermo roll surface temperature 130 °C, and
speed 650 m/min. Curves show the 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.

Figure 37. The effect of the number of nips on LWC paper gloss. Calendering conditions: 11 nips,
thermo roll surface temperature 130°C, linear load 450 kN/m, speed 650 m/min.

1.3.6 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.
1.3.7 Soft roll cover
In the hard nip calendering process, the web is pressed together between hard, unyielding rolls.
Because of the unyielding rolls, the paper is calipered to an equal thickness. As a result, the flocs
are more heavily densified than the thinner areas of the paper (see Fig. 38). This induces local
density variations which lead to the familiar problems of mottling, strength losses and, in extreme
cases, blackening.

Figure 38. Sheet structure after hard nip calendering and soft calendering.

In a soft or multi-nip calender, the paper is calendered in the nips which are formed by a chilled
iron and a resilient roll. While passing through the nip, the paper undergoes more equal densification
due to the elasticity of the roll cover. This means that the soft cover distributes the compressive
stress in the nip more equally over the thicker and thinner parts of the paper, and mottling is
distinctly reduced. The soft roll cover material has an effect on the uniformity of the compressive
stress in the nip. The lower the roll dynamic elastic modulus (softer) of the roll is, the more uniform
calendering result is achieved.

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

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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 distributions of the gloss. Soft calendered board also shows
more uniformity than hard nip calendered.
1.3.8 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.
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 platelike 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 pigment 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. Moisture 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.
1.3.10 Roll surface roughness
Roll surface roughness has a large effect on paper surface properties, especially thermo roll surface
roughness, because the surface of the roll is copied to the paper in the nip. A typical surface
roughness level for a thermo roll is 0.2 −0.4 Ra. Polymer roll surface roughness must be at a level
where it does not have a harmful effect on the paper. A typical surface roughness for a polymer roll
is 0.3−0.6 Ra.

Figure 40. Paper gloss (Hunter) as a function of paper roughness (PPS-S10) with normal soft-soft
nip and rough thermo roll in the soft calender.

For matte grade papers, thermo rolls with rougher surface can be used. Figure 40 shows the
effect of soft calender thermo roll surface roughness on paper gloss (Hunter) as a function of paper
roughness (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.

1.4 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

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- 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.

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

1.4.1 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 binding agents. Because of the variety in paper raw materials, paper
structure, and the printing method used for wood-containing grades, a variety of different kinds of
calendering processes are needed to finish these grades according to quality specifications.
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/m2.
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-controlled calender rolls. The
latest individually zone-controlled rolls are capable of controlling 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 paper density. When the DIP
content increases, the calendered paper density also increases. Calendering running conditions are
kept constant. This relates to the increased moldability of the paper.

Figure 42. Paper density as a function of DIP amount. Constant calendering conditions 13.

Today's technology for newsprint grades is progressively moving toward soft calendering. Typical
running conditions 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 calender nip is enough,

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depending on paper two-sidedness (which depends on the press section concept implemented on
the paper machine).
TMP-based newsprint requires two soft calender nips and quite tough calendering 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 calendering 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 calendered 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 temperature 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 hardnesses in individual nips.
Future technology is trending toward multi-grade processes that can produce paper from
standard newsprint to SC grades with one machine. New multi-nip calenders are a recent trend in
newsprint calendering, especially when paper machine modernizations are discussed and the aim is
toward upgrading product quality. Lightly calendered grades can be run though only one nip or with
low linear loads in each nip throughout the entire calender stack (see 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.

Figure 43. Tensile index of soft and hard nip calendered paper.

Table 1. Typical values for calendered newsprint

Std Newsprint
Basis weight, (g/m2) 40.0−48.8
Ash, (%) 0−20
PPS S10-roughness, (µm) 3.0−4.5
Bendtsen roughness, (ml/min) 100−200
Density, (kg/m3) 600−750
Brightness, (%) 57−63

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Opacity, (%) 90−96

1.4.1.2 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/m2.
Calendering method
SC paper is traditionally calendered with 10- or 12- roll supercalenders. Typically, two or three
off-line calenders can keep up with the production of one paper machine. Calendering speeds vary
from 500 to 700 m/min. Linear loads are typically 300 −400 kN/m and thermo roll water temperatures
80°C−120°C. Paper two-sidedness can be controlled by reverse nip positioning, different
temperature, or steaming levels in the top and bottom parts of the calender.

Figure 44. Hunter gloss vs. linear load with 12-roll traditional and polymer supercalender and 10-
and 12-roll multi-nip 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 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 gradually entered SC paper calendering.
Technology in this area is now moving toward multi-nip calenders. New paper machines running in
the near future at 1800−2000 m/min will require up to four supercalenders per paper machine. The
new calender concepts enable higher calendering speed, temperature, and linear load because of
polymer covers. The roll amount for the most demanding grades is 10 or 12 rolls.

Figure 45. Paper blackening with conventional supercalender and multi-nip calender.

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 lessened 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/m2) 45−52 48.8−55 40-60
Ash, (%) 0−10 10−30 25−35
Hunter gloss, (%) < 20 25−35 40−50
PPS S10-roughness, 2.0−2.5 1.5−2.1 1.0−1.3

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(m)
Density, (kg/m3) 700−850 900−1100 1100−1250
Brightness, (%) 62−64 62−67 65−70
Opacity, (%) 92−95 92−93 90−93
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/m2.
Calendering method
Precalendering
The target of precalendering is to reduce roughness and porosity to the required level before coating.
Traditionally, LWC precalendering has been done with a two-roll hard calender comprising one
water-heated roll and one deflection compensated roll. Linear load varies typically from 10 to 40
kN/m and water temperature in general is from 80 °C to 100°C.
Another very important function of precalendering is caliper control. The same kinds of tools
found in newsprint calenders are used here.
Final calendering
LWC and MWC paper is traditionally calendered with 10- or 12-roll supercalenders. Typically, there
are two or three off-line calenders for one paper machine. Calender running speeds vary typically
from 600 to 800 m/min. Linear loads are typically 300 −350 kN/m and thermo roll water temperatures
are 80°C−120°C.

Figure 46. Hunter gloss as a function of paper density with different calenders and running
conditions.

Matte paper grades are produced by passing some of the 11 nips of the supercalender. Paper
caliper is controlled with the top and bottom deflection compensated rolls.
Film-coated offset (FCO) paper is calendered either with off-line 12-roll supercalenders 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 finished coated (MFC) paper is
calendered with a two-nip on-line soft calender with relative 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 calendering. 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.

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

MFC FCO LWC MWC
Basis weight, 50-70 40-70 40-70 70-90
(g/m2)
Hunter gloss, (%) 25-40 45-55 50-65 65-70
PPS 2.2-2.8 1.5-2.0 0.8-1.5 (offset) 0.6-1.0
s10-roughness, 0.6-1.0(roto)
(µm)
Density, (kg/m3) 900-950 1000-1050 1100-1250 1150-1250
Brightness, (%) 70-75 70-75 70-75 70-75
Opacity, (%) 91-95 91-95 89-94 89-94
1.4.2 Woodfree paper grades
Woodfree paper is divided into two segments: uncoated and coated. The most common end uses of
uncoated woodfree papers are office papers, different photocopy and printer papers, and book
papers. On the other hand, coated woodfree grades are used in top quality printed books and
brochures. The furnish of woodfree papers is bleached chemical pulp, containing less than 10%
mechanical pulp.
1.4.2.1 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 2.
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 moderate, 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 following short list (for a more
detailed list of advantages, see the section "Wood-containing 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 function of bulk with two calender concepts. In this
case, soft calendering gives 0.3−0.6 µm smoother paper at constant bulk than hard nip calendering.

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Figure 47. Soft calendering and hard nip calendering of WFU 75 g/m 2 offset paper.

In the future, we will see WFU calendering performed with multi-nip calen-ders, especially in
multi-grade machines producing standard copy paper to four-color copy grades. Today's multi-nip
technology's flexibility well exceeds the capabilities 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/m2) 80
PPS-roughness, (µm) 3.5−5.0
Bendtsen roughness, (ml/min) 100−200
Hunter gloss, (%) 7−15
1.4.2.2 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 characteristics. WFC grades can be single,
double, or triple coated. The total coating layer can be up to 40 g/m 2 per side. In WFC production,
precalenders are used before the coater in order to calender the surface for coater specific
requirements. The final surface finishing can be matte or glossy. Some of the grades are used either
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
Precalendering
The target of precalendering is to reduce roughness and porosity to the required level before the
coater. Traditionally, WFC precalendering has been done with a two-roll hard calender comprising
one water-heated roll and one deflection compensated roll. Linear load varies typically from 10 to 40
kN/m and temperature from 80 °C to 100°C). Soft calendering technology is also increasingly used as
a precalendering method, because of good two-sidedness control and calendering results.
Paper caliper control is an important part of precalendering of wood-containing coated grades.
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 temperatures
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 9-12.

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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 production 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.
Elevated temperatures in calendering WFC grades produce quality benefits in terms of higher
gloss at constant bulk, as can be seen from Fig. 49. Comparing a standard supercalender operating
with filled rolls and 80°C temperature level to a modern multi-nip calender with polymer rolls and
higher temperature, an increase of 4% −5% Hunter can be seen at a constant paper density level. In
some cases, there has been brightness loss with high temperature calendering. This risk can be
eliminated by keeping the windup paper temperature low enough (35 °C−45°C).

Figure 48. New multi-nip calender applications for WFC calendering.

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

The effect of soft covered rolls in WFC calendering is very important. The target is to avoid
excessively high modulus covers, i.e., a nip that is too hard. Suitable covers are normally between
88 and 91 ShD. The rule of thumb in covers for WFC is "the softer, the better." A cover that is too
hard can cause uneven calendering (gloss 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 calender 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 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 special web run where some of the nips are bypassed.
The target in matte calendering can be expressed in terms of paper gloss and smoothness. The
object is to simultaneously maximize the smoothness and minimize the gloss. In matte production,
the coating color formulation plays an important role. Selection of the right components for the
coating color recipe can easily affect the gloss/smoothness ratio of calendered paper. The plate type
pigments, like clay and easily gloss-forming pigments like plastic pigments, are not used in matte
colors. 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.

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Figure 50. The coating color recipe describes paper gloss/smoothness ratio after calendering.

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 appearance 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.

Single Coated Double Coated
Basis weight, (g/m2) 90 130
Hunter gloss, (%) 65−80 70−80
PPS-s10 roughness, (µm) 0.75−1.1 0.65−0.95
Brightness, (%) 80−88 83−90
Opacity, (%) 91−94 95−97
1.4.3 Board and specialty papers
The group "board" is rather heterogeneous, including grades from high basis weight (up to 500 g/m 2)
to low basis weight (120 g/m2), 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 discusses the most
common specialty papers, release paper and tissue paper.
1.4.3.1 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 recycled fibers

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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).

Figure 51. Typical quality values for coated board grades: (a) PPS-S10- roughness function of bulk
(b) Hunter 75 gloss function of PPS-S10-roughness.

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 calender 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 furnish 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. Precalenders always have CD caliper control.
The calendering effect can be boosted with steam showers. To gain a good steaming effect, the

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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 relatively 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 hardnesses vary from 72 to 95
ShD depending on the grade. Thermo roll temperatures can be up to 200 °C (glossy grades). Lower
temperatures are used with matte grades. Coating 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 processes, so basis
weights can be lowered without lowering bulk and stiffness. One solution 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.
1.4.3.2 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 calender to improve the calendering result if the board is cooled.
The future trend, as with coated grades, is toward long nip calendering. This technology makes it
possible to calender board to higher formation scale roughness and bulk with lower micro roughness
(PPS) and better printability.
1.4.3.3 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 supercalendered glassine paper
coated with silicone for achieving good release properties.

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Table 6 shows typical paper properties for supercalendered release paper.

Table 6. Typical paper properties for supercalendered release paper.

Paper Properties Europe Europe
60−65 g/m2 80−90 g/m2
Caliper (µm) 55−57 71−79
Density (kg/m3) 1080−1200 1150−1250
IGT cm 12−14 13−15
Cobb Unger (g/m2) 0.9−1.4 1.0−1.6
dense side 1.2−2.5 1.8−2.2
open side 45−55 40−45
Transparency
Critical release paper properties affected by calendering are good silicone holdout (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 (silicone 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 performed 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.
1.4.3.4 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 serviettes/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.

1.5 Deflection compensated rolls in calenders

1.5.1 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 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 drawback. The most
used roll of this kind is known as the "swimming roll." These rolls consist of a stationary shaft and a

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rotating shell. The shell is supported by the hydraulic pressure, 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 changing 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 temperatures, 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 phenomenon.
The next stage of the evolution was hydrostatically supported zone-controlled rolls. The
deflection compensation (Fig. 52) was achieved through hydrostatically lubricated loading elements.
These elements were 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. Additionally, hydrostatic
elements are good vibration absorbers. This is very important, especially in modern, fast running
paper machines.

Figure 52. The evolution of deflection compensation.

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 construction or an internal pressure.
1.5.2 Theory of deflection compensation
In a nip, the linear force and bearing forces load the mating 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 illustrated in Fig. 53.

Figure 53. Condition for uniform nip profile.

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 q2 − q1 corresponds to the linear force q1 in the deflection-compensated roll. In addition, at
the edges of the shell, the force F2 and the moment M2 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
F1 M1 q1
F2
= M2
= q2 ¡q1
(1)
Because the distance between the bearing and the shell edge on the mating roll is short, the
effect of moment M1 on the deflection mode is also relatively small. The lack of the corresponding
moment M2 in a conventional deflection-compensated roll can be seen as the so-called gull-wing
effect in the linear force distribution. In a zone-controlled roll, the lack of this moment can in practice

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be easily compensated for by properly adjusting the zone forces acting in the roll.
The force F1, on the other hand, is usually big. The lack of the corresponding force F2 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 roll, a sufficient radial force F2 must be available. If the magnitude of this force
component can also be adjusted, it provides an effective way to adjust the linear force distribution,
especially at the edge of the paper.

Figure 54. Line force profile without bearing forces.

Figures 54 and 55 present a comparison between a pair of normally dimensioned two-roll

calenders. When a radial bearing force is available, the linear force distribution can easily be made
uniform and the capacity of the zone forces is not wasted in the basic adjustments. Similarly, when
only zone forces are available, the shell must be bent by using very different zone forces. The result
is not satisfactory. Also, the entire zone control capacity is used to correct the deficiency of the
roll.

Figure 55. Line force profile with bearing forces.

1.5.3 Swimming rolls

The swimming roll is mainly used in narrow and/or slow running calenders. It is not suitable 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.

Figure 56. An example of a swimming type roll.

1.5.4 Zone-controlled rolls

1.5.4.1 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 calender 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.
1.5.4.2 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 on a 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.

Figure 57. The hydraulic loading element.

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When the oil pressure loads the loading element, the element will come into contact with the
shell. The pressure oil flows from the pressure chamber beneath the piston through capillary ducts to
chambers in the shoe surface. The oil begins to flow in 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 chamber is reduced and the shoe is
straightened.
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 m/min. Adding
a hydrodynamic wedge in the front 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 illustrated 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.

Figure 58. Dynamic wedge effect.

The power consumption of the roll rotation depends on the average thickness of the oil film, its
viscosity, and the area of the shoe ridges. Because it uses conventional hydrostatic bearing
elements, this power consumption is a compromise with the pumping power. The dynamic wedges,
however, allow the mean thickness of the oil film to be increased, i.e., the rotating power
consumption to be decreased without increasing required pumping power.

Figure 59. Oil film thickness vs. running speed

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 occurrence 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.
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.

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1.5.4.4 Control system

In a conventional 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 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
protection can easily be built into the control system.

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

1.6 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.
1.6.1 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 controlled, which requires a different
oil piping system. Thus, there are from 20 to 60 individual 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 system that increases the
mean pressure level in loading elements so that suitable +/ − correction ability is achieved. There are
different ways to design this; Fig. 62 shows the counter zone construction used in a CD profile
control roll. Normally, the counter zone is divided so that the deformations of the shell are
minimized.

Figure 62. CD-profile control roll with counterzone.

1.6.2 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 recommended, 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.

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

1.6.3 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

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their own bearings. In this situation, the run-out errors in the rotating ring of the bearing are also
copied to the roll shell.
In Fig. 64 a new solution 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
compensation. 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 also keeps the axial position of the shell constant.

Figure 64. High precision hydrostatic roll.

Figure 65. Thermo roll types.

This kind of solution can withstand a load from zero to maximum, thus eliminating the zero load
problem. Neither are there any run-out problems in the bearing, because all bearing elements are
now stationary.

1.7 Heated rolls

Temperature control is a key factor when reaching first class paper surface quality in the calendering
process. Proper selection of heated rolls, called "thermo rolls," requires good calendering process
know-how and knowledge of thermo roll performance ( Fig. 65).
1.7.1 Process and design requirements
The main process requirements for thermo rolls are the right heat transfer capacity from the roll
surface to the paper web and adequate, even nip pressure 17, 22−27. Depending 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.

1.7.2 Construction
Modern heated calender rolls can be divided into two basic designs, the displacer type and the
peripherally drilled type16, 20, 21. The forerunners of these modern rolls simply use a small central
bore.
1.7.2.1 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

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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.
1.7.2.2 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 showers 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.
1.7.2.3 Peripherally drilled rolls

Figure 66. Peripheral hole configurations.

Peripheral holes are normally drilled from both ends of the roll body and meet in the middle of the roll
body. The holes are usually 20−60 mm from the roll surface, depending on the material used ( Fig.
66). The hole diameter is normally between 25−50 mm and the number of holes is 15 −50 depending
on the process requirements. The size of central bore is designed based on the roll diameter and
application.
There are several designs of peripherally drilled rolls.
1.7.2.4 Mono-pass rolls
The flow in all peripheral passages is unidirectional. To avoid an unfavorable temperature 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.
1.7.2.5 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.
1.7.2.6 Tri-pass rolls
In the tri-pass roll, the heating medium makes three passes across the roll face in alternating
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 temperature in the third hole. This design allows operation at higher
thermal loads and temperatures.
1.7.2.7 Multi-pass rolls

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It is possible for thermal fluid to go through more than three drilled holes before it drains through the
journals to the heating installation.
1.7.2.8 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 surface. These rolls ( Fig. 67) are used in small
calenders. The main usage of these rolls is in the converting field.

Figure 67. Tokuden roll.

1.7.3 Heating mediums

Water, steam, and thermal oil are the three main heating mediums used in thermo rolls 18, 19.
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 supply. 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.
1.7.4 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, hardened and tempered forged steel, and gray
or nodular cast iron with a hard coated surface.
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.

1.8 Roll coverings/soft roll covers

The surface quality of calender hot thermo rolls degrades because of wear and corrosion 26.
Therefore, paper surface characteristics such as profile, smoothness, and gloss are diminished.
Abrasive wear of the roll surface is caused by fibers, fillers, coating 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

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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.

Table 7. Properties of thermal spray systems.

Thermal Temper Particle Bond Oxidatio Porosity Feed Relative Thickne
spray ature velocity strength n (%) Rate price ss
method (°C) (m/s) (MPa) (%) (kg/h) (typical)
(mm)
HVOF 3 000 800 > 70 1−5 1−2 2−8 1 0.1−2.0
Plasma 12 000 200−400 10 > 70 1−3 1−5 2−10 1.5 0.1−1.0
Detonati 4 000 800 > 70 1−5 1−5 0.5−2.0 1.5 0.05−0.3
on 0
gun
1.8.1 Coating materials
Thermal spray coating materials that are commonly used in calender rolls include Alumina Oxide,
Alumina + Titanium, Chromium Oxide, and Tungsten Carbide as shown in Table 8. Important
properties for coating materials are hardness, bond strength, residual stress, strain to fracture, and
thermal expansion 27.
Sprayed materials are in powder format and grain size is selected between 5 and 50 µm. Surface
roughness can be super finished at the level of 0.02 −0.08 µm using diamond 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%Co-4%Ni 800−1 200 0.1−0.5
WC-20%Cr-7%Ni 800−1 200 0.1−0.5
Cr2C2-25%NiCr 600−1 100 0.10−0.75
Oxide ceramics Al2O3 800−1 200 0.1−0.5
Al2O3-3%...40%TiO 700−1 200 0.1−0.5
Cr2O3 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 coating technology in
calender rolls.
1.8.2 Calender soft rolls

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1.8.2.1 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 calender. 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 bowl 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 manufacturing, 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 impossible 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.
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,

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depending on the operating 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 carbonization 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
months, but premature failures seemed to mean the end for these rolls. Today this idea is used in
the Nomex filled roll. The rolls can withstand higher temperatures and are more marking resistant
than cotton filled rolls, but due to the not so smooth surface produce less gloss. Therefore, Nomex
filled rolls are better suited for demanding supercalender operating conditions with moderate gloss
requirements. An advantage of the cotton filled roll is that it cost less than the Nomex filled roll.
Another problem with filled rolls is the lack of homogeneity, mostly in the 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 important 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.
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 unfavorable 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
al., 1971−7380,81). 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

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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 covering
were successfully used in supercalenders. This improved cover was named Supertex. 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 calendering 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, Küsters 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.
1.8.2.2 Filled rolls today
Available fillings
The choice of the filling and roll hardness depend on the type of paper (gloss, smoothness, bulk) to
be produced, the printing process, and the operating conditions in the supercalender. For smooth
paper, a hard and dense roll is the best choice, but a roll that is too hard can cause blackening.
Gloss on coated paper is best achieved with softer rolls, which also preserve the bulk. Soft rolls tend
to deform more, which gives a wider nip and more heat generation. This consumes more drive
power, but it helps surface finishing. However, a roll that is too soft will burn and disintegrate. Hard
rolls tend to be less elastic, and the markings are more severe; the markings are more permanent
and the edges of the markings are sharper. Softer rolls with less severe markings do not mark the
paper web so easily. Compared to some decades ago, the average roll hardness has increased,
probably as a result of increased operating conditions. The hardness of filled rolls ranges from 85 to
90 ShD for today's supercalender.
Until the 1970s, the papermaker was still offered a broad range of 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 during 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 American papermaker have different calendering philosophies and use
different filled rolls. In Europe, the nip load and calender speed are usually lower than in the United
States, and the filled rolls mostly sold in Europe are softer woolen/cotton rolls. In Europe, the
following fillings are usually used:
- 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

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

Figure 68. Filled roll.

The filler paper (basis weight up to 250 g/m 2) 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 differences 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 material 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 roll manufacture must be kept at high
standard. For example, the paper sheet must be very homogeneous. In the roll manufacture

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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
compression, 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.
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 operation in the calender, there
is little time for maintenance. One reason is that supercalenders 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 economical.
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 articles.
Breaking-in or conditioning is hardly ever done today, but a proper break-in of a new roll is an
important factor for good roll life and performance. A new roll in particular, and even a refinished roll,
requires a break-in or conditioning period.
Three functions are performed during this break-in period: a) filling stabilization, b) surface finish,
and c) removal of sag (acquired during storage).
- 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
operation. 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 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 needed for the

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break-in depended on the filling; hard fillings need less break-in time. In those cases when mills
cannot follow a break-in procedure, it is best to allow a roll to start in the top position of a calender
stack where nip load is at a minimum and the filled roll stands the least chance of damage.
Surface glazing can only be done in the stack. With only one filled roll replacement, 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 substantial 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 damages.
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 markings, then this
should be done correctly. Under the marking, the paper filling is compressed. When grinding the roll,
the grinder must remove twice the depth of the marking. If not, with continued operation there is the
risk of greater damage than a marking because the compressed filler will relax and cause a high
spot. Every time this high spot passes through the nip, it is being loaded beyond the 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 is a common reason for premature end of roll life, requiring a refill of the
roll. Local filled roll burnout can also be caused by local temperature peaks, due to excessive profile
variations, contact with the thermo roll, or overheating spreader roll bearings. Incorrect manufacture
of the filled roll can cause hollowness resulting in filling burning. Under axial pressure within the filled
roll, the filling sheets want to move away from the axle. Hollowness results in uneven nip load over
the roll, and also heat generation on the axle.
Thermo-crowning is mentioned in literature as a cause of concern. It is caused by a temporary
crowned temperature profile in the calender. Because of this temperature profile, the thermo roll
through expansion also becomes crowned, causing the opposite filled roll to deform in a concave
shape. When the temperature profile of the chilled iron roll returns to normal and the thermo roll
takes its cylindrical shape, but the filled roll retains its concave profile, this results in higher nip loads
at the ends of the rolls. This again 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

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finished wound reel. After some time with changing shapes of the thermo roll, the filled rolls will
eventually return to a cylindrical shape, but the filled rolls are now very compressed and hard and
cannot be used properly for calendering anymore. Therefore a uniform temperature profile is
important and heat buildups should be short and not severe.
1.8.2.3 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 Cover Name
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
There are few hard facts on which the papermaker can base his choice of roll cover. Marking and
wear resistance, effect on paper quality, and durability, these properties are hard to note in numbers
that can be used for cover comparison. In these cases, experiences of fellow papermakers are
probably most important.
Cover properties that can be compared are temperature resistance, 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 energy lost
and energy stored is called the loss tangent, or tan delta. A polymer cover should have a dynamic
modulus that decreases little with increasing temperature. Thus the cover behavior does not change
with different operating temperatures or with local temperature variations. The temperature at which
the modulus drops dramatically, glass transition temperature Tg, should be well away from the
operational temperature of the cover. But there is no need for an extremely high Tg. The maximum
value of the tan delta, as a measure of the heat generation in the cover, should be low. This gives a

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more even temperature profile under non-uniform load.

