Products Equipment & Systems
Voith EcoCal Plus promises to reduce production costs in board manufacturing

Jul. 24, 2017 – Voith ensures its new EcoCal Plus calender will allow papermakers to produce high-grade board products with high stability and lower basis weight; the special thermal smoothing of the EcoCal Plus allows raw material savings of up to 3.5 per cent, it notes. As well, the process promises to result in an improved surface structure of the paper.

The hard nip calender plays a decisive role in the manufacturing of high-quality, stable board with low basis weight. It smoothes the paper surface and gives the board a uniform surface. This is where the EcoCal Plus comes in. The machine calender used for pre-calendering makes use of the fact that surfaces can be smoothed more easily when moisturized and warm. The EcoCal Plus is equipped with an external induction-heated system that additionally heats the thermo roll to a temperature of up to 260 degrees C — higher than the temperatures of conventional systems with 200 degrees C, says Voith. The EcoCal Plus also has an additional nozzle moisturizer for intensifying the bulk-preserving smoothing effect by regulating the paper web temperature, notes the company. The EcoCal Plus technology allows papermakers to reduce their fibre consumption, which greatly improves the cost efficiency of the plant, says Voith. It says an annual production of 500,000 tonnes with a one-per-cent saving in raw materials use translates into savings of around 250,000 euros per month for the manufacturer. According to Voith, the EcoCal Plus calender can be integrated into existing plants as an upgrade.