Production of Fibreboard Through High-Speed Refining, Double-wire Pressing & High-Level Intelligent Control

Información del proyecto

PROFILE

Identificador del acuerdo de subvención: BRPR950039

Proyecto cerrado

Fecha de inicio 1 Diciembre 1995

Fecha de finalización 31 Diciembre 1998

Financiado con arreglo a

• Specific research and technological development programme in the field of industrial and materials technologies, 1994-1998

Coste total € 0,00

Aportación de la UE Sin datos

Coordinado por

FUNDER INDUSTRIE GMBH
Austria

Exploitable results

Production of fibreboard through high-speed refining, double wire pressing and high-level intelligent control (PROFILE)

PROFILE was the acronym of the BRITE-EURAM Project BE95-1437, which ran from January 1996 to December 1998. The objective of PROFILE was the development of an optimised process for the production of fibreboard. It minimised the use of resources (wood, energy) and environmental impact. The fibreboard produced with this new process is an environmentally friendly superior quality product based on renewable resources. Due to the high quality of the end-product, PROFILE has been able to substitute plastic materials by a natural wood fibre product in the automobile industry (moulded internal parts). It also allows easy non-polluting disposal and recycling of the product after usage. PROFILE improved the fibreboard production process by: - reducing the electrical energy for dewatering by more than 60%; - increasing the dryness after mechanical dewatering to about 50% as opposed to the present value of 30%-35%; - reducing the thermal energy by more than 20%; - reducing pressing time and therefore increasing throughput by between 20% and 75%; - improving the quality of the plate. PROFILE achieved its objectives by designing and building: - A new Refining Process. Through the use of high speed refiners operating at over 2,000 rpm under very strictly controlled conditions, a reduction of 20% mainline energy consumption was achieved without decrease in fibre quality. - A new Dewatering Process. The use of double wire pressing instead of a conventional Fourdriniere machine lead to increase in dryness, and thus larger throughput, reduction of electric power consumption (through elimination of the vacuum pumps), a decrease in the thermal energy requirement and an improvement in plate quality. - A new Control Process. Total control to guarantee high quality at the new operating conditions was achieved through new sensors for the acquisition of on-line information and the adoption of high-level AI-based control strategies to tailor the raw materials and process conditions to the desired fibreboard output (product property design). PROFILE was an end-user driven project. The impetus behind the development came from the final end-users of the system: the fibreboard manufacturer, who lead the project (FUNDER) and the automotive components manufacturer (PIANFEI) who uses fibreboard as a raw-material. PROFILE was concerned with the development of machinery and plant automation, and the project included both a machine manufacturer (ANDRITZ) and a large automation equipment manufacturer (SIEMENS). Apart from the end-users and manufacturers, the Consortium also included a specialised Software Designer (BMT) and a Measuring Equipment Specialist (IAF). The system was validated in the fibreboard plant of the leading partner and the automotive component plant of PIANFEI.