Perlen Awards Automation Servicing for PM 4, PM 7 to Voith

Swiss company Perlen Papier AG has signed a service agreement with Voith Paper Automation, Germany, for the automation components of its PM 4 and PM 7 in Perlen, Switzerland. Voith already had a service agreement with Perlen Papier for the PM 4 quality control system since 2004. The new PM 7 went online in September 2010. The machine, which is working at full capacity, is expected to produce 300,000 metric tpy of newsprint this year.

Following the final acceptance inspection of PM 7, the two companies are now going one step further in signing the service agreement effective the beginning of this month. PM 7 will have a complete Voith automation package that covers the recovered paper preparation, the paper machine and winder, as well as the packing and transport.

Dirk Breuer, technical director at Perlen Papier, explains why Perlen is relying on external service support when it has a very experienced and well-trained maintenance team on site. "The automation in a paper machine is becoming increasingly complex. This is why we need experts to provide us with professional support. And in Voith we have found the perfect partner to rely on."

The agreement includes a remote diagnostic service of the automation system. A Voith service technician logs into the Perlen system via an online connection to check the current status and if necessary eliminate malfunctions or carry out optimizations. In addition, the Emergency on Call service module provides a 24-hr/7-day standby service by Voith's service team with a contractually guaranteed response time. This ensures that Perlen Papier's maintenance team gets fast, direct support.

The service agreement also stipulates preventive maintenance schedules. Thus, the automation components MCS and DCS including system technology, and the quality control system with scanners, actuators, and controls are checked. The downstream processes at the winder or packaging system are also monitored and constantly improved by the Voith service technicians.

Perlen Papier AG was founded in 1873 and is a key manufacturer of magazine paper and newsprint in Switzerland. In 2010 the family-owned company had a workforce of 381 and posted a net turnover of EUR 182 million.

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