The Mechanical Pulping Systems Division is a leading global supplier of complete systems for producing high-quality and high-brightness mechanical and chemi-mechanical pulps for paper and board production and high-quality fibers for Medium Density Fiberboard and Particleboard producers.
The high-efficiency pulping technology is based on proprietary RTS™ (Retention time, Temperature, and Speed) refining and alkaline P-RC™ APMP (Preconditioning-Refiner Chemical / Alkaline Peroxide Mechanical Pulping) processes. Equipment for washing and high-consistency bleaching makes the Division a comprehensive supplier of systems solutions for mechanical pulping.
The Division operates through its headquarters in Vienna and Graz, Austria, as well as locations in Canada and the USA. The Division’s research laboratory and pilot plant in the USA is a completely equipped and independently certified process research facility.
In a move to better support customer needs with focused solutions, the Mechanical Pulping Systems Division was recently reorganized. Pulp dewatering and drying systems had grown to the extent that it became a separate Division, enabling Mechanical Pulping Systems to increase its focus on its core technologies.
The Division successfully completed the HC bleach plants for MD Paper in Plattling, Germany, StoraEnso in Veitsiluoto, Finland, and Holmen Paper in Wargön, Sweden. Another twin wire press was also installed at Holmen Paper’s mill in Hallstavik, Sweden.
Twin Wire Press washing systems were successfully commissioned for Lenzing, Austria, and Jiangmen Paper in China.
P-RC™ APMP systems were started up successfully for Shandong Tralin Paper, Shandong Chenming, Yueyang Paper of China, and Tembec’s Malette mill in Canada.
The RTS™ system, bleaching line, and heat recovery system for CMPC Papeles in Chile was started up successfully. Another RTS™ system was completed for Solikamsk in Russia.
A total of 17 MDF refining systems were successfully started up in China for several different customers. In addition, two MDF start-ups in Turkey and the start-up of a very high MDF production line in Russia were completed in 2004.
- The Division will supply, in cooperation with the Wood Processing and Pulp Drying Systems Divisions, a complete hardwood chemi-mechanical market pulp mill - including woodyard, chip handling, impregnation, refining, bleaching, dewatering, drying, and pulp baling systems - to be built in Kunda, Estonia. The mill will use proven Andritz P-RC™ APMP technology to produce a variety of market pulp grades from aspen wood. Andritz will supply all the major production systems.
- The Division will supply the complete chip impregnation system, bleaching, and washing systems as part of the multi-Division order from M-real for a greenfield Bleached Chemi-Thermo Mechanical Pulp (BCTMP) mill to be built in Kaskinen, Finland.
- Four new P-RC™ APMP plants were sold to Chinese producers - Jiaozuo Paper, Ningxia Meili, Zhongmao, and Xinya Paper.
- Norske Skog in Golbey, France ordered a conversion of its existing TMP refining system to advanced RTS™ technology. Norske Skog also ordered a complete new RTS™ line for their Walsum, Germany mill.
- A contract for two RTS™-TMP pulping lines was awarded by Kondopoga of Russia.
- UPM Caledonian of Scotland ordered a conversion of its bleach plant to state-of-the-art high-consistency peroxide (PHC) bleaching. M-real of Finland ordered bleaching equipment for its reject refining line in Joutseno.
- Refining systems were sold to Bowater Newsprint of Calhoun, Tennessee and Weyerhaeuser of Springfield, Oregon in the USA; Norske Skog in Pisa, Brazil; Tann Papper Dunyavaros in Hungary; Holmen Paper’s Braviken, Sweden mill; and Quingsha Paper of China.
- Upgrade orders were received for a TMP reject system at Norske Skog in Albury, Australia; a chip washing system at Södra Cell’s Folla mill in Sweden; and MSD Impressafiners for sawdust moisture control at Georgia-Pacific’s Wauna, Washington mill in the USA.
- As a result of its reputation and rapidly growing base of MDF installations, the Division received eleven additional orders from Chinese MDF producers, one from Austria, and three large upgrade orders from customers in Luxembourg, Poland, and Germany.
The Mechanical Pulping Division focuses its development activities on the broader use of mechanical pulps in paper and board production, minimizing operating costs in the mill, and reducing environmental impact.
As production increases worldwide, a shortage of conventional wood resources (spruce, aspen) can be foreseen in certain regions for the near future. The Division has developed technologies and equipment to process alternative raw materials such as different species of pine and a variety of hardwoods (eucalyptus, acacia, birch, and maple). The goal is to maintain the Division’s technical leadership in advanced processes such as P-RC™ APMP and RTS™-TMP refining, RT pretreatment, and PHC bleaching.
In chemi-mechanical pulping, the R&D program is concentrated on mill-scale optimization of the advanced P-RC™ APMP process, which had been successfully started up in two mills in China and one in Canada. All results that had been achieved in pilot plant work were confirmed or surpassed in actual mill operation.
New pre-treatment and high-consistency refining technologies were developed to allow, for the first time, the use of alternative wood species (pine) in the RTS™-TMP process. Pulps of very high quality have been produced with these processes, and specific energy consumption has been reduced 20-30% compared to standard TMP.
Major drivers in equipment development are productivity improvements and increased production capacities. The mechanical availability and ease of maintenance for refiners and dewatering machines have been improved. An ongoing program to standardize equipment and manufacturing processes has resulted in improved quality of the machinery, reduced delivery times, and lower investment costs.
Due to the development of new screen baskets, the production capacity and dryness achieved by screw presses have been significantly increased.
Customer requirements include sophisticated process control. The new Andritz Bleach Commander™ uses modeling and predictive control strategies to better control the bleaching process - minimizing quality deviations and maximizing the production of "on-grade” pulp. Chemical consumption is optimized to the target brightness, which reduces bleaching costs.
The acquisition of a majority stake in CyberMetrics, a supplier of online sensors for fiber quality, will further enhance the Division’s ability to offer advanced measurement and control strategies for mechanical pulping in the future.
|
 |
