Neenah Paper Inc. is a producer of premium image and performance-based products, including filtration, specialized substrates used for tapes, labels and other products. It also produces high-end printing papers.
Following NPI’s acquisition of Wausau Paper’s Astrobrights brand, the Whiting Mill in Stevens Point, Wis., needed to expand its manu-facturing capability to meet the unique demand of producing brightly colored papers.
To produce this paper, staff at the central Wisconsin-based paper mill sought solutions to store and distribute more than 24 liquid dyes from one of four sizes of supply tanks to multiple distribution points throughout the mill. Finding the right distribution piping material was top priority.
Numerous types of piping materials were considered. “Stainless steel was the default consideration, but it is expensive,” NPI Mechanical Engineer Kevin Calhoun says. “Some of the dyes eat through stainless pipe in a matter of weeks, which would result in a mixed-material installation, thus limiting flexibility in moving dyes between different tanks.” Additionally, the corrosion of steel pipe translated into a waste of resources and precious operating funds.