More than 50 different pulp and tissue paper manufacturers have made use of the opportunity in the past ten years to carry out their own tests at the Innovation Center in São Paulo. Above all, there is still a lot of interest in the possible uses of the ATMOS technology, as well as tests with the new NipcoFlex T shoe press which lowers energy consumption in the production of conventional tissue paper by around 20%.

Quick change between dry crepe and ATMOS mode. The change of the configuration between the conventional mode and ATMOS technology can be done as quickly and easily on the pilot machine as it is in a commercial machine. The ATMOS technology for production of high-quality tissue is interesting for several reasons: with ATMOS, around 60% less energy and 30% fewer fibers are required than with other processes. Moreover, premium and ultra-premium paper can be produced from up to 100% recycled fibers with ATMOS. The headbox on the pilot machine can be set for one, two or three layers so as to obtain differences in softness, thickness and tensile strength of the paper. The reel can also be operated in conventional mode or with center wind-up in the case of high-quality premium paper.

Impressive drying capacity. The cast iron Yankee cylinder has a diameter of 5.5m and has a correspondingly large drying capacity. Even the air systems and the heat recovery system were upgraded to the latest technical state of the art. Furthermore, the pilot machine received an Ultra Hood dryer hood from Voith which allows temperatures up to 650°C and noticeably increases the production output.

Technological development for more efficiency Voith Paper’s research and development for tissue paper is carried out at the Innovation Center in São Paulo. Since 1994, engineers have been working here on the development of new components, including ATMOS technology and the NipcoFlex T shoe press, both of which contribute to sustainable resource-conserving tissue production.//