Paper Manufacturer boosts Production/Quality

CASE STUDY: Carolina Paper Company found that cutting 55" diameter paper rolls into sizes suitable for toilet paper generated excessive heat, hindering equipment performance. They needed a cooling solution that would be compatible with their log saws.

Overview

The Carolina Paper Company (CPC), a 13-year old firm based in North Carolina, re-shapes large parent paper rolls into usable paper products including paper towels, napkins and toilet paper. CPC has a strong commitment to green business policies, designing everything from pallet configuration to product packaging to minimize waste, and working with paper vendors to reduce toxins. As a full line supplier of paper products, CPC emphasizes producing high quality paper products using sustainable methods.

The Challenge

As Carolina Paper Company's Maintenance Manager, Ronald Laun is responsible for factory upkeep, preventative maintenance and ensuring optimal performance of all machines. The process of turning 55" diameter parent rolls into a small enough size to be used as paper towels and toilet paper involves rewinding as well as cutting the paper. Given the difference in size between the parent rolls and the finished product, the cutting process is extensive and can generate levels of heat which hinder equipment performance. Laun explains "In cutting our paper logs, we use a 40-inch diameter circular blade to saw through logs from 4" to 12" diameter at up to 50 cuts per minute. The sawing process creates a lot of friction and heat. Once you reach 100 degrees Fahrenheit, the blade begins to wobble and at that point it's unsafe to continue cutting anymore. Our production was slowed down because we could only make a certain number of cuts to the log before having to take a break to permit the blade to cool." By incorporating Vortec Cold Air Guns into their production, CPC was able to improve production by making, on average, 42% more cuts. "Another positive was that by keeping the blade cooler we didn't scorch the ends of the final product. So in the end we increased production and quality."

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