In order to achieve the desired fiber quality development most efficiently and uniformly, ANDRITZ offers targeted and convincing refining solutions.
Since fibrous material, produced from wood either chemically or mechanically (high consistency refining), is generally in need of further development to be suitable for the demands of current paper consumers (i.e. sheet forming, flock formation, sheet strength, etc.), fibers are treated mechanically. In order to achieve the desired fiber quality development most efficiently and uniformly, the fibrous material is subjected to targeted shear and compressive forces in the gap between rotating and stationary refining elements (bars).
With 20 years of systematic research and development work on the art of refining the ANDRITZ team has been able to improve the efficiency and quality of refining significantly. Three essential innovations have led to groundbreaking benefits.
To ensure consistently high quality in the processing of fiber material, any form of process variability should be minimized. Research shows that bar angle significantly influences refining results. Yet the crossing angle of parallel bar plates varies significantly. So we asked ourselves, "Can the shape of the bars be optimized to provide more homogeneous fiber treatments?"
We gave the bars the shape of logarithmic curves. At any point, the fibers on the refiner plate are therefore refined at a constant crossing angle.
Homogenous fiber treatment and quality
For minimal costs and set-up times, refiner plates are expected to have a long service life. But refining action and occasional tramp materials demand high toughness alloys, which naturally have lower wear resistance. So we asked ourselves how we could use highly abrasion-resistant alloys as a plate material that would also withstand the high mechanical load on the bars.
We strengthened the bars at the base on one side. Two bars together form a V-shaped groove. The grooves between them are deeper and compensate for the hydraulic losses of the V-shaped grooves.
High durability / long service
High process quality is expected with increasingly efficient use of energy. We asked ourselves how refiner plate design could contribute towards saving energy.
We developed refiner plates with strategically placed dams to prevent back-flow of fiber material inside the stator. This drastically reduces hydraulic losses and thus, power consumption. At the same time, we can now regulate the flow capacity by placing dams correctly in the rotor plate.
Reduced energy costs
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