Most often, the covers are still chosen 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).

Figure 69. Cross-section of a polymer roll.

The top layer's function is to calender the paper. It therefore has specific properties: surface
smoothness, stiffness, marking and wear resistance, toughness, heat resistance, low thermal
expansion, low dynamic heat generation, etc. Many polymer roll covers have a fiber reinforced top
layer. This kind of cover is manufactured by winding synthetic fibers (aramid, polyester) in the form
of roving and/or nonwoven around the roll, or by extruding resin with staple fiber. Before winding, 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 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 complex 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 adherence to the
body, high stiffness, toughness, and heat resistance. To increase the adherence 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, polymer rolls are very elastic. Marking by thickness/density irregularities in the web
happens much less. This allows the polymer roll covers to stay in the calender for much longer
duration than filled rolls. If filled roll machining/grinding intervals are measured in hours or days, then
polymer roll cover grinding intervals are measured in weeks or even months.

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This long 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 internal 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 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 coating
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 µm under loads of 300−450 kN/m,
then it should be no surprise that a piece of 90 µm 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 resistant, 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 µm 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 grinding 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 profile 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, especially at the ends where there are usually higher loads (a crowned load profile). At the
ends, outside the paper web, the cover does not wear. These ends can come into contact with the
opposite thermo rolls, resulting in high load and heating. Therefore, a conservative grinding interval

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should be used for the first operation of the cover, after which the grinding interval can be increased
based on the wear.
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 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 temperatures and higher loads.
Because of the typical high thermal expansion of polymers, limits 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 temperature 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 calenders, 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 covers 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 sensible 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 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 process in order?
Cover color changes can indicate non-uniform load or heating situations and should be checked.
Dark cover edges can result from oil and grease, but also from an incorrect taper resulting in edge
overheating. Similarly, hot spreader roll bearings can transfer the heat via the paper web onto the
cover. If the steam boxes do not work properly, then one steam zone can be applying too much heat.

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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, coating 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 immediate 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 filling; 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 only 4 mm. This leaves very little margin if
a deep marking occurs. Only the cast covers are thick, so deep markings can be ground away from
the cast cover without reducing the cover lifetime to zero. Secondly, and contrary to the filled roll,
severe impact can result in immediate failure of 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 premature end of life. Although the wound covers can in some cases be repaired by replacing
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 thickness.
1.8.2.4 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 supercalender (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 supercalender operator of
today has the choice between filled rolls and polymer rolls. He must evaluate his requirements and
decide how many polymer rolls he needs, and where he needs them. With all the attention given to
polymer rolls, we must not forget that filled rolls still have something to offer.
Filled rolls are very good gloss makers. The replacement of 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 points. This is not a big problem, since an increase in the process
temperature will bring the gloss back. Often the calender operator repairs the gloss with an increase
of the linear load, but this has an influence on the bulk of the paper as well and it is more severe on
the soft rolls.
Filled rolls have short machining/grinding intervals compared 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

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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 supercalender 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 good choice.
Because of its relatively low elasticity, the filled roll's shape tends to copy the loading profile if the
roll runs long enough in the calender. In the higher load regions, the filled roll compresses more and
this compression remains. Therefore, it is said that one cannot effectively profile with a filled roll, and
a good position for polymer rolls is opposite the swimming or load deflection rolls.
Operating conditions, linear load, 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.
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 calenders 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 rubber. 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, supercalenders, 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,

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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 measurement 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, vibration-free
signal. In off-line calenders, a split tension-measuring beam with lightweight shells is used for a good
measurement signal.
Supercalender fly rolls are special, three-section rolls that lead the paper between the calender
nips. As the paper is getting wider in the nip because of the compression, the fly rolls also have to
function as spreader rolls. This is done by a spreading groove on the surface of the roll and
adjustable end sections. The end section adjustment has a twofold function to compensate for the
deflection of the roll under web tension and spreading adjustment. These rolls have to work properly
to ensure good runnability of the calender. Their maintenance can be critical, due to their effect on
the temperature profile of the web and calender.

1.9 Unwind and windup

1.9.1 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.

Figure 70. Unwind station.

Figure 71. Unwind station with automatic functions.

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 rotating 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).

Figure 72. Unwind station equipped with automatic splicing.

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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 calendered 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 connected, and the
new machine reel is accelerated to the web speed of the emptying 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 calender 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.
1.9.2 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 linear 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.

Figure 73. 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.
An optimal reel structure is achieved by using hydraulic pressure to adjust the nip load between
the rider roll and the machine reel as a function of the diameter of the machine reel.
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).

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

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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 machine reel, in addition to that from the
machine reel's center drive. To optimize the spreader roll preceding the windup, the spreader has a
rectangular joint geometry, which maintains a constant web angle over the spreader roll.
During automatic splicing, the full machine reel is removed from the reeling position and replaced
by a new reel spool at a web speed of 15−50 m/min. A hydraulic auxiliary 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 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 operations are carried out during the
calendering stage.

1.10 Process control and automation

1.10.1 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 deliveries, and process optimization
has been the driving force behind the interest in automation and process controls. Quality and
productivity are currently the key attributes that directly measure the effectiveness and cost of
manufacturing processes. Productivity is closely linked to quality because there is an optimum rate
of production when considering 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 computer-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 effectively 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 27, 28.
These technology trends have naturally affected calender automation and hardware solutions.
Smaller automation systems, and especially stand-alone rebuild implementations, 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

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comprehensive quality measurements and interfaces to millwide information systems are commonly
implemented into the DCS systems.
A modern DCS system, as shown in Fig. 75, with process specific control applications can
provide several benefits for the user. Centralized operations, improved process 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 29, 30.

Figure 75. A modern distributed control system.

1.10.2 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 appropriate actuators, quality
measurements, process control systems, and control strategies. Actually, the calendering process is
the papermaker's last chance to reduce thickness variations along the length and width of the
finished sheet. A smoother sheet results in improved print quality, while more uniform thickness
profiles improve the winding process and reduce sheet breaks in printing presses. One major
process requirement is that the web must have good runnability, i.e., that it passes through the
process with a minimum of breaks. In addition, the web should have good uniformity in the
cross-direction (CD), since non-uniformities built-in during poor reeling are usually associated with
web breaks. Thus, almost all paper and board is at least slightly hard nip calendered in order to
control overall thickness and to even out cross-direction thickness non-uniformities. Calendering
reduces paper thickness and roughness by pressing the sheet between two or more large cast-iron
or soft-covered rolls. The high loads produced in a nip between two smooth calender rolls flatten
high spots in the rough sheet by permanently deforming wood fibers on the surface of the sheet,
thus reducing the roughness of the sheet 31.
Paper bulk at the entrance to a calender can vary both in the machine and cross-machine
directions. Machine direction variations can be reduced in the calender by altering the average
cross-direction load. Cross-machine variations can be reduced by varying the local radius profile,
thus changing the local pressure profile.
Nip load and surface temperature of the rolls can be changed selectively across the width of the
calender, and they are used to control the CD uniformity of bulk reduction. Moisture content is not
usually manipulated in the calender, but moisture variations in the web entering the calender,
together with temperature variations, can be a major source of profile disturbances 32.
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 will depend on the initial temperature of the web. A
cool web will be able to absorb more steam than a hot web. The cross-machine control of the hard
nip calendering operation is traditionally accomplished by selectively heating or cooling one or more
of the calender rolls at the desired cross-machine positions. Nowadays, an alternative method is to

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use zone-controlled CD rolls to accomplish cross-direction 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) 33.
Modern on-line soft calendering is an attempt to achieve the benefits of supercalendering 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.
Today, soft calendering technology is directed toward soft temperature-gradient calendering and
moisture-gradient calendering. The main idea of the temperature-gradient calendering technique is
to change the rheological properties of the fibers only at the surface of the sheet. The surface fibers
become hot and pliable while the fibers in the middle of the web stay cold and resilient. The hard
rolls can be heated internally with steam to a temperature of approximately 150 °C, or with hot oil or
electrical heaters (radiant or induction) to temperatures of 250 °C. On the other hand,
moisture-gradient calendering operates with water sprays or steam showers and hot calender rolls.
When water is applied immediately before the nip, the moisture stays on the surface and softens
only the surface fibers. With steam showers, water and latent heat are applied to the web. The heat
penetrates into the web very quickly and causes overall bulk reduction, but the moisture stays near
the surface and softens only the surface fibers 34.
1.10.3 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 Supporting functions Special and recovery
functions

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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 Web threading
system
Control of thermo rolls Alarms Speed-up control
Edge temp. monitoring and Help diagnostics Roll change monitoring
control
Automatic splicing Automatic spool feeding Control of lifting device
Automatic reel change Control of doctor blades
Control of electric drives
Interlockings
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 functions. 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, produces 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.

Figure 76. Fluid system for nip control.

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 productivity35. Automatic splicing and reel change are typical applications which have increased
calendar availability significantly36. 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.
1.10.4 Measurement of surface properties
Continuous on-line measurements are necessary for precise and reliable process control. Because
the calender traditionally represents the last opportunity to inspect the finished product, a number of
on-line sensors are used to monitor paper quality properties. Typically, sensors measure and control
key product variables including: caliper, smoothness, gloss, moisture, temperature, and roll
hardness.
1.10.4.1 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.
1.10.4.2 Smoothness

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Smoothness sensors are laboratory instruments adapted for use with an on-line scanning
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 incident 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 laboratory tests to within at least two K.L. units. The popularity of
smoothness sensors stems primarily from their close correlation with other laboratory tests of
printability, i.e., Sheffield, Parker Print, and Gardner Gravure.
1.10.4.3 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 quality, 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.
1.10.4.4 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 unmeasured variables such as gloss, sheet
temperature, or smoothness.
1.10.4.5 Temperature
Scanning and noncontacting temperature sensors use radiant infrared energy to provide 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 temperature sensor if gloss, smoothness, or caliper sensors are
unavailable.
1.10.4.6 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 measurement system's goal is
naturally to develop accurate profiles as quickly as possible.
1.10.5 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

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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 37,38.
1.10.5.1 Induction heating
Figure 77 illustrates the principle of operation for the induction heating system. The system 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 39.

Figure 77. Principle of operation for induction heating system 39.

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 consumption.
1.10.5.2 Air showers
Air showers are based on convection heating technology to transfer heat from a resistive heater to
the roll surface. CD caliper control is regulated by changing the diameters of the roll using zone
heating and cooling. The older style air nozzle systems were not very effective at transferring energy
to the roll and, as a result, their control range was often rather limited. 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 reasonable caliper adjusting
range.
A typical example of this kind of technology is presented in Fig. 78. This
air shower system uses infrared units to heat constantly operating air jets that are 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 temperatures rise to 450 °C40.

Figure 78. Principle of operation for air shower system.

1.10.5.3 Zone-controlled rolls

The development of zone-controlled rolls has been fast during the 1990s. With swimming roll
construction, it was possible to create a uniform distribution of nip force over the width of the roll
independent of the average nip force level. These rolls allowed general nip force corrections at the
edges and in the center of the roll. On the other hand, the first zone-controlled rolls offered a tool for
CD profile corrections in six to eight zones. However, neither the swimming roll construction nor the
original zone-controlled roll provided a possibility for localized high-frequency profile corrections. This

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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.

Figure 79. Principle of operation for zone-controlled roll.

A new type of zone-controlled CD roll with individually controlled elements 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 thickness or gloss profile is adjusted with zone control. The
center-to-center distance of the CD control zone elements is typically 150 −250 mm. Because of the
stiffness of zone-controlled roll shells, profile shape adjustment can typically be made over a
bandwidth of 400−800 mm. An apparent advantage of zone-controlled rolls is that the control actions
by hydraulic pressure can be accomplished in a few seconds, providing a fast speed of response.
Figure 80 shows the response effect of one ±control action at a median nip load of 30 kN/m on a soft
calender. A change of -20 kN/m and +25 kN/m produced caliper changes of +4 and -6 µm,
respectively41.

Figure 80. Soft nip calender -effect of local nip force corrections on newsprint caliper 41.

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 application
device designed for use on high-speed calender stacks. For cross-direction gloss and smoothness
profiling, the steam showers are segmented in zones, generally from 150 to 300 mm wide. Profiling
is naturally improved with the increased number of cross-direction zones. Each zone has its own
in-feed, and the entire system is digitally controlled. Uniform cross-direction steam distribution and
condensate removal are important factors to prevent steam spitting and dripping. Steam supplied to
the showers will typically be less than 60 kPa and will be at a temperature of 115 °C−125°C.

Figure 81. Principle of operation for zone-controlled steam shower system.

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.
1.10.6 Automatic on-line caliper control
Regardless of where the process is affected, uneven caliper always represents lost benefits. It
usually shows up as uneven draws at the reel, winder, printing press, or converting 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.
At the present time, machine-direction (MD) and cross-direction (CD) caliper controls represent
standard quality control applications for calenders. Several actuator possibilities and control
strategies are available to accomplish this control 41-44. Caliper is unquestionably the most commonly

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controlled quality variable at calenders. Its development has firmly been connected to the progress of
convenient actuators.
The MD caliper is controlled by loading or relieving the average CD load. Hydraulic loading
systems respond relatively quickly, so the real-time control of long-wavelength machine-direction
caliper or bulk variations is straightforward. Another way is to alter the surface temperature of the
calender rolls. However, it is not common to use the roll temperatures to adjust the caliper, because
the response time of the temperature change is rather slow. Furthermore, to minimize strength
losses in calendering, it is desirable to operate the calender at the maximum temperature.
CD caliper control is done by controlling the CD temperature profile of one or more calender rolls
or by using zone-controlled rolls with individually controlled elements. The roll temperature affects
the roll diameter, and thus the nip pressure at any given point. Controlling the CD temperature,
therefore, controls the CD distribution load.
1.10.6.1 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 loading or relieving through the journals of the third roll from the
bottom of the calender. 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
second roll from the bottom. Machine-wide variations are controlled using the shape of the
variable-crown rolls and the edge relief system 42.

Figure 82. A hard nip calender equipped with MD and CD caliper control systems 42.

1.10.6.2 CD caliper control structure for a soft calender

The purpose of CD control strategy is to maintain the quality profile as close to its designated 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 systems. This strategy uses
zone-controlled air showers or induction-heating actuators together with zone-controlled rolls to
control CD caliper variations on the soft calender. In this strategy, the preprocessed caliper profile is
divided into low- and high-frequency profiles. CD caliper control for longer wavelength adjustments
are undertaken by the zone-controlled roll. Shorter CD wavelength control is obtained by the air
showers or induction system. The basic structures of the low- and high-frequency control algorithms
are very similar. The following steps are included in the overall control strategy:
- 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

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- 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 41,43. This kind of alternative is presented in Fig. 84.

Figure 83. General CD caliper control strategy for a soft calender

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

In the case of soft calenders, it is important to keep in mind that the satisfactory running of these
calenders requires a base sheet with significantly better basis weight and moisture profiles
compared to hard nip stacks. Even with the best of base sheets, local CD caliper control is often
required to efficiently operate at high speeds. In addition, any caliper actuator applied to a soft nip
will provide only a part of the response range that the same actuator provides in a hard nip.
Naturally, the exact response depends on roll cover hardness, basis weight, calender load, etc.
1.10.7 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 caliper areas must be calendered
more, causing higher smoothness. Variations in sheet temperature and moisture, because of their
strong influence on the sheet's response to calendering, can also cause smoothness variations.
The average smoothness and gloss are typically controlled by adjusting the average
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 very sensitive to the distance between the point of steam
application and the last nip. If the steam shower is located near the last nip, then there is minimum
effect on caliper and all of the smoothness effect occurs on the side of the sheet to which the steam
is applied. On the other hand, when the steam shower is located well before the first nip, the
smoothness effect is balanced on both sides of the sheet. Therefore, there is a possibility to affect
the sheet two-sidedness as well as the smoothness and gloss profiles.
On supercalenders, the CD gloss profiles are controlled by using controlled deformation 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 the nip pressure profile is that the soft roll
soon takes the shape of the steel roll. An alternative method is to have a controlled nip between two

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steel rolls. This kind of hard nip solution also gives more control range for any level of energy input.
Another gloss control technique is to replace the calender stack water boxes with moisturizing
sprays. Such a method gives the options of CD moisture control or CD gloss control.
1.10.7.1 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 45. This control structure also contains zone-controlled
steam showers and a feedback system for the stack load and top and bottom rolls. Steam is applied
selectively on one side or the other to reduce the two-sidedness of the calendered paper. 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 addition, interactions between top and bottom gloss
are taken into account by using feed-forward top/bottom gloss decoupling for the MD and CD
controllers. Zone-controlled steam showers together with zone-controlled rolls provide an opportunity
to control CD thickness and gloss variations independently.

Figure 85. A combined closed-loop control system for supercalenders 45.

1.10.8 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 optimizing controls. These control
applications represent a category of higher level supervisory controllers that monitor lower level
applications.
1.10.8.1 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. However, they can also be variables that have an
effect on properties of calendered paper. 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.

Figure 86. Structure of the grade change application.

1.10.8.2 Coordinated speed change control

A change in the calender speed typically requires changes to linear loads, steam pressures, 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

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variables to the speed change.

1.10.8.3 Machine speed optimization control
Maximum production on a calender is achieved by operating at the maximum speed while remaining
within quality specifications. The basic principle of machine speed optimization control is that it
assists in attaining maximum speed by monitoring several variables that constrain the speed of the
calender. Calender speed can be gradually increased until one of these constraining variables
reaches a limit. Once a constraint target has been reached, machine speed 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.
1.10.8.4 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 changes. The start-up control can simultaneously ramp the
speed, steam pressure, and linear load to minimize the speed's effect on the gloss and caliper. The
start-up control can use either speed tracking or automatic start-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.

1.11 Calendering problems

There are a variety of common operational problems in calenders. Only the major problems 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 calender. 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.

1.11.1 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, temperature)
- 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

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to use measurement procedures that are accurate and directly measure the desired phenomena,
where possible.
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 problems if all rolls have the
same form. If filled rolls are used in supercalenders, extreme care must be taken as they deform
easily; if insufficient material is removed during grinding/turning, the deformed form of the roll can
come back when the roll is used again. In a filled roll supercalender, therefore, first the proper
internal pressure for the bottom roll has to be found and "frozen." All the actual profile correction
should be made with only the top deflection compensated roll. The procedure with a polymer roll
calender is somewhat similar, but as the roll does 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.
When profile problems are being solved, one must check that the traversing quality control
systems have been calibrated properly and the mapping of measured data to the actual control
actuators is correct and remains so in all conditions. If the control is performed according to false
data, the profile problem can turn into a 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.
1.11.2 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 calender 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.
1.11.3 Poor quality development
Normally a consistent quality level can be reached with a calender. If there are significant 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 problems. 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 development
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 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 calendering. This can be
cured by selecting a softer, more resilient roll cover for the soft rolls.

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A special calendering quality problem with uncoated grades is blackening. Blackening 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 50. 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 surface quality/blackening-ratio, substantial improvement can be
seen22.
1.11.4 Barring problems
Barring markings on the roll surface and calendered paper can happen for a large variety of reasons.
Therefore, there is not a single cure for this problem. In hard nip calenders, 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 calenders, rolls can be moved sideways (oscillation) to ensure that the paper
web is traveling 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 irregularities, and combinations
of these and other reasons. Barring vibration is often low in amplitude but can be easily detected by
noise. Since the amplitude is low, the cause of the barring is difficult to find. Barring can only happen
in a very narrow speed range, and a slight changing of the speed can cure the problem quickly. But
sometimes the solution of the problem is very time-consuming.

1.12 Modeling of calendering process

1.12.1 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, blackening, strength, and bending stiffness at an acceptable level. Usually good
calendering 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, smoothness, air permeability,
blackening, and opacity, among other things. Other quality measures might be relevant as well, like
runnability, in various operations, printability and printed quality.

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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 process 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 characterization of relevant process features. Many of
the mechanisms in calendering, particularly the heat and moisture transport within the paper web,
can be studied only by modeling since the direct observations here are difficult or impossible.
1.12.2 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 considered 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 random variations and consider the process deterministic. As well, we could concentrate 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.
1.12.3 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 experimental 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 mathematical and empirical models.
1.12.3.1 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 Fourier's 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

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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.
1.12.3.2 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 controlled experiments. One analysis method here is the
regression analysis, where the idea is to find the relationships between the observed process
variables by using statistical methods. The first step in the regression analysis is to choose the
depending variable, i.e., the one that is to be explained by the other, independent variables. Next,
the correlations between the dependent and each independent variable analysis are detected and
the final independent variable set is selected. Finally, the dependent variable is estimated by fitting
an expression using the chosen independent variables. In the linear regression analysis, the
estimating equation is of the following form
y = b0 x0 + b1 x1 + b2 x2 + ::: + bn xn (2)
The coefficients b i represent the contributions of each independent variable x i 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 dependencies, they can be included
in the regression equation. The proper construction of empirical models requires carefully planned
experiments and rather extensive data collection 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
analysis 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) properties 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 advantages, like the
straightforward approach to a rather complicated phenomenon. Also, once the expression is fitted,
the model is extremely easy to use.
1.12.4 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

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proposed that the surface properties, especially gloss and smoothness, 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
improvements could be produced by pressing the paper between hot plates, involving no slip at all.
The conclusion was that calendering is mainly a local compressive flattening process where paper
surface eventually takes the shape of the contacting surface. This mechanism was named
"replication" or "copying", in order to describe the process where the smooth roll surface replicates
itself to the paper. Also, it was reasoned that the shearing action in the soft nip rolling contributes to
the quality development to some extent by causing some kind of alignment or rotation of surface
particles, especially in coating layers.
Paper is a highly porous random structure of flexible fibers, fillers, and other particles. 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 compressed 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 was lower, recover more than the plasticized layers. In other words,
the heating has localized the plastic deformations to the surface layers while inner parts remained
elastic.
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 in temperature increases both the degree
and the penetration of plasticization. In addition to temperature, the moisture content as well as fiber
properties are important. The increase in moisture content lowers the glass transition regime so that
the plasticization takes place at lower temperatures and at lower stress levels. In other words, same
effects can be achieved with less mechanical work.
As heating is applied to the web, part of the thermal 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 correspondence
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

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moistening and heating (steaming, water sprays), roll properties (size, quality, cover softness), and
ambient conditions as well as the properties of uncalendered paper (furnish, additives, formation,
etc). This list is by no means comprehensive.

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 rolling 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
running machines. Nip process involves highly nonuniform conditions, like large temperature,
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 universal material or process
properties.
Evidently, the difficulties in the process evaluation have favored the use of empirical 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 process can acceptably be determined in
terms of these relevant quantities.
In the following, we shall review studies of various aspects in calendering, including 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.
1.13.1 Considerations on calender nip mechanics
The theory of rolling contact mechanics has been the subject of many theoretical and numerical
considerations in calendering 52,59,76. 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.
1.13.1.1 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 59:
q q¡ ¢
4F R x
a = ¼E¤ ; p(x) = p0 a
; p0 = 2F
¼a
(3)

Here a is the half contact length, and the symbols p(x), p0, and F denote the normal 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
³ ´
1 1 1 1 1¡º 2 1¡º 2
R
= R1
+ R2
; E¤ = E11 + E22 (4)

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Parameters R1, R2, E1 , E2, ν1, and ν2 denote the curvature radiuses, Young moduli, 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 E1 or radius R1 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 bodies only. Further, the
characteristic size of the contact area is assumed to be small compared 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. 87 a) is equivalent to the contact of
two rigid rolls, where one has elastic cover of thickness h (Fig. 87 b) as well as to the case of an
elastic strip of thickness 2 h between two rigid rolls (Fig. 87 c). Particularly note that the situation in
Fig. 87 c does not apply to the paper calendering because of the thickness limitation.

