The hardness of finished paper reels, or rolls, off the winder is a property that suggests how well the product will hold up to finishing steps of the manufacturing process. This metric is measured with a hardness tester and is influenced by many properties such as winding tension, nip load, and torque.

A linerboard mill partnered with Precision Roll Grinders intending to optimize caliper variation and smoothness. The rolls in their calender stack were ground for improved profile, roundness, and surface finish. Production performance was measured before and after the installation of the precision ground rolls.

In addition to the expected improvements, the hardness of reels produced on the paper machine improved across all four grades of paper studied, with an average increase of 13%. In general, the hardness of the reels changed from 38 to 43, moving closer to the target hardness range.

Speak with Precision Roll Grinders today to discuss if improved reel hardness could benefit your mill.