Get the most out of your paper machine.

By using our Competitive Edge business process, we focus our resources to help you get the best performance from your paper machine. Our unique business approach matches the right paper machine clothing product or technical service with your machine needs and capabilities to give you the competitive edge you need in the marketplace.

How You Benefit

• Achievement of your performance goals.
  We focus on your specific needs, which means we don't put a generic product on your machine or use a "trial and error" approach to our technical service. We select only the product or service that will deliver the results you desire.
• A solid, well-prepared plan.
  We don't use a "shotgun" approach. We work with you to develop a performance plan for your machine or mill. Then we follow that plan, measuring the effectiveness of the product or service on a regular basis.

• A solution-oriented process.
  We're your resource for all of your paper machine clothing and technical service needs.

The AstenJohnson Competitive Edge Process

• Together with you, we analyze your needs to determine where your machine performance is now and where you would like it to be.
• Next, we match our resources with the expertise you need. After that, we determine which goals we can help you achieve.
• Then, we recommend the product or technical service that will allow you to reach those goals. If a change in paper machine clothing is needed, we conduct a trial. If technical service is required, we provide a service plan.
• After the plan is implemented, we follow up to review the performance of our products. Then we give you an analysis of how the products have benefited your machine's performance in actual dollars saved or in increased productivity.
• Our goal is to be a valuable part of your team. Your bottom line is affected by how well we perform. We provide you with as many positive benefits, savings and improvements as possible.

Get the most out of your paper machine.

By using our Competitive Edge business process, we focus our resources to help you get the best performance from your paper machine. Our unique business approach matches the right paper machine clothing product or technical service with your machine needs and capabilities to give you the competitive edge you need in the marketplace.

How You Benefit

• Achievement of your performance goals.
  We focus on your specific needs, which means we don't put a generic product on your machine or use a "trial and error" approach to our technical service. We select only the product or service that will deliver the results you desire.
• A solid, well-prepared plan.
  We don't use a "shotgun" approach. We work with you to develop a performance plan for your machine or mill. Then we follow that plan, measuring the effectiveness of the product or service on a regular basis.

• A solution-oriented process.
  We're your resource for all of your paper machine clothing and technical service needs.

The AstenJohnson Competitive Edge Process

• Together with you, we analyze your needs to determine where your machine performance is now and where you would like it to be.
• Next, we match our resources with the expertise you need. After that, we determine which goals we can help you achieve.
• Then, we recommend the product or technical service that will allow you to reach those goals. If a change in paper machine clothing is needed, we conduct a trial. If technical service is required, we provide a service plan.
• After the plan is implemented, we follow up to review the performance of our products. Then we give you an analysis of how the products have benefited your machine's performance in actual dollars saved or in increased productivity.
• Our goal is to be a valuable part of your team. Your bottom line is affected by how well we perform. We provide you with as many positive benefits, savings and improvements as possible.

Get the  most out of your paper machine.

By using our Competitive Edge business process, we focus our resources to help you get the best performance from your paper machine. Our unique business approach matches the right paper machine clothing product or technical service with your machine needs and capabilities to give you the competitive edge you need in the marketplace.

How You Benefit

• Achievement of your performance goals.
  We focus on your specific needs, which means we don't put a generic product on your machine or use a "trial and error" approach to our technical service. We select only the product or service that will deliver the results you desire.
• A solid, well-prepared plan.
  We don't use a "shotgun" approach. We work with you to develop a performance plan for your machine or mill. Then we follow that plan, measuring the effectiveness of the product or service on a regular basis.

• A solution-oriented process.
  We're your resource for all of your paper machine clothing and technical service needs.

The AstenJohnson Competitive Edge Process

• Together with you, we analyze your needs to determine where your machine performance is now and where you would like it to be.
• Next, we match our resources with the expertise you need. After that, we determine which goals we can help you achieve.
• Then, we recommend the product or technical service that will allow you to reach those goals. If a change in paper machine clothing is needed, we conduct a trial. If technical service is required, we provide a service plan.
• After the plan is implemented, we follow up to review the performance of our products. Then we give you an analysis of how the products have benefited your machine's performance in actual dollars saved or in increased productivity.
• Our goal is to be a valuable part of your team. Your bottom line is affected by how well we perform. We provide you with as many positive benefits, savings and improvements as possible.

Often the need arises to quickly narrow down cause and effect when troubleshooting or optimizing the wet end of the paper machine. The objective of this article is to provide a tool for a quick first approximation for relating sheet parameters and machine operation to fabric properties. The table below provides a quick general reference as a starting point.

There are two areas to consider with respect to drainage:

                           Impingement                                                                     Sheet Formation

Impingement Drainage

For a given delivery geometry, the fabric’s air permeability will indicate the amount of impingement flow.

Sheet Formation

Once the sheet starts to form, the flow resistance of the formed sheet is the governing influence in drainage. Therefore, how the sheet is formed in relationship to the fabric will control drainage. The fabric parameters used to predict this are % Drainage Area (open area of the paper side) coupled with the fiber support characteristics, specifically the cross direction support component.

A fabric design with the optimum parameters will control drainage on the machine to optimize the drainage components’ action, which will impart the desired energy pulses to create formation, reduce draw and optimize off couch consistency.

Fiber Support and Surface Topography: FSI

The manner in which the fabric supports the fibers in the sheet consolidation process will have an effect on machine cleanliness, sheet release, wire marks and porosity (pin holes).

The more the fabric supports the fibers, the less the fiber embedment or bleed through. Fabric impressions, which can cause wire marks and pin holes, are reduced in the sheet with high fiber support.

The measure of fiber support is the Fiber Support Index (FSI). FSI, developed by R. Beran, provides a characterization of the fabric’s ability to support a moderately machine-direction-oriented sheet.

• FSI indicates what degree of fiber embedment the fabric will permit. Therefore, higher values of FSI imply reduced embedment.

• FSI is the average number of support points per square inch unique to the weave pattern of the fabric and is expressed as follows:

FSI = 2/3 [aNu + 2bNc]

Where a, b = support indices related to the fabric design.Nu = machine direction mesh count.Nc = cross machine direction mesh count.

Crimp Differential

The fabric’s crimp differential is a measure of how much out of plane the cross direction strands are relative to the machine direction. High crimp differentials can cause pin holes and aggravate wire marks.

Retention

How the fabric structure retains fiber as the sheet is formed has a direct influence on key aspects of sheet quality, such as linting, porosity, smoothness (two sidedness) and strength characteristics.

Fiber retention (for moderately MD-oriented flow) is inversely proportional to the average frame length on the paper side of the fabric.

The prediction of retention is based on the calculation of frame length, which is a function of the cross machine count and the fabric design. Knowledge of the type of furnish, basis weight, machine speed and configuration should be considered when choosing appropriate frame length.

The above information provides a quick reference as to how fundamental fabric design characteristics relate to machine operation and sheet quality. This can help the papermaker open up a meaningful dialogue with suppliers.