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 behavior. 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.
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.
1.13.1.2 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
web74. 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
compression is essentially due to the hydrostatic stresses, whereas the contribution of shear
stresses were not found important.

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Wikström et al.80 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 temperature solution was obtained from the
analytical solution of transient heat conduction equation. 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
Haag77,78. 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.
1.13.2 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.
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.
1.13.2.1 Compressibility of paper
The most apparent calendering effect is undoubtedly the surface flattening, the permanent
compression and densification of the paper web. We are concerned with the compressive
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 satisfactorily 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

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The empirical Crotogino's "calendering equation" relates the permanent compression εp (i.e., the
relative bulk reduction) of paper web in a single calender nip as follows 51:
Bi ¡Bf
"p = Bi
= A + Bi ¹ (5)

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

¹ = a0 + aF log(F ) + aS log(S) + aR log(R) + aT T + aM M (6)
The variables Bi and Bf are the initial and calendered bulks, and F, S, R, T, and M correspond 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 repeatedly over several nips to obtain the final
bulk in a multi-nip calender process.
The expression in Eq. 6 was primarily developed for machine calender, and it has been slightly
developed, primarily to better account for the soft calendering 55
¹ = a0 + aF log(F ) + a¾ log(¾) + at log(t) + aT T + aM M (7)
Here parameters σ and t denote the average nip pressure and nip dwell time, and they thus
include the effects arising from roll cover. All the coefficients a0 ...aM in the above equations are
naturally furnish dependent, and they are determined by single nip calendering trials and parameter
estimation procedure.
Popil69 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 studies during the
1960s. Chapman and Peel 49 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 50 continued the work in this area and included the effects of
temperature and moisture.
Recently the subject has been studied by Browne 47 and Rättö70. Rättö conducted 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 compression 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.
When paper is subjected to loading, it will respond in several different ways. The deformation
generally involves elastic, viscoelastic, and plastic behavior. Whereas elastic deformations are
completely reversible, viscoelastic deformations are rate dependent and plastic deformations are
irreversible. If we consider a simple compression test with plate press, we shall see that under small
loads the strain response is essentially elastic, 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
compression 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 usually related to some kind of
collapse of single fibers or the whole network.
Further complication is that the elastic, viscous, and plastic responses in the paper tend to be

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sensitive to the moisture and temperature. There are no definite limits between different
mechanisms and, for example, the glass transition regime should be considered as a range of
conditions where the plastic behavior starts to dominate over the elastic properties. Particularly,
there is no strict glass transition point for paper. 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., rheological 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 parameters, 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 Voight) model. The most common linear
viscoelastic models are shown in Fig. 88.

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

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 utilized, since it accounts for
many substantial effects observed in paper, like instantaneous deformation and recovery, permanent
deformation, and delayed recovery48,69. The strain in the Burgers model is given by
³ ¡tE2 ´
"(t) = E¾1 + E¾2 1 ¡ e ´2 + t ´¾1 (8)

Here Ei and ηi, i=1, 2, stand for the elastic and viscosity coefficients and the subscripts refer to
corresponding elements in the model. The first and second term represent 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' knowledge, there have not been any models published accounting for the temperature,
moisture, and viscoelastic effects in paper compression.
Nonlinear compressibility
Paper compression is clearly a nonlinear process. Nonlinear mechanisms in static compression
have been considered, e.g., by van Haag 77. Van Haag proposed the following stress-strain relation:
E0 "z
¾z = "z
1¡ "max
(9)

As we see, the compressive stress, σz, increases rapidly as a function of strain, εz; at the
asymptotic limit, εmax, 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 confirmed by compression
measurements. Figure 89a shows the measured paper thickness during two subsequent

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Chapter 1 Calendering

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.

Figure 89. (a) Stress-displacement and (b) stress-strain behavior of paper in two subsequent
compressions77. The first and second leadings are indicated with ( ∆) and (O), respectively. Solid
curve denotes the measured result, the dotted curve in Fig 89b is the model prediction.

Besides the permanent reduction in thickness, the compressive loading also involves changes in
the surface structure. Heikkilä 57 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. Heikkilä also carried out experiments on
measuring the effective contact 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 compression properties.
Osaki, Fujii, and Kiichi 66 considered theoretically the paper compressibility. 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.
Ionides et al.58 rejected the idea of fiber bending even at low pressures and proposed instead
that the total compression of the sheet was effectively a sum of the compressions of single fibers in
a stacked pile. On the other hand, Rodal 73 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. Ultimately, 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 Göttsching 75 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 structure 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 and network properties to compression mechanisms has also been
discussed by Ellis54 and Han56.
1.13.2.2 Heat and mass transport effects in the web
The heat and moisture transport in the paper web is of central importance in calendering. The
understanding and modeling of these phenomena in paper has developed mainly in conjunction with
drying research. While the modeling target in drying is in maximizing the drying rate, in calendering
the target is in diagnosing the optimal temperature and moisture conditions for the nip process. The
modeling is particularly useful since the optimal use of temperature and moisture gradients in the
gradient calendering requires proper understanding and careful adjustement of process conditions.

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Chapter 1 Calendering

The heat and moisture transport mechanisms in porous materials have been extensively dealt
with in many review articles, for example in Refs. 64 and 79 and in references 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 equation. 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
h ³ ´i
T (z; t) = T0 + (TS ¡ T0 ) 1 ¡ Erf 2pz®t (10)

Here T0 and Ts are the initial web and heated roll temperatures, z is the thickness coordinate, α
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 80.
In order to account for a more accurate and detailed model, one needs to consider 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 air 63. 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 content) 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 composition, i.e., relative amounts
of different constituents with their different individual properties 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 moisture in our case is bounded to
the structure and we can assume that the bounded water movement is neglible. Since there is no

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Chapter 1 Calendering

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:
@U @
¡ ¢
@t
= ¡ @z D ¤ @U
@z
¡ E (11)
¡ ¢
½Cp @T
@t
= ¡ @z@
¸ ¤ @T
@z
¡ ¢HE (12)
@T
@n
= ®(T ¡ Text ) (13)
@U
@n
= ¯(U ¡ Uext ) (14)

U (z; t0 ) = U0 (z) (15)

T (z; t0 ) = T0 (z) (16)

The primary variables U(z,t) and T(z,t) denote the moisture content and the temperature fields at
the location z at time instant t. We have assumed that the process conditions 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 t 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, ∆H is the evaporation heat of bound water. Moreover, the
parameter functions D*, λ*, ρ, and Cp that denote the effective diffusivity, 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 formulated in terms of heat and
moisture fluxes. The proportionality parameter functions α and β 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 contact 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-system"-formulation.
In the practical formulation, the moisture content U might be formulated 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.
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 deformation 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

Papermaking Part 3, Finishing - Page 84

Chapter 1 Calendering

fully coupled thermo-hygro-deformation system of porous material, possibly with complicated

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 deformation-induced effects in the temperature and moisture. Depending
on the needs, accuracy and usability, one might consider various approaches; one might consider
the fully coupled 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 fundamental modeling details can be
found in the literature and textbooks regarding paper physics, drying, and heat and mass transport.
References
1. Rothfuss, U., "Das Janus Concept − eine Alternative zum Supercalander". Das Papier 10A (1996),
p. 148-152.
2. Rothfuss, U., "The Janus concept, The new calendering technology," Eucepa 1996 International
Symposium Notes, EUCEPA, Paris, p. 310.
3. Palm, C., Rothfuss, U., "Erste Praxiserfahrungen mit einem Kalander nach dem Janus Concept
bei der Online-satinage von SC-Papieren." Wochenbl. Papierfabr. 11/12 (1997), p. 568-571.
4. Sperling, L. H., Introduction to Physical Polymer Science, Wiley-Interscience, New York, 1985.
5. Back, E. L.and Salmen, N. L., Tappi 65(7):107 (1982).
6. Salmen, N. L. and Back, E. L., Tappi 60(12):137 (1977).
7. Back, E. L., Das Papier 43(4):144 (1989).
8. Crotogino, R. H., Tappi 65(10):251 (1982).
9. Thomson, G., Papermaker 12:18 (1997).
10. Robertson, R., "New Generation Multinip Calender for Increased Finishing Capability," TAPPI
1997 Finishing and Converting Conference Proceedings, TAPPI PRESS, Atlanta, p. 23.
11. Linnonmaa, P. and Hiirsalmi, I., Pulp Paper Europe, (July/August):29 (1997).
12. Kuosa, H., Paper Age (9):40 (1997).
13. Sunnerberg, G., Svensk Papperstid., "Bättre egenskaper med minskad glättning"4:22 (1992).
14. Miihkinen, V., "New Components for Improved Pressing," 1986 Valmet Papermachine Days
Conference Proceedings, Valmet.
15. Niskanen, J., "Sym-roll Z," Tappi 1998 Papermakers Conference, March 1998. TAPPI PRESS,
Atlanta.
16. Shank, G. L., Paper Age 12:14 (1996).

Papermaking Part 3, Finishing - Page 85

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17. Zaoralek, M., "Hot Rolls for Soft calendering: Meeting the Operator's Needs," TAPPI 1990
Finishing and Converting Conference Proceedings, TAPPI PRESS, Atlanta, p. 41.
18. Zaoralek, M. and Antoniazzi, D., "Direct Advanced Steam Heating of Calender Rolls," CPPA
1995 81st Annual Meeting Notes, CPPA, Montreal, p. B143.
19. Rothenbacher, P. and Vomhoff, E., Tappi 65(10):89 (1982).
20. Zaoralek, M., Deutsche Papierwirtschaft 1:30 (1991).
21. Arnold, L. E., Berkhurst, I. R., Schwettman, R. L., Paper Trade J. 10(15):24 (1983), and
10(30):40 (1983).
22. Brown, M.S ., Paper Carton, Cellulose 1:6 (1992).
23. Hess, H., Pulp Paper Can. 94(11):60 (1993).
24. Maniatty, G. S., "Roll Grinding Measurements and Their Effect on Paper Making," TAPPI 1993
Finishing and Coating Proceedings, TAPPI PRESS, Atlanta, p. 311.
25. Whyte, M., Pfeiffer, D. J., Yuong, A. T., Lampman R. D., "Paper Quality Improvements Through
Supercalendering With Rolls of High Surface Finish," TAPPI 1997 Finishing and Converting
Conference Proceedings, TAPPI PRESS, Atlanta, p. 117.
26. Irons, G., Poirier, D., Roy, A., "The Application of High Power, High Velocity Plasma Coatings on
Rolls for the Paper and Printing Industries," ITSC 1995 Conference Proceedings, ITSC, p. 205.
27. Krause, J. W.,"The Application of Total Integrated Process Control," TAPPI 1995 Polymers,
Laminations and Coating Conference Proceedings, TAPPI PRESS, Atlanta, p. 287.
28. Ranta, J., Ollus, M., Leppänen, A., Computers in Industry, 20(4):255 (1992).
29. Wallace, B. W., Balakrishnan, R., Rodman, M., Appita 45 (1):74 (1992).
30. Wallace, B. W., Tappi 64 (1):79 (1981).
31. Peel, D.,"Recent Developments in the Technology and Understanding of the Calendering
Process," In Fundamentals of Papermaking: Trans. Ninth Fundamental Res. Symp., vol. 2 (C.F.
Baker, Ed.) Mech. Eng's Pubs., London, 1989, pp. 979-1025.
32. Cutshall, K., Tappi J. 73(6):81 (1990).
33. Vyse, R. and Sawley, D., Pulp Paper Can. 91(9):83 (1990).
34. Crotogino, R. H. and Gratton, M. F., Pulp Paper Can. 88(12):208 (1987).
35. Tuomisto, M. V. and White, J., Tappi J. 74(2):93 (1991).
36. Mälkiä, H. P., Tappi J. 71(5):83 (1988).
37. Crotogino, R. H., Weiss, G. R., Visentin, J., Dudas, L., "State of the Art in CD Calender Control,"
EUCEPA 1982 Symp. Control Systems Pulp & Paper Ind. Proc., Eucepa, Paris, p. 220.
38. Vyse, R., "The Effect of CalCoil Induction Heating on Supercalendering," TAPPI 1987 Finishing
and Converting Conference Proceedings,TAPPI PRESS, Atlanta, p. 61.
39. Burma, G., Heaven, R., Vyse, R., Gorinevsky, G., "CD Caliper Control Requirements for Soft Nip
Calenders," SCPI 1996 5th International Conference on New Available Techniques Proceedings,
SPCI, Stockholm, p.329.

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40. Impact Systems Marketing Brochure, Impact Systems, San Jose, 1994.
41. Svenka, P., Minkenberg, A., "New Cross Profiling System for Hard and Soft Nip Calenders,"
TAPPI 1995 Finishing and Converting Conference Proceedings, TAPPI PRESS, Atlanta, p. 187.
42. Crotogino, R. and Gendron, S., Pulp Paper Can. 88(11):44 (1987).
43. Vyse, R., King, J., Hilden, K., "CD Caliper Control on Soft Nip Calenders," CPPA 1993 Annual
Meeting Preprints, CPPA, Montreal.
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, TAPPI PRESS, Atlanta, p.33.
46. Koskinen, T., "Calender Blackening," 1998 Ecopapertech Conference Proceedings, The Finnish
Pulp and Paper Research Institute and The Finnish Paper Engineer Association, Helsinki, p. 207.
47. Browne, T. C., Crotogino, R. H., Douglas, W. J. M., J. Pulp Paper Sci. 20(9):266 (1994).
48. Browne, T. C., Crotogino, R. H., Douglas, W. J. M., J. Pulp Paper Sci. 22(5):170 (1996).
49. Chapman, D. L.T. and Peel, J. D., Paper Tech. 10(2):116 (1969).
50. Colley, J. and Peel, J. D., Paper Tech. 13(5):350 (1972).
51. Crotogino, R. H., "Towards a Comprehensive Calendering Equation,"Transactions of the
Technical Section CPPA 1980 66th Annual Meeting, CPPA, Montreal, p. 89.
52. Deshpande, N. V., Tappi J. 61(10):115 (1978).
53. Duckett, K. E. and Cain, J., "Finite-element Methods Applied to Thermal Calendering," TAPPI
1991 Nonwovens Conference Proceedings, TAPPI PRESS, Atlanta, p. 383.
54. Ellis, E. R., Jewett, K. B., Cecler, W. H., Thompson, E. V., AIChE Symposium Series 80(232):1
(1984).
55. Gerspach, A., Wochenbl. Papierfabr. 121:76 (1993).
56. Han, S. T., Pulp Paper Mag. Can. 70(9):65 (1969).
57. Heikkilä, I., Paperi Puu 79(3):186 (1997).
58. Ionides, G. N., Mitchell, J. G., Curzon, F. L., "A Theoretical Model of Paper Response to
Compression," Transactions of the Technical Section CPPA 1981 Annual Meeting, CPPA, Montreal,
p. 1.
59. Johnson, K. L., Contact Mechanics, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 1985.
60. Kartovaara, I., Rajala, R., Luukkala, M., Sipi, K., "Conduction of Heat in Paper," In Papermaking
Raw Materials, vol. 1, (V. Punton, Ed.) Mechanical Engineering Publications Ltd., London, 1985, pp.
381-412.
61. Keller, S., J. Pulp Paper Sci. 20(1):33 (1994).
62. Kerekes, R. J., "Heat Transfer in Calendering," Transactions of the Technical Section CPPA
1979 Annual Meeting, CPPA, Montreal, p.66.
63. Lampinen, M., "Mechanics and Thermodynamics of Drying," Ph.D. thesis, Helsinki University of
Technology, Helsinki, 1979.

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64. Nilsson, L., "Modelling of intreweb heat and mass transfer  a literature review," Technical
Report LUTKDH/(TKKA-7005)/1-35/(1991), Lund Institute of Technology, Dept. of Chem.
Engineering, Lund, Sweden, 1991.
65. Olsen, J. E. and Chi,H. L., "Modelling of heat transfer during calendering," TAPPI 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.
67. Peel, J. D., "Developments in Calendering Technology: A Literature Review, PIRA Reviews of
Pulp and Paper Technology, PIRA Information Services, Surrey, UK, 1990.
68. Pietikäinen, R. and Tiihonen, T., "Modelling of coupled heat and mass transfer," 1995
International Congress on Industrial Mathematics Proceedings, Special Issue of Zeitschrift für
Angewandte Mathematik und Mechanik (ZAMM), Issue 4: Applied Sciences, especially Mechanics
(Minisymposia), (E. Kreuzer and O. Mahrenholtz, Eds.), Akademie Verlag, Berlin, 1996, p. 74. ISBN
3-05-501747-1.
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. Rättö, 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.
71. Robertson, G. and Haglund, L., Svensk Papperstid. 77(14):521 (1974).
72. 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 TAPPI PRESS Anthology of Published Papers 1985−1993, (Thomas S. Greiner, Ed.), TAPPI
PRESS, Atlanta, 1994, pp. 125−153.
75. Schaffrath, H.-J. and Göttsching, L, "The Behaviour of Paper Under Compression in Z-direction,"
1991 International Paper Physics Conference Proceedings, TAPPI, 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.
77. Van Haag, R., "Über 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. Wickström, 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).

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Chapter 2 Reeling and winding

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)

Niiles Airola, Esa Happonen, Marko Jorkama, Teppo Kojo, Pekka Komulainen, Seppo Luomi, Unto Malinen, Jari
Paanasalo, Timo Rautakorpi, Ismo Turunen, Janne Veräjänkorva
Chapter 2

Reeling and winding

2.1 Introduction
A paper web is usually stored and transferred in the form of rolls. This requires winding. There are
two basic 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. Equipment used for this process is called the reel. Another winding process is called winding,
i.e., the term "winding" means winding in general and a windup process. The main function of the
winding process is to produce customer rolls from parent reels. The equipment used for winding is a
winder.

Figure 1. Three basic types of winding processes.

There are three classes of winders, as shown in Fig. 116. The simplest is the centerwind, where
the roll is completely supported and driven through its core. This class is so named because the
drive operates through the center of the winding roll. Another common class is the surface reel or
winder. In this class, the winding roll is nipped against a driven metal roller or drum; therefore, the
winding roll is driven through its surface. 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 productivity, the
importance of winding process quality has increased. To achieve high paper manufacturing
production efficiency, making good quality rolls is extremely important. 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 downstream process stages. Successful winding requires qualified
control of winding parameters, 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 functions 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 functional surface
properties and at the same time reducing basis weight without compromising 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.

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Chapter 2 Reeling and winding

The influence of variations in the web on reel or roll buildup will be reduced. Automatic 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 process. Section 3
includes the specialties of machine reeling, the basic types of reels, production efficiency, and reel
handling. Section 4 introduces winding methods, requirements by paper grades, winder types, and
winder automation. Section 5 presents the theoretical background of winding, which includes
descriptions of the three main winding parameters and winding models. The requirements and
theoretical background is common for machine reeling and winding with winders. Section 5 also
includes web spreading.

2.2 Reeling and winding in papermaking

2.2.1 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 slitting). 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 exception might be a dartboard, which can be a narrow
paper roll. The following converting 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 unwinding 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 constant 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 wrinkles in the
following process.

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Chapter 2 Reeling and winding

- 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 deformation.
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.
Shipping rolls must be hard enough to withstand being handled several times with clamp trucks.
Parent reels, on the contrary, are handled by lifting via crane from reel spools. They can be
considerably softer than shipping rolls, especially close to the periphery of the reel. Also, for those
mills with in-house converting operations, rolls delivered to the sheeters can be fairly soft.
The atmosphere of winding or reeling must be controlled. If the ambient air temperature and
moisture are not in equilibrium with the temperature and moisture of the roll, roll moisture will be
changed during converting and storage. A moisture variation leads to dimension changes and has an
effect on roll stresses. These effects are more rapid in the axial rather than the radial direction of the
roll.
2.2.2 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 kN/m). However, the actual
straining variable is stress (e.g., N/m 2 or Pa). To obtain a flat web, a higher web caliper will require a
higher web tension or, in practice, a higher basis weight requires a higher web tension.
Web breaks 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, because there is always variation
in the web tension as well as the in web strength. Normal web tension is between 100 and 1000
N/m.
Basically, in the CD a paper web has a length profile. Under stress the shorter (tight) areas are in
higher tension than longer (slack) areas. In order to get enough tension 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.
The plasticity of the web depends on the fiber moisture and temperature. The higher fiber
moisture or temperature there is, the more plastic the paper web is. It is important to note that the
moisture content calculated against the fibers is a more 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 or belt technologies, the roll's own weight has an effect on the nip
pressure, i.e., the higher density papers produce excessive nip forces that do not allow winding large
diameter rolls from low basis weight paper. In a multistation winder or a reel, the problem area tends
to be the core and roll 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

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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.
There seems to be an optimum COF range for trouble-free high-speed winding. A small amount
of hydrophobic material can efficiently reduce the COF level. Examples are AKD-size, oil-based
defoamers, coating color lubricants, flotation deinking chemicals, and talc as a coating pigment or
filler. Many special pigments such as silicas and silicates, calcined clay, titanium dioxide, and high
opacity PCC as well as rosin size or some resins can increase COF. These chemicals should be
combined according 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 example, if the wavelength of
calender barring is 2π 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 circumference in the roll is
π—diameter. It seems to be impossible to have larger than 1% differences in the roll diameter in spite
of much higher differences in the caliper. Original paper caliper variations in the CD must be
smoothed to be able to wind faultless rolls. Caliper variations in heavily calendered papers cannot be
smoothed as well as variations in compressible bulky papers. To be able to wind good rolls from
high-density, low-compressibility papers, good CD caliper profiles are more important than in the
case of 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 process input parameters of web length and
tensile stiffness.
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. In the papermaking process, there are normally several successive windings and
unwindings of the same web. Paper web has a memory. Every winding leaves traces in the paper
web. These traces are different depending on the location in the roll: the bottom, middle, or

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periphery.
In every unwinding-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 parent reel periphery and the last set from the reel bottom next to the reel spool.
This order is reflected in the systematic roll quality differences according to the roll position in the
original parent reel. Rolls made from the surface of the parent reel will typically behave differently
and have different paper properties than those made from the area near the reel spool 19.
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.

Machine Unwind Wind
Base paper machine X
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 X
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.

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
MD plastic elongation due to tension during winding and storage time increases web length, and
can lead to breakdown of fiber-fiber bonds. There are always differences in the plastic strain in the
CD, which cause profile problems like bags, wrinkles, roll hardness profile variation, etc. The strains
are normally greatest at the reel periphery 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

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increases the plastic yield of the strain. Winder tensions are normally the highest in the papermaking
process. However, the severity of the tension should always be compared with the tensile strength in
the actual moisture and temperature.

2.3 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 parent 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 reeling 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 types of reels are needed, where control of winding close to the reel bottom is accurate. The
best way to minimize the waste near the reel spool is to accurately control the critical winding
parameters: Torque, Nip load, and Tension.
2.3.1 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. Especially 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 turnups.
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 efficiently 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 ejecting 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 pulper, different types of holding
blows or rolls and suction zones are used. To produce a good bottom structure on the reel after tail
threading, the web should be turned onto the new reel at full width when on-spec quality has been
reached.
The paper grade change sequence is intended to improve the material and time efficiencies of a
paper machine. One method is to wind only product that meets production 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.

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In many mills, the broke system, pulping, or stock mixing is not capable of handling 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.
2.3.1.1 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 real force
exerted in loading cylinders is measured. One type of control system is described in Fig. 2.

Figure 2. Principle of nip load control.

There can be a difference between the calculated and actual values of nip load, depending on
the accuracy of the application. In a pope type reel without the centerwind capability, the rotating
force must be delivered through the nip from the reel drum drive since the parent reel is surface
driven. In this respect, nip load is typically kept relatively high simply to ensure correct surface speed
and prevent slippage.
Some designs of new 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 equations. 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 tension. 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 profiling is shown in Fig. 3.

Figure 3. Principle of nip load profiling.

