When machinery and equipment are inoperable and must be repaired frequently, it costs a company time, revenue and manpower. A major corrugated carton manufacturer in Columbia was continuously stopping production in order to repair their equipment. The manufacturer had to resurface their production rollers every 30 days. These constant repairs were necessary because if the roller diameters get too low, they need to be replaced entirely.
ENECON Columbia was asked to help find a solution to the manufacture’s roller problems by repairing two ‘test’ rollers. Pulp and paper mill rollers are vital in the production process. They help dry the paper, giving it the necessary strength to be self-supporting and also ensure the appropriate thickness is consistent. The rollers at this manufacturer operate at a potential maximum temperature of 302oF/ 150oC.
The first step in the repair was to prepare the rollers by grit blasting. This is necessary because the new coating to be applied needs to adhere properly to the roller. Two coats of CeramAlloy HTL were then applied to completely resurface the rollers. Providing high temperature and corrosion resistance.
Each roller required 4kg of CeramAlloy HTL. Previous repair methods of metalizing, a technique that provides a thin coating of metal, would cost $3,000 (USD) per roller. ENECON’s CeramAlloy HTL cost half the price. Additionally, the ENECON solution cut maintenance time of these rollers significantly.
Each production machine contains 70 rollers. This corrugated carton factory has 12 machines. The maintenance engineers of this factory were so pleased with the results, more roller repairs will take place in the future.