International technology Group ANDRITZ has successfully started up the latest innovation in dewatering— the Vertical Screw Thickener (VST)—at Zellstoff Pöls AG, Austria. The VST has been operating successfully since the beginning of December 2018 and supplying the existing MG paper production line PM2 with the maximum capacity of 360 t/d.
The pioneering Vertical Screw Thickener is a screw press with a vertical configuration and a very small footprint, making it suitable for retrofit installations in existing buildings. The pulp suspension is fed into the top of the machine, and its downward transport is gravity-assisted. At Zellstoff Pöls, the VST is located just before the finished pulp storage tank that feeds the paper production line and thus enables separation of the pulp mill and paper machine water loops.
Jürgen Rieger, Chief Operations Manager at Zellstoff Pöls, points out: "Our expectations of the new Vertical Screw Thickener were more than fulfilled. After the fast and trouble-free start-up, we are now already seeing the positive effects, like reduction of sizing agent consumption." Patrick Wohlmuth, Process Technology Manager at Zellstoff Pöls, continues: "The results of our previous tests in the ANDRITZ Stock Preparation Pilot Plant were perfectly implemented in our mill-site production process with the VST 1005."
Source: Andritz press release, April 18.TAPPI
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