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In today's reels, web tension is used more and more as a closed loop control parameter.
Traditionally, web tension is measured with a tension measurement 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 measurement 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 drawback in this method is that changes in temperature, vibration, and mechanical
stress often interfere with the load measurement.
To avoid the problems mentioned above, a new method for tension measurement has been
developed. Its operating principle is based on the pressure of an air layer which is formed between
the curved measuring beam and the web. The air film pressure correlates to the tension profile of the
web.
Tension control (Fig. 4) functions as per the following:
- 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 beneficial tool for controlling the reeling process 21.
Centerwinding differs from surface winding in that the reel spool is driven with its own drive with the
force operating through the spool shaft; as opposed to surface winding, where the reel drum
contacts the surface of the parent reel to impart the force to drive the reel.

Figure 4. Web tension control.

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 accelerated 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 losing control over the correct surface speed of the parent reel.
Heavily applied nip load is known to cause reeling defects and have other negative effects on the
reeling process. In practice, the peripheral force is relative to center drive load and is the force
caused by torque on the surface of a parent reel divided by the width of the web. Figure 5 shows one
concept of a centerwind-assisted reel.

Figure 5. Controllable drive groups in center-wind assist.

2.3.1.2 Stresses inside parent reel

The reel size influences pressure and stresses found inside the reel. Inner pressure and stresses
originate from the weight of the roll of paper and from reel spool deflection. Reel spool deflects
differently from the roll of paper resulting in a non-uniform stress inside the reel.

Figure 6. Parent reel stresses due to roll weight 16.

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The stresses in the web layers of the reel manifest themselves in two categories 16. Radial
compressive stresses generated above the reel spool and shear
stresses developed in vertical planes on either side of the parent reel ( Fig. 6). Finite Element
Method (FEM) analysis has been utilized to obtain the stresses present in parent reels with multitude
of variables19, 20, 21. Just as the reel spool diameter and stiffness are significant, paper density,
COF, modulus of the web (in all axis), and other parameters have been evaluated by others. For
example, FEM analyses have shown that reel spool sizing and parent reel diameters are very
significant on stresses within a roll.

Figure 7. Location of measuring sensors.

In the experimental study, a spool was prepared with strain sensors to survey the deflection of
the spool and the internal pressure developed in a parent reel 1. Figure 7 illustrates this apparatus.

Figure 8. Internal nip forces, parent reel.

Figure 8 shows the radial pressure measured with the pressure sensors and calculated values of
nip load needed to produce the strain measured with the stretch sensors.
When the paper web was wound up on the spool at a constant nip load and web tension, it was
discovered that if the amount of paper was increased the radial pressure measured with the sensors
increased respectively.
Another important factor discovered was the CD pressure distribution. High values for pressure
were measured with the sensors located near the edge of the roll. It is obvious that near the edge
there is no wound paper to support the spool and higher deflection occurs. Thus, it is the area where
the rigidity of the entity formed by the wound paper and the reel spool has its lowest value. When
high deflection occurs, it will cause a high internal pressure and the paper web is exposed to
elevated internal nip stresses. This phenomenon can help explain the common observation that
most reeling defects are found near the edge of a paper web. In the middle, the internal forces
reached negative values; thus, the wound paper supports the spool.
The rigidity of the system formed by the spool and the wound paper influence the CD peak value
and internal pressure distribution. If high constant values for reeling 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 wound paper will prevent the spool from deflecting. However, at the end
of the spool there is a discontinuous surface where there is no paper to support the spool, and
deflection takes place at even greater intensity, as illustrated in Fig. 9.

Figure 9. Internal nip forces, parent reel.

2.3.1.3 Parent reel structure

As described, the wound roll structure has an indisputable influence on internal forces in addition to
the reel and spool dimensions (Fig. 10). In structuring the winding roll, the ultimate aim is to adjust
the reel hardness or the rigidity of the wound paper in relation to the spool in the proper way. This
minimizes the internal pressure and stresses to which the web is exposed. On the other hand, the
parent reel structure has to be dense enough to disable internal movements. In order to achieve this
goal, the reel hardness must be adjustable.

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Figure 10. Effect of reel structure on internal nip loads.

It is meaningful to control reeling parameters as a function of reel radius to obtain appropriate

rigidity. In this way, it is possible to wind the core of the reel more densely to support the spool and to
prevent internal movements between the paper layers. If the 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 structure" or "tight start" ( Fig. 11).

Figure 11. Hard and soft center structures.

In some cases, it can be determined that one of the fixed factors in the reeling process has been
incorrectly dimensioned. For instance, the diameter of a reel spool can be inadequately small. As a
result, internal nip stresses are elevated and defects develop. In these cases, it might prove
beneficial 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).
2.3.1.4 Air entrapment at reel
Air streams that are developed 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). Sometimes it can start to move toward the edges and collapse through the nip.
If the air bag passes through the nip, it can cause wrinkles and subsequent broke.

Figure 12. Air entrapment at reel.

Figure 13. Air bag problems between top layers and on the reel drum, and associated types of
grooving.

There are two basic cases where an air bag 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 second case, an air bag can develop between the incoming web and
the surface of the reel drum when the winding nip is tight enough to prevent air streams going
through the nip2.
Air bag problems are the result of several variables, the most important of which are running
speed and air permeability of the web. Also, surface properties of both the web and reel drum affect
the situation a great deal. Both types of air bags can be prevented by a proper reel drum contour
made with grooves or holes. Typically, different types of 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 channels are formed between the top layers of
the parent reel. Thus air steams are distributed evenly in the channels that are developed on the

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surface layers of parent reel due to the contour of the reel drum.

Figure 14. Grooving geometry.

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.
2.3.1.5 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 unwinding. Defects ( Fig. 15) can be
avoided by delaying major machine movements until the radius of the parent reel has increased
enough so that the reeling process is not in a critical phase anymore.
For example, it has been previously measured with load cells that when the loading 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. It is assumed that these kinds of sudden changes in nip load create sudden changes in
the hardness of the parent reel. Reeling defects are concentrated at the points where the structure of
the reel is not uniform. On some of the second generation reels, the primary arms have been
eliminated, avoiding one load change in the reeling sequence. One possible mechanism behind the
formation of the defect is described in the next paragraph.

Figure 15. Typical reeling defects.

If the angle between a wound roll of paper and a reel drum changes relatively fast, a disturbance
in the nip load control can be caused. A divergent layer of paper is wound, making the reel structure
nonuniform. Internal nip stresses start moving paper layers inside the parent reel. Varying reel
hardness enables a wrinkle to develop due to internal movements 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 creates a web break. The
beginning of a web break can be observed by examining the 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 containing long fibers
sticking out from the fiber structure and being sharp like the above edge of paper shown in Fig. 16.

Figure 16. A typical reeling defect.

2.3.2 Types and design

The reeling process can be divided into two main categories: the primary reeling process, which
takes place at the end of a continuous primary manufacturing process like a paper machine, and the

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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 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.
2.3.2.1 Pope reel
The basic pope reel (Fig. 17) consists of a reel drum, primary and secondary arms, and reeling rails.
The continuous reeling sequence starts with a new spool being placed in the primary arms on top of
the reel drum and web. The spool is accelerated to web speed with a spool starter, which is then
disengaged and the nip is closed. Through one of various methods the paper is automatically
transferred from the full reel to a new empty spool. The primary arms then rotate down to the rails
where secondary arms 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 2.

Figure 17. Pope reel.

The paper web is wound by surface winding. The control parameters are nip load and web
tension, which are typically calculated, not measured.
2.3.2.2 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 18a 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. 18b), 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 turnup devices, center drives, larger-diameter reel spools, and complete reel automation and
control systems.

Figure 18. Second generation reels.

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

Specifications 1960s Reel 1990s Reel
Web width (m) 7.5 9.5
Speed (m/min) 1000 1600
Reel diam. (m) 2.5 3.7
Spool diam. (m) 0.7 1.2

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Reel weight (t) 20−30 60−120

Reel waste (%) 4 1
Reel breaks 1/day 1/week
Technology
Reel drum grooving / friction NO YES
coating
Electronic tension control NO YES
Center drives NO YES
Automatic operation NO YES
Paper quality
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 carriage. 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 pneumatically 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 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
carriage retracts and the primary reeling device is turned back up to receive a new spool. Reeling
continues in the secondary carriages until the next turnup.

Figure 19. Reel change sequence.

Figure 20. Second generation reel with double carriages.

In another configuration, spools are loaded into the storage area and are on the same elevation
as the winding roll. A spool is advanced to the ready position and one set of positioning carriages A
and one centerwind drive A are engaged. The spool is accelerated to the sheet speed and moved
horizontally into the turnup position, where a nip is formed with the moving reel drum. The turnup is

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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 centerwind A on the newly winding parent reel remain with that reel for
the entire winding process. 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 cylinders. 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.

Figure 21. Drum supported winding.

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 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 pressures. This
leaves some unknown factors, which affect loading, i.e., cylinder and carriage frictions. To improve
accuracy, force sensors have been added to measure nip load. In that way, closed loop nip force
control is realized.
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.

Figure 22. A tension measurement

A picture of one type of tension measurement equipment is shown in Fig. 22. Its operating
principle is based on measuring the pressure of an air layer formed between the measuring beam
and the web.

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2.3.2.3 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 method, an air nozzle is placed just above the circumference 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/m2 and also on wide machines. Another benefit is that it 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/m2, the knife is not necessary and can cause turnup breaks.
To minimize turnup breaks, new turnup devices have been invented. One example is the blow
pipe method where the full parent reel is pulled out of nip contact ( Fig. 19). Web tension is controlled
with the secondary center drive. The new spool nip is closed, and the web is cut in the free draw with
an air blow from underneath. Here, as with the other methods, the placement, type of nozzle, and air
pressure level are the main control variables.

Figure 23. Gooseneck turnup device.

For turning-up heavier grades, where the basis weight is more than 120 g/m 2, a tape turnup
device is used. Today, these units are fully automatic and require the operators 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 polymer) 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

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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.
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 waterjet systems
have been developed. These systems positively cut the sheet across the full width and do not rely on
the tear characteristics of the web for success. For the turnup, the sheet is cut prior to the nip
between the spool and reel drum. The leading section of the cut web is guided tightly around the
empty reel spool. As the waterjet nozzle or nozzles cut the web, it cleanly follows the spool to
minimize waste.

Figure 24. Tape turnup device operation.

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 unwinding. 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 the layers in place when
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 tightening effect and preventing air entrapment ( Fig.
25).

Figure 25. Pressing device.

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 systems 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 vacuum. 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 winding onto the reel drum.
The most efficient manner is to turn up the web onto a reel spool with a gooseneck 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 procedures. 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.

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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 during the entire reeling sequence. Either a single drive
is used throughout the whole reel or the drives are designated for primary and secondary reeling.
Additionally, the drives act as a reel spool starter that accelerate the new spool and also decelerate
the full parent reel after turnup. Figure 26 illustrates reel drives.

Figure 26. Reel drives and their functions.

Reel spool storage

A reel can be equipped with a reel spool storage rack to 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 diameter of
the spool must be large enough to support the full-width roll being wound. Increasing the diameter of
the spool has three main advantages. With a larger spool diameter, the paper mass falls on a larger
area causing the pressure affecting the bottom paper layers to decrease considerably. The stiffness
of the spool increases, decreasing the reel interior pressures brought about by spool bending.
Thirdly, the nip pressure decreases with increasing diameter and the nip effect is gentler, especially
at the beginning of reeling.
A 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

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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.
Samples can then be taken, and the parent reel is prepared for the next process step.
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 during 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 turnbuckles. 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 spirals past the doctor blade because the land area
seen by local areas of the blade continually 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.

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

2.3.2.4 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 calendered or supercalendered
and very smooth and/or dense grades. The rolls are built 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.

Figure 28. Lay-on roll.

The equipment used to wind these grades includes pope-type reels, second generation reels,
and lay-on roll reels. The pope-type and second generation reels are able to operate efficiently on
the paper machine and in off-line configurations. Differences in the reel designs for on- and off-line
are minimal for those reels and they have 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 structure. 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 winding 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

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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.
2.3.2.5 Rereeler
The purpose of a rereeler is to prepare a good and continuous parent reel for processing at the next
operation. It is used to make splices where sheet breaks occurred in earlier 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.
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 rereelers today are equipped with centerwind assist drives.
The centerwinds are designed to compensate for the changing inertia of the building parent reel and
help control the roll structure. Adding torque to the winding parent reel allows winding at lower nip
pressure, which minimizes nip-induced defects.
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.

Figure 29. Rereeler with spool storage rack.

2.3.3 Production efficiency

Increasing reeling production efficiency can be done in several ways. This section concentrates on
how to optimize the reel size and quality of reels to withstand process variations. 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.
The target of making a good parent reel is to increase production efficiency. This is done by
producing an optimum structure from the bottom to the top layers of the parent reel 3. Also, the
operating crew should be trained to maximize the output of the production line.
Production efficiency is a combination of several variables. Reel operations can be divided into
three different categories: paper properties, constant machine properties, and variable machine
properties. Out of the various paper properties, the caliper profile, moisture profile, and paper to
paper friction have the biggest impact on reel structure. The importance of other properties, such as
the compressibility of paper, needs further study.
As it has been pointed out 6, there are seven important factors for making a good reel:
1. Correct tension
2. Correct nip pressure

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3. Correct torque
4. Adequate profiles
5. Proper paper to paper friction
6. Correct size of parent reel
7. Correct size of reel spool.
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 torque, but only within certain limits. The effect of tension, nip,
and torque is important 19. For example, when profile quality is decreasing, the only way to stop the
resultant increasing broke amount is to build the reel with tension and torque. Nip load has a
tendency of finding or possibly creating hardness changes in the reel that can cause further defects
to develop.
Normally, reel waste is divided into four different categories:
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 waste amounts, a study should always be done to analyze the amount of
waste produced by the production line. In principle, the study should show what types of problems
exist on the production line and ways to improve the current situation.

Figure 30. Half a year's bottom broke percentages from production categorized by different causes
on an SC-paper machine.

In Fig. 30, the amount of broke from an SC-line is divided into different categories 5. The study
indicates that the biggest losses come from bottom broke. The second important factor
involves the poor reel bottoms after web breaks, which are caused by tail threading and paper
quality losses. The rest of the losses are due to auto-splice bottom leftovers, odd-size parent reels,
and grade changes.

Figure 31. Production losses due to surface broke on a high-speed newsprint machine producing 45
g/m2.

Surface broke is currently quite easy to minimize with pressing devices and with the right
combination of paper-paper friction and wound-in tension. Surface handling has been a challenge
(Fig. 31), especially with coated grades.
The surface broke amount is more difficult to minimize on high-speed machines.

Figure 32. Production losses due to bottom broke on a high-speed newsprint machine producing 45
g/m2

Bottom broke (Fig. 32) is one cause of poor reel quality. Most of tail-threading reel bottoms have
been ruined due to great variations in moisture, basis weight, and caliper profiles that exist before
the control loops have readjusted them to the required level. Also, sometimes the accuracy of the

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profiles is not at the right level, which can cause problems. These paper variations, combined with
reel spools that are too small and parent reels that are too big, are normally the most important
factors producing high bottom broke amounts.
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 produced 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
less than that of the parent reel, there will be multiple sets made from each reel. By increasing the
size of parent reel, the reel bottom and surface broke can be reduced. At the same time, the parent
reel traffic is decreased.
Thus, the larger reel diameter helps mills, which are suffering from tight 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 subsequent stages.

Figure 33. The influence of reel diameter on reducing the broke amount.

The above analysis assumes the reel spools, nip loading system, and support structures are
capable of handling increased size and weight of the parent reel. To increase the size of the parent
reel, after the paper machine reel has been designed and built, is difficult and may increase the
bottom waste. It may be even dangerous, if the design load specifications are exceeded.
As earlier mentioned, profile variations tend to make the situation more unstable, which can
explain occasional bottom breaks 7. In Figure 34 the effect of profiles is shown. When a deviation
increases, the operational window tends to get smaller. Sometimes the only way to get out of the
situation is to reduce the size of the parent reel or use bigger diameter reel spools.

Figure 34. The effect of the profiles on the size of a good parent reel.

Increasing production efficiency is not limited to increasing machine speed, but also implies
running the equipment more efficiently. Obviously, getting more paper wound is important, but a
significant amount of paper is typically lost between the reel and the winder due to unoptimized
parent roll size.

Figure 35. Reel related MD waste.

Another way to consider the effect of production 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 reel spool size of 964 mm is used and the surface waste is three layers. The diagram
should be read starting at the bottom left by choosing the size of the produced customer roll and the
number of sets to produce. From this point, go straight up to the line that you consider an acceptable
amount of wastepaper on the reel spool. Between the charts, there is a density 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.

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Tail threading and reel recovery from the break are the most important factors in reducing the
length of a web break. It is not just having the latest equipment; a more important factor is how
active and skilled the machine crew is with tail threading. Even though the break time is normally
thought to end when the paper is on, it is not always true. Normally, the papermaking process needs
a certain time to stabilize 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.

Figure 36. Production losses due to turnup breaks (5 min) on a high-speed 45 g/m 2 newsprint paper
machine.

Production efficiency can be increased by motivating the working crews at the machine, which
was studied by Laplante8. In Figure 37 the results of four-phase studies are shown. This study
started by spot-checking the amount of paper left on the reel spools. In the second phase, the
documentation, winder auto-stop, and tracking complaints were introduced to the machine crews.
This learning period can be seen in the figure as 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.

Figure 37. The effect of a reeling process tune-up on total machine material efficiency.

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 increment 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 considering 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% efficiency 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,

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the increase in efficiency is achieved by increasing the parent roll size by building up the reel with the
centerwind.
2.3.4 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, frequently 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.
The number of reel handling stages is dependent on the paper or board grade. Minimum
handling is required when winders are the only separate finishing machines in the line. A typical
example is a newsprint line with an on-machine calender. More reel handling is needed when
producing LWC or WFC grades with an off-machine coater and calenders. 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 different paper mill layouts.

Figure 38. Different mill layouts.

The number of reel spools is dependent on the number of reel handling positions and the mill's
layout and equipment. For a newsprint line with two winders, 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-handling execution.
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

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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.
2.3.4.1 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 entire paper
mass of 120 000 kg affects the layers of paper near the reel spool. It is possible to damage the reel
spool if the crane is not operated with care. At the reel spool bearing housing, there is a slot for rails.
Damage of the reel spool is inevitable, if the parent reel has been lowered carelessly ( Fig. 39) and
then falls a few 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.

Figure 39. Reel spool bearing housing misplaced on rail.

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 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 component 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
crane9.
2.3.4.2 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 stations 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 runnability 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.

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

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next storage station. The next challenge is to stop the rolling parent reel. Several different braking
methods have been developed. Some manufacturers use a mechanical brake and others use
hydraulic dampers. In both cases, the most important goal is to avoid high deceleration.
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 personnel gate would be located at the unwind preparation
position. Other gates are located where needed.
2.3.4.3 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, but it is
not very common.

Figure 41. Rail (reel) cart.

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 common for heavy loads like parent
reels. It is a feasible application if the mill layout is complex. 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 reels 10.
2.3.4.4 Reel storage and waste pulping
Storage can harmfully affect the structure of a parent reel. A recently produced parent reel is circular.
Paper layers above the reel spool are under compression and paper layers underneath the reel
spool are under tension. After rotation has stopped, the paper begins to creep. Thus, the parent reel
starts its deformation into an oval cross section. This eccentric reel will cause runnability problems
during unwinding, where web tension must be kept as even as possible. An eccentric reel induces
cyclic web tension variation at the rotating frequency of the unwinding parent reel. Creep also affects
paper quality, because the residual strain of the paper is uneven. The negative impact of storing
parent 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 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 traditional style of rotating device is a car tire with a motor. New
designs use a gear coupling 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.

2.4 Winding
For the final winding of customer rolls, there are basically two types of winders: two-drum winders

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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
paper density, the weight of a one-meter-wide printing paper roll is between 200 and 2000 kg.
Because the weight is divided between two supporting drums, nip load against these drums is
roughly between 1 and 10 kN/m. The maximum acceptable nip loads for thin papers are between 3
and 5 kN/m. Modified two-drum winders and multistation winders can minimize problems of crepe
wrinkles, bursts, bags, corrugations, out-of-roundness, etc.
Modified two-drum winders are used 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 supported 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 maximum 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.
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
Two-drum
Newsprint 2 (B, A, S) 1
SC, directory paper 2 (B, S) 1
Coated mechanical 2 (B, S) 1
Uncoated woodfree 1 2 (B, A, S)
Coated woodfree 2 (B, S) 1
Containerboard 1
Cartonboard 1 2 (B, S)
2.4.1 Problems and challenges by paper grade
2.4.1.1 Newsprint

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The basis weight of newsprint has decreased from 48.8 −52.0 g/m2 to 40−45 g/m2. 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 disturbances that multistation or modified two-drum
winders are recommended. Conventional 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.
2.4.1.2 Glossy grades
The density of uncoated and coated glossy papers is normally more than 1000 kg/m 3. 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 of the supporting
force comes through the core and roll bottom.
Glossy grades will more often be calendered on-machine with high-temperature soft-calenders or
supercalenders. If the parent reel is not cooled after high-temperature calendering, there will be
drying problems before the winder and at the winder. Surface layers of the parent reel will dry,
especially during winter in northern countries due to dry ambient air. Starting a new parent reel, long
set change and splicing are problematic because drying will shrink the web, relax frozen tensions,
and cause length differences between the center and the edges. Change of the CD slitting position
and loose web edges are common problems encounterd without web cooling or air conditioning. This
is also a problem with other grades, but it is most severe with the highest web temperatures.
2.4.1.3 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 programming 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.
2.4.1.4 Coated woodfree

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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.
- A major part of production is sheeted, which requires soft, large-diameter rolls.
- Air permeability is low, air is pumped into the roll, and web stability is not good. This can reduce
the maximum possible running speed.
- 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.
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
system is also critical. A good system is equipped with two separate high-capacity pulpers directly
under the winder for narrow and wide edge trims.
2.4.1.6 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.
2.4.2 Future trends
2.4.2.1 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 pigments 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 (nonwood 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 retention 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).

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2.4.2.2 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 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 multistation winder, regardless of the grade.
2.4.2.3 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 3. 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 diameter is always a better situation for a modern
winder when capacity and roll quality are concerned.
2.4.3 Two-drum winders
On two-drum winders, a set of rolls is wound side-by-side on two winding drums. A conventional
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 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
covers. The advantages of a two-drum winder are simple operation and maintenance as well as high
production capacity.

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Figure 42. Two-drum winder.

2.4.3.1 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 web into the right position and to spread local profile variations over a wider area. By moving only
one end of the parent reel in the machine direction, a skewed web tension profile can be corrected.
Steering the web 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. Sectional guide rolls are undriven.
The web is spread and flattened with bowed rolls for slitting under tension. After slitting, the sheets
must be separated so that paper rolls on the winding drums do not run together and roll dishing is
avoided (see "Web spreading"). A special type of guide roll with segments that presses more on high
tension areas of the web than on slack areas equalizes cross tension variation but increases length
variation of the web.
Slitting of the web takes place with a pair of shear-cut rotating blades. The tangential
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.
Some special grades need very narrow roll widths, which can be achieved by a special
arrangement of narrow top slitters on slitting rings assembled on a slitting drum. Other techniques for
slitting are crush slitting, waterjet, and laser, but these are not widespread in the paper industry. In
the tangential shear slitting method, the cut point should be as close as possible to the point where
the web first contacts the bottom band ( Fig. 43). The cut point is the point where the top blade
contacts the bottom band. To ensure the highest cut quality, the cut point must be located inside the
wrap or preferably at the beginning of it; the wrap is the total area where the web contacts the
bottom band. The highest quality cut is made when the blades are new and the cut point is at its
furthest point forward. As the blades wear, the cutting nip opens up and the cut point moves back.
This open nip reduces the quality of the cut because paper tends to tear before the slit. The further
back the cut point moves, the worse the cut becomes. The bottom band should penetrate the sheet
0.5−2.5 mm, depending on paper grade, but typically 1.5 mm. This small amount of penetration
helps stabilize the web at the cut point. On highly coated grades, this penetration must be minimized
in order to prevent marking of the web in the vicinity of the cut edge.

Figure 43. Tangential shear slitting method.

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 or overlap of the top
slitter blade to the bottom slitter band should be between 0.5 and 2.5 mm depending on the grade of
paper to be wound. For grades where the slitting result 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 of 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

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increased to get the best slitting result.

