A customized BlueLine OCC stock preparation line for Papierfabrik Palm goes above and beyond the leading papermaker’s expectations for sustainability.

Palm Aalen PM 5

Team Energy

A customized BlueLine OCC stock preparation line for Papierfabrik Palm goes above and beyond the leading papermaker’s expectations for sustainability. Unrivalled low energy consumption and a comprehensive AquaLine Flex mill-wide water management system ensure the new Palm Aalen plant sets industry standards in resource efficiency.

Team Energy

Unrivalled low energy consumption and a comprehensive AquaLine Flex mill-wide water management system ensure the new Palm Aalen plant sets industry standards for papermaking
From left to right: Bernd Ziegler, Manager Electrical Engineering, Papierfabrik Palm; Stephan Gruber, Chief Technology Officer, Papierfabrik Palm; Dr. Michael Trefz, President Projects, Voith; Roland Rauch, Project Manager, Voith; Dr. Andreas Haas, Chief of Engineering, Papierfabrik Palm; Andreas Tiffner, Manager Automation, Papierfabrik Palm; Florian Schmid, Head of Project Technology, Papierfabrik Palm.
Roland Rauch, Project Manager at Voith.
Once the new Papierfabrik Palm Aalen plant is at full production, there is no holding back. The BlueLine OCC stock preparation is built for low-energy, high-capacity performance.
Roland Rauch, Project Manager at Voith

The Project Manager at Voith justifiably trusts the best-in-class design to reduce both energy and water consumption at the plant, while also ensuring fiber loss is kept to the minimum required for the desired product quality. And the customer? Stephan Gruber, Chief Technology Officer at Papierfabrik Palm, shares his confidence:

Stephan Gruber, Managing Director at Papierfabrik Palm
Voith’s team earned our trust though commitment, experience and reliability of the BlueLine OCC process,” he says. “Thanks to the great teamwork, we were able to reach our goals in a highly efficient way.
Stephan Gruber, Chief Technology Officer at Papierfabrik Palm

As one of the largest and most advanced systems worldwide, the entire BlueLine stock preparation line delivers a reliably high production 24/7, 365 days a year at Palm Aalen, and therefore plays a critical role in the annual production of 750,000 metric tons of containerboard to the defined standards and quality. The total stock preparation capacity is designed for 2,700 metric tons from recovered paper each day and will handle reject contents typical for European recycling grades. Up to 500 metric tons will be produced in an adjacent pulping unit, where Voith’s new pulping technology, the Green Pulping Concept, leads to a significantly more energy-efficient pulping of broke from various Palm converting facilities.

Voith IntensaScreenDrum for paper production
750
750
metric tons of containerboard
2700
2700
metric tons will be produced from recovered paper
500
500
metric tons will be produced in an adjacent pulping unit

Moreover, the complete AquaLine Flex water management system for the new plant, incorporating the wet-end process of the paper machine, was designed and installed with the full-line supplier expertise of the Voith and Meri team. “Given that sustainability takes center stage at Palm Aalen, the requirements were understandably demanding,” explains Dr. Michael Trefz, President Projects at Voith Paper.

We’re proud to have stepped up to the challenge. The combination of this state-of-the art BlueLine technology with our smart water management system achieves a maximum yield of high quality stock, while setting a new benchmark for the lowest energy consumption in the industry.
Dr. Michael Trefz, President Projects at Voith Paper
The BlueLine OCC solution from Voith is a seamlessly coordinated process for papermaking.

Breaking down the energy savings

    The key to the BlueLine resource-efficiency lies with the intricate combination of tried-and-tested sub-systems, proven machinery and advanced automation. The outcome is a well-balanced stock production. The BlueLine OCC solution is a seamlessly coordinated process, which avoids the intermediate chests, additional tanks and agitators that often disrupt operations in conventional systems. This simplified process leads to lower investment costs in pumps, piping and valves and requires less pumping energy overall. Such energy efficiency translates to savings of more than 20% compared to conventional facilities. For a plant the size and scale of Palm Aalen, this may result in savings well above half a million euros each year.

    Voith has implemented its automated water management system for both the stock preparation and the wet-end process of the paper machine

    Targeting water consumption and yield

      While high energy efficiency is one priority, another is reduced water consumption. To this end, Voith has implemented its automated water management system for both the stock preparation and the wet-end process of the paper machine. “This was a smart move,” believes Rauch.

      Our superior and water management ultimately reduces water consumption and wastewater throughout the mill and therefore contributes further to the sustainability goals of Palm.
      Roland Rauch, Project Manager at Voith

      What’s more, the water management process in combination with a special disc filter configuration ensures that only super clear filtrate, with less than 150 mg/l total suspended solids, is discharged to the effluent treatment plant. This allows the anaerobic effluent treatment to operate even without a primary clarifier. “Our approach has the added benefit of keeping fibers in the papermaking process,” adds Rauch, “which increases the overall yield of the plant.” Another unique design feature that targets fiber loss is the grouping of no fewer than four stages of IntegraScreens with C-bar Q. In coarse screening, IntegraScreens with slotted baskets are installed, a concept that is already well established in Voith plants that have recently been started up. The slotted baskets combine good screening efficiency, maximum throughput and substantial energy savings.

      Another unique design feature of Voith that targets fiber loss in papermaking is the grouping of no fewer than four stages of IntegraScreens with C-bar Q
      IntegraScreens provide optimum screening efficiency.
      The maintenance-free InfiltraDiscfilter from Voith with BaglessPlus technology is appreciated on both a service and sustainability level, while the simple design of the InfiltraScrewpress ensures easy maintenance.

      All for ease of operation and maintenance

        “The robust BlueLine set-up is also very easy to use,” highlights Tomislav Druzinec, the Start-up Engineer at Voith for the Palm Aalen project. As the head of the start-up team since the beginning, Druzinec has come to know the operators and their needs up close. The maintenance-free InfiltraDiscfilter with BaglessPlus technology is appreciated on both a service and sustainability level, while the simple design of the InfiltraScrewpress ensures easy maintenance.

        Another popular topic of conversation at the mill is the ease of operation of the BlueLine system. “This is not accidental,” explains Druzinec. “It allows to take advantage of an important feature of the overall design: the start/stop control.” Essentially, this combines a strict counterflow principle with smart water cycle separation that is the secret to a fast start-up after any scheduled or unplanned shutdown of the paper machine. At start-up, the key is to set the parameters correctly so that a chain of events seamlessly cascades to ensure smooth start/stop sequences.

        The domain expertise and support of the Voith team are top-notch. We’re completely satisfied with the professional and friendly teamwork.
        Everything has been perfectly engineered down to the last detail,” concludes Dr. Andreas Haas, Chief of Engineering at Palm. “The domain expertise and support of the Voith team are top-notch. We’re completely satisfied with the professional and friendly teamwork.
        Dr. Andreas Haas, Chief of Engineering at Palm

        Contact

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