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WINDING FORCE AS A TOOL FOR SUCCESSFUL WINDING OF LWC-PAPER Mr. Petri Tolonen, Project Manager UPM-Kymmene Corp. Rauma Paper Mill FIN-26100 Rauma Finland Mr. Jyrki Strengel, Vice President, Winders Valmet, Inc. Wrtsilnkatu 100 FIN-04400 Jrvenp, Finland ------------------------------------------------------INTRODUCTION UPM-Kymmene started-up a new mechanical coated paper making production line at Rauma mill in January 1998. The major product of new PM4 is LWC for offset printers. The paper is coated on-machine by two advanced short dwell type coating heads. The calendering is done off-machine by two new generation multinip calenders featuring a new loading principle and polymer roll covers. The machine is targeted for a maximum speed of 1800 m/min (5900 fpm) and annual capacity of close to 400,000 metric tonnes. The paper is wound by two WinRoll multistation belt relieving winders, which are new multistation winders developed in the last few years. In the finishing area there is also one salvage winder, a WinBelt beltbed winder. In all three winders, the roll hardness can be controlled using low nip loads by applying winding force on the roll surface. The production winders apply winding force to the roll through driven belt rider rolls and the rewinder uses a belt bed which also supports the roll. This paper discusses the winding force and its effect on LWC-roll quality. The capacity of Raumas production winders is much higher than the capacity of conventional single-drum winders. The new production winders are equipped with all automatic features including reel spool handling, full width web threading , core handling, wound roll tail fastening, butt-joint back-splicing, trim change and set change. ------------------------------------------------------RAUMA 400-PROJECT UPM-Kymmene started-up a new mechanical coated paper making production line at Rauma mill in January, 1998. The major product of new PM4 is LWC for offset printers. The paper machine and finishing equipment was supplied by Valmet, Inc. The paper is coated on-machine by two OptiBlade coating heads which represent the newest development of short dwell type of coaters. The calendering is done off-machine by two OptiLoad calenders featuring a new loading principle and polymer roll covers instead of filled cotton rolls. The machine is targeted for a maximum speed of 1800 m/min (5900 fpm) and annual capacity of close to 400,000 metric tonnes.

The paper is wound by two multistation belt relieving winders (figure 1), which are new generation multistation winders. In the finishing area there is also one salvage beltbed winder. In all three winders, the roll hardness can be controlled using low nip loads by applying winding force on the roll surface. In the multistation belt relieving winders winding force is applied to the roll through driven belt rider rolls and in the beltbed winder by a beltbed (figure 2). In both winders the belt arrangement supports the roll.

Figure 1: Multistation belt relieving winder at UPM-Kymmene, Rauma mill.

A) Beltbed winder w/rider roll

B) Multistation belt relieving winder

Figure 2: Winding Force as applied on A) a beltbed winder, and B) a multistation belt relieving winder. The multistation belt relieving winders were chosen because of their high capacity and all automatic features. High capacity is needed when we speak about a 400,000 metric tonnes per year LWC offset line. The automation aspect and runnability become very important elements. In offset grades the individual customer orders are small. Therefore, fast trim width changes are required. Here the automation degree has to be high, so that all the automatic changes in diameters and roll widths as well as core cutting and positioning have to be very fast. Because of the wide trim width and rather small offset reels, both winders are equipped with 14 standard duty winding stations and the maximum weight of the wound roll has been up to 4 tonnes (8800 lbs) and maximum diameter up to 1800 mm (71 in). The multistation belt relieving

winder also has an additional benefit to produce narrow rolls - the property which is needed in LWC offset line. With offset there is no need for heavy duty winding stations. Before the decision was made we wanted to test the new winding method by winding some large LWC rolls on the pilot winder in the winder vendors research center. The results of these tests were excellent and after these tests we were confident that the new winding method will give us an effective tool to control the customer rolls. The winders were purchased at the end of June, 1996, and the erection work at site started at the beginning of August, 1997. The erection phase was completed and approved in the beginning of November, 1997, when the checking and testing of the winders also started. The first machine roll was wound on the winder at the end of November. DESCRIPTION OF THE MULTISTATION BELT RELIEVING WINDER Web Run The web run is located below the floor level (figure 3). This feature enables control of web moisture to minimize web shrinkage problems. The three drum configuration is similar to that of the vendors other multistation winders, keeping the wrap angles and web run lengths equal for both inside and outside stations. This has helped to ensure similar roll structures on both sides of the winder.