The speed at which the bottom slitter band is driven is very important. The bottom band is
responsible for driving the top slitter blade. Because the top blade is overlapped with the bottom
band, it will rotate slightly slower than the bottom band. For this reason, the bottom band is usually
driven a bit faster than the web. This ensures that the top slitter blade is also rotating slightly faster
than the web, which reduces the chance of the web bunching up and causing a break at the cut
point. Typically the overspeed of the bottom band is 3% −5% faster than the web speed. In practice,
however, on thick board grades, the top slitter blade follows the speed of the web. In this case, it is
recommended 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 folding type of web separation. The dual spreader ( Fig.
44) assembly maintains an equal path length from unwind to windup and thus does not affect the
web tension profile. Using a dual spreader, the spreading effect is increased with the wrap angle. In
a dual spreader, the first element folds the web outward and the second element folds the web
straight again in the machine-direction with a gap between each slit sheet. Simple web spreading
and separating devices are the single spreader roll, fixed spreader bar, 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").

Figure 44. Web separation with a dual spreader.

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 entrapment 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 diameter 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 cradle. New cores
are inserted manually or with core-loading equipment. Further automation 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 consists 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, perhaps with the capability of a commercial printing
quality butt-joint splice.
2.4.3.2 Automated functions
In order to keep up with a continuously running paper machine, the winder needs to run at a high

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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.

Figure 45. Continuous winding.

2.4.3.3 Two-drum winding parameters

A two-drum winder uses the winding parameters of tension, nipload, and torque or preferably 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.

Figure 46. Control of two-drum winding parameters.

The main functions of the first winding nip are to prevent air entrapment and control 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 weight from the paper rolls and the rider roll defines the
nipload. When the set weight increases, the rider roll load is typically decreased. The end diameter
of the set and the 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).

Figure 47. Two-drum winder nipload.

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On a conventional two-drum winder, the nipload increases uncontrollably when the roll diameter
increases. The rider roll can add, but not substract, load. This high nipload at large roll diameters can
cause roll defects like crepe wrinkles, bursts, bags, and corrugations in printing grade paper rolls
when caliper and basis weight profile variations accumulate. Thus, a conventional two-drum winder
is not recommended for news, SC, LWC, and other 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 interpreted as a tension after the first
nip. Increasing winding force tightens the roll. On a two-drum winder, increasing the tension and
winding force decreases the effect of the winding nip, so the probability of roll defects due to high
nipload can be reduced by increasing these two roll buildup parameters.
2.4.3.4 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 endurance. 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.
2.4.3.5 Two-drum winder with air relief
A two-drum winder can be equipped with devices that maintain overpressure between the winding
drums (Fig. 48). The supporting area increases when the roll diameter increases; thus, with only a
low pressure, air relieving is effective. With pressure < 10 kPa (0.1 bar), the nipload of a newsprint
roll (Fig. 49) can be held within a safe range (below 4 kN/m). Air relief systems are best suited for
porous paper grades where air entrapment will not cause air bags at the winding drums.

Figure 48. Two-drum winder with air relief.

Figure 49. Nipload of a winder with air relief.

Figure 50. Two-drum winder with belt support.

2.4.3.6 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

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width. The advantageous relationship between a powerful winding force and a low nipload allows
large roll diameters with minimal nip-induced defects.
2.4.3.7 Variable geometry winder
The variable geometry winder in connection with the articulating rider roll is a modification of the
two-drum winder to extend the range of application into areas of newsprint, SC, and LWC jumbo
rolls. Equipped with compliant nips on the drums and rider roll, it also accommodates cores of
different sizes. The variable geometry describes the pivoted front drum which moves away from the
back roll asthe roll builds up. An asymmetric design with pivoting rider roll beam with drums of
different diameters reduces the opportunity for roll vibration ( Fig. 51).

Figure 51. Variable geometry winder.

Figure 52. Crepe wrinkle.

2.4.3.8 Winding challenges of two-drum winders

The most often encountered winding defects produced by a two-drum winder are crepe wrinkles ( Fig.
52) or bursts which are related to caliper/basis weight profile variations 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
different web draw and shear stresses on the roll surface. The cure for corrugations is to go from
nip-controlled winding to tension and winding force-controlled winding which will strain the web more
evenly.

Figure 53. Corrugation

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 original position.
This makes the edge rolls dished while the middle rolls remain straight.

Figure 54. Dished roll.

Core eccentricity and roll bouncing are related problems on two-drum winders. When caliper
profile variation results in slightly different roll diameters in a set, the rolls rotate with different angular
speeds. This leads to frictional forces between roll edges. This force makes rolls bounce or rotate in
a non-coaxial manner, resulting in eccentric cores and roll bouncing and even roll throw-outs (rolls
uncontrollably ejecting from the windup). This phenomenon can be reduced by decreasing the

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frictional force by cutting cores straight and even and reducing the friction with oil or low friction
spacers between cores. The axial force should be controlled by proper core chuck positioning and
the correct core length. The core quality should relate to the roll hardness so cores do not elongate
during winding.
Winder vibrations on a two-drum winder are related to the resonance frequency of the system,
which consists of the winding drums, the set of rolls, and the rider roll system. Vibrations might also
be due to unbalanced winding drums. The latter can be reduced with stiff drums manufactured to
high precision. The resonance frequency is excited at the multiple of the roll rotation speed. During
acceleration, the winder runs through these resonance zones so quickly that excess vibration is
rarely seen. At full speed, however, when the roll angular speed slowly decreases with the diameter,
vibration can occur at these frequencies. An advanced control system controls the winder speed so
that the resonance zones of the set angular speed are avoided, i.e., the speed is automatically
dropped through these zones quickly (Fig. 55). However, this control leads to small losses in
productivity due to reduced winder speeds. Winder vibrations exist mainly when running vibration
prone bulky high friction grades.

Figure 55. Avoiding vibration zones with speed control.

2.4.4 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 weight has become one of the most
serious limiting factors. The rider roll load acting on only a few rolls of the set, especially on very
wide machines, has also been an important limiting factor. This concentration of rider roll effect to
only a few rolls, originating from normal paper profile variations, has generated corrugations (rope
markings), wrinkles, and bursts in the roll periphery and elsewhere.
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.
2.4.4.1 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 multistation 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.

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Multistation winders are characterized by winding stations, where each roll is individually 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 structure. The groups are as follows:
- Core-supported winders
- Core- and periphery-supported winders
- Core-, periphery-, and rider roll-supported winders.

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/Wärtsilä (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 multistation winders (see the
"Two-drum winders" section). The unique capabilities of multistation 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 structure, 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 high-speed winding possible.
There is another modification of the core support winder, namely a winder with two vertical
drums with the possibility of torque difference. The drums are located vertically one above the other,
and the rolls are wound alternately on either side of the central drum assembly, like a two-drum

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winder rotated 90 degrees. Currently, this winder type is not very popular; regardless, it has the
same core load problems as the other winders in this group. Also, the roll structure (hardness at
start) can be different on different sides of the drum assembly because one drum gap will pull the
core and roll bottom 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.

Figure 56. Wärtsilä twin-winder.

Figure 57. Beloit HTC Biwind.

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.
- A center 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 developed. 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 normal 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 winding is high enough for making rolls tight enough at the start (diameter 100 −500 mm).
On the other hand, as in two-drum winders, nip-induced roll defects can be avoided by using high
winding force, in other words, by increasing web tension after the first nip or the so called "wound-in
tension" (WIT).
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 very
high fluctuating loads at the roll bottom near the core ends during unwinding. These new generation
multistation winders hold the winding rolls at 10- and 2 o'clock or 11- and 1 o'clock positions. This
arrangement divides the weight of roll partly between the drum and the core chucks: a proportion

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that can be freely set by programming the nip load curves as a function of roll . Free division of roll
weight between drum and chuck makes it possible to wind larger rolls (diameter and width) without
nip-induced surface defects and core burst and lamination 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 II).
Figures 58 and 59 show some winders.

Figure 58. JR 1000 E

Figure 59. 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 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 printing machines are in
operation for unwinding superheavy jumbo rolls. They have accelerating 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.

Figure 60. 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-supported multistation

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winders available today are pushed to their practical limits.

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
force by heavy rolls. The chuck relieving force is relatively high on big roll diameters, 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).

Figure 61. Core deflection and stress by different multistation winders or printing machines.

This tearing action usually happens 10−30 mm from the core. The core burst problem occurs
mostly at printing presses (see the section "Multistation winders with core and periphery support").
The modification of modern printing presses to put the acceleration belts below the roll so as to
partially relieve the weight may mean that, in the future, the 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
normal fiber cores. Some paper grades, like newsprint, demand harder rolls than can normally 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 2500 m/min, with a maximum diameter 1800 mm,
maximum width 4000 mm, and maximum weight 10 000 kg.
In addition to this, the set change and reel change times are as short as the fastest 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 problems. 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 600 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).

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

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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 maximum 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 rapidly as the diameter increases ( Fig. 63).

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

It is usually very important to get tight roll bottoms (diameter < 600 mm) for certain 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.
2.4.4.2 Paper and roll size demands for winding techniques
Traditionally, roll hardness (i.e., compression pressure between paper layers as a function 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 winding
defects can be accentuated when winding too tightly. Therefore, for a given paper grade and roll size
(weight, diameter, width), the winder operator should know the proper roll hardness for different
diameters. The operator should also know how to get the desired hardness by using the winding
tools (parameters) available. If the mill is producing superheavy "jumbo rolls" (like LWC- and SC-roto
grades), the "proper hardness" can be so high that the winding tools are inadequate 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 techniques 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

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600−1000 N/m (center torque-based increase in web tension after the nip) can be achieved at the
start of winding. Center torque is not very effective at large diameters, but is very seldom needed
there because, for most paper grades, naturally available nip load (via roll weight) provides sufficient
roll hardness. 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 properties, rider rolls
are not typically used at all on roll widths below 1000−1200 mm. If roll tightness at the start is
important, then rider roll loading is recommended.
Rider 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 pivoting mechanisms for correcting alignment errors
generated by paper caliper profile variations. It is very important to keep the core absolutely straight
at the beginning, when there is no or little paper on the core.
It is the matter of paper properties and roll size that dictates the winding parameter ranges
necessary for a particular type of production. These parameters are web tension, 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.
2.4.5 Winder automation
Winder automation is the equipment and controlling devices that are added to a basic winder to
increase capacity and improve roll quality.
2.4.5.1 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 slitters in the
winder, i.e., 15−30 pieces, then the trim change time becomes critical. In multistation 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 acceleration/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 vibrations require winder speed to be changed to prevent
resonance. Optimizing winder capacity while at the same time keeping roll sizes within tolerances is

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achieved by automatic stop functions.

Other types of automation equipment that help maximize winder capacity are parent reel change
without using a crane, automatic web splicing, automatic web threading, 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 continuous winding
machine (Fig. 64). It can run continuously until there are no parent reels available or web breaks.

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 maintenance personnel to quickly locate and fix the
cause of the trouble.
2.4.5.2 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 an optimal way;
adjusting winding parameters is not left to the winder operator. The winder automation recipe system
can hold winding parameter recipes for different paper grades, roll sizes, or even customer
specifications. The recipes are created by competent mill winding specialists, and the winder
operator 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. Otherwise, the automatic stop program
handles speed reference generation. The reference value calculation takes care of the necessary
smoothing and rounding of the signals and coordination to minimize disturbances in the roll structure
due to transitions.
Consistent roll quality requires that the winder is operated similarly regardless of who is operating
it. This is achieved by using the recipe library and ready-made recipes that eliminate undesired
variations in winding parameters.
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.
2.4.5.3 Controlling roll structure
Roll structure control means controlling the radial pressure (hardness) or tension distribution in the
finished roll. This is accomplished by proper winding parameter handling.
The only on-line roll structure measurement is density measurement. Its accuracy and reliability
is not suitable for closed loop control.
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

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makes backups of the local disk unnecessary.

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

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 grades are also produced, 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 recipe 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 deceleration, 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 reference 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 philosophies. 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

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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 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 calculate 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 polynomials. 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 derivative. 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 ρ = 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 position 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/m3. 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 measured with the same density
measurement method or with some other caliper measurement. The density difference then shows
how the winder is changing the roll hardness.
2.4.5.4 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/deceleration times, set
change time, parent reel change time, trim change time, and web threading/splicing times. Set
change time includes the functions of web tail gluing, web cutting, finished roll ejection, core

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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
- At a certain 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 possible 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 having 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 finished 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.

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
manipulators or robots.

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Chapter 2 Reeling and winding

Figure 67. Automatic reel change.

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 storage 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 the winder, automatic web threading can be performed.
Trim change
Automatic trim change equipment consists of devices to move the slitters and the core chucks to
new positions according to the trim data. In the multistation winder, the winding stations and rider roll
equipment are also moved. The core gluing device uses the same trim data to skip over the core
ends, as does the web end gluing device when switching off glue nozzles that are too close to the
cuts. This prevents excess glue from getting on the drums and between rolls ( Fig. 68).

Figure 68. Glue applicator.

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.

Figure 69. Butt-joint splicer.

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.

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Chapter 2 Reeling and winding

2.4.5.5 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 operators 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 softkey 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.
2.4.5.6 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 generated 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 automation system has
only limited information available. The most sophisticated troubleshooting expert systems ( Fig. 71)
can analyze the control program and measurement data and infer the cause of the malfunction from
this knowledge base.

Figure 71. Diagnostics display screen with pop-up window showing the preventing interlockings for
the reel spool locking.

On-line documentation and maintenance manuals help in determining corrective actions when
the problem has been identified. The entire winder documentation including 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 popular 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.
2.4.5.7 Communication and information services
The winder automation system can be networked to the mill production control system. The winder

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can receive trim data and set diameter/length and send back production information. Also, paper
defect information received from the mill computer can be utilized 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.
2.4.5.8 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).

2.5 Theoretical background

2.5.1 Winding theory
The purpose of winding models is to predict the internal stresses in a wound roll subjected 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 coordinates)
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 cornerstones in the
development of rigorous winding theories are considered to be Altmann's Linear Anisotropic model 11
in 1968 and Hakiel's Non-linear Anisotropic model 12 in 1986. Further improvements consist of
inclusion of visco-elastic constitutive equations 13, accounting for centrifugal effects 14, and air
entrainment considerations 15. To date, a consistent theory of nip-induced stress is still lacking. This
is a serious obstruction to reliable application of theoretical winding models in the paper industry,
where all modern winding equipment includes nips. However, theoretical understanding of the basic
laws of the winding process will certainly 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 16.
2.5.1.1 Practical winding tools
The internal roll stress distribution is controlled by three winding parameters: web tension, nip load,

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Chapter 2 Reeling and winding

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. In centerwind, the winding result depends only on the tension. Generally
this is not a suitable method for the modern paper industry, mainly because there is no control of air
entrapment during winding. Also, the applicable range of tension is limited from above by the web
strength, which confines the achievable hardness of the roll.

Figure 72. (a) Centerwind and (b) center-/surface wind configurations.

The second winding configuration of Fig. 72, the center-/surface winder, improves the centerwind
with two additional controls: nipload N and torque differential ∆T = T R − TD. 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 ∆
T is to influence the WIT. However, no one has been able to theoretically determine the functional
dependence of WIT on the three winding parameters T, N, and ∆ T. Hence, the following text
describes only the principles of the mechanisms involved in how the winding parameters affect to
WIT. It should be noted that these parameters are not independent of each other. For example, if
someone is able to figure out the dependence WIT = WIT(T) for fixed N and ∆T, this dependence
can look totally different for other values of N and ∆T.
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
∆T.
J. K. Good and his group at the Web Handling Research Center (WHRC) at Oklahoma State
University have been able to establish a WIT formulas for Centerwinding (TD = 0) and Surface
winding (TR = 0) for low nip load range 17. These equations read,
W IT = ¹k N; Surf ace winding (1)

W IT = T + ¹k N; Centerwinding (2)
where µk 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 kN/m. For higher nip loads,
the experimental values are lower than those predicted by the WIT 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 (TR for centerwinding and TD for surface winding) is determined by the
desired speed profile.
As can be expected from Eqs. 1 and 2, the essential mechanism of WIT depends on the
frictional force between the paper layers (µkN with fully developed kinetic friction). These WIT

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Chapter 2 Reeling and winding

formulas seem to assume a fully developed kinetic friction; hence, this also determines the range of
applicability of the WIT equations. If µ kN is higher than the actual frictional force, then Eqs. 1 and 2
will not apply. This occurs when either component of the product µkN is sufficiently high.
Experimental results confirm this conclusion. Tests made at WHRC with a web of high µk have also
shown that the area of applicability of Eqs. 1 and 2 is shrunken.
What is presented here can be considered as the state of the art of WIT. 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 ∆ T
- Behavior at high nip load and paper friction.
Fortunately, many of these items are currently under intensive research and there is hope that
new, more comprehensive WIT models will soon be available!
2.5.1.2 Winding models
When the wound-on-tension is known, the internal roll stress distribution can be calculated. 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 12 and Olsen14. 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 axisymmetrical plane stress in the presence of centrifugal forces:
r @¾
@r
r
+ ¾r ¡ ¾t = ¡½! 2 r 2 (3)
where r is radius to a point in the roll
σr stress in the radial direction
σt stress in the tangential direction
ρ local density of the roll
ω instantaneous angular velocity of the paper roll.
The linear and orthotropic constitutive equations (Hooke's law) used in these models read:
"r = (1=Et )¾r ¡ (ºrt =Et )¾t (4)

"r = (1=Et )¾t ¡ (ºtr =Er )¾r (5)

where εr is strain in the radial direction
εt strain in the tangential direction
Er radial modulus
Et tangential modulus
ν 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 Er is assumed to depend on the radial stress σr in a known way. The function Er =
Er( σr) is normally determined from a pile test where a stack of sheets of the web material is pressed

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Chapter 2 Reeling and winding

at known force and the displacement is measured. The slope of the resulting curve σ= σ( ε) then
gives Er. This experimental data is usually curve-fit to represent Er in a polynomial form, i.e.,
Er = C0 + C1 ¾r + C2 ¾r2 + C3 ¾r3 (6)
where Ci (i=0,...,3) are constants depending on the web material.
Utilizing the compatibility equation
r @"
@r
t
+ "t ¡ "r = 0 (7)
and the Maxwell relation
ºtr ºrt
Er
= Et
(8)

together with Eqs. 3−5 and 7, an ordinary second order differential equation for σr = σr(r) is
obtained:
2
h i
r 2 ddr¾2r + 3r d¾
dr
r
+ 1 ¡ Et
Er (¾r )
¾r = ¡(3 + ºrt )½! 2 r2 ; R0 < r < R (9)

Because of the term 1-Et/Er( σr ), this equation is nonlinear and no analytic solution has been
found. Hence, numerical solution methods have to be employed.
Before proceeding to the description of the numerical method, two boundary conditions 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 Ec is commonly defined by
¾r (R0 )
"t (R0 ) = Ec
(10)
where R0 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 18. Utilizing Eq. 3, 5, and 10, the following equation is obtained:
³ ´
R0 d¾
dr
r
(R 0 ) = ¾ r (R 0 ) Et
Ec
+ º rt ¡ 1 ¡ ½! 2 R02 (11)

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
W IT
¾r (R) = ½! 2 Rh ¡ R
(12)
Above the outermost paper layer the boundary condition is σr(R+h) = 0.
Let us now consider a roll with outer radius R in a given state of radial stress σr(r) (R0 < r < R).
Let us add a single lap of paper of thickness h under a web tension WIT(R) onto the roll. This
induces an additional radial stress ∆σr(r) in the roll. By differentiating Eq. 9, the equation for this
increment of inter-layer radial stress becomes
2
h i
r 2 d dr
¢¾r
2 + 3r d¢¾
dr
r
+ 1 ¡ Et
Er (¾r )
¢¾r = ¡(3 + ºrt )½¢! 2 r2 ; R0 < r < R + h (13)

Here the quotient Et/Er is considered to be a constant during the winding-on of the single lap 2, 4.
The corresponding incremented forms of the boundary conditions in Eqs. 11 and 12 read
³ ´
d¢¾r Et
R0 dr (R0 ) = ¢¾r (R0 ) Ec + ºrt ¡ 1 ¡ ½¢! 2 R02 (14)

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Chapter 2 Reeling and winding

and
W IT
¢¾r (R) = ½! 2 Rh ¡ R
(15)
Once the incremental radial stress is known, the corresponding incremental tangential stress ∆σt
can be calculated from Eq. 3:
¢¾t = r d¢¾
dr
r
+ ¢¾t + ½¢! 2 r 2 ; R0 < r < R + h (16)
Since no analytical solution to Eqs. 13−15 has been found, a numerical procedure has to be
implemented. Following the outline of the references 12, 14, a finite difference formulation will be
presented. Assume that the roll consists of j-1 laps, each of thickness h. The radius ri to the inner
boundary of the ith lap is then:
ri = R0 + (i ¡ 1) h; 1 · i · j ¡ 1 (17)
Let us denote the radial stress at ri after j laps have been wound by σr,ij and the increase in the
radial stress at ri caused by the winding on of the lap j by ∆σr,ij. When the derivatives in Eq. 13 are
approximated by central differences, we obtain:
Aij ¢¾r;i¡1j + Bij ¢¾r;ij + Cij ¢¾r;i¡1j = Dij ; 2 · i · j ¡ 1; j ¸ 3 (18)
where
ri2 3ri
Aij = h2
= 2h
(19)
³ ´
Et 2ri2
Bij = 1 ¡ Er
¡ h2
(20)
i

ri2 3ri
Cij = h2
¡ 2h
(21)
and
Dij = ¡ (3 + vrt ) ½(!j2 ¡ !j¡1
2
)ri2 (22)
Equation 18 constitutes a set of j-2 linear equations for j unknowns ∆σr,ij (i=1,..., j). Two additional
equations are obtained from the difference approximations of the boundary conditions in Eqs. 14 and
15. The forward difference approximation of the boundary condition at the core is
³ ´
R0 Et R0
h
¢¾ r;2j + 1 ¡ v rt ¡ Ec
¡ h
¢¾r;1j = ¡½R20 (!j2 ¡ !j¡1
2
) (23)

The boundary condition at the roll periphery is

W ITj
¢¾r;jj = ½!j2 rj h ¡ rj
(24)

The procedure starts at j=1 when the first lap is wound. Then
W IT1
¢¾r;11 = ½!12 r1 h ¡ r1
(25)

which is also the total radial stress at r1, i.e., σr,11 = ∆σ r,11 . When the second lap is wound on, the
boundary conditions in Eqs. 23 and 24 are sufficient to solve the incremental stresses ∆σr,12 and
∆σr,22. Now the radial stresses at r1 and r2 can be calculated:

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Chapter 2 Reeling and winding

¾r;12 = ¾r;11 + ¾r;12 ;

(26)
¾r;22 = ¢¾r;22 :
After the third lap is wound on, Eq. 18 is needed for the midmost lap in addition to the boundary
conditions. The value of σ r,22 is used in calculation of Er when calculating B23 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 ∆σr,ij (i =1,..., j) are calculated from Eqs. 18, 23, and 24. Now the stresses are
updated as
¾r;ij = ¾r;i(j¡1) + ¢¾r;ij ; (i = 1; :::; j) (27)
The total tangential stresses σt,ij can be calculated from the difference approximation of Eq. 3
once the total radial stresses are known:
¾r;(i+j)j ¡¾r;(i¡1)j
¾t;ij = ¾r;ij + rij 2h
+ ½!j2 ri2 (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 = − σr has been plotted.

Table 5. Web properties of newsprint.

Parameter Value
Thickness, µm 71
Poisson's ratio 0.01
Et , GPa 3.37
C0 , kPa 0.0
C1 50.6
C2 , kPa-1 −0.0964
C3 , kPa-2 0.0001
R0 , cm 5.0
Ec , GPa 8.0
ρ , kg/m3 670
V , m/s 0
The radial pressure is zero at the outer boundary of the roll because atmospheric pressure
cancels out. The pressure then increases as one proceeds further in the roll because an interior
layer must support those above from collapsing inward. The highest pressure occurs at the core.
The tangential stress varies from tensile at the outer boundary of the roll to compressive in the
interior. At the roll surface, the tangential stress essentially equals WIT divided by the caliper.

Figure 73. Radial pressure distribution for newsprint wound at a tension of 5000 kPa.

Figure 74. Tangential stress distribution for newsprint wound at a tension of 5000 kPa.

2.5.2 Web spreading

When we talk about web spreading at reelers and winders, it is essential to divide spreading into two

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separate areas:
1) Spreading the machine wide, uncut web
2) Separating the longitudinally cut webs (especially in the two-drum winder).

