ORIA Industrial Air Springs in Paper Mills
The Oria air springs consist of a flexible elastomer rubber body with nylon fabric reinforcement, and rustproof plates with an air inlet and mounting blind nuts. The Oria rubber bellows can be used both as vibration isolators and rubber actuators. The Oria air springs absorb up to 99% of the unwanted vibrations avoiding further damages to the machines and metallic structures. At the same time, they reduce noise level.
The Oria rubber actuators have been developed to replace the traditional air or hydraulic cylinders. Due to their design, the air pressure inside the bellow produces an upward stroke, thrust, tension, angular movements or fast anchoring movements.
Air Springs vs Hydraulic Cylinders
These are the advantages in comparison with air or hydraulic cylinders:
- Lower cost
- Maintenance cost savings, no moving parts, no sealing parts, no friction between parts
- No mantenance or lubrication required
- Reduced space requirement
- Angular capability
Experience and knowledge
Oria has been working in many paper mills all over the world for more than 25 years, offering taylor made solutions depending on the specific requirements of the application; providing different types of rubber quality materials and metal parts, in order to ensure a long term product life and a proper function of the air actuator throughout the paper production process.
We offer stainless steel materials AISI-304 stainless steel and other qualities available upon request.
We work together collaborating with our partners to decide which air bellow is the best, depending on the section of the paper machine (wet or dry section).
Rubber Temperature and quality
The air springs can be manufactured with different rubber qualities:
- Standard: Most used material for industry. Temperature range= -40ºC to +70ºC.
- Butyl (IIR): Highly used material because of its good resistance to acids. Temperature range= -25ºC to +90ºC.
- Nitrile (NBR): For applications where oil can be found thanks to its excellent resistance to oils, fuels, ozone and weather. Temperature range= -25ºC to +110ºC
- Ethylene propylene diene (EPDM): Material with excellent resistance to high temperatures. Temperature range= -20ºC to +115ºC
- Chloroprene (CR): Resistant to the sea water and medium resistance to acids. Temperature range= -20ºC to +110ºC
Metallic parts materials of the air springs
The metallic parts of the air springs can be supplied in different qualities. The standard in most air springs is steel with antirust protection, but they can also be supplied in AISI-304 stainless steel (other qualities available upon request).
Auxiliary Reservoir
The addition of an auxiliary reservoir increases the volume, decreasing the natural frequency of the air spring and improving the isolation rate.
To be effective is necessary to be located as close as possible and the connection with pipes to allow an important flow.
The Oria Air springs are applied in different kind of applications in paper mills, where we can see the different functions that the air actuator provides in different parts of the paper manufacturing process:
1.- Air spring used as an edge control system to align the bandage that carries the paper.
2.- Tenses the web that carries out the paper.
3.- Used as a press, to extract the humidity from the paper with the rollers located in the machine.
| Application | Function | Item* | Benefits | Location: Wet section | Location: Dry section | Location: Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edge control system | The air bellow tightens or compresses itself depending on the bandage position. | (Nº1) Imagen: M-13 Inox. and Chloroprene (Cr) G 1/4″ air inlet | It prevents having misalignments and therefore, the paper follows the right path. | Chloroprene (Cr) rubber, Stainless steel metal parts AISI-304. | High temperature resistant rubber (CR, EPI, EPDM) | Standard rubber |
| Roll Press / tensioner | The air spring works as a pneumatic cylinder in order to take off the humidity of the paper paste | (Nº2) Image: M-130 standar | Ensures that humidity is extracted from the paper paste. | Chloroprene (Cr) rubber, Stainless steel metal parts AISI-304. | High temperature resistant rubber (CR, EPI, EPDM) | Standard rubber |
| Web tensioning device | Pressure is made by the actuator so as to tense the web or the paper | (Nº3) Image: M-85 Inox and Chloroprene (Cr) G 1/4″ air inlet | It provides the required tension to the web and paper. | Chloroprene (Cr) rubber, Stainless steel metal parts AISI-304. | High temperature resistant rubber (CR, EPI, EPDM) | Standard rubber |
*The items detailed are some examples of oria air springs actually working in paper mills.
The air spring is located in different areas of the paper machine process. Many of them are applied to provide the proper alignment of the bandage that carries the paper paste. The air bellow works as an actuator tightening or compressing depending on the bandage position if the paper machine control systems identify that there is a missalignement.
Frequently, the air actuator might be exposed agressive environmental conditions, as oil, water atmosphere, etc. For this reason, different type of rubber composition and metal parts are recommended to ensure the air spring long-life and reduce maintenance costs. As an example, the Image 3 shows a rubber compound with a high resistance to water atmospheres and stainless steel materials.
The rubber pneumatic cylinder is placed in the middle/end of the paper producing process most of the times. The aim of this application consists of extracting all the humidity (wáter/fluids) that contains the paper paste, in order to transform it to solid paper.
This type of actuator acts as a cylinder pressing the rollers located in the product line. Therefore, the paper liquid is extracted and the paper paste becomes more solid and uniform.
The air actuator works once again as a pneumatic cylinder and it makes constant pressure to tighten the web that carries the paper liquid. By this way, the paper paste is not wasted and follows the path correctly, avoiding missalignements.
As an example, the air actuators that are located in the bellow pictures are placed in the wet section.
Therefore, the item to be applied shoud be composed by the following materials:
- Stainless steel metal parts (Bead rings and plates)
- Chloroprene (Cr) rubber materials
In case of being applied inside the drying process (more than 70 ºC), normally high temperature resistance air bellows should be applied. In case of not being necessary, standard rubber might be used as an alternative.
Rubber bellow air springs are placed in paper machines. The main function of the air spring actuator consists on aligning the web that carries the paper paste by the edge control tracking system.
Pneumatic rubber air actuators are used in paper machined to work as isolators or actuators. This product plays a very important role, due to its practical use and long life cycle, as it does not require lubrication nor constant maintenance. In addition rubber air actuators can be supplied with high temperature rubber, chloroprene material or even stainless steel metal parts.