Figure 3: Below floor level web run in multistation belt relieving winder. Belted Rider Rolls The rider rolls are equipped with belts. The belted rider rolls can use a high linear load without wrinkling or marking because the force per unit area is low. Therefore, the rider roll load can be used much more efficiently. At the beginning of the set, the belted rider rolls support the core to prevent bending. They ride on top of the winding roll and provide optimum nip load up to a diameter of 600 mm (figure 4A).

A) Initial position

B) Final position

Figure 4: Belted rider rolls A) on top of roll in critical initial portion of roll build, and B) supporting the roll as it grows to a large diameter. However, at the point that the weight of the roll provides all the necessary nip load against the drum, an unique sequence begins. The belted rider rolls traverse around the outside of the winding roll giving side support, and finally assume a relieving position underneath the roll (figure 4B). This relief can be up to 1000 kg/m, which corresponds to 3 metric tonnes (6600 lbs) of extra relief on a 3 meter wide roll. This extra relief reduces mechanical stress on the core and minimizes core deflection (figure 5B). Without the belt support relief, deflection of the core and the subsequent stress on the paper layers above the ends of the core chucks cause printing press core bursts (figure 5A). Due to this support, the winder is capable of winding 10 metric tonne (22,000 lb) rolls on fiber cores. Though we have not approached this limit, it is nice to know that the winder is capable of much greater roll weights for our future needs. Additionally, the rider roll load is profiled in wide rolls when many rider rolls are used, which provides an additional cross directional winding tool.

Core chuck loading

A lt e rn a ti m a c h in n g c ro s s e s tr e s s

S ubsta ntially red uced co re c huck lo adin g

C o re c huck

B e lt s u pp o

rt

A) Conventional multistation winder

B) Belt supported winder

Figure 5: A) Deflection of the core and subsequent stress on the paper layers with a conventional multistation winder. B) Reduced core chuck loading resulting from belt support. Winding Force

The multistation belt relieving winders do not use center drives to turn the winding roll. Instead, the belted rider rolls are equipped with surface traction drives that apply a winding force to the surface of the winding roll. This provides a strong tightening effect from the core all the way to the maximum roll diameter. This has proven to give us even roll tightness; more so than conventional center drives, because they lose their tightening capability as the roll diameter increases (figure 6). We have also had no core or core chuck durability problems, as no center torque must be transmitted through the cores.

Figure 6: Relative efficiency of center drive vs winding force as a tool for building good roll structure. Note the availability of winding force tension throughout the roll build. Narrow Rolls Another significant reason for choosing this multistation belt relieving winder was its capability to wind narrow rolls. For our offset production needs, narrow rolls are frequently necessary to be run on the multistation winder. With a conventional multistation winder, the center drives for each station limit the minimum roll width. With the multistation belt relieving winder, the absence of center drives allows a minimum roll width of 400 mm (15.75 in) - amply small for our production needs. Full Automation and Continuous Winding In order to meet the capacity requirements of this machine line, it is necessary that the multistation belt relieving winder break through the standard barriers of set change times in conventional multistation winding. What we needed was a multistation winder that had automated two drum capacity. The multistation belt relieving winder has provided this with its co-ordination of automated functions we refer to as continuous winding. Continuous winding is achieved by automatically coordinating the following functions: - reel spool handling and changing - full width web threading - automated core handling - tail fastening to cores and of the finished wound roll - back splicer device producing a printing press quality butt joint splice - trim change

- set change. These functions make one man operation possible - as long as roll handling and core feeding to the winder are automated. Our current staffing level for the two multistation belt relieving winders, salvage winder and core handling and guillotine is 5 people. Using continuous winding, the winder can perform fully automatically until there is a web break or no new parent reels are available. EXPERIENCES FROM UPM-KYMMENE RAUMA MILL The winder project was on schedule all the time. During the manufacturing and erection there were no surprises. The paper machine started three weeks before the original schedule. The winders were put into commission ahead of schedule. Because of the high level of automation this type of winder needs a rather long time and significant manpower for checking and testing before every function is fine tuned. In our case the fine tuning was made by using seven machine rolls transported from our Jmsnkoski mill. The trim width of the Jmsnkoski PM6 which is producing SC grades, is the same as Rauma PM4 and that is why it was just the right paper for checking the new winders. The winding parameters were set according to pilot tests and were so correct from the beginning that the wound rolls (figure 7) were good even from the first machine roll.