2.5.2.1 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 immediately before the reel drum as
shown in Fig. 75.

Figure 75. Location of the spreader roll in a reel.

The location of the spreader roll in relationship to surrounding rolls is more effective closer to the
reel drum.
In the winder, the function of the spreading of the machine-wide web is to straighten the web in
the cross direction to ensure a good quality longitudinal cut (slitting). This applies both to the single-
and two-drum 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.

Figure 76. Example of spreader rolls in a two-drum winder.

In the single-drum winder, where the web length from the parent reel to the slitting devices is
long, the spreader rolls also have an important function of ensuring a smooth and steady web run.
Especially in the two-drum winders, spreading before slitting also affects web separation and
therefore the gaps between the wound rolls; this will be discussed more in the next section
("Separating the cut webs").

Figure 77. Two common structures of a bowed roll: (a) curved roll (b) curved sectional roll.

There are numerous ways to spread the web. Non-rotating members are neglected here
because they cause dusting and hence are less and less used in today's machines. The most
commonly used web spreader in reels and winders is a bowed rotating roll. This kind of spreader roll
is a series of narrow width rolls, which are mounted so that they form a bowed row of rolls ( Fig. 77).
The direction of the bow is toward the web running direction (Figs. 75 and 76). The spreading
effect is caused by the small angle between the web running direction and the roll rotating plane.
This is depicted in Fig. 78, which is a top view of Fig. 75.

Figure 78. Spreading force as a function of distance from winder centerline.

The roll guides the web in the tangential direction by friction. This leads to the so-called "normal
entry law", i.e., as long as there is no loss of traction the web comes into contact and leaves the roll
in the tangential direction of the rotation with normal entry.
The optimum bow amount depends on the paper grade, the surface of the rolls, the web tension,

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and the wrap angle and is generally 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 β 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 β
starts to grow as does the frictional spreading force. When the angle β gets over a certain value, the
spreading force drops dramatically. 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 β 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 little under or over speed (up
to 5%). It must be recognized that with forced speed differentials, there are added uncertainties as to
the web tension before and after the spreader, the generation of dust, and the wear of the covers.
Best spreading results are obtained with perfect speed matching of the roll speed with the web
speed. With sectional rolls, the drive is not needed. Because of the smaller bearings and aluminum
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, surface 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 maintain 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.
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. The webs
running through the winder are under MD tension, which draws them more narrowly. During winding,
this tension changes to compression inside a roll that leads to CD expansion of the rolls. If there is
no room to expand, the rolls will stick together or the roll ends will become concave.
Before we get into this issue, it must be made clear that spreading before slitting also affects the
final result  narrow gaps between the wound rolls.
A good, even web separation requires that before slitting there is even CD tension in the uncut
web. More important than the magnitude of the tension is the evenness of the CD tension. Slitting
releases the tension of the web, and this leads to a gap between the two sheets of the web. Uneven

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tension results in unequal gaps, and these differences run through the rest of the winder to affect the
gaps between the wound rolls. The separation of the cut webs after slitting cannot correct problems
that started with the spreading of the uncut web.

Figure 79. Devices to separate the cut webs.

Here we concentrate on the three best-known types of web separating devices in the two-drum
winder:
1) D-bar spreader (Fig. 79a)
2) Single-roll spreader (Fig. 79b)
3) Folder spreader with bent bars or rolls (Fig. 79c).
These devices cause the web separation in different ways. They do not have any common
features, and problem-solving methods of one type cannot be applied to another. The only common
thing is their location in a winder (Fig. 80).

Figure 80. Web separation with a dual spreader.

D-bar spreader
A D-bar spreader is a non-rotating, single bar that has a bow perpendicular or nearly perpendicular
to the web (Fig. 79a). The D-bar increases the MD web tension in the center, which results in the
web seeking a new position of minimum energy.
The D-bar spreader is 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 direction 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 general 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.
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

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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 avoidable 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.

Figure 81. Web separation with a dual spreader.

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 clarification.
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

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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 "folding 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 spreading 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.
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 resistance 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 bowed spreaders bar
arrangements with some significant successes and failures.
By far the most successful arrangement consists of a web wrap geometry similar to that shown
in Fig.79c with two equal and opposite web wrap angles around two stationary bars. The significant
difference is that the bow orientation of both bars are parallel to 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 different 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 orientations, 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
In the design of the dual spreader, the basic information is the width of the winder and the widths or
number of cut webs. Both the maximum and minimum number of cut webs must be taken into
account because the spreader must be adjustable according to the number of the cut webs. The
variables affecting web separation are:
- The distance L 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.

Symbols used in Chapter 2

Aij, Bij, Cij, Dij Coefficients in finite difference equations
Ci, (i=1,...,3) Coefficients in polynomial representing E r

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Chapter 2 Reeling and winding

Ec Core modulus
Er, Et Radial and tangential modulus of elasticity
h Paper thickness (caliper)
N Nip load
R0 Core outer radius
R Paper roll outer radius
r Polar radial co-ordinate
ri Radius of ith lap
T Web line tension
TR Roll center torque
TD Drum center torque
∆T Torque differential
v Web line speed
WIT Wound-In-Tension. Web tension which enters the roll after the nip
εrεt Radial and tangential strains
µk Kinetic coefficient of friction between paper layers
νrtνtr Poisson's ratios of the roll
ρ Density of the roll
σrσt Radial and tangential stresses
∆σr∆σt Radial and tangential incremental stresses
σr,iσt,i Radial and tangential total stresses at radius ri
∆σr,ij∆σt,ij Radial and tangential incremental stresses at radius ri after lap j is wound on
ω Instantaneous angular velocity of the roll
ωj Instantaneous angular velocity after jth lap is wound on
References
1. Valmet, Internal instruction.
2. Frye, K. G., Winding, TAPPI PRESS, Atlanta, 1990.
3. Tulokas, J., "OptiReel-Proven New Breed of Reels," Valmet, 1995.
4. Valmet, Internal instruction.
5. Airola, N., "Pohjahylyn minimointi SC-syväpainopaperia valmistavalla paperikoneella," M.Sc.
thesis, Teknillinen Korkeakoulu, Helsinki, Finland, 1996.
6. Roisum, D., Valmet internal reeling presentation.
7. Valmet, Internal instruction.
8. Laplante, B., Pulp Paper Can. 94 (1):57 (1993).
9. Valmet, Internal instruction.
10. Freeh, R. A., Tappi J. 78 (10): 206 (1995).
11. Altmann, H. C., Tappi 51 (4): 176 (1968).

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Chapter 3 Roll wrapping and handling

12. Hakiel, Z., "Nonlinear Model for Wound Roll Stresses," 1986 TAPPI Finishing and Converting
Conference Proceedings, TAPPI PRESS, Atlanta, p. 9.
13. Qualls, W. R., J. Appl. Mech. 64 (3):201 (1997).
14. Olsen, J. E., Tappi J. 78 (7):191 (1995).
15. 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.
16. Roisum, D. R., The Mechanics of Winding, TAPPI PRESS, Atlanta, 1994.
17. 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.
18. Gerhardt, T. D., ASME J. Eng. Mat. Tech. 112 (4): 144 (1990).
19. 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", TAPPI 1994
Finishing Conference Proceedings, TAPPI PRESS, Atlanta, 1994.

Hannu Lasander, Jukka Mäkinen, Jukka Ponkamo, Raimo Ruohio, Kari Terho
Chapter 3

Roll wrapping and handling

3.1 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 protective and finishing touches in preparation for the mechanical and climatic
rigors of transportation 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 labeling. In
addition, the system typically includes sequences that provide the roll with wrapping, strapping,
sorting, grouping, and upending. Warehouse operations like storage management and shipping can
also be connected to these operations.

Figure 1. A roll-handling system moves rolls from the winder discharge area throughout the
wrapping until the upending line at the warehouse.

The produced paper grade and the stresses associated with the chosen method of transportation

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determine the list of necessary 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 (piping). Figure 1 shows how a roll
handling system moves rolls from the winder discharge area throughout the wrapping until the
upending 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 1.

3.2 Roll handling

3.2.1 Winder area layouts
The roll-handling system begins at the winder discharge area ( Fig. 2) where layouts will differ from
mill to mill for a number 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 requirements of various other equipment. Roll
dimensions, safety clearances, system capacity requirements, and the level of automation will also
affect equipment choices and layouts.

Figure 2. Rolls on the winder discharge deck.

3.2.1.1 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 patterns 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 construction 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.
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 winders. 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 segmented deck stops interfaces them with the slitter positioning,

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whereby the appropriate deck stops are automatically raised to match the slitters. Sloped winder
discharge 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
traditional plate stop, while effective in stopping rolls of certain stronger grades of paper, has the
following negative characteristics when handling fragile, lightweight papers. Torn outer layers
contribute to loose paper generation scraps that will block photocells and cause disturbances at the
roll wrapping machine (where the leading 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
further 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 2.

Figure 3. The set cushion stop at an 8-meter trim width fine paper winder eliminates back bounces
of the roll.

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 lightweight 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 layers 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 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 with the
floor, are best suited to crossing by clamp trucks or similar heavy traffic. Figures 4, 5 and 6 show
examples of two-drum winder discharge areas.

Figure 4. Straight conveyors and a roll through turntable (long pitch steel slat conveyors).

Applications of the above layout include any paper or board grade where the roll destination is in
a side bay upstream or downstream alongside the machine. Advantages include correct rolling
direc-tion and the possibility of handling high-aspect-ratio rolls. Disadvantages are the amount of
kick-offs and cushionings, space usage, and the amount of equipment required. Figure 5 shows an
alternative solution for a conveying problem similar to that in Fig. 4.

Figure 5. Straight conveyors and a conveyorized turntable (short pitch steel slat conveyors).

This layout makes use of end-against-end transfers and a turntable with conveyors. The
conveyors are short pitch steel slat type 3. The application is similar to the previous example.
Advantages here include a minimum amount of equipment, no rolling, and the ability to adjust the roll
orientation for downstream identification. However, it is not recommended for narrow rolls less than
0.4 meters.
3.2.1.2 Two winders side-by-side
Two two-drum winders, side-by-side, serving a single paper machine, have been the standard in

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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
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 interference 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 conveyors from each, as on the layout at the right.
3.2.1.3 Discharge area of multi-station winders
Multi-station winders, sometimes called "single-drum" winders, discharge rolls onto both sides of the
windup section in staggered positions. Half of the set is discharged between the windup and the
unwind; the other half is discharged on the front side of the windup. The inboard discharge area is
limited in size between the windup stations and the inboard conveyor. On the front side, more space
can be allowed (Fig. 7). Due to its more complicated nature, the multi-station winder's throughput is
typically less than that of a two-drum winder − which is why paper machine lines usually have two
multi-station winders.

Figure 7. Basic conveyor configuration for a multi-station winder.

The previous concept can be extended to cover two winders by extending both conveyors as
shown in Fig. 8. The issue of interference with two winders sharing 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 typically wound on this winder style.

Figure 8. Two multi-station winders with shared back side and front side conveyors.

However, if necessary, the interference between two winder operations can be minimized by
using independent discharge conveyors both in back of and in front of both winders, as shown in Fig.
9.
The short pitch steel slat conveyor's ability to transfer rolls end-against-end without 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).
3.2.2 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) maintaining
flexible operations and affording surge capacity, live storage, on the conveyors.

Figure 9. Two multi-station winders with independent discharge conveyors.

One might first have a vision of a single conveyor or straight conveyor line from the winder to the

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wrapping machine. The system, however, would be very inconvenient to operate due to the
interaction between the winder discharge operations and the wrapping machine feed. Especially on
fragile paper grades, such as any coated or uncoated wood-containing paper, it is essential to load
conveyors while the conveyor is stopped. A single conveyor line, then, would be down for a
considerable length of time. In order to allow for the flexibility requirement, the conveyor line must be
divided.

Figure 10. Short pitch steel slat conveyor and conveyorized turntables.

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, rotogravure 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 conveyorized turntables, enables smoother turning of corners in
a system with minimum equipment 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.

Figure 11. Belt conveyors have a tendency for damaging unwrapped, lightweight paper rolls.

Figure 12. Short pitch steel slat conveyor changing roll orientation.

Another successful design for gentle 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 subjected to stress of any
kind (Fig. 13).

Figure 13. Carousel conveyor with unwrapped rolls.

The loading onto this conveyor takes place on the fly through a special loading station which
simultaneously accelerates the roll while it is being lowered onto the cart with a minimum of impact
or risk of breaking the outer layers of paper on the roll. There is also an unloading 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 converted 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 conventional 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 runnability, the sheeter/coater parent rolls often receive a partial wrap, a sleeve wrap without
headers in either kraft or stretch film.
These types of layouts often require automatic means of route selection within the system to

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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 directing the roll flow
to the proper address.
3.2.3 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 lowerator designs such as:
- 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.
3.2.4 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 efficiency of the warehouse
operation.

Figure 14. A layout with three pairing pockets along a conveyor. The roll on pocket No. 3 waits until
its match arrives.

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. Once the matching roll is found, the
waiting roll is inserted into the flow follow-ing its pair and are then grouped together for upending in a
stack. A sorting pocket combines a kicker and a cradle ( Fig. 14). The pocket conveyor arrangement
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 sizes determine the number of pairing pockets that can be fitted; there
is also a possibility to locate them across from each other. Both of these sorting methods, however,
offer relatively low sorting capacity.

Figure 15. An alternative method is a conveyor pocket located on the side of a ramp − one side or
both sides. A gain space determines what can be done.

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 conveyor 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.

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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 conveyor 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.
3.2.5 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 position. 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 automatic labeling systems. The label orientation
turning rollers can be located along a conveyor (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 warehouse layout with a carousel conveyor infeed to the sorting ramp in the warehouse
followed by label orientation, upender and a flat top conveyor.

Figure 17. Label orientation station at a sorting ramp uses lifting turning rollers.

3.2.6 Automated storages

3.2.6.1 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-process 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 style which
supports the building, storage and retrieval machines (cranes with shuttles), delivery station(s) with
conveyors, and the control system.

Figure 18. AS/AR system moves roll into a rack storage locations.

Figure 19. Stacker crane delivering a roll to storage position.

Rolls can be stored on the bilge, upen-ded by themselves, or on a slave pallet.

One of the benefits of the AS/AR system is the ability to provide large storage space in situations
where the floor space is limited by making the rack storage 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 systems have been integrated

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with Automatically Guided Vehicle (AGV) systems.

3.2.6.2 Automatic vacuum crane storage
The previously described AS/AR offers a lot of flexibility and capability, but it is a very expensive
solution. An automatic 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 carries the roll from the top end. The crane is capable of
positioning itself very accurately. 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 trouble-free operation.

Figure 20. Automatic vacuum crane warehouse.

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 converting. 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 at a 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.
3.2.7 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 otherwise 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 of rolls is presented to
the clamp truck, and with a single pick-up maneuver, two or more rolls are off the truck! Include
sorting, grouping, and stacking with a double roll clamp attachment, and you will improve efficiencies
greatly (Fig. 21).

Figure 21. An in-line upender discharges a stack of two rolls onto the flat top conveyor.

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 configuration. These are in-line
feed, 90-degree discharge, or independent discharge legs.
3.2.7.1 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).

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Figure 22. "Four-pack" of rolls in twin clamps.

Side loading is accomplished by kicking the roll off the conveyor, across a ramp, and cushioning
it onto the long leg of the upender.
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.
3.2.7.2 Lowering upender
A lowering upender combines the function of a separate 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 warehousing is on the lower floor ( Fig. 23).

Figure 23. Lowering upender.

Safety features involve a positive stop gate (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.
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.

Figure 24. On an elevated flat top conveyor with a clamp truck picking side-by-side stacks, labels
are positioned so that the clamp truck driver can see the labels as the rolls are approaching on the
flat top conveyor.

The flat top conveyor should be long enough to allow for surge capacity. Preferred 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 can be elevated or flush with the floor. The decision is made based on
access requirements. A flat top conveyor 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 preventing roll
edges from dragging on the floor.
3.2.9 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 lowerator onto the floor or from a single or multiple kick-off station(s)
on a conveyor.

Figure 25. Clamp truck turning the roll while reversing

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 orientation system can be used, i.e., prior to the pick-up point, the roll is

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turned so 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 prevent 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 or a 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 contacts the floor.
3.2.10 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 conveying 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.
3.2.11 Automatic truck loading
Paper industry applications of automatic truck loading are most often at mills that do not have their
own warehouses at the mill sites but shipping or distribution warehouses 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 can be formed. The truck bed is often equipped with a specific onboard
conveyor system. Figure 26 shows a special truck being automatically loaded.

Figure 26. Automatic truck loading

3.3 Roll wrapping

3.3.1 Paper roll protection
The final product leaves the paper mill in sheet or roll form. Both cases demand protective 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.
3.3.1.1 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

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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 "strategy" 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 warehousing is the most common ( Fig. 27). Another
option for warehousing is an automatic storage system (AS/AR) as discussed earlier.

Figure 27. A clamp truck picking up the roll from the warehouse.

Upon shipment, each roll is picked up and loaded into a truck or railcar that transports 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 transportation is based on trucks, and a clamp
truck is used for loading and unloading the roll. Themills that are located far from the end user
typically transport rolls via sea route in cargo ships. This type of transportation utilizes a flat cassette
and a terminal tractor (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 factor is a fixed part of this phase, the problem of occasional
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.

Figure 28. Terminal tractor moves a roll cassette from a cargo ship in a harbor warehouse.

3.3.1.2 Impact of the paper grade

Paper grade largely determines the type of finishing and system features in the roll handling 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 sometimes 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 3
to 750 kg/m3.
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.
Uncoated and coated groundwood-containing publication paper grades

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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 offset 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 3. 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
triple-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 typical 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 3 to 850 kg/m3.
Shipping rolls of this grade are commonly shipped fully wrapped in kraft, complete 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

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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 (linerboard 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 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.

Figure 29. Strapped board roll with labels and end stenciling.

Roll densities vary quite widely for some bulky, absorbent grades − from 540 kg/m3 to nearly
1000 kg/m 3 on some coated board grades. Multiple roll packages are often found in grades that are
fully wrapped.
Pulp in roll form
Both dissolving and fluff pulp are produced in roll form. These heavy pulp sheets are
characteristically 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 similar from both a process
and end-use point of view. In fluff pulp, both sources of contaminants 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 3 to 700 kg/m3.
These rolls end up in a shredder at the end user's facility, which means the roll handling does not
need to be particularly gentle for the sake of the product. Multiple roll packages are common, often
tied with two longitudinal plastic straps which also hold the headers. These straps also help stabilize
packages which would otherwise be very difficult to convey. Some rolls are shipped without
wrapping; others are wrapped in either kraft or stretch film. For stretch wrapping, two methods are
being used: radial with headers and axial without headers. Labeling is often limited to a body label
only; see Fig. 30.

Figure 30. A twin pulp roll package with headers held by longitudinal straps.

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

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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
converting 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 core shafts and cores is an important operation that
affects the crew efficiency of the tissue-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 systems, this has been
overcome 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
gentlest 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" solution. 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/m3 to 400 kg/m3.
3.3.2 Wrapping process
Roll package contains a range of different materials. The roll package is a combination of
predetermined materials and actions that are entered into the mill computer system 4. "Wrapping" 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 machine through the identification station. Each roll is identified
from a barcoded label, which is typically located in the center of the roll core. At the identification
(I.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).

Figure 32. Roll core barcode identification is based on a fixed rasterized scanner or linear motion.

Before the roll proceeds to the wrapping station, its end is marked with an inkjet stencil. This
marking typically includes various data such as roll I.D. number, width, paper grade, diameter,
weight, and unwinding arrow. These alphanumeric characters are important for later use of the

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product, and they are well protected inside the package. This marking system typically has an
internal feedback system that controls the inkjet marking with a good print-out quality. In addition to
this self-checking feature, a new trend for more 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).

Figure 33. An optional method for quality control can utilize machine vision and optical character
recognition

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 following 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.
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 traversing wrapper unwind backstands. It creates the
wrapper by overlapping wrapper layers on each other. This type of wrapping machine offers a
space-efficient 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 application procedure can be either straight or spiral style. Figure 34 illustrates both wrapper
application methods.

Figure 34. The most essential part of the wrapping process uses either wider or narrower wrapper
feed.

Figure 35. Roll wrapping includes end stenciling, inner heads, wrapper sheet, attaching element,
vapor barrier, outer heads, markings, and labeling.

Before the wrappers are applied, each roll is first furnished with inner heads to protect the roll
end from occasional glue, edge crimping, and for end protection later in transportation ( Fig. 35) 5.
Then there is the wrapper feed with different "styles." Finally roll is applied with outer heads and
labels. Wrapper feeding is the most essential part of the wrapping process. This phase applies most
of the wrapping material on the roll.
The wrapper application phase can be divided into four styles: traditional, overlap/offset, spiral,

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and sleeve wrap. As mentioned above, the wrapper applied is either 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 capacity 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 additional 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 protects 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 wrapper does not exceed the width of the roll.
Stretch film wrapping is an optional narrow wrapping method. It uses either radial or axial
wrapper application 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 or without end heads. Figure 36 shows the differences between
these methods in order of capacity.

Figure 36. A range of wrapper feed styles from wide kraft to stretch film uses different materials and
space requirement. Approximately 80% of the wrapping machines employ the wrapper feed that is
illustrated in the left-hand upper corner (1).

3.3.2.1 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 several options to create this type of wrapping.
The overlap wrapper feed can be a combination 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

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traversing 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.
3.3.3 Wrapping materials
An ideal roll wrapping process provides optimum protection, it is inexpensive, and it provides great
appearance. 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 approximately
US$ 5 on each package. In this respect, there is a potential to cut costs by optimizing the wrapping
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 2 kraft wrapper with 300 mm overlap for
crimping, 250 g/m2 outer heads with PE-coating, and pre-glued and pre-printed 120 g/m 2 labels on
the roll body and end.

Figure 37. The wrapper feed can be based on straight feed path or spiral feed. Straight wrapper
feed typically use wider wrapper material than spiral, which in turn demands more time to feed the
whole roll width.

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 2. 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/m2 and laminated with 20 g/m2 LDPE (low-density polyethylene), so an
average basis weight of a wrapper material is 220 −270 g/m2 with the coating. In addition, a one side
extrusion coated wrapper of, for example, 150 g/m 2 can also be used. Naturally 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 6.

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/m2/24 h ASTM F 1249

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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
From these values, the water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) is a characteristic element to
describe wrapper material usability. In addition, cross-directional (CD) stretch and tensile values are
also important as the wrapper is exposed to clamp truck handling. Many papermakers use preprinted
wrapper stock to enhance visual outlook. The preprinted wrapper is most useful with a one-end
printing because the roll end is clearly identified by the clamp truck driver ( Fig. 38).

Figure 38. A newsprint roll on a slat conveyor. Roll is furnished with large barcoded labels.

3.3.3.2 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 occasional 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 containerboard. The selected material is related to the
paper grade and logistics operations before usage. Naturally, more cushioned head provides better
end protection.
3.3.3.3 Outer heads
Applying to the outer head is among the final phases of the wrapping process. Consequently, 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/m2 . The selected material is related to the paper grade and logistics
operations before usage. An average outer head is based on the following values.

Table 2. Outer head specification.

Friction coefficient 0.45 ASTM 1894
Moisture content barrier, minimum of 25 g/m 2
polyethylene layer
Rub strength 200 times
Surface strength 18 TAPPI T 459

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Figure 39. Different gluing and sealing methods create a square, linear, line, or wide gluing pattern
that attaches the wrapper layers and in turn improves durability of the package.

3.3.3.4 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 nozzles 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 waterglass. 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 gluing element. The PE is heated during the wrapper feed, and
wrapper layers are attached together.
3.3.3.5 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 wrapping 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 stationary or
sheets, depending on the label printer.
3.3.3.6 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).
3.3.3.7 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 wrapper 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 separate for the purpose of

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secondary fiber recovery. On the other hand, wrapper and heads and additional materials such as
glues and labels are impurities that can result in stickies 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 certainly 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 environmentally friendly value than a roll wrapped with
traditional gluing methods. This is because a heat-sealed wrapper is both recyclable 7 and free of
impurities due to its sealing structure 8. 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 separated before the wrapping material is delivered to the recycling.
3.3.4 Multi-station wrapping machines
Whereas the earlier part of this text focused on the field of roll wrapping from the material 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 9. The following paragraphs review the issues of
traditional wrapping and then stretch wrapping.
Merging all paper rolls 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 process includes a range of different sequences. Part of
these sequences can be simultaneous, but many of them demand a separate timing. If all these
sequences could be squeezed into a minimum timeline in a single-station wrapping machine, the
timeline would not match 24 seconds; it would double in time. Consequently, the wrapping process
must be divided into separate stations. A typical 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 departure from the station must be less or the same as the cycle
time of the machine. All stations can be fully automated to reach higher capacity and uniform quality
(Fig. 40).

