Paper Machine wet end is the very first portion of the fourdrinier machine where the pulp is spread into a specified width with controlled speed and consistency, so as to attain a uniform spread and proper inter-twining of fibers so as to result in a usable paper mat. The entire procedure happens in a very short span of time but it needs accurate controls and operator attention.
The Monitoring system required for checking real-time FPR data is very helpful to ascertain accurate results of wet end and provides assistance to monitor any change brought in the physio-chemical changes applied to wet end.
The PLC of the retention monitoring system can communicate with paper machine DCS to govern the operation of vacuums and dosing pumps to ensure static FPR value. A stable FPR value is what helps in the very smooth functioning of Paper Machine.
The application of ash fillers at wet end, and retention + drainage programs which is usually run in manual mode can be automated to take out manual interference, which results in paper breakage many a time.
The installation of this system not only helps in controlling machine runnability but also forecasts the load which is to be handled by the fiber recovery systems and the effluent treatment and dissolved air floatation systems.
What is the behavior of forming fabric? At the start of life due to ample open area, the forming fabric passes a lot of fines to the white water stream, but after attaining maturity the retention increases to peak. Slowly with passing life, continuous abrasion and due to impact of fillers the retention starts to drop and at the end of life low FPR values can indicate possible losses being created by the forming fabric.
Thus, clubbing data collection, operational control and data analytics can improve overall paper machine economics to a very large extent.