Paper industry
Plastics for paper production: wear parts, sliding rails and components for paper machines. Material advice from Martan Plastics.
In the production of paper, board and pulp, machine components are permanently exposed to moisture, friction, wear, chemicals and sometimes elevated temperatures. Engineering plastics and high-performance plastics offer solutions that can be used in a targeted way for these conditions.
Martan Plastics supplies plastics for paper production as semi-finished products, cut pieces and individually machined finished parts. Depending on the area of application, load and ambient conditions, we manufacture, for example, slide rails, guides, bushes, rollers, sealing and wear parts for paper machines and other plants in the paper industry.
Plastic solutions for paper production
In paper machines, plastic is used above all where low friction, high wear resistance, moisture resistance or chemical resistance are required.
Suitable materials can complement metallic components or replace them in certain applications. This allows, among other things, moving components to be made lighter, corrosion to be avoided and sliding and wear properties to be adapted specifically to the application.
Martan Plastics supports you in selecting suitable plastic materials and manufactures components from them according to drawings, CAD data or technical specifications.
Typical plastic parts for paper machines
Sliding and guide elements
Slide rails, guide rails and guide profiles are used wherever machine parts or material webs must be guided in a controlled and, as far as possible, low-friction manner.
Materials with favourable friction and abrasion properties are particularly suitable for wear-intensive sliding areas. Polyethylene (PE), in particular PE 1000, offers for example high wear resistance and very good sliding properties.
Typical components are:
- slide rails
- guide rails
- guide profiles
- slide plates
- chain guides
- wear strips
Rollers, bushes and bearing components
Plastics are also suitable for numerous moving and rotating components within paper machines and conveyor systems.
These include, for example:
- transport rollers
- guide rollers
- bushes
- plain bearings
- spacer elements
- deflection and guide elements
For dimensionally accurate mechanical components, POM plastic can be of interest, for example. Under higher mechanical load, depending on the operating conditions, polyamide (PA) or other engineering plastics may also be suitable.
Wear parts made of plastic for the paper industry
High machine speeds and permanent movement lead to heavily stressed contact surfaces in paper production. Suitable plastics can therefore offer advantages in particular for wear parts.
Depending on the material and application, the following properties are available among others:
- high abrasion and wear resistance
- low friction
- low moisture absorption
- good chemical resistance
- corrosion resistance
- low component weight
- good machinability
- material properties that can be adjusted to suit the application
Which plastic is suitable should always be selected on the basis of the actual load. Temperature, speed, surface pressure, moisture, chemical contact and the desired service life must be considered together.
Chemical-resistant plastics in paper production
In pulp and paper production, components can come into contact with water and various chemical media. Plastics with high chemical resistance are available for these areas of application.
PTFE, for example, has very high resistance to numerous chemicals and at the same time offers very low friction.
PE can also be of interest for suitable applications due to its low water absorption and good resistance to many acids, alkalis and salt solutions.
However, the specific material resistance always depends on the medium, concentration, temperature and contact time. The material selection should therefore be based on your actual process conditions.
Plastics for higher temperatures
Not every area of a paper machine places the same thermal demands. If components are permanently exposed to elevated temperatures, the material and design must be matched to this.
For particularly demanding applications, high-performance plastics are available. Materials such as PEEK combine, for example, high temperature resistance with good mechanical properties and chemical resistance.
Which high-performance plastic is suitable depends not only on the temperature but also on load, friction, media contact and the required dimensional accuracy.
Which plastic is suitable for paper machines?
A general material recommendation is not sensible for paper machines. Depending on the function of the component, the requirements differ considerably.
| Requirement | Possible material group |
|---|---|
| High wear load and good sliding properties | PE 1000 |
| Dimensionally accurate mechanical components | POM |
| Mechanically loaded structural parts | PA |
| High chemical resistance and low friction | PTFE |
| High temperature and demanding operating conditions | PEEK or high-performance plastics |
This overview serves as initial guidance. The actual suitability must be checked on the basis of the specific operating conditions.
Individual plastic parts for the paper industry
Many components in paper machines are not standard parts. Martan Plastics therefore manufactures individual plastic components according to drawings, samples, CAD data or technical requirements.
Our plastic machining covers various processes for the precise production of industrial components.
With CNC milling, for example, slide rails, guide elements, sheets and complex contours can be manufactured. Rotationally symmetrical components such as rollers, bushes and spacer elements can be produced precisely by CNC turning.
Depending on the application, we supply both plastic semi-finished products and ready-to-install components.
Advantages of engineering plastics in paper machines
The targeted use of engineering plastics offers various design and operational possibilities in the paper industry:
- reduction of friction and wear
- lower weight compared with many metallic components
- no corrosion
- good resistance to moisture
- high chemical resistance depending on the material
- good sliding and anti-adhesive properties
- individual manufacturing according to drawings
- large selection of different materials and material modifications
However, plastic is not automatically the better alternative to metal for every component. The material choice should always be based on mechanical load, temperature, media contact, dimensions and the desired service life.
Selecting plastic for your paper machine
Do you need a plastic for paper production, would you like to replace an existing wear part, or do you need a component according to a drawing?
Martan Plastics supports you from material selection through to manufacturing. On the basis of your details on temperature, load, moisture, chemical contact, dimensions and quantity, we can examine suitable materials and manufacturing processes for your application.
Send an enquiry to Martan Plastics now
Frequently asked questions about plastics in the paper industry
Which plastics are used in paper machines?
Depending on the application, PE or PE 1000, POM, PA, PTFE and various high-performance plastics may be suitable, among others. Which material is suitable depends in particular on wear, friction, temperature, chemical contact and mechanical load.
Which plastic is suitable for heavily stressed wear parts?
For sliding and wear-intensive applications, PE 1000 may be suitable, for example. The material offers high abrasion resistance and good sliding properties. For other load profiles, POM, PA, PTFE or high-performance plastics may be the better choice.
Can plastic parts replace metal parts in paper machines?
In suitable applications, yes. Plastics can offer advantages through lower weight, corrosion resistance, low friction and good wear properties. However, whether a metal component can be replaced must be checked on the basis of the specific mechanical and thermal load.
Does Martan Plastics manufacture individual components for paper machines?
Yes. Martan Plastics manufactures individual plastic parts according to drawings, CAD data or technical specifications. These can include, for example, slide rails, guides, rollers, bushes, wear plates and other machine components.
What information is required for material selection?
Information on component function, mechanical load, temperature, speed or friction, moisture, chemicals used, dimensions and desired tolerances is particularly helpful. On this basis, a suitable plastic can be selected in a more targeted way.
