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Alex Piquer<br />
Service<br />
alex.piquer@voith.com<br />
<strong>Voith</strong><br />
Process<br />
Solutions<br />
Plant optimization<br />
by process analysis<br />
North American<br />
Case Studies<br />
Service<br />
<strong>Voith</strong> Process Solutions –<br />
North American case studies<br />
As North American paper producers continue to face<br />
economic pressures they are more often seeking improvement<br />
through process optimization and low-capital investment projects<br />
that deliver high financial returns. Instead of replacing or rebuilding<br />
entire machines, the customers pursue sectional improvements<br />
to the equipment that they already have. In doing so, they are<br />
asking suppliers to be more innovative in approach to machine<br />
improvements.<br />
In its first full year of operation, <strong>Voith</strong><br />
Process Solutions North America has<br />
worked successfully with customers and<br />
other <strong>Voith</strong> divisions to provide process<br />
optimization and complete solutions to a<br />
variety of paper machine problems. The<br />
results have produced significant economic<br />
returns and process improvements<br />
allowing our customers to be more competitive.<br />
The Process Solutions team is dedicated<br />
to helping <strong>Voith</strong>’s customers improve the<br />
utilization of existing equipment and<br />
identify projects with the greatest economic<br />
impact on their business. The following<br />
cases are a few examples of the<br />
results achieved by this new group.<br />
Improving Processes with<br />
Low Investments<br />
At Norske Canada – Elk Falls, the newsprint<br />
machine began experiencing severe<br />
runnability issues and the mill was<br />
unable to determine the cause of the<br />
55<br />
problem. <strong>Voith</strong> Process Solutions provided<br />
an experienced paper maker and a diagnostic<br />
technician to observe operations<br />
and investigate potential causes of the<br />
breaks.<br />
Within a few days, the Process Solutions<br />
team determined that a large number of<br />
holes in the sheet were being caused by<br />
rubber being released from tubes recently<br />
installed in the cleaners. During the<br />
visit, the <strong>Voith</strong> team also made operational<br />
recommendations that resulted in<br />
reduced draw between the former and<br />
press. These findings and recommendations<br />
reduced the holes in the sheet from<br />
250 to 2 per reel and the number of<br />
breaks on the machine from seven per<br />
day to less than one. For a minimal service<br />
fee and no additional capital expenditures,<br />
the mill was able to realize a substantial<br />
in reduced waste and increased<br />
production.<br />
Norm Facey, Vice President of the Elk<br />
Falls operation, praised the <strong>Voith</strong> Process<br />
Solutions effort saying: “They came in<br />
<strong>17</strong>/04
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