Wood Processing
The main focus was on large-scale field-testing new developments at customer locations.  The new chip sampling system was started up and automatically produced representative chip samples for the analyzer.  This provides chip quality information for use by pulp mill operators.  

Full-scale tests of debarking behavior of tropical hardwoods were carried out in southern Europe.  The tests generated important information about the correct debarking parameters.  Tests of a new method for removing loose bark from hardwoods were successful.  In North America, a new monitoring and diagnostics package for portal cranes, which will improve the overall efficiency of the equipment, was developed.

Fiberline
Developments are continuing in the program to reduce customers’ overall costs while maintaining equipment performance and availability.  The adaptation and improvement of process and equipment solutions for southern hemisphere applications are also progressing.  These developments are not only related to scale-up of the production capacity for extremely large mills, but also to the development of cost-competitive solutions for small and medium-size mills.

New developments of the Drum Displacer™ (DD) Washer show remarkable progress with regard to washing efficiency and capacity.  The best proof for these improvements is visible in the start-up curves and chemical consumption figures of recent deliveries.  The next generation of MC equipment is under intensive development with the goal of system simplification and energy savings.

In the area of modeling and simulation development, the first Advanced Control Systems (ACS) were sold to VCP in Brazil and CMPC in Chile to optimize the digester operations.  Development work continues to include the remaining fiberline process areas.

Recovery
Further development of black liquor crystallizing technology is underway to extend the time between concentrator washouts and to improve evaporator availability.

The first Ash Re-Crystallization (ARC) system for chloride and potassium removal was successfully commissioned at the Portucel Soporcel Group mill in Portugal.  During the start-up, a new computer model for simulating the ARC process and leaching processes was tested.

Research has been conducted on evaporator materials.  Electro-chemical testing of the corrosion resistance of different materials has been performed in a mill environment.  In addition, through heat transfer material research, the Division has found more cost-effective materials for evaporators. Development of manufacturing and welding procedures for lamellas is an important part of the research. The study is being conducted in cooperation with technical universities and material producers.

Developments for recovery boilers are focused on producing more power from biofuel (black liquor), which also eliminates the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.  A new arrangement of heat transfer surfaces in the upper furnace of the recovery boiler is implemented in three new recovery boilers now under construction.  This will enable more effective utilization of flue gas heat to produce higher pressure steam in the boiler.

Chemical Systems
A new lime kiln burner has been developed, and is now successfully operating at a mill in Finland.  The burner produces lower nitrogen oxide levels than existing technology.

A centrifuge for green liquor dregs handling is being marketed.  It offers advantages for mills which carefully manage non-process element removal in the lime circulation.

A new concept for lime mud drying has been developed and a patent has been applied for.  The new technology should enable customers to increase the capacity of existing kilns with lime mud dryers or reduce the size of a new lime kiln for a given capacity.

The first LMD-Filter for lime mud dewatering and washing has exceeded performance expectations.  Two units are in operation and seven units were sold.  Developments are continuing to design larger sizes of all major equipment in the white liquor plant (4,000 t/d pulp production and 14,000 m³/d white liquor production).

Pulp Mill Services
Life cycle management and optimization have been the Division’s focus areas during the last few years.

For the woodyard, a service has been developed to optimize chipping operations efficiency and control. The offering is a combination of equipment (HQ-Plus™ chipper knife system), service, and automation (Acutest^® condition monitoring and the new chip sampler/analyzer).  

In the chemical recovery area, cast air nozzles, mini-hoods, and smelt shattering systems in the recovery boiler improve equipment availability and extend the time between shutdowns.  

A new product group, Automation & Diagnostics, is responsible for developing and managing automation technology – including condition monitoring, simulation, process control, and optimization.

Fiber Preparation Systems
In the Fiber Preparation Systems Division, Andritz can now perform full-line production trials and testing for recycled fiber applications in its Graz pilot plant.  The plant is capable of receiving customer raw materials, processing the fibers (including deinking if necessary), and producing the final pulp.  Future research work will concentrate on different aspects of residuals (sludge/rejects) and water handling technologies to further reduce environmental impact.

