50 YEARS OF PAPERMAKING - Aylesford Newsprint

50 YEARS OF PAPERMAKING

Notable Events of 1958Elvis Presley joins the armyWorld Fair in BrusselsSputnik 1 spaceship fell to earthThe first successful U.S. satellite Explorer is launchedBrazil beat Sweden 5-2 in the 1958 World CupMunich Air Disaster - 8 Manchester United players killedTreaty of Rome founding the European Union is implementedThe Queen’s eldest son Charles is invested as thePrince of WalesEdmund Hillary arrives at the South PoleNASA was formedSheerness Docks were closedInstant noodles go on salePreston bypass; the U.K.’s first motorway opensto traffic – this is now part of the M6 and M55motorwaysFirst parking meters installedThe first jet passengers cross the AtlanticSouth Pacific is one of the top grossing filmsFord Motor Company produces its 50 millionth vehicleBlue Peter makes its first appearance on the BBCThe Smurfs are createdFamous SongsAt the Hop – Danny and the Juniors, All I have to do is dream – The Everly Brothers, Move It - Cliff Richard,To know him is to love him – The Teddy Bears, Splish Splash – Bobby Darin, Great Balls of Fire – Jerry Lee Lewis,Jailhouse Rock – Elvis Presley, Peggy Sue - Buddy Holly , It’s only make believe - Conway Twitty.Famous TV ShowsThe Invisible Man, Wagon Train, Take Your Pick, Emergency Ward 10, Spot the Tune, Huckleberry Hound,Quatermass and The Pit, Sunday Night at the London Palladium, The Army Game, Women in Love, Double Your Money,William Tell.Famous BirthsMelvyn Wright, Liz Wood, Kate Bush, Prince, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Christopher Dean (of Torvil and Dean),Simon Le Bon, Billy Bragg, Daniel Day Lewis, Daley Thomson, Sharon Stone, Jamie Lee-Curtis, Prince Albert of Monaco,Paul Weller, Paddington Bear.2

In 1951 Philip Walker succeededColonel Clifford Sheldon as theManaging Director of the ReedPaper Group. At a board meetingin May 1954 he reported that aninvestigation into the prospects forselling increased tonnages of varioustypes of paper had been madeand as a result it appeared thatthe situation seemed favourable.He reported further that thenecessary building to house a papermachine was already available atAylesford, together with thenecessary power and services.The installation of a new machinewould therefore result in only arelatively small increase in overheadcosts. The estimated cost was£1,200,000 and with additionalworking capital the total wouldamount to approximately £1,500,000.The exact grade of paper to be madewas not actually recorded in theminutes, but the project nowbeing authorised was in fact theNo. 13 machine, deferred since 1952.Grades of PaperIt was envisaged that PM13would make both newsprintand mechanical printings.In the UK the tonnage of mechanicalprintings had increased 3.5 timessince 1946, whereas that ofnewsprint had little more thandoubled. In relative terms,therefore, mechanical printingswere a more attractive gradethan newsprint.Newsprint was used for mostnewspapers and was suitablefor rotary letterpress printing.Mechanical printings, used formagazines and advertising material,were made to a higher specificationand required a very high finish(smoothness) for four-colour rotarygravure printing. The differencesbetween the two grades were smallbut critical. Both were producedfrom mechanical and chemicalpulps with a higher proportion ofchemical for the mechanical printings(25% against 20%) and thesubstance of mechanical printingswas 65gsm and newsprint 50gsm.The width of finished reels wasalso different.The differences to make bothproducts were reflected in changesin machine design. The width wasput at 210” maximum trim, themaximum speed increased to 2000feet per minute and coatingequipment was to be installed atthe wet end. The changes tooktime and money. The projectwould now cost £2m (which wassubsequently reported to havecost £3 million in total).The idea of a dual purpose machinehad originated with Colonel Sheldon,who had already booked the machinewith Walmsleys for workshop timeand preferential delivery.The Times SupplementOn 5th July 1955 the Times issueda special four-page illustrateddocument on the Reed Paper GroupNo. 13 machine. It announced thiswould be the first machine to behoused in a new no. 3 mill atAylesford. It would be 240” wide.It would have the latest supercalender and would be one of themost modern machines in the worldfor manufacturing various types ofprinting papers. The project nowinvolved augmenting the boilerplant, extended wharves and pulphandling facilities. Coal consumptionwould now be 7,000 tons per week,water usage 1.25m gallons per hourand annual pulp intake increasedby another 100,000 tons.The CompromiseSince mechanical printings wasconsidered the more attractivegrade and Reed had embarkedupon a different newsprint projectoverseas (The Tasman Pulp andPaper Company in New Zealand)PM13 was intended principallyfor mechanical printings witha newsprint capability.The machine was 300 feet long,had 49 drying cylinders, the mostsophisticated controls so farattempted, and was intended torun at the formidable but not heroicspeed of 2,000 feet per minute.All this was normal at that time,but the machine imposed two extraburdens on those whose job it wasto attain economic performance.The machine was a compromise –required to make newsprint as wellas its principal product mechanicalprintings. The machine and thesuper calender rolls which had tobe cambered accurately for specificmechanical loading (to achieveeven nip pressure) could not servethe different loadings for the twoproducts efficiently; with inevitableloss in running performance.Furthermore, the machine widthdesigned to produce rolls of paperof mechanical paper width, causedextra waste when producing thenarrower rolls of newsprint.Either products could be made,but neither of them at maximumefficiency, and, therefore, thedecision was taken to make onlynewsprint on this machine.Newsprint from PM13 wasexported to South Africa, Australia,New Zealand and Ceylon.Source: Reed International Developmentsin “A Company History 1960-1971 -Philip Sykes”3

