Bowater selects Vishay's Reel Optimising System

Vishay Intertechnology has received an order from Bowater Incorporated to install a Reel Optimising System in its Grenada, Mississippi, paper mill. Vishay's customised Reel Optimising System, planned for delivery this autumn to the Mississippi facility, will use strain gauge-based load cells and transducer-based measurement and control technology to improve paper density, remove wrinkles, and reduce web breaks in the production of high-quality newsprint.

Vishay's Reel Optimising System is designed to provide online measurement and control of all force and movement, on each side of the machine. This method is claimed to eliminate problems caused by friction, non-parallelism, and general wear and tear. Automatic weighing and dead weight calculations are carried out to compensate for different weights when changing reel spools in the primary arms. Each system controls the nip force during shifting phases and corrects for angle changes when lowering reels. Parallelism, acceleration, and speed are all controlled during the lowering process. This process minimises pope speed and any variations in web tension. When shifting, the forces between the primary and secondary arms are added to ensure that the required linear force is maintained.

Reel Optimising System measurement data is presented online as current data. The system's optimising logger stores the data for later analysis in servicing as well as quality and product research. Lists of set values for different qualities can be pre-programmed and even adjusted within selected areas by an operator. Roll thickness and density are calculated by measuring the revolutions of the pope roller and the reel spool. At the same time, very accurate measurement of length and diameter are also recorded.

The Grenada pulp and paper mill was built in 1989. It produces mechanical pulp, graphic paper and newsprint. According to the sales agreement with Vishay Systems, the mill will be a show site for three years. This will enable other companies interested in Vishay's Reel Optimising System technology to learn about its features and benefits while seeing it in operation.

About Bowater

Bowater Incorporated is based in Greenville, South Carolina, USA, and is a leading producer of coated and speciality papers and newsprint. In addition, the company makes bleached market pulp and lumber products. Bowater employs approximately 7000 people and has 12 pulp and paper mills in the United States, Canada, and South Korea. In North America, it also owns a converting facility and 10 sawmills.