Voith supplied new curtain coater system to Republic Paperboard Company LLC
February 23, 2021
Republic Paperboard installed and commissioned a new curtain coater system, which was built by Voith and will allow Republic to produce coated Gypsum Linerboard for the first time.
To achieve its goal to produce coated Gypsum Linerboard, the mill needed a new DF Coat curtain coater system that could efficiently apply a specialty finish. Voith's solution for Republic is a new innovation that, instead of using expensive white fiber to get the needed color and finish, now uses a fiber base and applies a coating for color and finish.
Coated Gypsum Linerboard is appealing to the construction industry since it can be very costly to get the right color and finish onto wallboard. With the new DF Coat curtain coater process, the mill uses a fiber base while applying color to it.
The effort by Voith and Republic to develop the curtain coating innovation was part of a larger rebuild project at the mill. Voith also supplied a stock preparation upgrade, new dryer cans, the coater system itself, a new reel and a new coater kitchen. Also part of the package was a winder rebuild. Further, a special bypass section was supplied that allowed the mill to produce uncoated sheet. These elements were primarily installed earlier in the spring of 2020, with final coater start-up taking place throughout the summer of 2020.
