Design and Operation of

Headboxes
Jim Atkins
Atkins, Inc.

TAPPI Paper Machine Operations Course

 Headbox Video

TAPPI Paper Machine Operations Course

 Basic Headbox Functions
 Convert CD flow in a pipe to uniform
MD flow out a nozzle.
 Deflocculate the stock.
 Control basis weight in the MD, CD,
and minimize random variation.
 Control fiber orientation.
 Provide control over forming variables
such as jet impingement and jet speed.

TAPPI Paper Machine Operations Course

 Development of the Headbox
Inlet (Manifold)

TAPPI Paper Machine Operations Course

 Tapered Manifold

TAPPI Paper Machine Operations Course

 Development of the Headbox
Manifold
4 to 6 pipe
diameters

No more than 5 psi pressure

drop across the valve
TAPPI Paper Machine Operations Course
TAPPI Paper Machine Operations Course
 Alternate Technology
Radial Distributor

CDR-0100-00034
TAPPI Paper Machine Operations Course
 GL&V BTG Manifold, ON- PM # 6

TAPPI Paper Machine Operations Course

 Headbox Types
 Three basic types of headboxes
 Open
 Rectifierroll (Air Pad)
 Hydraulic

 Within the types are a number of styles

TAPPI Paper Machine Operations Course

 Open Headbox

First type of headbox (slow

machine speeds)
Jet speed regulated by
height of the liquid level in
the vat or pond
As speeds increased, so
did the height of the vat
until it became impractical
Only seen today on some
pulp machines and old,
slow specialty machines
This lead to the
development of a closed
headbox pressurized with St. Regis Paper Co.’s “Whatsit Box” Tacoma, WA.
air

TAPPI Paper Machine Operations Course

 Rectifier Roll Headboxes
 High pressure drop tube
bundle (varies with
supplier).
 Stilling chamber to allow
turbulence to settle down-
1.0-1.5 fps pond velocity.
 Rectifier rolls to
deflocculate stock.
 Air pad with level control
used to provide desired
head (pressure)
TAPPI Paper Machine Operations Course
 Rectifier Roll Headboxes
Two styles of hole pattern shown

Square Spiral

TAPPI Paper Machine Operations Course

 Rectifier Headbox
Wake Effect
Roll distance
to slice lip is
important to
prevent
streaking

Moderate

TAPPI Paper Machine Operations Course Severe

 Rectifier Roll Headboxes
 Advantages
 Air
pad “cushions” pulsations.
 Good flexibility for wide speed range.
 Disadvantages
 Large flocs left in jet discharge.
 Max speed around 3500 fpm.
 Cause streaks if overloaded.
 Maintenance of moving parts.

TAPPI Paper Machine Operations Course

 Hydraulic Headboxes
 First developed to work
with twin wire formers
 Work at any angle
 No air pad
 Much smaller

 Higher stock velocity 7-

15 fps
 Deflocculation by
hydraulic shear

TAPPI Paper Machine Operations Course

 Hydraulic Headboxes
Early Fourdrinier Style

TAPPI Paper Machine Operations Course

 Hydraulic Headbox
 Advantages
 Smaller size
 Higher shear to deflocculate the stock
 No moving parts
 Have not yet reached a speed limit
 Disadvantages
 Less flexibility for speed range
 Higher pressure drop – more energy
 Narrower range for MD/CD fiber ratio
 Susceptible to MD weight variation from
pressure pulsation or vibration
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 Controlling CD Profile
Traditional Slice Lip Bending

TAPPI Paper Machine Operations Course

 Slice Bending

TAPPI Paper Machine Operations Course

 Controlling CD Profile
Dilution Control
 Dilution profiling is selective
consistency control in the cross
direction
 Much narrower (better) control of
weight
 Does not cause fiber orientation issues
 Greater range of control up or down on
weight
 Requires additional equipment on
headbox and on the control systems
TAPPI Paper Machine Operations Course
 Dilution Control

TAPPI Paper Machine Operations Course

 Voith Consistency Profile
System

TAPPI Paper Machine Operations Course

 Consistency Profile Water
 Water usually
from the silo
 Dedicated pump
with barrier
screen to keep
debris from
plugging the CP
valves

