Swiss-based papermaker Perlen Papier AG signed a service agreement with Voith Paper Automation for the automation components of its PM 4 and PM 7 in Perlen. Voith has already had a service agreement with Perlen Papier AG for the PM 4 quality control system since 2004. The new PM 7 went on line in September 2010. The machine, which is working at full capacity, is expected to produce 300,000 metric tons of newsprint this year. Following the final acceptance inspection of the PM 7, the two companies are now going one step further in signing the service agreement effective since September 2011.

The PM 7 will benefit from a complete Voith automation package which covers the recovered paper preparation, the paper machine and winder as well as the packing and transport. With the new service agreement Voith ensures high availability in the long term and provides clearly defined performance guarantees for the specified system components.

Dirk Breuer, Technical Director at Perlen Papier AG, explains why Perlen is relying on external service support when it has a very experienced and well-trained maintenance team on site: "The automation in a paper machine is becoming increasingly complex. This is why we need experts to provide us with professional support. And in Voith we have found the perfect partner to rely on".

The agreement includes a remote diagnostic service of the automation system. A Voith service technician logs into the Perlen system via an online connection to check the current status and if necessary eliminate malfunctions or carry out optimizations.

In addition, the Emergency on Call service module provides a 24-hour/7-day standby service by Voith's service team with a contractually guaranteed response time. This ensures that Perlen Papier's maintenance team gets fast, direct support.

The service agreement also stipulates preventive maintenance schedules. Thus, the automation components MCS and DCS including system technology, and the quality control system with scanners, actuators and controls are checked. The downstream processes at the winder or packaging system are also monitored and constantly improved by the Voith service technicians.

Perlen Papier AG was founded in 1873 and is one of the key manufacturers of magazine paper and newsprint in Switzerland. In 2010 the family-owned company had a workforce of 381 and posted a net turnover of 182 million euros.