A suction roll with a SolarFlow polyurethane cover from Voith has had its first maintenance after almost four years. The manufacturer of fine paper that owns the roll has called the running time of exactly 1,438 days between two grinding intervals a potential record-breaker. Suction rolls with other covers would often only manage a quarter of this running time.

“We only achieved such a remarkable long running time between two grinding intervals thanks to high performance roll covers combined with regular and comprehensive service,” adds Jochen Honold, Global Product Manager Mechanical Roll Service.

The suction roll was completely dismantled at the Voith Service Center in Ravensburg. This is a standardized procedure that ensures that the causes of signs of wear are discovered and can be rectified. “We perform a weak point analysis for each roll that we get for service. This means that we can save our customers future repairs,” says Alexander Reutlinger, Head of the Voith Service Center in Ravensburg.

The SolarFlow polyurethane roll cover allows a maximized void volume, which is maintained over a long installation period due to its unique material properties. This enables stable nip conditions, therefore fast machine speeds with a high dry content and at the same time low energy consumption.

Voith Paper is a division of the Voith Group and the leading partner to and pioneer in the paper industry. Through constant innovations, Voith Paper is optimizing the paper manufacturing process, focusing on developing resource-saving products to reduce the use of energy, water, and fibers. Furthermore, Voith Paper offers a broad service portfolio for all sections of the paper manufacturing process.

Voith sets standards in the markets of energy, oil & gas, paper, raw materials and transport & automotive. Founded in 1867, Voith today has more than 39,000 employees, sales of €5.3 billion and locations in more than 50 countries, making it one of the largest family-owned companies in Europe.