This is taken from the original brochure by the Walmsley Group of their paper machines which were exported to Finland, Canada,India, New Zealand, Australia as well as supplying the U.K. From a booklet dated late 1940’s there is a map donated from theGerman Luftwaffe (captured in Germany in October 1939) showing the “bombing target for tonight” as Walmsley’s Ironworks inWigan, which if had gone to plan might have prevented us from getting PM13!!“Where to find us” pre 1957Transport BayResearch & Development5

No. 13 Machine at Aylesford Paper Mills, seen from the dry end.General view of the wet end of No. 13 machine.General view of the beater floor showing pulp being fed intoa hydrapulper by automatic conveyor.One of the hyrapulper control panels. The cover of thehydrapulper is shown in the background.The ten-bowl super calendar seen from the reel-up end.6The steam control panel house in a separate sound and dustproof room. Steam flows, pressures and condensate levels areindicated and controlled. The condensate return flow is recorded.

The wet end of the new No. 13 machine – this high speed machine which has recently been brought into production.The machine is almost 100 yards long and is the most highly and effectively instrumented machine of its kind in the country.The PM13 rewinder on the ground floor supplied byWalker Brothers (Wigan) Limited.A laboratory assistant taking a sample from the consistency sample box inthe preparation of the Reed Paper Group’s new No. 13 machine.The PM13 Jagenberg winder on the ground floor.7

