Aikawa in Japan introduces pulp screening rotor that increases capacity, improves stability, offers up to 30% in energy savings compared with existing designs, replacing standard rotor elements with patent-pending design that accelerates pulp suspension

Diane Keaton

SHERBROOK, Québec , April 19, 2014 (press release) – Screening is an important process in any pulp or paper mill. Aikawa Fiber Technologies (AFT) today introduced a new screening rotor – a critical component inside every pressure screen – that increases capacity, improves stability, and offers up to 30% in energy savings, compared with even AFT’s existing award-winning rotor designs. 

This new GHC2™ rotor builds upon the success of the over 1800 GHC rotors already in operation by replacing the standard rotor elements with a new, patent-pending PowerWave™ design. PowerWave has a unique waveform surface on its leading edge which accelerates the pulp suspension. This strengthens the suction pulse and creates “micro-vortices” which keep the screen cylinder's apertures clean to improve throughput and runnability.

According to Mathieu Hamelin, AFT’s Product Manager for Rotors, mill-documented performance of the GHC2 rotor shows a capacity increase up to 20% compared to the standard GHC rotor. “When capacity is not an issue and energy savings are more important, the power consumption of the GHC2 can be lowered by 30% compared to the GHC simply by reducing the tip speed,” Hamelin says. “When compared to conventional rotors from other manufacturers, energy savings up to 60% may be possible.”

The GHC2 rotor has been rigorously tested in mill trials after a thorough proof-of-concept in Aikawa’s Test Facility in Japan. “We are excited about this innovation,” Hamelin says, “and we are sure that more pulp and paper producers will really benefit from this new design.”

About AFT

AFT is a global supplier with manufacturing centers in Canada, China, Finland, and South Korea. The company offers Performance Components and new equipment to optimize screening, refining, stock prep, and machine approach operations. AFT also provides private-label manufacturing services for many of the industry’s best-recognized OEMs.

AFT can trace its roots to the Union Screen Plate Company 110 years ago. The company’s strength is its ability to transfer this century-plus years of scientific and applications knowledge into superior results for a mill – what it calls Science Applied.

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