Mondi Group Invests in Latest High Efficiency Copper Shelled Chill Roll Technology from BEP Surface Technologies Submitted By: Copylines Monday, 28 September 2009

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Mondi Group invests in latest high efficiency copper shelled chill roll technology from BEP Surface Technologies Submitted by: Copylines Monday, 28 September 2009

Chill roll manufacturer BEP Surface Technologies – www.bep-st.com - has supplied its biggest ever copper shelled chill roll to Mondi Örebro AB in Sweden. Measuring 900mm diameter x 3350mm long and weighing five tonnes, the high efficiency chill roll has the capability to dramatically increase running speeds (http://www.bep-st.com/pages/chillrolls2.html) whilst at the same time reducing cooling cost due to its much higher thermal efficiency. The new roll design will enable Mondi to manufacture products to specifications not possible with previous rolls. Mondi Örebro is a laminating specialist focussing on the production of extrusion coated materials for the industrial papers market and is part of the Mondi Group, an integrated packaging and business paper producer with 33400 employees at 118 production sites across 34 countries. Addressing concerns over quality, delivery and technical support for its laminating lines chill roll fleet, Mondi Örebro contacted Manchester based BEP Surface Technologies. Discussions focussed on roll build quality, stiffness and consistency of surface finishes. The copper shelled chill roll was delivered and trialled in July. Jonas Zittra, technical manager at Mondi, reported that under normal processing conditions they were able to run good quality product from the outset. Subsequent tests on a more demanding specification where they usually experience release problems due to the tackiness of the polymer gave better release performance and less web breaks. “Previously we could not set the polymer profile on the base paper, neither could we run overcoat on the edges of the roll. As a result we had high scrap rates because we had to set the film on customer material. Using an elevated chill roll temperature we achieved better release properties which enabled us to run both overcoat as well as profile setting on a normal base paper rather than customers’ stock,” said Zittra. “Our next test will be to evaluate speed/adhesion performance with elevated chill roll temperatures, especially when coating glossy MG-papers and we expect to see an increased speed due to the higher thermal efficiency of the copper shell as well as enhanced release performance.” For the copper chill roll BEP produced a thick-walled copper shell (http://www.bep-st.com/pages/chillrolls.html) using its innovative electroforming technology to produce a fine grained, high quality, seamless copper tube measuring 900mm x 3350mm. This copper shell was then shrink fitted onto a high stiffness steel inner core before final machining, hard chrome plating and surface texturing to Mondi’s specification. The copper shelled roll was part of an order, the first from the Mondi Group, for two new rolls, one in copper and the other with a steel shell. Weighing 4.7 tonnes the new steel roll measures 900mm diameter x 3250mm long and features a high release matt chrome surface. Additionally, BEP refurbished an existing steel roll with a diameter of 760mm and length of 2350mm. This roll had badly damaged journals as well as corroded and blocked waterways. Machining and electroplating

Page 1 operations were undertaken to restore it to its original condition. Restoration processes included acid cleaning (http://www.bep-st.com/pages/acidcleaning.html) internal waterways to reinstate cooling performance and electroplating and machining the journals to 0riginal tolerances. Finally the roll body diameter was finish machined, hard chrome plated (http://www.bep-st.com/pages/hardchrome.html) and surface textured to Mondi’s specification. ENDS. HIGH RESOLUTION IMAGES ARE AVAILABLE. Email: [email protected] Notes to editor: Overcoat is where the polymer goes over the edge of the web/product and contacts direct with the chill roll. MG - machine glazed - papers feature a mechanically produced gloss finish on one side. BEP Surface Technologies’ rolls feature a double shell design with degressive guiding spirals for the cooling fluid – a combination that optimises heat transfer, performance and rigidity. Inner roll cores are manufactured by its strategic partner J van Baal in Krefeld, Germany, an acknowledged global leader in the design and construction of high quality chill rolls. Steel or copper shells produced by BEP are shrunk onto the inner core then finish machined and hard chrome plated with either a mirror polished or textured finish to customers’ requirements. BEP Surface Technologies’ copper shell chill rolls can deliver up to 10 times the thermal efficiency of conventional steel shells. This makes it possible for users to cut refrigeration energy costs because the temperature of the cooling water can be increased from the usual 8 to 10oC on a standard roll up to room temperature (20oC or more) without any adverse effect on the cooling capacity of the roll. Every one degree Celsius increase in the temperature of the cooling water equates to a potential saving of 5% of the energy required for cooling. Higher running speeds up to 800 metres plus per minute (depending on the product and machine conditions) can also be achieved, thus offering substantial economic benefits. A further benefit is the elimination of manufacturing disruptions associated with condensate. The higher temperature of the roll surface outside the web width greatly reduces, and can even eradicate, the ‘icy end’ phenomenon that causes the formation of undesirable condensation on the ends of the roll face. BEP can handle rolls weighing up to 10 tonnes and up to 1500mm in diameter. Its roll manufacturing services include: •Copper and steel shelled chill roll design, manufacture and refurbishment •Superfinish technology, textured and specialist finishes

Page 2 •Heavy deposit nickel and copper electroplating •High specification electroplating for precision industries Supporting machine shop services include large capacity turning, grinding, polishing, grit and shot blasting. BEP Surface Technologies has: Lloyds Register Quality Assurance to ISO 9001:2000 SGS Accreditation to ISO 14001 IPPC licence (Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control) from the Environment Agency Contacts: Don Coaster Managing Director BEP Surface Technologies Limited Eton Hill Road Radcliffe Manchester M26 2XT Telephone +44(0)161-724 9090 Fax +44(0)161-725 9539 [email protected] www.bep.st.com Press enquiries: Ian McMath Copylines Telephone: + 44 (0)1428 723211 Email: [email protected] www.copylines.co.uk

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