High Speed Publication Grade Shoe Presses Press Fabric and Grooved Belt System Approach, 2000 Engineering Conference Proceedings

Cary P. Johnson, Ivan Moore--Installation of a shoe press on a high speed publication grade (HSPG) machine creates a whole new set of requirements for the press fabric and shoe press belt. Dramatically increasing machine speeds, single felted presses and various sheet finish requirements are all new parameters that must be addressed. In addition, the use of a grooved belt on these machines changes the physics of shoe press nip dewatering by providing some of the necessary void volume in the shoe press belt and a vent for water to flow.

Pilot machine studies and field results have shown press fabric design in combination with a grooved belt can have a significant effect on HSPG shoe press performance and sheet characteristics. It is important to understand this interaction as a system approach for proper application.

The impact of the shoe press location, increased dwell time, machine speed, sheet basis weight and finish requirements will be reviewed relative to the optimal system (press felt and grooved belt) requirements.