Nanotechnology-Enhanced Doctor Blades Meet the Challenge

Nanotechnology, as it applies to doctor blades, is a microscopic filler material that is used to enhance the doctor blade performance. It’s added to resin to make the blade denser with higher peel strength and improved chip resistance. This stands out from a typical composite blade and allows for better wear resistance and roll cleaning.

Often a primary goal of a mill using doctor blades is to increase the longevity of the blade while maintaining the blade’s leading edge. While doctor blades are used generally for dewatering and roll surface cleaning, some applications require the removal of extra tough debris such as stickies on the sheet. The following case study is an example of just this.

Challenge

A mill was failing to reach the desired 14-day run time on a center press roll position.

Solution

The critical roll position incorporated a dual-beam doctor system. After close inspection, it was recommended to use a combination of a nPak™ C+ doctor blade in the first position and a SynTek™ Plus doctor blade in the second position.

Result

The longer blade life contributed to a 30% reduction in operating costs, providing a platform for the user to complete an internal cost-saving initiative. In addition, the increased uptime helped the mill to meet challenging targets of improved production efficiencies and increased output.