Pulp and paper

SPM has supplied condition-monitoring solutions to the pulp and paper industry for many years. Our first customers were North European paper mills at the beginning of the 1970s.

Condition monitoring is a cornerstone in the asset management of pulp and paper plants. Having control of the operating condition is a must to optimize plant profitability. Maintaining availability, maximizing fore-warning time, and avoiding secondary damages are the main reasons for applying condition-based monitoring in pulp and paper.

Typical applications in pulp and paper are conveyor belts, chippers, chip classifiers, blowers, screw conveyors, refiners, pressure screens, agitators, nip monitoring, felt rollers, spreader rolls, suction rolls, yankee cylinders, drying cylinders, vacuum pumps, realers, and also electrical motors, pumps, fans, and gears.

"We continue to invest in SPM equipment to increase plant availability by avoiding bearing damage that may develop into failure."

Andreas Lindblom, Maintenance Manager of the mechanical workshop at Södra Cell Värö

Digester condition monitoring for improved productivity

Whether the outlet device is hydraulic or gear-driven, SPM offers an unmatched reliability solution for digesters. The solution monitors the bearings that support the bottom scraper and shaft, where damage may develop quickly, with potentially disastrous consequences.

Benefits of the condition-monitoring solution for digesters:

  • Minimized production downtime
  • Maximized productivity
  • Less secondary damage
  • Reduced cost

Technical Solution: Digester

Products for the pulp and paper industry

Considering the harsh environment of paper mills, SPM offers every piece of hardware and software equipment you need for an efficient condition-monitoring solution, from the point of data collection all the way through to evaluated measurement data. Our products and measuring techniques are specifically developed for the needs of the pulp and paper industry.

Portable instruments

The SPM range of handheld instruments includes equipment for shock pulse measurement, vibration severity measurement and vibration spectrum analysis.

Intellinova online systems

An online condition monitoring and diagnosis system is an asset management tool that will keep constant watch over your equipment, maximizing the level of plant availability and performance.

Transducers and transmitters

Selecting the right transducer for your application is crucial to measurement accuracy. Available in a variety of options, there is a shock pulse or vibration transducer for every need.

Case studies

Gear damage on rotary kiln

This case study describes the detection of gear damage on an output shaft, detected during a capacity test involving a speed increase.

Bearing damage on press roll

At Romanian paper mill Vrancart S.A., the online system Intellinova Compact with HD condition monitoring technology is installed to monitor the press section of paper machine K25. This case study involves the detection of bearing damage on one of the press rolls, showing the development of the da...

Multistage gearbox failure

Part of a comprehensive project investigating and determining best practices for gearbox monitoring with HD technology, this case study involves condition monitoring of a multi-stage gearbox in a pulp mill.

HD Technologies on couch roll

This case study shows comparative measurements between SPM HD and HD ENV on a couch roll bearing in paper machine K25 at Romanian paper mill Vrancart S.A. Adjud.

Outer race damage in Chemi-Washer

This case study from Bulgarian pulp mill Svilocell is about the detection of a bearing damage through route-based condition monitoring on a Chemi-Washer, using the portable data analyzer Leonova Diamond.

Wash press monitoring with SPM HD

This case study describes test measurements performed on an 8 RPM wash press in the bleaching plant at Zellstoff Pöls AG in Austria using the SPM HD method.

Low speed bearing monitoring on low-pressure feeder

This case study deals with the implementation of condition monitoring on a low-pressure feeder in one of Sweden’s biggest pulp mills, Södra Cell Mönsterås.

Vibration monitoring on paper machine calender

Swedish paper mill Stora Enso Kvarnsveden applies vibration monitoring on the PM8 super calender to optimize its operation and extend the service life of the rollers.

SPM HD on low speed machinery in paper production

Ortviken Paper Mill in Sweden, owned by SCA, produces coated publication papers, LWC and newsprint on four paper machines with an annual production capacity of 850.000 tons. For Ortviken, the SPM HD® measuring technique is the solution to years of problems with bearing-related breakdowns on low-R...

Hallsta Paper Mill measures bearing condition with SPM HD

"Since April 2009, we have been engaged in a project together with SPM, where we have measured bearing condition on four of our twin wire presses with SPM HD® measuring technique. To maintain pulp quality, it is essential that these presses work properly. Any breakdowns also lead to major costs f...

News

Holmen Paper initiates the second stage in online system upgrade on PM11 in Hallsta paper mill

Building upon the success of the initial stage in 2022, Holmen Paper, an industry leader in paper production, takes another stride toward innovation by upgrading its o...

Södra Cell continues investments in wireless condition monitoring with Airius LTE-M

Following a successful first phase, Swedish forestry group Södra is now investing in another one thousand wireless Airius LTE-M vibration sensors for its pulp mills in...

DS Smith Zărnești Paper Mill expands online monitoring system on PM1

Following the successful implementation of a major condition monitoring project's first stage in the summer of 2021, Romanian paper mill DS Smith Paper Zărnești announ...

Ahlstrom-Munksjö Aspa Bruk invests in online systems with remote condition monitoring service from SPM

Swedish specialty pulp mill Aspa Bruk has placed an order for SPM's most advanced online system Intellinova Parallel EN to monitor the mechanical and lubrication condi...