Furnish Potential for Packaging Papers-Influence on Plant Design and Product Quality

Today's size of production operations in the packaging paper sector I sconstantly increasing , featuring integral processing systems, high-speed paper machines, and the increased marketing of lower basis weight products. The risk factors involved in these large investments lie more than ever in the available furnish potential and ongoing requirements for further closure of water loops and lower operating costs. A comparison is drawn between recovered paper furnish mixtures used in European mills with regard to fibre properties, strength potential and contaminant content, Both the furnish situation and development trends in modern fluting and testliner machines are instigating concept changes in stock preparation, the approach flow as well as in process water and rejects technology. Developments are currently focussed for example on more efficient debris separation using fine slotted screening, optimized refining , more systematic process water management with loop separation and integral water clarification as well as more efficient removal of microstickies, fillers and fines through appropriate combination of rejects handling and water clarification processes. Product quality differentiation depends decisively on strength characteristics as a function of refining , fines removal , paper machine technology, and sizing . Maximum availability of today's high speed paper machines and , as a result, cost effective production can be ensured by optimum balancing of all subsystems with in the overall concept and by reliable control of problems with contaminants and deposits.