Condition monitoring in 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 forewarning 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, reelers, 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 instrumentation

Our range of handheld instrumentation includes equipment for shock pulse measurement, vibration severity measurement, and vibration spectrum analysis.

Intellinova online systems

With Intellinova, our unique HD condition-monitoring technologies can be fully utilized to successfully provide earlier warning of mechanical problems than any other monitoring technology.

Transducers and transmitters

Selecting the right transducer for your application is vital to measurement accuracy. We offer a wide range of high-quality transducers and transmitters.

Case studies

Lubrication issue on a felt guide roll detected with SPM LR/HR

This case study outlines the use of SPM LR/HR technology to monitor and extend the life of a felt guiding roll bearing in a paper machine's drying section. Condition data was collected through route-based measurements for over fourteen years, starting in 2008. Regular analysis with SPM LR/HR and...

Airius wireless sensors detect fan imbalance at packaging plant

In this case study, Airius wireless vibration sensors detected a fan imbalance condition on a waste fan in a plant producing specialist packaging products.

Bearing monitoring of pulp washer with SPM HD

The pulp washer, or wash press, is a critical piece of equipment in pulp production. As such, it is a prime target for online condition monitoring. When Norwegian pulp mill FollaCell AS equipped three pulp washers with the Intellinova Compact online system some time ago, it was not long before th...

Outer race damage on 4-7 RPM bearings

At Swedish biorefinery Domsjö Fabriker, the Intellinova Compact online system monitors the mechanical condition of two drying machines and one wash press. This case study recounts two separate occasions of severe bearing damage on the wash press.

Condition monitoring of refiner bearings

Norwegian pulp mill MMK FollaCell AS monitors critical equipment with the Intellova Compact online system. This case study describes three individual bearing damages found in two refiners.

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.

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...

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.

News

Fosber chooses Intellinova Parallel EN for condition monitoring of corrugator production lines

Fosber is a leading global supplier that designs, constructs, and installs complete lines and individual machine units to produce corrugated board packaging. Founded i...

Collaborative innovation: How Södra Cell leverages digitalization with Airius LTE-M wireless vibration sensors

At SPM, we are solution-oriented to the core. Our development work is born out of a genuine passion for solving problems, and a significant part is done in collaborati...

Rottneros improves reliability with Airius wireless vibration sensors from SPM

Swedish pulp development and production specialist Rottneros continues prioritizing equipment reliability and performance. Following years of successful implementation...

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...

Södra Cell makes major investment in wireless vibration measurement over cellular network

Swedish forestry group Södra's three pulp mills in Värö, Mörrum, and Mönsterås are now jointly making a major investment in one thousand wireless Airius vibration sens...

Holmen Paper Hallsta upgrades online vibration monitoring system on paper machine PM12

Earlier this year, SPM received an order for a total of 154 transducers for the replacement of an older SPM system on the drive side of the drying section on Hallsta’s...

Eska equips board machine with online condition monitoring

Dutch solid board producer Eska has decided to equip the PM7 board machine in its Hoogezand plant with an online condition monitoring system from SPM Instrument. Eska...

Södra Cell Värö pulp mill ensures availability of drying machine with online monitoring for Industry 4.0

At Swedish pulp mill Södra Cell Värö, condition monitoring has long been a well-integrated and successful part of preventive maintenance. The mill is now making furthe...

Holmen Paper Hallsta upgrades shock pulse and vibration monitoring system on PM12

At Swedish specialty paper mill Holmen Paper Hallsta in Roslagen, condition-based maintenance has long been a prioritized strategy. As a first step in the upgrade of t...