Figure 7: Offset rolls at the windup of the multistation belt relieving winder at Rauma. The paper machine was started on January 7, 1998. The start-up speed was 1150 m/min (3775 fpm) and the grade was 45 g/m2 base paper. Shortly after the start-up the speed was raised to 1300 m/min (4265 fpm) and the average speed for February was already above the 1400 m/min (4590 fpm) mark. In June of 1998, a new world speed record was set for LWC grades when PM4 ran 1550 m/min (5085 fpm) for 24 hours! Winder capacity is so high that it has even been possible to run the whole production from PM4 even for one whole day on only one multistation belt relieving winder. At the same time, tuning and service was carried out on the neighboring winder. Due to normal service requirements, the need for frequent order changes and other less than ideal conditions, two winders are needed for normal production at these high paper machine speeds.

Good training of the operating personnel of the winders is exceedingly important because of the high level of the automation. In the operating team of the winders there should be at least one operator with good knowledge of automation functions so that the situations the team will face can be solved as soon as possible. During the project and start-up of the winders we had a lot of important and useful feedback from our Voikkaa mill where the first multistation belt relieving winder was put into operation eight months before our start-up. The winder vendor had taken the feedback from the Voikkaa mill into consideration and the required alterations had been made immediately. During the start-up we also used operators from the Voikkaa mill (figure 8). They assisted in training our personnel to operate the winders efficiently. Their assistance was remarkably valuable to us.

Figure 8: Operator demonstrating use of pendant-style winder control panel at Voikkaa mill. The structure of the wound rolls has been excellent since the start-up. Plenty of rolls have been checked on the salvage winder, and not a single defect because of bad winding has been found. Also the structures of the rolls were evaluated by different kinds of methods: - Pull-tab - Smith-needle - Density measurements - Axially, Parotester As can be seen in the figures, the multistation belt relieving winder, using winding force, can make a roll with even, controlled hardness no matter what station the roll is winding on. This compares quite favorably to the results on a two drum winder when we look at the roll hardness at different cross direction locations. When running 60 g/m2 MFC at our Voikkaa mill, the roll hardness for each roll in a six roll set is quite repeatable and uniform, as shown in figure 9. The same results are shown for an LWC offset grade from our Rauma mill (figure 10).

Figure 9: Results of roll structure (hardness) at Voikaa mill using the multistation belt relieving winder and winding force to make 60 g/m2 MFC rolls.

Figure 10: Roll structure results from Rauma mill on an LWC offset grade from each end of the roll. The feedback from our customers concerning the runnability of the rolls at presses, not surprisingly - has been excellent. According to Mr. Juha Tiili, Customer Service Manager at the Rauma mill, So far, we havent got a single claim concerning the runnability. The consistency of roll structure independent of cross machine location is a major factor here, as seen in the accompanying graph of roll hardness at three different stations (figure 11). We can really talk about zero-fault-paper as far as runnability is concerned.

Figure 11: Roll hardness is consistent regardless of cross machine roll location in the multistation belt relieving winder. The time to perform individual functions has been measured and the phase times have fulfilled the values the machine vendor has guaranteed. At the moment, the performance times are as follows: - Full width web threading: 3.5 minutes - Trim change: 60 seconds average - Set change: 32 seconds - Reel spool change time with butt joint splice: 4 minutes The salvage beltbed winder has also been problem-free in every aspect. The operators have been running it quite in the shadow of the multistation belt relieving winders. It is running so smooth that you dont even notice it. SUMMARY The capacity of the winders, using continuous winding, is on the same level or even higher than in two drum winders and wont be the bottle neck on the line. The multistation belt relieving winders can significantly control the roll structure using winding force. We and our customers can trust that the runnability of the rolls is excellent. Therefore, the customers can save money when they have less breaks at the presses and because they can leave less paper on the core before the roll change. The multistation belt relieving winders of Rauma PM4 have fully met the expectations of the Rauma-400 project. These winders provide us with significant competitive advantages for higher capacity and better roll quality.