Saiccor - The First 50 Years 5.8 MB - Sappi

The First Fifty Years
Design work for No 2 extension scheme started in early 1959� It
included a 100 t/d flock line (No 3 line), No 6 digester, and a Korting
chilling plant for liquor making� Courtaulds did the conceptual design
for the flock plant in the UK but the detailed design was performed
at Saiccor� There was a 20A atritor, a 12 million BTU/h Peabody
furnace (burning paraffin) and a Fawcett Preston baling press�
Construction started towards the end of 1959� The chilling plant
was commissioned in December 1959, and No 6 digester on 4 January
1960� Before the flock was commissioned on 15 March 1960 it was
realised another slurry press would be required, and this was ordered
in December 1960� The new press with perforated plates was from
Sunds, the first (for the pilot plant) was an Impco unit having grooved
rolls with knives, obtained secondhand from Courtaulds Mobile�
Production from the new flock line started slowly because of problems
with the baling press, but reached 80 t/d after 3 months and 90 t/d
after 10 months� After No 7 digester was started in May 1961, the
flock plant was slowly pushed to 120 t/d by October 1961�
Design work on No 3 extension scheme started at Saiccor before
No 2 scheme had been installed� For this, and all subsequent
extensions until 1993, all design, construction and project
management was handled by Saiccor, although odd engineers and
draughtsmen from Courtaulds were often seconded to projects� This
scheme was for a new sheeting machine (No 2 continua) the same
size as No 1, from KMW but made in Italy, with a Flakt airborne
drier, having a kite feed and a Pope reeler take-up, to be able to sort
viscosities before cutting the jumbo roll into sheets� It also had the
latest innovation of a vacuum headbox with two Holie rolls� This
added substantially to the cost, but made little difference to the sheet
properties (when compared to No 1 continua)� Also part of No 3
No 2 continua
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