Voith says it has ecologically improved its products in recent years to offer solutions that reduce consumption of fibers, water and energy and incorporate outstanding technology, such as system that converts waste de-inking sludge into minerals, energy

Debra Garcia

HEIDENHEIM, Germany , May 8, 2014 (press release) – The specific focus of Voith Paper’s innovations is that they should be ecological improvements on their predecessors and at the same time offer distinct cost advantages. Only resource-conserving and efficient plants and products will make a company competitive and enable long-term, sustainable production.

The product innovations the company has launched in recent years and months prove how this concept is clearly embedded at Voith. The focus of the company’s R&D activities is on solutions that reduce consumption of fibers, water and energy and incorporate outstanding technology.

One such example is CTC (Controlled Thermal Conversion) technology, which converts the waste de-inking sludge from recycling fibers in the papermaking process into reactive minerals and thermal energy. The CTC process does not result in any non-recyclable waste and the steam generated can be used directly in the paper mill. In a Dutch industrial facility around 50,000 t/a reactive minerals are being produced from 200,000 t paper sludge, while a steam turbine at the same location is generating 4 MW electricity. This also results in a CO2 reduction of around 20,000 t/a compared with using gas-fired boilers to produce the same volume of steam.

The company is also working on sustainable solutions for stock preparation, with its LEF technology (LowEnergyFlotation) representing a breakthrough in the energy-efficient removal of printing inks. At the heart of the LEF are the newly developed injectors. Combined with modified pumps they result in a reduction in energy consumption in the flotation process of up to 50%.

Another resource-saving innovation from Voith is HydroSeal, a patented sealing strip system with integrated lubrication for all suction rolls. The globally unique HydroSeal system enables significant savings in lubrication water and drive energy. Customer trials showed that lubrication water feed could be reduced by almost 90%, thus saving valuable resources and cutting costs.

But Voith’s product innovations are not just geared towards saving resources and improving cost efficiency; they also focus on the needs of the mill operating personnel. To make it safer to carry out press felt measurements Voith has developed the ProTect device, which allows the necessary measurements to be carried out while eliminating risks to the operator from working in close vicinity to moving parts or having to walk on slippery surfaces.

Further information is available on the Voith website at www.voith.com/paper. Voith Paper is also on Twitter and YouTube.

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 energy, oil & gas, paper, raw materials and transport & automotive. Founded in 1867, Voith employs more than 43,000 people, generates € 5.7 billion in sales, operates in about 50 countries around the world and is today one of the biggest family-owned companies in Europe.

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