Quality Metric
Laboratory equipment used for the precise measurement of shives and large contaminants in a pulp sample provides a standardized way to grade the quality of the fiber. The somerville 0.15 mm slotted screen uses a vibrating plate with very narrow openings to catch anything that is not a well-separated fiber. It is the global benchmark for determining the cleanliness of mechanical pulps and recycled stocks.
The weight of the material caught on the screen is expressed as a percentage of the total sample.
Laboratory Filtration
Operating this equipment involves washing a diluted pulp suspension over the vibrating plate for a fixed amount of time. The somerville 0.15 mm slotted screen relies on a water spray to ensure that only the smallest fibers pass through the narrow gaps. Any bundles of fibers or pieces of plastic remain on top of the plate for collection and weighing.
This measurement is used to adjust the settings of the industrial screens in the mill. It provides a more accurate view of pulp quality than a simple visual inspection.
Process Control
This screening method provides the most reliable data on pulp cleanliness. Mills use these results to determine the suitability of a pulp batch for high-quality printing papers. Maintenance of the slot width is checked regularly with a precision gauge.
