OPERATING EXPERIENCE WITH AN ONLINE SPEED COATER FOR LWC PAPER-PRODUCTION COMPARED WITH OFF-LINE COATING

The German mill Papierfabrik Albbruck operates three paper machines an d two off-line coaters incorporating roil applicators. With the aim of a higher added value for iis products, the mill decided in 1994 to dr op its product diversification, policy and increase its production of LWC grades. This included the installation of a coating station on PM 5 for the on-line production of LWC papers The mill set itself tile ob jective of achieving an equally good LWC quality as with the off-line coaters but with a higher overall profitability. The results from exte nsive trials on various pilot coating plants showed that the set objec tive could be reached with an on-line coating station. Based on a numb er of parameters the decision was made to install a Speedcoater from V oith Sulzer with indirect coat application simultaneously to both side s of the paper. The positive tria results were confirmed shortly after starting up the rebuilt PM 5 in May 1995. This paper reports on the d esign of the Speedcoater and the operating results achieved, particula rly as regards production efficiency and product technology, by compar ison with the mill's off-line coating operations.