PM13 Startup and Basic Machine OperationA Machine Operator RemembersIntroductionJanuary 1958 and Aylesford PaperMills, the largest mixed grade papermill in Europe, had another papermachine nearing completion.Twelve machines were already inoperation, 8 at East Mill and 4 atWest Mill (now the FPP) and PM13was being installed in an existingbuilding adjacent to West Mill.The machine was being built bythe Mill’s own engineers andthose provided by Walmsleys,the machinery manufacturer.An earlier startup was clearlyhoped for since a nameplate dated1957 was changed. The machinewas designed to make newsprintand magazine printings and wasclaimed at the time to be the mostinstrumented paper machine inEurope, with a design speed of2000 feet per minute. It also hada coating station before the dryers.Crews were made up fromexperienced personnel in East andWest Mill. Some of us, recentlyreturned from two years NationalService, were still adjusting to lifeback in the Mill.Early days were spent clearingup after the engineers as theyprogressed their work – now howunusual is that?Stock Preparation SystemThe system included separatepulpers and storage for chemicaland mechanical wood pulp with aproportioning system (this didn’t lastlong), broke storage (much needed),blend chest for proportioned stock,broke, dyes, clay, etc., refiners tomodify the pulp fibres, refined stockstorage, machine chest and trimrefinerfor final and immediateadjustment before the machine.There were, of course, water systemsand other ancillary equipment.MachineFamiliar as we are now with theultimate in process control andautomation so evident today onPM13 and PM14, it is perhapsdifficult for some to fully appreciateour perception of the advances indesign and technology presentedto us fifty years ago on the newPM13 machine. Some of the moresignificant were:Pressure screens – we were familiarwith open strainers to clean stock.A small, pressurised flowbox –compared to large, openbreast-boxes.Automatic wire and felt guides –wire and felts had mechanicaldevices to detect and react tomovement, but felts particularlyhad to be ‘watched’ all the timefor rapid manual correction,particularly on breaks. Dry feltswere guided manually.Centralised control, i.e. mostindicators, recorders, controllersand starters located in control roomsand panels along the machine –previously no control rooms, fewrecorders, and starters were inannexes and panels adjacent tothe machine. Machine water andstuff-gate control for ‘making’consistency and weight controlwere by hand valve.Motorised cross cutter – pipewas pushed and pulled througha slotted pipe.Suction pick-up – there was an‘open-draw’ (gap) between thewire and press section.Controlled air flow dryer hood –compared to a simple canopy.Automatic break detection and crosscutter operation – if seen, a ‘whistle’to alert operator who pulled backthe cross cutter.Automatic broke conveyor(1st not second press) and underfloor pulper at dry end – wet brokewas manhandled off the presses anddry end broke fell to the basementfloor (PM’s 1 – 4 did not have thisluxury) and cleared manually intoa breaker or potcher.StartupI think it was March when themachine was handed over by theengineers. Systems had to bechecked of course and speedcontrol trials carried out.Machine clothing was installedstarting with dry felts (woven cottonand synthetic). Four sections, eightfelts, each fed through by tyingcarrier rope across the width,feeding the ropes through the feltrun and ‘inching’ the cylinders.Top felts were seamed standing ona cylinder but a suitable plank had tobe found to stand on for the bottomfelts (stagings followed later).The press section consisted of asuction pick-up, transfer pressand first and second presses –both straight through presses.The principles of installing wetfelts (woven wool and synthetic)were well established, but thenthere was an absence of slingingpoints for pull-lifts and a very longsling was required to lift the lowerstretch rolls. The highest felt roll,the worm roll above the pick-upfelt wringer press, was too closeto the crane to be lifted – a holewas cut in the floorboards of thecrane and a pull-lift was slungfrom the frame.8