TAPPI Paper Machine Operations Course

 CD Weight Responses for Dilution
and Slice Controlled Headboxes
Basis Weight Response (g/m²)

Dilution Control
60 mm Actuator Spacing

Slice Control
100 mm Actuator Spacing

60 mm dilution zone

-400 -300 -200 -100 0 100 200 300 400

CD Position (mm)

TAPPI Paper Machine Operations Course

 Headbox Nozzle
Door is called
the pond side

TAPPI Paper Machine Operations Course

 Nozzle Lamella
 Used to provide micro turbulence in
the jet to aid formation
 Variables include length, thickness,
type of tip (tapered or blunt)
 Can be damaged in handling. Avoid
excessive bending and surface
damage (scratches)
 Follow guidelines for chemical and
temperature exposure
 Inspect on regular basis
TAPPI Paper Machine Operations Course
 Nozzle Lamella
 Sheets supplied in polycarbonate
(Lexan), graphite, or polyphenylene
sulphone (PPSU)
 Lexanis clear
 PPSU is blue

 Each has its advantages and

disadvantages

TAPPI Paper Machine Operations Course

 Headbox Apron

The apron is a
highly polished
and precision
machined piece. It
must be protected
from scratches
and mechanical
damage or profile
will suffer.

TAPPI Paper Machine Operations Course

 Basic Headbox Controls
 Total Head
 Head is another name for pressure inside
the headbox
 Pressure determines the jet velocity
 The jet can be faster or slower than the
forming fabric
 This is called jet-to-wire (J/W) ratio
 The computer may show this as an actual
speed difference in fpm (+/-) or as a ratio
(ratio of 1.0 is equal speed)
 Head is normally controlled by fan pump
speed but some older machines use a
large valve in the approach pipe
TAPPI Paper Machine Operations Course
 Basic Headbox Controls
 J/W ratio
 Jet to wire ratio influences:
 MD/CD fiber ratio (sheet squareness)
 This effects ratio of sheet properties
like tensile and tear
 Changes sheet shrinkage and draw

 Changes formation

 Tough to measure accurately and very

small changes make a difference

TAPPI Paper Machine Operations Course

 How do you determine your
actual j/w ratio?
The ratio of MD and CD tensile strengths is a good indicator:
it will have a minimum at jet speed = wire speed.

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 JET VELOCITY
Another way is to measure the sheet width at the reel.
The maximum sheet width is at the square point.

Real
Indicated

-50 -40 -30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30 40 50

INDICATED (JET - WIRE) (ft/min)

TAPPI Paper Machine Operations Course

 Basic Headbox Controls
 Slice Flow
 Slice flow determines the consistency
inside the headbox (amount of dilution
of the fibers).
 This effects sheet formation and sheet
properties.
 Lowering consistency means more
water on the table and may be a
problem.

TAPPI Paper Machine Operations Course

 Basic Headbox Controls
 Slice Flow
 To increase the slice flow you normally
open the vertical slice
 This lowers the pressure inside the
headbox and the fan pump rpm will
increase to provide constant head
 If the fan pump is in manual control,
head will drop and no change in flow
occurs

TAPPI Paper Machine Operations Course

 Headbox Video

TAPPI Paper Machine Operations Course

 Headbox Problems
 Over-sized for application
 No longer capable of handling the flow.
 Streaky sheet
 Edge problems
 Bulging, leaking headbox

 Physical problems
 Warped, lining coming loose, rust
 Physical damage to inside, slice lip, or
apron

TAPPI Paper Machine Operations Course

 38

Increase in Internal PressureJET

VELOCITY
 Jet velocity is determined by the pressure in the headbox.
 In air padded boxes, this is the sum of the hydrostatic pressure and
the pressure of the air pad.
 For low speeds, V = (2gh)1/2.

TAPPI Paper Machine Operations Course

 Valmet Original Headbox

TAPPI Paper Machine Operations Course

 Valmet Original Headbox

TAPPI Paper Machine Operations Course

 New GL&V Headbox

TAPPI Paper Machine Operations Course

 New GL&V Headbox

TAPPI Paper Machine Operations Course

 Design and Operation of
Headboxes
Jim Atkins
Atkins, Inc.

TAPPI Paper Machine Operations Course