High-performance solutions for commercial construction items are provided by Voith-supplied machinery.
In Fort Smith, Texas, Owens Corning, a leading manufacturer of residential and commercial building products worldwide, has started production on its high performance glass nonwoven manufacturing line. The machine has the largest layout machinery supplier Voith has ever designed for a production line of glass nonwovens. The forming, binding, and drying processes are all included in the delivery scope.
The biggest inclined wire forming in the world, the FiberDry glass mat drier, and a complete Papermaking 4.0 automation solution to boost productivity, machine availability, and product quality are among the technological highlights. Additionally, Voith provided two IntensaPulper machines, which are based on the Process Line Package (PLP) idea. With their energy-efficient technology, PLP has established industry standards in the pulping sector. The 5.5-meter-wide HydroFormer allows for the incredibly homogeneous formation of fibres up to 40 mm in length with a very low stock consistency. When choosing the various parts, Owens Corning gave careful consideration to sustainability and efficiency.
With the line’s theoretical design speed of 510 m/min, 90,000 tonnes of glass nonwovens might be produced annually. The line is already reaching about 300 m/min, two months ahead of the goal date.
“For us, the opening of the Fort Smith glass non-woven production line marks a significant turning point. Our clients anticipate timely, reliable, and high-quality deliveries. As a consequence of solid collaborations, this new plant is best-in-class and uses extremely sustainable techniques,” explains Rachel Marcon, vice president of Owens Corning’s non-wovens business. “The fact that we can now produce at a speed of 300 m/min has been a positive outcome and shows the success of the trusting partnership between both teams.”
“We are pleased that this project demonstrates our proficiency as the top full-line provider in the world. Guenter Meuser, Senior Project Manager at Voith Paper, states, “In addition to providing tailored solutions that met Owens Corning’s particular needs, we also gave the customer intensive support until the machine was successfully taken over and beyond – a truly unique selling point for Voith.”