Draping the wire and then pushingthe ‘tree’ over the cantilevered couchroll on rails was new, but thereafterthe old problem of keeping thephosphor bronze wire free of damagewas paramount. The slightest ‘kink’or crease left a mark which, in spiteof ‘doctoring’ with a spoon, tendedto wear quicker (the wires rarelylasted longer than a week).Making PaperIf my memory serves me right, itwas Easter when a sheet was firstformed on the wire. Speed wasprobably 1200 feet per minute,nothing too ambitious to start with.The flow rate and flow box pressuremay have been known but it wasthe operator who determined the‘making’ on the wire until a driedsheet was available to checkformation. The horizontal formingtable consisted of a forming boardand table rolls. There were eightsuction boxes, four before the dandyroll position (used on mechanicalprints) and four after, where thewet/dry line showed. By ‘followingthe wire’ with several quickmovements of the head, a skilledoperator could judge whether thestock was rolling forward or back inrelation to the wire speed.The pick-up roll was lowered,and suffice to say there wereproblems initially getting the sheetto pick up and then feed throughthe presses and dryers. The brokesystem could not cope and theconveyor on the first press wasreversed to run broke out the front.A pile built up and clamp truckswere used to transport it to thepreparation plant and at one stagedropping it onto lorry trailers inthe basement below.Ignoring problems, feeding upinvolved using compressed air toblow a four inch wide strip offthe first press, under a blow rollto the second press. The strip (tail)was then blown down onto thesecond press felt and an operator,standing on the frame and holdingon with his right hand, grasped ahandful of the tail with his leftand at a speed to match the machinethrew it into two converging ropesthrough which he was leaning.Once feeding cleanly through thecylinders the width of sheet wasquickly increased, first to two feet,then four and, once safely over thefinal cylinder, to full width.Feeding a five nip calender (all metalrolls) was achieved by two operators.A tail was created by dropping ablade to cut the sheet on thecylinder. An operator, standing ona staging, leaned over a tensioningroll and using a pole with asharpened six inch nail in the end,cut a six inch wide strip which wasblown onto a chute and into the topnip. Once passing cleanly down thestack the sheet width was increasedby the operator walking backwardsquickly across the staging,maintaining the correct ‘pin’ positionon the cylinder – the complete actionknown as ‘pinning-off’. A similaraction was used to transfer the sheetfrom the calender to the reel up.On this occasion the operatorpinning off held a sharpened six inchnail in his right hand pushed backinto the final out-going nip of thecalender and was required tomaintain this position across the fullwidth whilst walking backwards,with his left hand holding the sheetflat before the reel drum (notpleasant if there was a lot of staticelectricity about). When the sheetwas just over halfway across a largeair shower at the reel up was usedto blow the sheet around the shell.Sheet on – just like that! As machineoperators will know it is rarelythat simple and only occasionally‘just like that’.Substance (weight) and moisturecontrol were very much down to theoperator. At the wet end a carefulwatch would be kept on changes inthe wet-line on the wire, couchvacuum and sheet tension (draw).The dryerman at the reel upregularly walked across with hishand on the reel, relying on ‘feel’to detect variations in moisture.The last cylinder had a cold waterspray inside and was known asthe cooling or ‘sweat’ cylinder.Changes in moisture on the surfaceor the amount of vapour in thearea were also noted. Significantchanges sometimes resulted in‘samples’ being taken mid-reel totest the substance.Means of communicating betweenoperators at the wet and dry end ofthe machine required one to‘whistle’ to attract the other, thenuse a variety of hand signals toconvey the message. Some of thesignals were well established, othersevolved and not all would beconsidered seemly in polite company.A basic but effective method ofcommunicating at a distance andover the noise of the machine.Since the paper was to be supercalendered,a cross machine damper,situated over the reel drum, wasused to condition the paper andincrease moisture content to around10%. A series of adjustable finewater jets impinged on an angledglass plate causing water to fallas a fine spray on the sheet as itreeled up.Moisture and level in relation toreel building are intrinsically linkedand due to a poor machine moistureprofile (back-side of middle wasmost moist). It was a continuousbattle to produce paper of around8% moisture and reels that weresuitable for the machine, thesuper-calender that followed andnot least of all the winder, to getsaleable paper out of the door.That, as they say, is another story.Ron Underdown.Worked on PM13 from 1958start up until December 1974.9

Keith Jarrett and Roger Parker 2008.Keith Jarrett working on PM13 circa 1958.Ron Underdown working at the PM13 controls circa 1958. Ron Underdown and Roy Cogger 2008.10

Top Left and Right: Ron Underdown’s letter of acceptanceto his apprenticeship and apprenticeship agreement 1955.Bottom Left: Roger Parker wearing the Aylesford Paper Millsblazer 1961.Middle Right: Ron Underdown 1958.Bottom Right: Roger Parker 1958.11

Gary Douglass, Richard Broomfield, Barry Relf.Laurie Bradford who was a World War II spitfire pilot working on PM13.Alan Thomas, Paul Marshall, Paul Richards,Vic Godstone.Left to Right: Graham Pursey, Roger Parker, Adrian Wells, Stuart Miles,Martin Atkinson and the Lord Lieutenant of Kent at the presentationto Adrian Wells who received an NVQ level 2 - one of the first in Paperand Board Making.Mick Taylor – PM13 control room.Left to Right: Tom Coles, Paul Hayes, Harry Virdi, Adrian Wells,Paul Leale, Peter Kettle.PM13 control room.13

Top Left: Fifties publicity shot.Middle Left: Paper Daily, an SCA publication.Bottom Left: Phillip Walker MD with Canadian visitors.Top Right: Aylesford reels being loaded at George IV docks.Middle Right: A painting by Roy Carnon used in an advert fornewsprint by the Reed Paper Group.Bottom Right: 1962 edition of the Reed Paper Group in-housemagazine Papyrus.14

