Yankee service – remote support is now a reality

The Tjiwi Kimia paper mill in Mojokerto, Indonesia, produces MG paper on its PM 13, which has a working width of about 7 meters. To produce the necessary gloss, the machine uses a 15 ft. Yankee.

The steam that enters the cylinder on the tender side condenses when it comes into contact with the inside of the cylinder shell, thereby giving off the energy for the drying process. The resulting condensate is transported out of the cylinder by means of the siphon system, which Tjiwi Kimia decided to modernize: „The existing system on the PM 13 was the original one supplied when the paper machine was built. But the demands on the system are great, due to factors such as variable machine speeds and working pressures“, explains Reinhard Joebstl, ANDRITZ project manager for this service.

New, state-of-the-art header and siphon system

ANDRITZ has a long-standing relationship with Tjiwi Kimia, having supplied the Yankee originally and assisted with the initial start-up of PM 13, as well as providing support ever since. ANDRITZ’s solution in this case was to replace the original header and siphon system with a new, state-of-the-art configuration of the next generation. Reinhard Joebstl explains that “the newly installed system can be used both in sump operation and at higher speeds (i.e. when a condensate ring has already formed). It is also especially robust and benefits from low differential pressure.” The installation took place in September 2021. The plan was to have a local team from ANDRITZ Indonesia install the new system, with two Yankee experts from Graz in Austria flying in to provide supervisory support at the mill. (“The siphon system requires a certain level of knowhow,” points out Erwin Walcher,

Technical Specialist at ANDRITZ.) However, the situation became quite dramatic because of travel restrictions due to COVID-19, just three weeks before the service. This meant the ANDRITZ Yankee experts in Graz had to provide support from Austria instead, with the local ANDRITZ Indonesia team receiving guidance remotely, throughout the installation.

Small timeframe, big impact

Despite the late change of plans, the new header and siphon system were actually installed faster than planned. Reinhard Joebstl argues that “When you go to the OEM supplier, their experience makes the difference. It makes this kind of remote support possible.” The project has also had a big impact on ongoing operations. Reinhard Joebstl explains that “thanks to the improved system design, it’s more flexible, stable, resistant to interruptions and it’s much easier to service. We don’t want to reveal all the details, but if any mill wants to extend the time between services, they can just get in touch and we’ll tell them how we do it.”