Bearings for world's largest paper-making machine

SKF is to be main supplier of bearings to Metso Paper, which is supplying Stora Enso's Langerbrugge Mill, Belgium, with the world's largest paper-making machine.

SKF is to be main supplier of bearings to Metso Paper, which is supplying Stora Enso's Langerbrugge Mill, Belgium, with the world's largest paper-making machine.

The wire width will be 11.1m and the machine is due to start production in June 2003, producing approximately 400,000 tons of newsprint per year.

The total amount of bearings in a large paper machine is as many as 3000 pieces, but with lock nuts, washers, bearings housings etc, the amount of SKF items in the machine is about 10,000 pieces.

The largest bearing, a spherical roller bearing, has an outer diameter of 1.3m and weighs 1200kg.

Metso Paper is continuously developing more efficient and faster machines, with production speeds currently exceeding 2000m/min.

To meet these challenging demands, SKF has been implementing high precision internal geometry techniques for the large paper machine bearings.

In the dryer cylinders, SKF's CARB bearings further contribute to providing a very robust and reliable solution.

SKF's increased flexibility, short lead times and reliable deliveries were decisive factors in this agreement, enabling Metso to achieve significant cost savings in their production.

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