paperikonetta

A paperikone, or paper machine, is a large continuous production line used to manufacture paper by forming a web from a pulp slurry, removing water, and bonding the fibers into a cohesive sheet. It is the core equipment in most paper mills and can produce a wide range of paper grades from lightweight printing papers to heavy packaging grades.

A typical paperikone consists of several main sections. The forming section includes a headbox that distributes the pulp slurry onto a moving forming fabric, where water is drained and the initial fiber network forms a sheet. The press section uses press rolls to squeeze out more water and improve sheet density. The drying section passes the fabric through a series of steam-heated cylinders to evaporate remaining moisture. Finally, the wire or fabric passes to a calendar stack and winding unit to produce rolls of finished sheet at a controlled basis weight and finish.

Two principal designs are common. The Fourdrinier machine, the dominant type worldwide, forms the sheet on a moving wire supported by a forming fabric. Cylinder machines, using a rotating cylinder and a felt, are used for certain grades and specialty papers. Modern lines are highly automated, with computer-controlled furnish preparation, moisture and tension control, quality sensors, and energy recovery systems.

History and scope: continuous papermaking emerged in the 19th century, with the Fourdrinier design becoming the standard. Today, paperikone technology enables efficient production of a broad spectrum of paper products, from consumer printing papers to industrial packaging, with ongoing improvements in energy efficiency and environmental management.