Every year, our in-house engineering teams plan, implement and manage a wide range of projects. Their experience and in-depth knowledge of specialised paper machinery for nonwovens and all cellulose grades guarantees success.

Working closely with mill engineering departments they know how to deliver the most cost-effective solutions. Carrying out everything ourselves - from design and manufacture to installation and commissioning, ensures total control of projects. Site teams can be assembled quickly and deployed at short notice to provide urgent engineering support. Working to critical deadlines has become increasingly important as mills seek to minimize downtime.

This total capability, technical knowhow and breadth of experience ensures we consistently deliver quality engineered solutions with projects that are completed on time and within budget.

New reel shells for higher speeds

	The new reel shells and assemblies have been designed to meet the mills current requirements and also handle higher speeds in the future

As machine speeds increased, a Central American mill started to encountered mechanical problems with its reel shells. They were not designed for the today's higher speeds so Parsons Reiss was given the task of coming up with replacements.

The company is supplying nine new PU covered reel shells together with bearing assemblies and couplings balanced for a running speed of1800 metres/minute. Although the bearing journals have been made larger to accommodate the higher spec reels, the housing profile remains the same as the original to ensure trouble-free fit on the machine without the need for additional engineering.

New tank part of mill's cost savings plan

Parsons Reiss has manufactured a 100 cubic metre stainless steel tank for a new effluent treatment plant at Romiley Board Mill in the North of England. The project which has been managed by the mill's own engineering team will substantially reduce the cost of effluent disposal.

	The tank was transported to the mill from Parsons Reiss factory in one piece

Working with a specialist water treatment design consultancy, the mill has been able to reduce the volume in which effluent processing takes place. This means they can use a smaller fabricated tank rather than the much large and expensive concrete constructions normally associated with treatment plants.

The floor mounted stainless steel tank was built at Parsons Reiss Radcliffe factory and transported in one piece on a low loader. At 8 metres long and 4 metres wide it was at the upper limit for negotiating local roads, some of which had to be cleared of parked vehicles to give access to the mill.

Parsons Reiss was also responsible for the unloading and installation on site which included making risk assessments and producing method statements to comply with health and safety requirements.

Water cutter opens up new opportunities

	The screw was designed with incremental pitch which meant that each flight profile was different

When Parsons Reiss was asked to supply a replacement conveying screw for a mill in the UK, it was an ideal opportunity to explore a new method of production using its recently acquired water cutting machine.

Previously the company would have bought in the flights and then completed the fabrication. However, the accuracy and versatility of the water cutter now makes it possible to do everything in-house.

The 6 metre long stainless steel screw had a complex profile starting at over a metre diameter and tapering to 600mm. Parabolic shapes up to 12mm thick were cut and then pulled out to create the different diameter flights. Handling everything in-house means greater control of orders and a faster turn round.

	Cutting a single bearing block using the high pressure water jet to create the split bearing housing

The manufacture of split bearing housings has also changed. Previously, Parsons Reiss would buy half profiles and machine them to size. Now, it is possible to create the housing out of a single block and then cut it in two using the water cutter.

The use of high pressure water rather than a flame eliminates the risk of contamination, distortion or structural change  to the material. Parsons Reiss is continuing to explore new ways of working, the benefits of which can be passed on to customers.

Machine rebuild focuses on product quality and efficiency

Parsons Reiss has rebuilt a tissue machine for the Fourstones Paper Mill at Hexham, Northumberland. The £200,000 project includes the installation of new press felt transfer section and a re-engineered cantilevered Fourdrinier section which was originally built by Parsons Reiss in 1997.

	Chris Wright (left) and Sales Engineer Alan Morley with some of the original reclaimed components that will be transformed into a new Fourdrinier for the Fourstones Mill

"It is really good to see this cantilevered Fourdrinier being put back into use, particularly in a UK mill, "said Chris Wright, the managing director of Parsons Reiss." This project will produce even better energy-savings, quality and runability for Fourstones and importantly, demonstrate that manufacturing in the UK can survive and indeed, grow with the right investment and business stewardship."

Peter Duxbury, the managing director of Fourstones Paper Mill, said: "We were delighted to appoint Parsons Reiss as the contractor for the Fourdrinier and press section rebuild of our paper machine. Their experience and successful track record of completing similar projects on time, on  budget and with a fast start-up curve was paramount in our decision. The rebuild will yield major benefits in terms of product quality and machine efficiencies. The design of the machine frames allows much easier and faster clothing changes which not only bring financial benefits, but also improve the safety of our employees during felt and wire changes."

Total capability wins new business

An increased presence in the speciality paper market was confirmed when Parsons Reiss secured further significant orders from specialist mills. The projects, which build on previous successes in 2008, will use the complete range of engineering services offered by Parsons Reiss including process and design engineering, manufacturing and installation.

For a UK speciality manufacturer, the company has rebuilt the white water system on one of its machines. This follows the successful completion of a similar project for the mill on their mill broke system.

An initial project to supply forming equipment for a single vat proved to be so successful, that a leading European board manufacturer subsequently placed a substantial order with Parsons Reiss for similar equipment for the remaining vats. The new equipment is designed to improve formation and the basis weight profile on the machine giving the mill better quality product and the ability to increase capacity.