Reed Publication “A Tour of Aylesford Paper Mills”.Middle Right and Bottom Right: Reedpack Limitedbrochure 1988.15

New headbox installed in 1998.Roy Cogger and award.Left to Right: Geoff Cox, Alan Thomas, Roger Parker,Ron Underdown, Cyril Collins, Fred Manser, Roy Cogger.Ernie Allen’s retirement presentation.Left to Right: Andy Mann, Derek Palmer.Left to Right: Geoff Cox, Barry Hammond.Left to Right: Ron Northover’s retirement party,Cobdown Sports and Social Club, June 2008.16

PM13 social “do” at The Oast House.Left to Right: Paul Hayes, Adrian Wells, Peter Kettle,Kev Stone, Roger Parker.Roy Cogger with Bob Saunders.IMechE (Institute of Mechanical Engineers) Manufacturing Excellence Award forResource Efficiency in 2002.Left to Right: George Yard, Tom Coles, Paul Leale, John Riley.17

Above: The new pulper going in.Left: The newpulper in situ.Anybody who spent time in PM13just after start up will rememberthe atmospheric conditions whichwere more akin to an Amazonianrain forest than a paper machine.This was due to the renewal of themachine hood fans which was notwithout problems.Left: The newcleaners.On reflection of the project oneyear on, Neil Perkins talked aboutthe problems experienced after therebuild and described the machineas “essentially a new beast” andwhen eventually all the problemswere overcome and dealt withthe rewards for carrying out suchextensive work were clear toeveryone involved and PM13 stoodalongside PM14 in manufacturingRenaissance newsprint.19

20PM13 2008

Left to Right: A Shift - Mick Fiddes, Ashley Morris,Peter Kettle, Adrian Wells, Kev Stone.Left to Right: B Shift - Adam Walker, Gary Douglas,Mick Taylor, Andy Potts, Paul Warner.Left to Right: C Shift - Peter Kairis, Kev Reed,Alan Blackwell.Left to Right: D Shift - Bob Patell, Barry Relf, Peter Rudd,Glen Ball.22

Left to Right: E Shift - Martin Wells, Mick Ambrose, Ian Blackman.Left and Right: Lewis Scott and Glen Coleman (PM13 Day Team).23

Past and PresentLeft to Right: Roger Parker, Keith Jarrett, Stuart Miles, Roy Cogger, Cyril Collins, Ron Underdown, Keith Acottt.Left to Right: Cyril Collins, Rob Linney (present PM13 Operations Manager), Roy Cogger.26

Left to Right: PM13 Day Team: Teemu Makkonen, Gary Smith, Jason Robinson,Richard Thompson, Rob Linney, Neil Perkins, Simon Locks, Martin Lloyd,Danny Colenutt, Neil Robbie, Paul Onslow, Ron Northover, Matt Broad.(Mark Goodger on holiday).27

This book is dedicated to all those employees who haveworked so hard on PM13 during its 50 years of papermaking.Thanks to the “old boys” who came in and gavetheir time, invaluable information and assistance.With special thanks to Ron Underdown for his time,assistance, contribution and documents.With special thanks to Stuart Miles, Ron Underdown andRoger Parker for all the photographs and documents.With special thanks to Ian Blackman without whosearchive of excellent photographs of PM13 start up,this book would not have been possible.The wording on the original black and white PM13 start upphotographs are extracts taken from the originaldescriptions detailed by Cyril Shrubshall, Group PublicRelations Officer, The Reed Paper Group.DESIGN AND LAYOUTTerry Worby - Aylesford NewsprintMervyn Bennett -Mervyn Bennett Designs+44 (0) 1273 582997PHOTOGRAPHYRoddy Paine Photographic Studio+44 (0) 1892 533411PRINTINGDexter Graphics Limited+44 (0) 4479 73266301Aylesford Newsprint LimitedNewsprint HouseBellingham WayAylesfordKent ME20 7DLT: +44 (0) 1622 796000F: +44 (0) 1622 796001The pulp used in the production of this paper is from well managed and certified sources.www.aylesford-newsprint.co.uk