The decorative papers are characterized by extremely high-quality standards. Among the key variables, the formation of the sheet and the orientation of the fibers are undoubtedly among the most important, as they are crucial for runnability and stability in subsequent processing phases, such as printing and impregnation.
To further improve product performance and with a view to process innovation, in 2024 the Plant Director, Eng. Principia, together with a team of collaborators composed of Mr. Marcoccia and Eng. Castagnacci, decided to implement a latest-generation shaker on the PM1.
This would allow an increase in running range ability and frequency, thus signifcantly raising the shake number.
There are few manufacturers in the world capable of providing this technology and, as part of their research, ST Macchine, a long-standing company operating in the paper industry, was contacted. ST Macchine had recently developed a revolutionary shaker that guarantees maximum performance with extreme ease of use. This inertial shaker can reach 600 strokes per minute, with a stroke of ±15 mm, without transmitting any force to the foundation other than its own weight.
After an initial contact, the working group of Cartiere di Guarcino decided to further investigate the unique technical, physical and electronic concepts underlying the ST Macchine shaker, with the support of Eng. Maule, Eng. Dell’Era and Mr. Bergantin. Having seen it in operation at other paper mills and after discussions with the personnel who use it, this solution was ultimately chosen.
The new shaker was installed in December 2024, replacing a traditional one. The close collaboration between the engineering departments of Cartiere di Guarcino and ST Macchine made it possible to minimize assembly and commissioning times. Upon restarting, the results were immediately encouraging, and thanks to the extreme competence of the production staff, all the expected guarantees were met.
Decorative papers are highly sensitive to even the slightest change in production setup, so an optimization process was carried out that required numerous tests, analyzed and validated by the laboratory and ultimately yielded extremely satisfactory results.
Given the results achieved with this project, Cartiere di Guarcino also decided to entrust ST Macchine with the task of replacing the oscillating bearings on the breast roll with hydrodynamic bearings (foat bearings), which will allow operators to choose the shaker’s operating parameters even more freely.
This application marks the beginning of a fruitful collaboration with Cartiere di Guarcino and consolidates ST Macchine’s position in the paper industry.
The ability to consistently offer cutting-edge technological solutions, the result of excellent expertise and a strong commitment to research, has kept ST Macchine among the leaders in this market for many years, making it the ideal partner for paper mills that choose to embrace a path of technological renewal.
CARTIERE DI GUARCINO
The Cartiere di Guarcino plant is located in Lazio, Italy, and covers an area of 144,000 m², including 21,000 m² of covered space. The production capacity stands at 50,000 tons of paper per year with two paper machines. The workforce consists of 170 employees.
A qualified consultancy and support team is constantly dedicated to achieving maximum customer satisfaction, the company’s primary objective. A strong focus on innovation and sustainability led to the construction of a biomass-fired cogeneration plant in 2006, through the new subsidiary BEG Srl and a €30 million investment. Over the years, several technological improvements to the plant and product formulation have been implemented, culminating in 2024 with the achievement of the C2C Sustainability certification.
