CHALLENGE
At International Paper in Pine Hill, Alabama, Paul Wheeles, Woodyard Planner, had a problem in their log line. The transition area where the logs are fed from the power feed chain deck into the debarking drum sustains frequent high-impact; which resulted in cracking and breaking of the steel bars and plating. Logs would become lodged in the voided space, creating significant work stoppages and downtime. Clearing the jams required heavy equipment and the expense of unscheduled maintenance.
SOLUTION
On a scheduled down-day, Paul called in Tricon’s Drew Dobbins to measure the space and formulate a plan to address this problem. The solution was a fabricated “Transition Plate” in which the Tri-Braze® bars from the power feed deck were welded solid into the main Tri-Braze® transition plate with A514 structural steel welded vertically.
The result has been zero down-time, saving I.P. thousands of dollars. Another benefit was reducing the exposure of employees tasked with clearing the jams in a very hazardous area. This transition plate has been in service for almost two years and still running strong. Paul Wheeles was so satisfied with the Tricon solution that he presented it to many of his colleagues at the annual 2022 MOTAG South event.
Slide above to view the old wear solution and view Tricon’s reduced downtime solution.