Figure 40. A traditional inner and outer head delivery system picks up heads from shelves with eight
different head sizes. A wrapping machine with automated head is at floor level and has an elevated
backstand platform.

3.3.4.1 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 compared to the string retrieved
from the roll management system's database. During data processing, roll dimensions are measured

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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 database 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 number which
determines each roll's wrapping materials, marking operations, and further addressing 10, 11.
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 I.D. station
might need to be divided into separate stations to improve the cycle time.
3.3.4.2 Indexing from station to station
A typical multi-station wrapping machine has a so-called "waiting" station. It is a buffering 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.
3.3.4.3 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 on a
platform. Backstands below this platform are typically furnished 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 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 pattern 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

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other option for wrapper cutting is an on-line cutter, which operates during the full wrapping speed
with a tilting or rotating blade system.
3.3.4.4 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 temperature. The head press plate's
surface temperature is close to 200 °C to gain sufficient head attachment.
3.3.4.5 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, possible to
cut each inner and outer head to match each diameter. A high-speed wrapping machine demands
fast head delivery, and this phase is most often fully automated to gain improved capacity and
constant quality.

Figure 41. A schematic illustration of a high-speed wrapping machine. Inner and outer heads are
delivered with an industrial robot. Heads are picked up from the 4 x 4 palette which has up to 8 −12
different head sizes.

It also demands compromising in the range of different sized roll heads. Roll heads are stored on
a palette 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 12. A typical automated head delivery system consists
of a head storage area, delivery arm, and positioning arrangement. A traditional head delivery
system employs head shelves and a pick-up arm that applies the head and the roll end ( Fig. 40).
This type of head delivery is relatively fast as it can reach a cycle time of 20 seconds.

Figure 42. A joint-axis robot applies inner and outer heads to the roll end. Heads are picked up
directly from the palettes, up to 9 different head sizes.

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 rol l 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.
3.3.4.6 Labeling and marking
The labeling and marking sequences are the most final phases of the wrapping process. Labeling
stations are typically located close to the wrapping machine, or the labeling 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

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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
automated 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 on a manipulator or an industrial robot.
More challenges can be found in multiple-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 during the label feed.

Figure 43. A roll labeling system that applies one label from six paper trays to the roll body and
prints a barcode zone around the roll body.

Accurate roll identification has become a more important issue due to the EDI (electronic data
interchange) messages between producer and end user. Most European papermakers use barcoded
labels, and an increasing number of mills have started to use unit identifier barcoding 13. 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 logistics, 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.
3.3.5 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
wrapping machine, such as in Fig. 44, the operator needs only to apply the roll end headers and
labels. All phases of the wrapping process that were mentioned earlier are proceeding step-by-step
because they just cannot be simultaneous. The wrapping process is performed 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. During that wrapper application sequence, the operator
applies the outer heads to the header press plates.

Figure 44. In a single-station wrapping machine, the roll enters where each part of the wrapping
process takes place. The operator applies heads and labels.

After the header press sequence, the operator applies the labels and the wrapping 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.
3.3.6 Stretch-wrapping machines
The stretch film wrapping machine employs a narrow wrapping method. The wrapping sequence is
either radial or axial or a combination 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 humidity changes and
lighter mechanical protection for intermediate warehousing. Some mills that have only a few clamp
truck-handling stages use stretch wrapping for export rolls.

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Figure 45. A stretch-wrapping machine rotates the stretch film around the roll while the elevated roll
rotates. The roll package is created from 0.5-m-wide film.

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 conveyor. 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 wrapping station as the axial or divided in a separate station
to gain more capacity. Depending 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.

3.4 Process management

3.4.1 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 automatically with no human interaction. The operator
starts, stops, and supervises the process. Manual interaction is needed only during maintenance and
clearing disturbances.
3.4.2 System structure
The process management system's functions can be divided into several levels as shown in Fig. 46.

Figure 46. Process management system levels.

The data management functions are run on a real-time computer system. The system
communicates with the equipment controllers and the production planning system. The data
management level communicates with the equipment controllers and makes the decisions that are
dependent on the roll and order data. This system also generates reports and communicates with
the other computer systems. 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 actuators. These controllers take care
of all basic functions, i.e., sequencing and safety interlocks 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

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- 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 diagnostics 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.
3.4.3 Winder and rewinder
A winder slits the parent reels (or rolls) to smaller rolls that are suitable for the customer'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 correlated 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 information for the roll handling and wrapping process.
3.4.4 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 systems. It also monitors the roll
conveyors and gives necessary information to the operators that supervise the roll-handling system.
Roll movement control is based on the barcode identification, radio frequency tags, or roll tracking by
the equipment controllers. 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 47. Barcoded roll identification tag is applied on the roll's end.

Figure 48. The roll's core tag barcode is identified and the roll's end is stenciled.

3.4.5 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 controls the roll in-feed and retrieval operations. Storage
management is a part of the process management system.
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
transportation. The wrapping process might not be the same for all rolls. There are several
customer-dependent wrapping parameters, such as number of wrap layers, special wrap material,
number of labels and label information, additional markings, and so on ( Fig. 49). Thus the wrapping
line's control system needs wrapping instructions from the roll database 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 manifests and invoicing.

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Figure 49. Customer labels are printed and applied to the rolls in the wrapping line.

3.4.7 Roll sorting

Roll sorting can be accomplished by pairing pockets, a sorting deck, or an automatic 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 customer order line, i.e.,
grade, basis weight, dimensions, delivery address, and delivery time ( Fig. 50). Sorted roll groups are
discharged from the sorting deck and stacked by an upender. Roll grouping minimizes clamp truck
traffic in the warehouse, 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.

Figure 50. Sorting deck divides rolls into the lanes by customer order.

3.4.8 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.
A barcode-reading device connected 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.

Figure 51. The barcode on the label is identified by a vehicle-mounted barcode reader which is
connected to a wireless radio terminal to exchange data with the process management system.

3.4.9 Shipping
In the shipping area, the rolls are taken from the mill's warehouse and loaded onto trucks, boxcars,
or vessels. The process 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 transportation. (Actual invoicing, however, is done through the
mill's business data system.)
3.4.10 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.
3.4.11 Remote links
A communication link allows remote system supervision and maintenance. The link can be, for

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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.
References
1. Transfennica, Transportation and Handling of Paper, Sanomaprint, Finland, 1980.
2. Mäkinen, J., Valmet Paper News 11(3):28 (1995).
3. Ojala, P. and Mäkinen, J., Das Papier 50(10):102 (1996).
4. Fahllund, K. and Mäkinen, J., Asia Pacific Papermaker 6(4):65 (1996).
5. "Wrapping Recommendation for Paper and Board Reels," Transportation Damage Prevention
Council for Finnish Forest Industries (4/1992, 3/1997).
6. Kölgran, 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," TAPPI 1997 Finishing and Converting Conference Proceedings, TAPPI PRESS,
Atlanta.
9. Mäkinen, J., Pulp Paper Europe 1(7):16 (1996).
10. Ojala, P. and Mäkinen, J., Paper Asia 13(1):23 (1997).
11. Mäkinen, J., Asia Pacific Papermaker 6(10):29 (1996).
12. Ponkamo, J., TAPPI J. 79(10):107 (1996).
13. Mäkinen, J., TAPPI J. 79(2):127 (1996).
14. Nielsen, M. C., Pulp & Paper (10):39 (1992).
15. Harrison A., Pulp & Paper (4):42 (1994).

Anu Hämäläinen, Pekka Niemi, Lauri Pirnes

Chapter 4

Sheet finishing
4.1 Introduction

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4.1.1 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 forgotten, 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 flexibility can be
increased further through several printing presses as the investment 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 boxboards.
- An increasing 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 1. 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, synonymously to the junior size, meaning sheet sizes smaller than A3 or 11 in. x 17
in. Synonymous 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 1,2,3), typically starting from about 350
mm and ending around 2 m, but even larger dimensions exist.

Table 1. Example of standard trimmed sheet sizes 2.

Designation Millimeters Designation Millimeters
A0 841 x 1189 A5 148 x 210
A1 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 A9 37 x 52
A10 26 x 37

Table 2. Bond papers and bristol papers − common sheet sizes3. Bond papers basis weights
49−90 g/m2, index bristols basis weights 130−796 g/m2.
Bond Papers Index Bristols
Millimeters1 Inches Millimeters1 Inches
711 x 864 28.0 x 34.0 572 x 889 22.5 x 35.0
610 x 965 24.0 x 38.0 648 x 775 22.5 x 30.5
559 x 864 22.0 x 34.0 521 x 876 20.5 x 34.5
432 x 711 17.0 x 28.0 572 x 724 22.5 x 28.5

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483 x 610 19.0 x 24.0 216 x 279 8.5 x 11.0

445 x 572 17.5 x 22.5
432 x 559 17.0 x 22.0
279 x 432 11.0 x 17.0
216 x 356 8.5 x 14.0 Legal size
216 x 279 8.5 x 11.0 Letter size
1. These are the generic sizes that are the metric equivalents of inches, rounded to the nearest
millimeter.

Table 3. Examples on untrimmed sheet sizes. 4

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
860 x 1220 1220 x 860 RA0
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 SRA0
640 x 900 900 x 640 SRA1
450 x 640 640 x 450 SRA2
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) 2, 3, 5. 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. x 14.0 in. or less (216 ±0.03125 in. (±0.79 mm) length, width
mm x 356 mm or smaller)
long dimension larger than 32 0.0625 in. (1.59 mm) from 90 square

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in.(813 mm) degrees

long dimension 32 in. (813 0.03125 in. (0.79 mm) from 90 square
mm) 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 ±1.5 mm length, width
more than 150 mm, 600 mm or ±2 mm length, width
less
more than 600 mm ±3 mm 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 properties 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.
4.1.2 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 estimated that in the
year 2010 the world's total paper and paperboard demand will exceed 400 million metric tons 6. The
estimation of the writers is that more than 10% of the volume will be sheets, i.e., around 43 million
metric tons, out of which about 40% are cartonboards 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 deliveries, 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 contradictory, for example, the

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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
composite. 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.

4.2 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.
4.2.1 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.
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 separately. 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.
4.2.1.1 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 producing 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 discussed 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.
4.2.1.2 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:

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- Board sheet lengths ≤ 1000 mm, tolerance ≤ 1 mm

- Board sheet length > 1000 mm, tolerance 1
- Paper sheet lengths ±1 mm
- Sheet width tolerance < 1 mm
- Square sheets, i.e., the variation from 90 degrees must not exceed the tolerance of the length
dimension.
- Cut size 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 diagonal length for any sheet within a ream,
±0.4 mm.
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 several 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 coating faults, holes,
cracking, folds, markings, or impurities because they will spoil the printing 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 broken 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

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damages can ruin the printing result. When preventing damages, the following should be noted:
- There should not be any damage of the parent roll if the sheeting is done without 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:
- A clean 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 environment, 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 customers when they are
planning new products or in case of converting problems.
4.2.2 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 warehousing," and "Others."
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 flying 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 curling 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

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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 economical 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-curling 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 slitting 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 finishing. 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.
4.2.2.2 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.
4.2.2.3 Handling and warehousing
The roll must be round. Out of roundness caused by, e.g., a roll lift truck will create problems in

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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 finishing 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 damage 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 rejecting, 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 production loss at the
sheet cutter is not the only defect of a roll damage, but the loss of material 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.
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.

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4.3 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 selecting the sheet cutting machinery; the
chapter is divided into separate sections for folio sheet cutting, cut size, and guillotines.
4.3.1 Sheet cutting process
4.3.1.1 Unwinding
The unwinding section of a sheet cutter consists of backstands with brakes, a web tension 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.

Figure 1. Sheet cutter backstand.

Figure 2.Extensible chuck for a sheet cutter roll stand.

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
expanding, which are typical today (Fig. 2).
The weight and width of the roll and the size and quality of the core determine the selection of
the chucks. It is very important that the core does not slide on chucks during production when the
sheet cutter is accelerating or decelerating the speed. The chucks can be equipped with an air
pressure control and a chuck position 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.
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 braking 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 harmful particles into the air of the sheeting room.

Figure 3. Oil-cooled sheet cutter disc brake.

4.3.1.2 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 splicing, the production can start. The whole

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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 7.
- 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 8.
Depending on the average order size and the roll diameter, the production time efficiency is
10%−25% better with the flying roll change stand than with one normal backstand.
4.3.1.3 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 wrinkles 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 correct the tension variation due
to the out-of-round rolls.
Dancer roll web tension control system uses an electrically or pneumatically preloaded dancer
roll. It is adjusted by the operator. The system follows the position of dancer roll and controls the
brakes mechanically or electrically 9.
4.3.1.4 Web curl compensation
The task of the decurler system is to compensate the curl of the web, which especially appears in

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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.

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.
4.3.1.5 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 correctly track the web. The
movement of the roll stands is performed manually or automatically. 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 10.
4.3.1.6 Slitting
On the slitting section, the webs are cut between a driver bottom knife and a rolling top knife ( Fig. 5).

Figure 5. Cut size slitting unit.

To get good slit edge quality requires the cutter devices to be in good condition and the plowing
angle and the overlapping of the top knifes to be correct. The slitting result depends on the knife
geometry. Typical slitting knifes of a folding boxboard sheet finishing plant are represented in Figs. 6
and 7. The overlapping of the top knife against the bottom knife should be as small as possible, 1 −2
mm. Too small overlapping means a risk that the top knife might jump over the bottom knife. Too big
overlapping weakens the slitting result.

Figure 6. A top slitting knife for board.

Figure 7. A bottom slitting knife for board.

The angle between the knives should be about 0.4 −0.5°. The slitting point should be at the tip of
the bottom knife so that the web is well supported during slitting. The diameter of the bottom knives
does not become smaller when they are sharpened. This guarantees that all the bottom knives
support the web in the same way. The pressure of the top knife against the bottom knife is adjusted
by pneumatic cylinder. The pressure is high enough when it is still possible to move the top knife

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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.

Figure 8. Twin slitter.

It is important to choose the knife material very carefully. The bottom knife is usually 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.
4.3.1.7 Draw roll section
The webs are drawn by the aid of a draw and press roll section from the backstands into the sheet
cutter. The draw and press roll section consists of a bottom cylinder and a pressing top cylinder ( Fig.
9). The rubber-coated press roll is either grooved or covered by spiral felt strips for conducting the air
away from the webs. The plain rubber needs little service and is easy to recoat by rubber, 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.

Figure 9. Draw press roll system of a sheet cutter.

4.3.1.8 Cross cutting unit and reject gate

Except for the guillotine cutting, it is the rotary cross cutting unit that performs the essential
procedure of the sheet finishing, i.e., forming a sheet from a continuos paper web ( Fig. 10).

Figure 10. Rotary cutting knife drum.

Two basic systems of the rotary cross cutting systems are:

- Cutter with one 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 11.
Whether the cross cutting unit has a single rotating or double rotating knife system, the actual
cut is a scissor action between 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 right angle line of the running direction 11. Wittenberg 11 has presented a selection of
mathematical formulas describing the cross cutting.

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Figure 11. Cross cutting over the web.

The truly right angle cut against web can only be achieved by using a synchronous double rotary
knife cutting (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 circumferential 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 11.
In a folio sheet cutter, it is necessary to adjust the sheet length. One option is to adjust the
diameter of the knife drum, and have a constant circumferential speed of the knife drums. The more
common option is the variable knife drum circumferential speed: During the cut, the circumferential
speed of the knife drum is equal to the speed of the paper web, and the sheet length is adjusted by
accelerating or decelerating the knife drum when the knives are not cutting the web. At first, this was
achieved by using a mechanical gearbox, but lately the direct drive operation is winning more and
more room.

Figure 12. Single rotary and double rotary cross cutting knife systems.

Figure 13. True speed curve for 360° of the knife drum.

In the case of a mechanical drive, the circumferential speed follows a sinus curve ( Fig. 13), and
the knife's circumferential speed 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 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 cutting 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.
4.3.1.9 Overlapping
At the overlapping section, the tail of the sheet is lowered and the following sheet is superpositioned.
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 represents 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

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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.

Figure 14. Overlapping sections.

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 transportation; 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.
4.3.1.10 Sheet piling
The sheets are piled straight on a skid (folio sheet cutters) or into pockets (cut size sheet cutters) as
shown in Fig. 15.

Figure 15. Cut size overlapping and ream piling section.

If necessary, the reams are marked during piling. Normally this is done with automatic paper strip
ream markers. On modern sheet cutters, the marking is done with ink. Ream marking helps to
evaluate the number of sheets, for example, 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
continuously without need to decelerate or stop the sheet cutter for a skid change.
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.
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 inspection system 12.
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.

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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 slitting and cross cutting units. On some
modern cut size lines, dust is also removed from the reams by the aid of brushes and suction.
4.3.2 Typical features of sheet cutting machines and factors affecting the selection of those
4.3.2.1 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 guillotine 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 cutter 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
discussed 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 cutter − 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 slippery that the sheets are moving out of the stack
during transport and can be damaged.

Figure 16. Breakdown of sheet widths in a board mill.

The folio sheets can be either paper or board. In the sheet finishing plants integrated into a paper
or board mill, it is wise to select a sheet cutter model specially developed 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 sheeting 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 compromises 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 surface, and the cutting knife

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(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.
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). To make sure that the web tension 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 automatic 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 optical 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 construction 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.

Figure 17. Paper sheet cutting machine.

Figure 18. Board sheet cutting machine.

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 limited 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/m2 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/m2) 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

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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.

Figure 19. Breakdown of sheet lengths in a board mill.

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 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

Figure 20. Rotating backstand with a flying roll change.

Figure 21. Twin backstand with a flying roll change.

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 transportation conveyors to guide the waste sheets
under the sheet cutter.
The diameters of the slitting knives must be large enough, 150 −300 mm depending on the

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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 mistakes 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.

Figure 22. Bottom cross cutting knife for board.

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 folding boxboard cross cutting knives are represented in Figs. 22 and 23.
Belts of the over-lapping section catch the sheets from the cross cutting knives. The space
between the belts must be adjusted according to the board thickness. If the space is too small, there
is the risk of the board being torn. The cutting speed of the knives must be 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 wave appears in the web before cross cutting knives and
then the speed is accelerated until the wave disappears. After the speed adjustment, the diagonal
dimension of the sheet is checked. If it is not correct, the speed must be re-adjusted.

Figure 23. Top cross cutting knife for board.

At the folio sheet cutter piling section, the sheet edges are lift upward by wedges so that the
stiffness in machine direction increases. At the same time, 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.

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- 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.
- It is 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, i.e., piling stations, have been developed so that
the piles can be changed without 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 represented in Fig. 24. In the Contimat pile change, the pile is divided by inserting
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 stations 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.

Figure 24. Compact nonstop delivery system of a paper sheet cutter.

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 possibly 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 pallets 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.
4.3.2.2 Cut size machines

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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.
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 choosing 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 backstands.
- Six double backstands, zero speed, or flying splicer system
- Automatic core removal system
- Oil-cooled disc brakes
- Twin slitter
- Efficient dust removal system
- Automatic web guidance system
- Production speeds up to 350 m/min.

Figure 25. Cut size sheet finishing line.

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 guillotines are discussed in "Guillotine cutting operations."
The procedure of the guillotine cutting consists of unstacking the pile of ready-made sheets with
the guillotine 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 ingoing sheets are stripped from a
reel, especially when sample sheets are cut. During 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 copying machine.

Figure 26. Single knife cut.

The manual work during the guillotine cutting can be decreased by providing the guillotine with
auxiliary equipment such as:

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- 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.
Without unstacking and stacking equipment, the work involves a lot of manual lifting. Guillotines
are now equipped with diagonal cutting equipment, sheet calculators, and ream markers.

Figure 27. Layout of a guillotine cutting line.

When handling sheets with an unstacking unit, a guillotine, and a stacking unit, there is the risk
of damaging 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 boxboard 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 (left), but other layouts are also available. Figure 28 shows an example of a guillotine cutting line
machinery.

Figure 28. Guillotine cutting line.

4.4 Packaging of the sheets

4.4.1 Packaging of the cut size sheets
4.4.1.1 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-wrapping 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.

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4.4.1.2 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 applicators, and box strapping machines on the packaging
line. Maximum speed of a modern 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 section. 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 elevator 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 compression section. If not printed on the wrapper, a label is applied to the ream end.
After wrapping, the ream is inspected by photo eyes and with an air-jet for:
- Loose flaps
- Open girth seal
- Pulled out tuck
- Trailing labels
- Out of package sheets.
Defective reams are automatically rejected and diverted to the reject storage conveyor.

Figure 29. Cut size ream wrapping.

After inspection, the reams are conveyed into a ream stacker/accumulator unit. Operators select
the desired stack configuration, normally 5 reams. A descending elevator system stacks reams to a
preset height. If downstream equipment stops, the reams can be transferred onto the accumulation
belt. Accumulated reams are automatically fed back in line when 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.

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

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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 according to
the number of sheets/nominal basis weight.
4.4.2 The ream wrapping and the carton packaging of the folio sheets
4.4.2.1 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.
4.4.2.2 Ream wrapping and carton packaging machinery
The folio size sheets are normally wrapped into 100 −500 sheet reams. The pallets are conveyed to
the ream-wrapping 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.

Figure 31. Folio sheet ream wrapping machine.

The feeding of the reams into the wrapping machine can be done manually or automatically. The
ream is then transferred to the wrapping stage, where the wrapper sheet is folded and glued around
the ream. Before piling 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 13.
4.4.3 Palletizing
4.4.3.1 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 currently 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

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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 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.

Figure 32. Skid and cover for board sheets.

Many mills use so-called "Siamese skids", which means that the legs of two narrow 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 14 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.
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 µm is generally used. Some mills still use polyethylene
laminated paper sheets. Normally the moisture protection 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. Polyethylene 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

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cover and steel or polyester 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 protected for example with board flaps.
Pallet damages
The most common damages are as follows: the pile is moved and is not in good condition, 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 products directly into containers
already at the mill. The use of container freight is increasing, 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 15.
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.
4.4.3.2 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.
- It is 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

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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).

Figure 33. Layout of a board mill packing line.

One or two individuals operate this kind of packing line. Identifying, weighing, wrapping, covering,
and binding can now be arranged automatically. With the latest solutions, labeling and covering can
be performed by robots, as shown in Fig. 34.

Figure 34. Pallet packing line of a fine paper mill.

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 moisture
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.

Figure 35. Layout of a folio sheet finishing plant.

Figure 36. Work flow scheme of the sheet finishing.

4.5 Other processes in the sheet finishing

Along with the sheet finishing and packaging of the ready-made goods, there are several 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.
4.5.1 Co-processes to the sheet finishing
4.5.1.1 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 2 office paper) are especially space consuming.
Ream and pallet wrappers, as well as metal and plastic straps, are normally in the roll form and are
thus less bulky.
Space, equipment, and labor are needed for the handling of the incoming packaging material.
There might be several trucks to be unloaded per day and an intermediate 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 customers 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/m2, reams 500 sheets, five reams per carton, 500 kg per

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pallet.
A4 A3
Ream wrapper, paper kg/ton 10 7
80 g/m2 + PE
plastic15 g/m2
Ream labels pieces/ton 400 200
Cartons pieces/ton 80 40
Carton lids pieces/ton 80 40
Carton labels pieces/ton 80 40
Carton strap m/ton 92 46
Pallet skids pieces/ton 2 2
Pallet labels pieces/ton 4 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 packaging materials should be based on the
production plan of the sheet finishing plant and the prognosis of the sales estimates available.
4.5.1.2 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 manually after the sheet cutters. The main
reasons for the side flow can be either gaining premium 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 procedures 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 procedures of the rejected
material are re-piling and sorting which can be performed manually. 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.
4.5.1.3 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

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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 lineal 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, predefined parent sheet size and put the
pallets in stock. Whenever the next suitable sheet 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 electronic 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 otherwise 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.
4.5.1.4 Quality control and traceability of the products
The specifications of the sheets and their raw material are discussed in detail in "Specifications of
the sheets and their raw material." It is the responsibility of the sheet finishing 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 equipment 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 measuring 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 equipment. It is possible that the
precision table or a measuring tape becomes worn; therefore, its condition and accuracy has to be
checked on a regular basis with an independent measurement. Every measurement tool and
equipment must have a regular verifying system.
The maintenance of the machinery in the sheet finishing plant is also an important part of the
preventive quality control.