Mechanical Pulping
Technologies and equipment to process alternative raw materials (different species of pine, a variety of hardwoods, and annual plants) have been developed.

In chemi-mechanical pulping, development has concentrated on mill-scale optimization of the advanced P-RC™ APMP process.  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 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 by 20-30% compared to standard TMP.

Major drivers in equipment development are productivity improvements and increased production capacities.  Following these requirements, new machine sizes with larger capacities were introduced to the market.  Availability and ease of maintenance for refiners and dewatering machines have been improved.  New methods to increase replacement intervals of refiner plates have been successfully introduced.

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.

Pulp Drying
Technology development in the Pulp Drying Division continues to focus on lowering the investment cost per ton of pulp produced.  The main R&D thrust is to produce a single drying line with production of 4,000 t/d based upon successful Twin Wire Former technology.  The related specific design capacity was reached on the Division’s full-scale pilot machine.  In addition, development is underway to continually improve the machinery’s uptime through easy/fast sheet threading and process condition monitoring.

A highly sophisticated process simulator for the entire sheet drying line has been developed.  This is used for operator training and DCS checkout prior to start-up. This simulation approach ensures fast production ramp-ups after the line is started.  The simulator also contributes to continuous optimization of the plant.

Work on the new slab press was completed, giving Andritz full-line capabilities for mechanical market pulp mills. The first commercial installations of this press were at Estonian Cell, Estonia and Phuong Nam, Vietnam.

Tissue Machines
For optimum "hands-on" operator training, the Tissue Machines Division developed a tool to provide dynamic simulation of all mass and energy flows in a tissue or TAD plant.  Operators can virtually run the future paper production line and change settings in a safe, virtual environment.

The shoe press technology has been proven in 13 tissue machine installations around the world.  One of its latest features is “machine direction” shoe movement.  This additional functionality results in gaining more bulk or achieving higher post-press dryness, giving the operator more flexibility.  Record speeds of over 1,900 m/min have been achieved with a shoe press.

A further development of the reel concentrated on the improvement of the centerwind.  A centerwind reel is mainly used in TAD machines to retain the volume and water absorption properties for bulky heavyweight tissue and towel grades.  The new PrimeReel™ Centerwind controls very low nip loads sufficient for crease-free winding.  Furthermore, it allows winding of larger diameter rolls to increase productivity.  

A stable sheet transfer in the area between the creping doctor at the Yankee cylinder and the reel is critical to runability.  The PrimeRun™ system of sheet transfer components ensures better runability, especially with lightweight tissue at high machine speeds.

Paper Mill Services
A new wedge wire basket with the brand name Bar-Tec™ was successfully introduced, with a focus on optimization of the screen basket production process and the application of new profile types and wires to ensure highest quality and maximum stability.

Building on the LemaxX Spiral™ success in Andritz / Durametal’s core Double-Disc refiner plate business, the low consistency product line is now pursuing growth in the conical refiner plate market. The first field trials of LemaxX Spiral C™, the latest development for the high performance, value-added conical market, have proved very successful; product launch is expected during 2006.  

Development programs were designed for Bauer Double Disc Refiners in order to address the seal and bearing problems of those machines.  They are a guideless and trammable rebuild kit for the Twin 60 to insure parallel plate gap over the service life, and a Keraloy hard facing product to increase service life of compression plug screws (MSD, chip press, etc.).

The modern Refiner Protection System (RPS) developed from Andritz was upgraded with additional security functions.  Furthermore, it was improved in a way to enable the condition monitoring with this system.

New SCP wear shoes for both the high pressure and the low pressure zones were developed, targeting increased lifetime and thus reducing maintenance costs on screw presses.  The new wear shoes are available for all Andritz and competition screw presses.