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Voith strengthens mechanical roll service with sensor technology and digital upgrades

Voith has a worldwide network of 22 mechanical roll service centres, domain expertise and sophisticated digital solutions. It is well positioned as a full-line supplier to provide customized roll maintenance to papermakers around the globe.

Voith’s individualized and transparent service solutions ensure machine availability as well as reliable and sustainable production lines.

With SealView, for instance, papermakers now have accurate, reliable, and real-time information on the wear status of sealing strips inside suction rolls. The sophisticated sensor system can be installed on any type or brand of suction roll at Voith MRS Centers. Reportedly, the SealView system provides insight on the condition of the seal strips in suction rolls and predicts the remaining seal lifetime. SealView can be accessed by machine operators at the customer site as well as remotely by dedicated Voith service centres.

Such precise information supports data-driven decision-making, increases safe roll run times and allows the stress-free and timely scheduling of roll change and service with the Voith MRS Centers. As SealView is based on a pneumatic system, with this solution there is less risk of malfunction during use under wet conditions.

When SealView is combined with HydroSeal, further cost and resource savings are achieved. Unlike conventional seal strips that rely on water showers to cut down on friction during rotation, HydroSeal works with an integrated lubrication system to ensure a constant, even and uniform lubrication over the complete width of the suction roll. HydroSeal also reportedly increases the efficiency of drive operation, which reduces energy costs. Furthermore, rewetting is reduced and a more homogenous moisture profile across machine direction can be achieved when running in optimum conditions.

Voith explains in a press statement that a transparent inventory management system is crucial for optimizing maintenance scheduling and visualizing run times. This is provided by Voith’s OnCare.pmPortal, the powerful asset management tool for fabrics, rolls, roll covers and doctor blades. With the OnCare.pmPortal module “ID Tagging” critical products are tagged to support better tracking and inventory management. Depending on the product and machine environment, either a barcode, QR code or RFID/NFC technology is used. In all cases, a scan with a mobile device quickly reveals all the relevant information necessary for optimized predictive maintenance, including product history and run time since installation.