6 Do’s and Do Not’s of Suction Roll Selection
When searching for a suction roll equipment for your next mill improvement project, there are a number of items to consider before making a decision. These questions, while not all-encompassing, will help you explore design, material, mechanical, and usage questions that will help you maximize your investment in suction roll equipment. Follow these 6 “Do’s” and “Do Not’s” to guide you through investment decision process.
1) DO: Consider the Benefits of a Split Housing Assembly
A split front housing assembly on the end of each suction roll, as opposed to a one-piece housing assembly, makes accessing the bearings and vacuum connection simple and efficient. This is important for maintenance and replacement of inner housing components.
2) DO NOT: Select a Suction Roll Material Without Careful Consideration
When considering and reviewing material options for new suction roll equipment, consider the chemicals, speed, and material type of your application. Various grades of metal will have strengths and weaknesses, so matching material with your production application is vital. We typically recommend using Stainless Steel and several grades of Stainless Steel alloys to fit your specific application. Get in touch with the technical sales team.
3) DO: Remember to Review the Air Flow Standards
When considering air flow requirements of new suction roll equipment, we design for the proper CFM (cubic feet per minute) per square inch recommendations that is required for the specific roll location and application. We recommend referencing TAPPI Standards for further guidance.
4) DO NOT: Ignore Item (i.e. Bearings) Expected Life Spans
Expected life spans exist for a reason. Those life spans are tested by the manufacturer, and frequently validated by third-party industry associations for accuracy and dependability. Ignoring these life spans can have significant costs associated with emergency shutdowns, not to mention lost revenue.
Take suction roll bearings as an example. In standard suction roll applications, bearing life of our rolls that we design and manufacture meets and exceeds the 120,000 L-10 hours at loads and speed requirements for the application. Variability in speeds and loads along with lubrication cycle time may affect the lifespan, but do not assume a longer expected lifespan than the given rating. Time spent unused, while not contributing to an hours used count, may still allow for component degradation and loss of estimated life span. L-10 stands for the expected lifespan of 90% as deemed by the American Bearing Manufacturers Association.
5) DO: Consider a Suction Roll Overhaul for Cost Efficiency
A number of factors must be considered when analyzing the new verses overhaul equipment debate. Namely, these factors include: necessary life expectancy, age of existing equipment, and immediate or expected changes to your production process. New suction rolls may be 5-10 times more expensive than overhauling existing suction rolls, so get in contact with us to explore the potential savings for your situation. A standard routine cycle of overhauls will also save on unexpected downtime of paper machines with extended overall longevity of your suction roll equipment.
6) DO NOT: Go at the Process Alone
Our experience in the paper mill industry dates back decades by R-V Industries and the acquisition of LG Industries company. Our team has many years of experience and many hundreds of suction rolls manufactured to date. Our engineering team has designed a template calculation method to producing the specification requirements for specific applications.
Even if it is not with us, we encourage you to seek the help of the designing and manufacturing experts. This will help you get the best result, and the best product, out of your production machine.
