PRODUCTS AND SOLUTIONS

TEXT Tatu Pitknen and Susan Trast

Parent roll defects due to CD profile errors often result in lower line efficiency and higher
costs per ton. Likewise, web breaks or complaints from printing houses, due to uneven
tension profiles, increase costs and lose production. iRoll creates new options to improve
web runnability and thus reduce production costs. It also provides mills with excellent
end products. There are four iRoll applications available: reel drum, tension measuring roll,
winding drum and the Portable iRoll service.

Improving paper machine efficiency with iRoll

iRoll for reeling and winding

iRoll measures roll profiles automatically,
online, directly at the winder or reel nip.
The nip profile correlates directly with the
diameter and hardness profile of the paper
roll, clearly showing the peaks and valleys.
When thousands of paper layers are reeled
on top of each other, the thickness variations are accumulated and make relatively
large variations in the parent roll diameter
and hardness profile.
Using iRoll with actuators such as
calender zone controls, basis weight or
coat weight profilers allows closed loop
control of roll profiles. This enables an im-

mediate response to profile-related quality

variations and runnability problems, and
reduces recovery time after grade changes.
When used as a condition monitoring
tool for reeling nip mechanics and controls,
iRoll detects wear and enables correctlytimed corrective maintenance actions.
iRoll for measuring and
controlling web tension profiles
iRoll monitors the full-width tension profile
continuously, online, and without any
separate scanning devices. This helps detect
uneven tension profiles at an early stage,
long before they would be revealed at the

iRoll operating principle. The same technology

platform is used for temporary iRoll service measurements.

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RESULTS PULP & PAPER

1. Spiral mounted film sensors on the roll

body for measuring nip load profiles
2. Roll cover
3. Reel drum
4. Signal processing module & transmitter
5. Wireless power supply system
6. Receiver that is conneted to the
mill automation system

PRODUCTS AND SOLUTIONS

printing press. The iRoll tension measuring

roll also allows closed loop control. There are
multiple concepts for controlling tension profiles and improving runnability. The actuators
include press section steamboxes, drying
section moisturizers or calender profiling.
Portable iRoll for process
analyses and maintenance services
The Portable iRoll service allows paper and
board makers to analyze profiles online,
and to do it quickly and cost efficiently
without investments.
Portable iRoll for detecting
reeling problems online
The portable iRoll service also measures
reeling nip load profiles online. It immediately shows reeling defects and variations
in parent roll quality derived from the paper
thickness profile, for example. iRoll detects
force peaks, discontinuities and skewed nip
profiles during parent roll build-up. With this
information paper makers can
fine-tune reeling parameters
and troubleshoot profile-related
reeling problems that originate
in earlier process stages
make bump tests to find responses with
calender zone controls, dry weight, etc.,
and to optimize paper web properties
detect wear in reeling nip
mechanics and controls
For nip load measuring purposes, the
portable iRoll can be located on the reel,
rereeler, calender wind-up, winder, or
wherever precise information on the windup process is needed.
Portable iRoll for detecting
tension profile problems online
Runnability problems such as slack edges,
wrinkles and web shifting are typically
caused by uneven tension profiles. Portable iRoll makes full-width, online tension
profile measurements before the sizer, reel,
calender, coating station or winder, and
makes it possible to response test different
actuators with bump tests and optimize
paper web properties. Tension profiles can
be affected by dryer section moisturizers,
infra dryers, steam boxes or calenders.

Installing iRoll Portable sensors on a roll surface.

Typical cases of use in practice

The portable iRoll service has proven its
potential and achieved excellent payback
for paper makers many times over. Below
are some typical cases:
1. Printing house complaints of bad runnability due to slack edges and edge roll
problems. Analysis consists of measuring
tension and roll profiles to find tools to
improve runnability, and process tests.
2. Off-machine coater problems due to
web shifting and web breaks during
unwinder splicing. Analysis consists of
measuring tension and roll profiles to
find causes of tension profile variations,
and process tests.
3. Reel problems (crepe wrinkles and air
bubbles) due to bad profiles. Analysis
consists of measuring roll profiles to find
causes of variations, and process tests.
4. Sizer, reeling and calendering runnability problems due to wrinkling. Analysis
consists of tension profile measurements and process tests to reduce
wrinkling and web breaks.

5. Offline-multinip calender quality and

runnability problems (hard or soft roll
edges, poor winder runnability). Analysis
consists of roll profile measurements
and process tests.
6. Winder problems (wrinkling, cracks,
edge bursts). Analysis consists of winder
profile measurements and analysis of
previous processes.
7. Pre-studies for rebuilds. Portable iRoll,
combined with vibration measurements,
is a comprehensive tool for identifying
bottlenecks when increasing machine
speed. The analysis proactively solves
difficult process and runnability issues
which often arise after a rebuild and
speed increase.

tatu.pitkanen@metso.com
Tel. +358 40 869 7601

RESULTS PULP & PAPER

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