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Figure 37. Identification label of a sheet pile.

The traceability of the production is an important element of a good quality control record. At the
packing line, the pallet gets a unit identifier printed on the label which connects it to the mill data
system. Figure 37 presents an example of an identification label of a sheet pallet. By using the unit
identifier, all information needed is easily found and the tracing back to the raw material roll is
possible. It has to be noted that, in the paper 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.
4.5.2 Sheet finishing broke and waste handling
4.5.2.1 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 categories could be:
- 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 recording 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.
4.5.2.2 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.

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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 cutting 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
operation16.
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 installation 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
- A ventilation system for the heat produced by the large material-handling fans and motors
- A secondary 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
- If a pulper 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.

4.5.2.3 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 conflict 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 finishing. 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 warehousing cost, to
have a small "common stock" of the fastest moving grades, in case a replacement roll is needed.

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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 stripping
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, 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 a common 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 motivation and skills
− must not be underestimated in preventing the machine broke.
4.5.3 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 normally storage where the rolls are piled by a lift
truck. Nowadays, fully automatic roll storage is also quite common ( Fig. 38). Modern and efficient
buffer storage for unpacked rolls is an air-conditioned and computer-controlled 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 storage. The automatic crane stores the rolls in piles according to
the orders of the computer 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.

Figure 38. Automatic roll storage.

4.5.4 The storage of the ready-made sheets

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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).

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 operational 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/m2. 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 merchants' storage. The
function of the warehouse is not only to store the ready-made 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 17−20.
The ASRS consists of a bar code reader or another automatic solution that identifies both the
incoming pallets or skids and checks dimensions of the unit. Any discrepancies 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 stories high. A crane can handle up to four pallets at the same time. The
retrieval of the pallets 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 material flows, which
includes not only their averages but the peaks as well. As the production 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 18 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 customer 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.

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4.5.5 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 conditioning.
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.
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 airflow. 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, separate 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 necessary to maintain the
tidiness. Packaging materials also have to be handled in an organized 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 21.
4.5.6 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 service and
maintenance are also included in the system.
When planning how much money will be spent on the service and the maintenance, 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 unexpected repairs and downtime. This is
possible by decreasing the number of wearing components or by improving their material and by
improving their performance 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 condition and by improving tools and
methods. If there are things that prevent running the cutter with maximum construction speed and it
is possible to improve them by maintenance or by developing the components, actions must be

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taken accordingly.
- 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 variations.
- 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 electric 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 maintenance personnel
directly about minor problems and so operating personnel can help maintenance personnel in their
work. When aiming for good productivity, it is now common 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 different
components. This helps perform the service and maintenance in time to avoid unexpected
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.
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 handling, and maintenance of knife holders are
key components in successful sheeting. An operator of a sheet cutter can help with the maintenance

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by
- Keeping the machine clean and well lubricated and by checking that all components 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.

4.6 The effectiveness and the efficiency of the sheet finishing

4.6.1 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.

Table 6. Theoretical technical capacity and actual efficiency of a folio sheet cutter 21
Sheet cutter: Paper:
max. working 2.23 Grammage, g/m2 100
width, m
max. speed, 350 Sheet size, mm x 630 x 880
m/min mm
max. knife load, 600
g/m2
number of 6
backstands
max. reel 1.5
diameter, m
time of reel 20
change, min
Theoretical Actual Efficiency, %
1. Design
capacity
Working width, m 2.23 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

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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 498 408 0.82
3. Actual
continous
production
capacity
Reel diameter, m 1.5 1.2 0.80 Reel diameter
efficiency
Production time, 19.87 19.06 0.96
h/d
Production, t/d 433 313 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. However, 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 productivity of the whole line and each being a possible bottleneck. A
modern folio sheet cutting 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.
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 published on which to base sheet cutting
efficiency measurements.
The theoretical maximum capacity of a sheet cutter can be expressed as follows 22:
Tth = mF £ n £ b £ v £ t (1)
where Tth is theoretical maximum capacity, kgs/day or kgs/year
mF basis weight of the paper web, kg/m 2
n number of the paper webs cut simultaneously
b maximum working width of the sheet cutter, m
v maximum speed of the sheet cutter, m/min
t production time, min/day or min/year.
Each of the factors on the right-hand side of the formula can differ from the theoretical maximum
and thus the effective capacity is:
Tact = ´act £ Tth =100 (2)

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where Tact is actual capacity, kg/day or kg/year

ηact efficiency factor, %.
Efficiency factor on the other hand is a combination of several sub factors:
´act = ´n £ ´b £ ´v £ ´t (3)
where ηn is actual knife load, % of maximum
ηb actual working width, % of maximum
ηv actual speed of the sheet cutter, % of maximum
ηt actual production time, % of maximum.
The factors in Eq. 2 often strongly differ from 100% resulting in very low values of ηact. 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 23, 24 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.

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.
C P O
Number of webs Max. slitter knife X
load, g/m2
Max. cross cutting X
knife load, g/m2
Number of X
backstands
Furnish of the X
paper web
(amount of filler,
coating,
mechanical/chemi
cal fibers)
Quality of the cut X
(condition of the
knives)
Order size, tons X
Actual working Number of X
width pockets, i.e.,
number of the
parallel sheets
Sheet width, mm X
Roll width, mm X

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Max. trim waste, X

mm
Actual speed of Design max. X
the sheet cutter speed, m/min
Machine speed X
curve vs. sheet
length
Sheet length, mm X
Condition of the X
paper web
Runnability of the (X) X
paper web
Friction of the (X) X
paper web
Skills and X
motivation of
personnel
Actual production Time to load rolls X X
time and feed webs,
min
Time to set a new X X
sheet size, min
Number of sheet X
size changes
Number of grade (X) X
changes
Time to change X X
the skids
Max. sheet pile X
height, mm
Actual sheet pile X
height, mm
Max. roll X
diameter, mm
Actual roll X
diameter, mm
Actual running X
metres of roll, m
Order size, tons X
Maintenance X X
shutdowns, min
Shift system, X
hours/day;
days/year
Out of rolls, min X
Out of orders, min X
Out of manpower, X

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min
Jams, min (X) X
Skills and X
motivation of
personnel
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 production21.
Share of Sheet Sheet Number of parallel sheets Theoretical increase
volume width length in production, %
Max. working width of the sheet cutter
% mm mm 1630 mm 2130 mm 2230 mm 1650/215 2150/2250
0
20 630 880 2 3 3 10.0 0
15 450 640 3 4 4 5.0 0
9 610 860 2 3 3 4.5 0
8 460 640 3 4 4 4.0 0
7 700 1000 2 3 3 3.5 0
7 430 610 3 4 5 2.3 1.8
6 640 900 2 3 3 3.0 0
6 640 920 2 3 3 3.0 0
3 650 920 2 3 3 1.5 0
3 440 630 3 4 5 1.0 0.8
3 720 1040 2 2 3 0.0 1.5
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

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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 41.8 5.6
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 2 of coated fine
paper knife load, when at the same time the cross cutting unit can do up to 800 g/m 2. The solution
might be the installation of a second 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 length/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.

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.

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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.
4.6.1.3 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 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 number of automatic setting in a sheet cutter or the
auxiliary machinery.

Figure 41. Effect of the order size to the folio sheet cutter productivity.

Because of the extreme sheet sizes, whether small or large, additional setting of the machinery
might be necessary, thus 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 containing mechanical fibers is

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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 sections 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
cutter 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 maintenance 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 operating and control system, a
self-diagnosis system can be included. A continuous presence 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.
4.6.2 The effective sheet finishing production
4.6.2.1 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.

Figure 42. Time efficiency of an early 1970s folio sheet cutter and a modern sheet cutter.

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Chapter 4 Sheet finishing

The start-up and the shutdown of a sheet finishing plant and its individual equipment 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.
4.6.2.2 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 24 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.

Figure 43. Production durability curve.

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.
4.6.3 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 operating efficiency
including a high trim width. A high operating efficiency is also very important in a sheet finishing
production plan, but means for achieving this target are different.
4.6.3.1 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

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Chapter 4 Sheet finishing

efficiency of the packing machine will be maximized. It can be difficult 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. 25.
4.6.3.2 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 adjustments 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.
4.6.4 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 analysis should include the following:
- 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, maintenance, 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, production planning, and
other salaried staff, the building and its maintenance, heating, 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 element of the cost structure.
Figure 44 represents the allocation of the sheet finishing cost items at different decision-making
levels.

Figure 44. Implementation of the sheet finishing cost at different decision making levels.

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,

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Chapter 4 Sheet finishing

like the sales of a spot lot of a second grade paper, it can be satisfactory to cover the cost of waste,
variable cost, and direct manufacturing cost. However, any regular paper sheet business should be
able to carry the full cost of the sheet finishing.
References
1. Grygotis, R. C.,"Cut Size Sheeting," TAPPI 1993 Sheeting and Packaging Seminar Notes, TAPPI
PRESS, Atlanta, p. 87.
2. EN20126:1990 "Writing Paper and Certain Classes of Printed Matter. Trimmed Sizes. A and B
Series," European Committee for Standardization (1990).
3. ANSI X3.151-1987 "Bond Papers and Bristol Papers − Common Sheet Sizes. Bond Papers Basis
Weights 49−90 g/m2, Index Bristols Basis Weights 130 −796 g/m2," American National Standard
Institute (1981).
4. EN 644:1993 "Paper − Untrimmed Sizes − Primary Range and Supplementary Range Designation
and Tolerances − Expression of Direction of Manufacture," European Committee for Standardization
(1993).
5. DIN 19309/11.90 "Papier für Kopierzwecke, 80-g/m2-Papier, unbeschichtet, Anforderungen,
Prüfung," Deutsches Institut für Normung e.V. (1990), in German.
6. Wilson, R., "Understanding Market Volatility," PRIMA 1997 28th Annual Conference Proceedings,
Paper and Related Industries Marketing Association, Brussel.
7. Abderholden, M. E., "A Modern Paper Supply System is the Key to a More Efficient Sheeting
Operation," TAPPI 1993 Finishing and Converting Conference Proceedings, TAPPI PRESS, Atlanta,
p. 187.
8. Ebel, T. J., "Modern Technology Makes Duplex Sheeting a Valuable Alternative," TAPPI 1993
Sheeting and Packaging Seminar Notes, TAPPI PRESS, Atlanta, p. 82.
9. Margarida, T. A., "Increasing Quality on Existing Sheeters," TAPPI 1991 Finishing and Converting
Conference Proceedings, TAPPI PRESS, Atlanta, p. 223.
10. Matthews, J., Pulp & Paper 65 (10):110 (1991).
11. Wittenberg, H., Paper Tech. Ind. 19 (7):240 (1978).
12. Ebel, T. J., "Modern Technology Makes Duplex Sheeting a Valuable Alternative," TAPPI 1993
Sheeting and Packaging Seminar Notes, TAPPI PRESS, Atlanta, p. 83.
13. Charles, S. C., "Folio Sheeting − Continuous Discharge for Packing and Skid Stacking," 1993
TAPPI Sheeting and Packaging Seminar Notes, TAPPI PRESS, Atlanta, p. 47.
14. UIC Code 435-2, "Standard of Quality for European Flat Pallet Made of Wood, With Four
Openings, and Measuring 800 mm x 1200 mm," 7th edn., 1994-07-01.
15. "Packaging Sheeted Paper and Board Products," VTN (Transportation Damage Prevention
Council of Finnish Forest Industries), Finland, 1994, in Finnish.
16. Hall, J. W., "Sheeter Trim and Reject − Pneumatic vs. Mechanical Handling," TAPPI 1993
Finishing and Converting Conference Proceedings, TAPPI PRESS, Atlanta p. 365.
17. Clark, B., "1992 Materials Handling System Consolidated Papers, Inc. Converting Division,"
TAPPI 1993 Sheeting and Packaging Seminar Notes, TAPPI PRESS, Atlanta, p. 31.

Papermaking Part 3, Finishing - Page 219

Chapter Further Reading

18. Debor, H., "AS/RS Warehousing Systems for the Paper Industry," TAPPI 1992 Finishing and
Converting Conference Proceedings, TAPPI PRESS, Atlanta, p. 97.
19. Marcoux, S., "Integrated Automatic Storage and Retrieval in a Fine Papers Finishing
Department," TAPPI 1991 Finishing and Converting Conference Proceedings, TAPPI PRESS,
Atlanta, p. 17.
20. Welge, S., Wochenbl. Papierfabr. 120 (3):91 (1992).
21. Niiranen, M., "Folio Sheet Finishing," AEL-INSKO P907302/95 Proceedings, Helsinki, Finland,
1995, in Finnish.
22. Welp, E. G. and Most, E. E., Das Papier 46 (10A):V169 (1992).
23. Cook, R., Folding Carton Ind. 12 (4):49 (1985).
24. Frye, K. G., "Productivity," TAPPI 1983 Annual Meeting Notes, TAPPI PRESS, Atlanta, p. 181.
25. Juntunen, J. T., "Production Planning of the Ream Wrapping," Diploma thesis, Oulu University,
Oulu, Finland, 1995, in Finnish.

Further Reading
Abderholden, M., "Retrofit Brings older sheeters back to life," Paper Film Foil Conv. 69(9):80
(1995).
Anon., "Sheeters in the Folding Carton Industry" Boxboard Containers 102(8):23 (1995).
Brandt, E., Herrig, F., Krolle, A., Ramcke, B., "Improving Sheeting Quality With New Dust Control
Systems," TAPPI 1991 Finishing and Converting Conference Proceedings, TAPPI PRESS, Atlanta,
p. 229.
Breddy, P. and Roberts, F. (EdS.), "New Opportunities in Sheet Finishing?" 1992 Converting
Technology International Proceedings, p. 121.
Cottrell, L. R., "Unwind Station Up to Slitter Station," TAPPI 1991 Sheeting and Packaging Short
Course Notes, TAPPI PRESS, Atlanta.
Dohr, N., "Advanced Ceramic Material Offers Advantages for Slitting and Sheeting Operations,"
TAPPI 1992 Finishing and Converting Conference Proceedings,TAPPI PRESS, Atlanta, p. 135.
Debor, H., "Folio Sheeter Production Analysis," TAPPI 1992 Finishing and Converting Conference
Proceedings, TAPPI PRESS, Atlanta, p. 109.
Donofrio, D., "Ensuring Superior On-press Performance,"Package Printing Conv.(5):48 (1996).
Ebel, T. J., "Folio Sheeter Productivity Analysis," TAPPI 1993 Sheeting and Packaging Seminar
Notes, TAPPI PRESS, Atlanta, p. 69.
Estes, C., "Quality Control in Sheeting Operations," TAPPI 1990 Sheeting & Packaging Short Course
Notes, TAPPI PRESS, Atlanta.
Ferguson, K. H., "Sheeting at Union Camp: a cut above the rest," Pulp Paper Intl. 36(11):61 (1994).
Gabel, J. S., "Multi-web Localization", TAPPI 1991 Finishing and Converting Conference
Proceedings, TAPPI PRESS, Atlanta, p. 241.
Graham, N. S., "Quality Improvements for Sheeting in 1992," TAPPI 1993 Finishing and Converting
Conference Proceedings, TAPPI PRESS, Atlanta, p. 129.

Papermaking Part 3, Finishing - Page 220

Chapter Further Reading

Graham, N. S., "Sheet Control From Cutoff to Layboy," TAPPI 1990 Sheeting and Packaging Short
Course Notes, TAPPI PRESS, Atlanta, p. 1.
Greiner, T. S., "Automated Sheeting Lines," TAPPI 1990 Sheeting and Packaging Short Course
Notes, TAPPI PRESS, Atlanta, p.35.
Groth, R., "Für Format und Rolle," Wochenbl. Papierfabr. 120(23/24):994 (1992), in German.
Hall, P. B., "New pulp and paper warehousing and handling techniques," Tappi J. 76(10):47 (1993).
Hall, P. B., "New Roll Handling Technology Enables More Storage Capacity, Less Damage,"
Pulp&Paper 71(4):113 (1997).
Hameri, A-P., "Efficient Reel Inventory Control − A Trade-off Between Waste and Inventory
Performance," Paperi ja Puu 77(8):479 (1995).
Harrison, A., "Automated Production Management Links Potlatch Mills, Distribution Facility,"
Pulp&Paper 67(10):41 (1993).
Hirsch, M. and Szabo, B., "Mead upgrades 20-year-old Sheeters to Achieve Better output, control,"
Pulp&Paper 71(3):83 (1997).
Kishbaugh, G. (Ed.), "Sheeters: Top option for carton plants,"Boxboard Containers 97(6):25 (1990).
Klein, H., "Die Bahnfûhrungsregelung laufender materialbahnen in Verarbeitungs- und
Veredelungsprozessen,"Coating 29(3):89 (1996), in German.
Koepke, F. A., "Total Installation of Converting/Finishing Equipment," TAPPI 1993 Sheeting and
Packaging Seminar Notes, TAPPI PRESS, Atlanta, p. 5.
Koepke, F. A. and Seiler, G. S., "Design Concideration for a Successful Sheeter/Packaging Line
Installation," TAPPI 1992 Finishing and Converting Conference Proceedings, TAPPI PRESS,
Atlanta, p.155.
Kotok, A. and Howell, W. H. III, "Bar Codes for Folio and Cut-size Stock," TAPPI 1991Finishing and
Converting Conference Proceedings, TAPPI PRESS, Atlanta, p. 9.
Küster, R., "Zubehör macht die Bogenverarbeitung effizienter," Druck Print (1):26 (1991), in German.
Lang, F. H., "Changing Trends in Sheeting and Cross Cutting Operations Create Demand for Quality
Cut Knife Maintenance Programme," TAPPI 1995 Finishing and Converting Conference
Proceedings, TAPPI PRESS, Atlanta, p. 207.
Lützner, R. and Moser, A., "Hauptrolle für mobilen Barcodeleser im Papierrollenlager,"Allgemeine
Papierrundschau 120(14):400 (1996), in German.
Martin, D., "Downtime Versus Uptime on Sheeters,"TAPPI 1993 Sheeting and Packaging Seminar
Notes , TAPPI PRESS, Atlanta, p. 91.
Matthews, J. F., "Overview of Sheeting and Trimming," Pulp and Paper Manufacture, 3rd edn., vol.
8, Coating, Converting, and Specialty Processes, TAPPI, Atlanta, CPPA, Montreal, 1990, 386 p.
Ojala, P. and Mäkinen, J., "Roll handling and logistics control," Paper Asia 13(1):23 (1997).
Ottley, R., "Getting the best performance from sheeting machinery," Converter 29(3):18 (1992).
Poppe, D., "Moisture and paper," Paper Today 12(3):1 (1996).
Ramcke, B. and Brandt. E., "Highly automated sheeting and packaging line for Foliosizes," World
Pulp Paper Tech 165 (1993).

Papermaking Part 3, Finishing - Page 221

Chapter Abbreviations

Ramcke, B. and Brandt. E., "Cut-size sheeting technology today and in the future," TAPPI J.
79(10):111 (1996).
Riethausen, R., "Qualitätssicherung durch eine logistisch verstandene Materialwirtschaft," Deutscher
Drucker 29(3):w2 (1993).
Ripper, J., "Efficient sheeting - targeting for high productivity," Paper Tech. 32(3):35 (1991).
Ripper, J., "Modern and efficient paper and board sheeting practice," Tappi J. 74(7):129 (1991).
Rooks, A. (Ed.), "Consolidated converts upgrade into results," PIMA Mag. 77(10):43 (1995).
Satoh, T. and Ishikawa, T., "The recent trend seen in the Finishing process Equipments," Japan Pulp
Paper 28(1):69 (1990).
Satoh, T., Ishikawa, T., Shimoda, T., "Factory Automization for Finishing," Japan Pulp Paper 29(1):
41 (1990).
Schelk, R. E., "Modernization of the Cut Size Ream Wrapping and Case Packing Line," TAPPI 1993
Sheeting and Packaging Seminar Notes , TAPPI PRESS, Atlanta, p. 101.
Schelk, R. E., "An Update of Cut Size Ream Wrapping and Case Packing Machines," TAPPI 1994
Sheeting and Packaging Seminar Notes , TAPPI PRESS, Atlanta, p. 97.
Stratford, J. (Ed.), "Nationwide Measures Success in Small runs," Paperboard Packaging 81(3):45
(1996).
Tiemann, B., "State of the Art beim Plan- und Rollenschneiden," Papier+Kunstoff-Verarbeiter
28(5):60 (1993), in German.
Walde, P., "Wasteless Flying Skid Changing," TAPPI 1993 Sheeting and Packaging Seminar Notes ,
TAPPI PRESS, Atlanta, p. 105.
Walde, P., "Noise Abatement in the Sheet Finishing Area, " TAPPI Finishing and Converting
Conference Proceedings, TAPPI 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," TAPPI 1990 Sheeting and Packaging Short
Course Notes, TAPPI PRESS, Atlanta.
Wilhelms, S. M., "Quality Improvement in Self Directed Sheet Work Teams," TAPPI 1991 Finishing
and Converting Conference Proceedings, TAPPI PRESS, Atlanta, p. 1.

Abbreviations
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

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Chapter Conversion factors

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 für 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
RA0 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
SRA0 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

Conversion factors
To convert numerical values found in this book in the RECOMMENDED FORM, 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 ).
Property To convert values Divide by To obtain values
expressed expressed
in RECOMMENDED In CUSTOMARY
FORM UNITS
Area square centimeters 6.4516 square inches [in2]
[cm2]
square meters [m2] 0.0929030 square feet [ft2]
square meters [m2] 0.8361274 square yards [yd2]
Burst index kilopascal sq. meters 0.0980665 grams-force per square
per gram centimeter per
[kPa • m2/g] (gram per square
meter)

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Chapter Conversion factors

[(gf/cm2)/(g/m2)]
Density kilograms per cubic 16.01846 pounds per cubic foot
meter [kg/m3] [lb/ft3]
kilograms per cubic 1000 grams per cubic
meter [kg/m3] centimeter [g/cm3]
Force per unit length newtons per meter 9.80665 grams-force per
[N/m] millimeter [gf/mm]
kilonewtons per meter 0.1751268 pounds-force per inch
[kN/m] [lbf/in]
Frequency hertz [Hz] 1 cycles per second [s-1]
Length nanometers [nm] 0.1 angstroms [Å]
micrometers [µm] 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]
Mass grams [g] 28.3495 ounces [oz]
kilograms [kg] 0.453592 pounds [lb]
metric tons (tonne) [t] 0.907185 tons (= 2000 lb)
(= 1000 kg)
Mass per unit area grams per square 3.7597 pounds per ream, 17 x
meter [g/m2] 22 - 500
grams per square 1.4801 pounds per ream, 25 x
meter [g/m2] 38 - 500
grams per square 1.4061 pounds per ream, 25 x
meter [g/m2] 40 - 500
grams per square 4.8824 pounds per 1000
meter [g/m2] square feet [lb/1000ft2]
grams per square 1.6275 pounds per 3000
meter [g/m2] square feet [lb/3000
ft2]
grams per square 1.6275 pounds per ream, 24 x
meter [g/m2] 36 - 500
Power watts [W] 1.35582 foot pounds-force per
second [ft • lbf/s]
watts [W] 745.700 horsepower [hp] = 550
foot pounds-force per
second
kilowatts [kW] 0.74570 horsepower [hp]
watts [W] 735.499 metric horsepower
Pressure, stress, kilopascals [kPa] 6.89477 pounds-force per
force per unit area square inch [lbf/in2 or
psi]
Pascals [Pa] 47.8803 pounds-force per
square foot [lbf/ft2]
megapascals [Mpa] 0.101325 atmospheres [atm]
Pascals [Pa] 98.0665 grams-force per square

Papermaking Part 3, Finishing - Page 224

Chapter

centimeter [gf/cm2]
Pascals [Pa] 1 newtons per square
meter [N/m2]
Speed meters per second 0.30480 feet per second [ft/s]
[m/s]
millimeters per second 5.080 feet per minute [ft/min
[mm/s] or fpm]
Thickness or micrometers [µm] 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]

Papermaking Part 3, Finishing - Page 225