With more than 1,000 installations worldwide on new and existing paper machines, Voith’s Prevo solutions are the proven choice for efficient and safe tail threading within the paper machine. Voith has now launched a new, compact Prevo retrofit solution for the press section that addresses the limited installation space on some existing machines. Papermakers with smaller lines can now benefit from the tail threading solution that eliminates the need for manual intervention and thus makes the entire process safer, more reliable and more efficient.
One of the first customers to use the more compact Prevo tail threading solution is the Metsä Greaseproof Papers GmbH in Düren. There, Voith has installed the new transfer solution from the press section to the dry section on PM 5. The specialty paper machine produces around 40,000 tons of grease-proof paper for baking, cooking and food packaging every year.
The advantages of the solution have been clearly confirmed in operation in Düren: “Prevo performs tailthreading operations that were traditionally carried out manually in paper production reliably and quickly,” reports Tim Godesberg, Production Manager for Paper Production & Processing at Metsä in Düren. “This has a positive effect on operational safety, which is our top priority. At the same time, every time saving increases our paper production. We found that Prevo supports us in handling the threading process much faster, thereby reducing downtime associated with the process to a minimum,” adds Godesberg.
With the Prevo solution, the tail can be transferred in two steps after a sheet break or shutdown. First, the system peels the tail from the press roll using blowpipe technology and transfers it to the dryer section. In the second step, a deflection arm picks up the sheet from the open draw and transfers it to the ropes. Since the process requires no manual intervention in the machine, it is significantly safer than conventional methods.
“We have decades of experience in the field of tail threading. With the innovative retrofit solution for the wet end, we have further expanded our portfolio and thus our scope of application,” emphasizes Sebastian Meuthen, Global Product Manager at Voith.
In addition to the equipment, Voith also offers comprehensive global service for all components of the Prevo family. Voith experts inspect and optimize the efficiency of the entire transfer process with all products involved and review the safety of the system. At the same time, spare and wear parts are replaced according to the maintenance schedule. In addition, the operability of the transfer process is checked and optimized if necessary. “We recommend having this service performed once a year,” explains Meuthen. “Experience has shown that this restores the tail threading solution to full performance. In most cases, the expense is amortized after just one day of production thanks to the maximized performance,” explains Meuthen.
