Soft rubber covers for sizing

There are a number of sizing and coating processes, but in this article, we mainly concentrate on the film sizing process. In this process, the starch is typically applied onto a soft cover surface and metered to the correct film thickness using a grooved rod. The size is very liquid and does not consist of many particles. Almost all of the size is transmitted to the paper as it is running through the nip between two soft applicator rolls. To ensure the effective absorption of starch into the paper, the starch needs to be quite warm and the nip load between the applicator rolls should be high.

Soft sizer covers

The applicator roll cover plays a crucial role in the successful film sizing process. It maintains contact with both the rod and the paper. Traditionally, the film sizer is equipped with rubber covers, in a hardness range of 10-25 P&J. To achieve the best sizer performance, however, Valmet has introduced a polyurethane cover with notable results. 

The hardness range of the Valmet soft sizer covers is optimal to ensure good wear resistance that extends machine running times. The covers are flexible enough to ensure good contact with the grooved rod and they are strong enough to withstand substantial nip loads.

The rubber used for the covers is also resistant to chemicals, and it withstands the wet and hot sizer nip conditions proficiently. To cover all sizer processes, Valmet offers an extensive range of soft rubber sizer covers, available at various levels of performance and cost. 

Valmet Sizer Roll Cover RF2

This cover has been in the Valmet range for many years already. It provides good basic performance, for instance, for suitably long grinding intervals. The Valmet Sizer Roll Cover RF2 is a cost-effective solution for normal sizing conditions, running typically with a surface roughness of Ra 0.6-0.8 μm.

Valmet Sizer Roll Cover RF5

With a long and proven track record, this special rubber cover is needed when the sizer process suffers from web breaks. The Valmet Sizer Roll Cover RF5 is impact resistant and it is predominantly used in pond sizers.

Valmet Sizer Roll Cover RF5 is a rubber cover with a long history, but still going strong withstanding abuse in the sizer.

Valmet Sizer Roll Cover SH

With this cover, Valmet has introduced a highly engineered rubber-based cover to the sizing process. The cover not only aims to achieve longer running times, but also better paper quality development through improved film formation on the cover surface. As a relatively rough cover at Ra > 1.0 μm, the Valmet Sizer Roll Cover SH can easily transfer the starch film from the metering rod to the paper in the nip. Its high performance is proven by more than 800 deliveries worldwide.

Valmet Sizer Roll Cover SH is a rubber cover giving top performance in the sizer, and has been delivered to mills all over the world. Now improved upon with Valmet Sizer Roll Cover SH-W.

Valmet Sizer Roll Cover SH-W

A newcomer on the market, the Valmet Sizer Roll Cover SH-W bridges the gap between the economic advantages of the rubber covers and the wear resistance of the polyurethane covers for the benefit of the customer. This covers builds on the reliable high performance Valmet Sizer Roll Cover SH, but further development takes the running time in the sizer
to new heights.

Let Valmet take your sizer performance forward!

Valmet’s knowhow in the sizing process together with the range of dedicated state-of-the-art rubber sizer covers is a winning combination for today’s cost-efficient manufacture of high-quality paper.

Published in Valmet Roll Services catalog 04/2019