	As the length of cross cutters increase compact design becomes even more important

Going wider - and wider!

A new 6-metre stainless steel cross cutter supplied by Parsons Reiss to a paper mill in the Middle East is one of the widest so far made by the Manchester paper machinery engineer.

Based on an existing Parsons Reiss design, it is particularly compact for its width occupying less space on the machine and making it easier to install. The new machine is programmable for different tail widths and includes several new features to increase accuracy and extend its working life.

An inverter drive on the cross cutter ramps the acceleration up and down to reduce the mechanical stresses on the equipment as it starts and stops moving across the web. This results in a much smoother operation that will help to extend the life of the cross cutter.

The drive mechanism uses a toothed belt to eliminate incremental creep often associated with other drives. Feedback through an encoder provides a closed-loop control system to ensure precise positioning.

For additional safety, all electrical components associated with the cross cutter are at the side of the machine clear of the web path.

The original cutter design was developed for the wet end of the paper machine but this latest model is equally suitable for the dry end. It can be used on different media and is available in sizes up to 9metres.

	Steam system installed on tissue machine in Saudi Arabian mill

Four steam systems commissioned in four months

There was no let up for Parsons-Reiss steam division when it commissioned four steam systems in as many months on tissue machines in different parts of the world.

In late December a 2000m/min Metso machine at Century Paper in India was completed on schedule. With a condensing rate of over 10,000kg/h, it is one of the largest systems so far installed by Parsons Reiss.

In early January a 2000m/min Recard machine was commissioned in Mexico. This was a smaller system condensing approximately 5,000kg/h. The condensate is pumped directly back into the boiler which saves energy from flash losses associated with de-aerator hotwells. De-aeration of the system is through a continuous ‘bleed valve’ on the blow-through recirculation line and a second condensate return to the existing atmospheric hotwell provides back up.

In mid-March two machines were started up concurrently, a 2000m/min Metso machine in Saudi Arabia and another 2000m/min Recard Machine in Drenik, Serbia.

The Saudi Arabian machine, a large Yankee with a condensing rate of 10,000kg/h, is expected to be running at full speed in the next few weeks, following the commissioning of the gas turbine CHP plant.

The Drenik machine is similar to the Mexican machine with condensate pumped directly to the boiler.

	From casting through installation to board production

Additional drying capacity at Romiley Board Mill

An additional dryer section, supplied by Parsons Reiss, was successfully installed at Romiley Board Mill during the annual shut is the first project carried out for the mill. It is designed to increase productivity and energy efficiency.

The additional dryer section has eight 1.5 m cylinders working at 7.6 bar and includes a silent drive and a new ac sectional drive motor. It was delivered on time and the installation completed in less time than originally planned.

The project has been trouble free since start up.

A spokesman for the mill confirms the planned additional drying capacity was achieved straightaway and there is clearly more available for the future.
He added that they were particularly pleased with the installation process, the way in which it was organised by Parsons Reiss and their attention to safety throughout.

'This was a good conclusion to a job that was delivered ahead of schedule and within budget and handled well from the very start. It confirmed our confidence in Parsons Reiss and their ability to deliver a quality engineered solution at the right price.’

From casting through installation to board production.

	Parsons Reiss vacuum control valves

Total capability – a winner for Parson Reiss

Parsons Reiss has supplied dewatering equipment to a speciality paper manufacturer. The project included design, manufacture and installation. It also includes process engineering and project management.

The ability to offer a complete package is proving to be increasingly attractive to many mills and winning Parsons Reiss new business. For this particular project, the company supplied five dewatering elements and seven vacuum control valves. It follows other work carried out at the mill and for other mills in the same group.

Refiner Rebuilds by Parsons Reiss

Parsons Reiss offers a refiner rebuild service to mills with refiners from Beloit Jones and Beloit Walmsley.

The company employs several of the key personnel who were directly involved with the original building of these refiners including Alan Morley, who, during his time at Beloit Walmsley in Bolton, was Product Engineer in charge of the Stock Preparation product line.

‘After many years service, a refiner, in common with most types of machine, will exhibit symptoms of wear in critical components’, explains Alan.

	Refiner on arrival at Parsons Reiss prior to the rebuild

‘This will have a direct effect on the refining efficiency of the machine. Things like worn bearing and housing fits, wear in the sliding head slideways, corrosion and erosion of disc mounting surfaces and shaft and hub wear can all lead to a situation where parallelism of the refining discs is seriously compromised. In addition to this, wear in the refiner loading gearing can make stable automatic control of the refiner almost impossible.’

A refiner rebuild by Parsons Reiss will address all of the common wear problems on the unit and will return the refiner to original tolerances.

‘With typical refiner plate gaps in the region of 0.1mm with the unit loaded, the alignment and parallelism of the refining discs is critical for consistent refining results,’ says Alan.

Rebuilds of the Beloit 3000 series and 4000 series refiners can be undertaken by Parsons Reiss who have the personnel with all the expertise of many years working on the original units.