Whatever It Takes! Start-up of a Cylinder Board Pulp Machine - 1959

North American pulp making machines prior to 1959 consisted of a cylinder mould forming section, 2 or 3 presses, maybe a pre-dryer and then a series of can dryers or flotation bars.  A decision was made to install an air float dryer, a relatively new innovation in Europe (Sweden), at this North American site - becoming the first in North America (and 5th in the world).  Fans blowing air would move the 'pulp' sheet the length of the machine where it was turned  by the use of a "kite" and sent back down the length again.  The sheet made 17 "passes" in this manner and exited the dryer with  about 10 to 20 percent water.  The pulp was then cut into sheets, stacked, pressed into bales, wrapped by hand and shipped.
The following story was told about the startup:
The operator and first helper level jobs were filled by "experienced" pulp mill employees from other southern mills - though not necessarily experienced in operating pulp machines.  The remainder of the crews were hired locally with no pulp machine experience (A commitment to officials that local people would be hired).
Communication between the lone Swedish engineer  and the "southern speaking" crews was a major handicap.  This engineer knew very little English and had knowledge of only a portion of the process to be started up.
All start-ups in pulp and paper mills have problems that are soon solved but this one was the exception. The machine was designed for 400 tons per day. A major "wet end" problem was getting the pulp sheet off the cylinder mould and into the presses. Days drug on into a weeks and everyone was put on extended hours.  The situation was desperate because the rest of the mill would shut down when the dryer didn't operate. When this happened, all personnel would be sent to the pulp machine to "help", but with little success.  Most were strangers to each other.  Suggestions were being given by folks who had no experience on operating a pulp machine.
Finally, after much effort, the sheet was ready to enter the dryer section. The kite pulling the sheet had to be manually turned toward the other end at each pass.  This required putting your head and arms inside the dryer.  Temperatures were extremely hot (hot enough to melt safety glasses) causing some employees to  pass out from heat exhaustion.  It was not a job for the weak.  This method of threading of the drier ("flying a kite") continued for many years until a cable threading device was installed.


The pulp sheet guide didn't work (or the operators didn't know how to work it) and the pulp would run to one side and break out. This continued until an enterprising first helper decided to use a box cutter (Stanley Knife) to trim one edge of the sheet continuously (really almost a board at this point) and allow the trim to fall in the beater. The person doing the trimming would stand beneath the sheet and hold the box cutter so that the blade would slit the sheet.  The cutter blades would quickly become dull and hot thus requiring many quick changes for fresh box cutters. After several hours, the person doing the cutting quickly became experienced so that mishaps were infrequent in this tiring hot job. Reduced production was now being made and no one was forced to quit.
Some days later, one of the few experienced operators observed the first helper cutting the sheet and asked, "What in the world are you doing?"   When told, the machine operator returned to the wet end, cocked the presses (changed the loading) and had the problem solved in a few minutes.  The sheet ran to the middle. Halleluiah! 
From then on, it was smooth sailing.  Gradually but quickly the machine was brought up to design tonnage and beyond.  By 1964, the pulp machine was having 800-ton days - double the design.  The income from the pulp machine served the mill very well and it is still profitable today - although now, it is the oldest drying machine of its type still in existence.


Jack Frank