Paper machine clothing has played a leading role in the evolution to modern papermaking, but pricing stability and industry teamwork are needed to meet growing challenges.

Paper machine clothing (PMC) has long been considered one of the industry's most valuable assets and a key player in the advancement toward modern papermaking. Today's paper machine technology, as a whole, could not have successfully developed without significant step changes in PMC during the past 30 years.

These advancements abound and include all sections of the machine. In forming fabrics, for example, bronze wires were (fortunately) replaced by “single layer” synthetic fabrics. These early structures were simple by today's standards but represented quantum leaps in installation, performance, and operating life.

For press felts, seamed technology has rapidly advanced to provide incredible improvements in installation safety and change times, as well as delivering enhancements in performance. Overall, press felt structures are now manufactured with a variety of non-traditional techniques that provide unprecedented sheet quality and vastly superior water handling, while extending operating life to levels previously thought unachievable.

Dryer fabrics have also improved dramatically in the past couple of decades. With improvements in raw materials, conversion from multifilament designs to monofilaments was made possible even on the most demanding high-temp positions. Innovations in sheet-side surfaces now protect the excellent sheet quality exiting today's press sections, all the way to the reel.

These innovations have collectively led to significant reductions in overall PMC costs per ton of paper produced. And, because of improvements in speeds, productivity, sheet quality, and clothing life, average clothing costs per-ton have dropped nearly 14% since 1997, according to Paper Machine Clothing Council data.

Ensuring Survival These new PMC technological advancements required significant capital expenditures for new equipment purchases by the various supplier companies.

To sustain these advancements and to ensure that North America not only survives but also thrives in an ever-growing global market, our collective challenges as suppliers and papermakers are many. PMC supplier costs continue to increase, primarily due to petroleum-based raw materials, finished goods inventory and warehousing requirements, and extensive service and support commitments.

It is imperative that PMC pricing stabilizes to support more capital expenditures and continued research and development to perpetuate innovation and keep North America at the forefront of the paper industry. In addition, paper manufacturers must re-invest in their mills to compete with massive expansions in new technology as seen in the past decade in Europe and Asia.

The good news is that teamwork is finally starting to pay real dividends. For the most part, gone are the days when lowest price always got the business. PMC suppliers and mills are now deep into managing their clothing programs through the theme of continuous improvement…and documenting true value that clothing continues to provide.

Cost Perspectives PMC usually accounts for less than 2% of each ton of paper produced, well behind the major costs of fiber, energy, chemicals, and labor. Modern PMC applications can help mills reduce these costs by values many times the actual price-per-piece for a felt or fabric.

Every paper manufacturer is under pressure for cost control so it becomes crucial that a very close relationship exist between the papermaker and PMC partner to provide the strategy, product technology, service, and support to become mutually successful.

As PMC suppliers and Papermakers, we must collectively capitalize on this concept to ensure our successful futures.

About the Author. Steve Cole is director of technology, Weavexx Corp. He can be contacted at: steve_cole@weavexx.com

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