Sidhu Engineering Works, a global manufacturer of world class spray showers, nozzles and filters, claims that the paper mills can reduce water consumption in their machines by up to 90 percent in the next five years, if they use the company’s modern technology. This was revealed by Mr. Rahul Basra, Director of Sidhu Engineering Works, during an interaction with Paper Mart.
Paper Mart: Kindly tell us about the technical solutions you are using to enhance water efficiency of mills in India?
Rahul Basra: Today, every mill in the country is facing some kind of water problem. Groundwater is a matter of serious concern in our country. Most of the paper mills are unwantedly using more water from their machines to make better paper. Sidhu Engineering Works conducts water audits of paper machines and provides the customers with a water audit report. This report gives them details about the existing situation and the proposed solutions on how to save water in terms of percentage on paper machines. We provide customized design and solutions as per the parameters on a machine-to-machine basis.
PM: Kindly discuss how your technical solutions have helped the mills reduce their water footprint.
RB: During the audit, we decide how much water consumption is required to clean the paper machine fabric. We then design the best solution for our clients, keeping in mind the paper machine speed, paper quality and raw material.
We have invented the Robo Cleaners to reduce water consumption up to 90 percent. With the help of our other product LP Showers, we can reduce water consumption from anything between 50 to 100 percent. We are targeting different areas on paper machines to utilize that water in the best possible manner.
Robo Cleaner is a game changer. A paper mill plant can achieve zero liquid discharge (ZLD) after installation of a Robo Cleaner on a paper machine. To reduce water consumption in a paper machine is not an easy task. For that, we have to look at all the parameters, such as machine runnability, paper quality and clothing life. The quality of none of these should be affected.
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PM: Who are your clients? What factors do you usually identify before collaborating with them?
RB: We have installed more than 250 mills, so the client list is very big. We generally check the machine’s existing water consumption system and production per day and then calculate the amount of consumption. If the consumption is on a higher side as per our parameters, then we provide them with our customized solutions.
PM: Please tell us about your new innovations and solutions, which you are going to launch in the near future. What impact will it have on the industry?
RB: Online screen cleaning is the biggest challenge for the paper industries. We have innovated an online dryers screen cleaning system. We will very soon launch our Robo Cleaner with dryer screen cleaning. After installation, it will make a great impact on paper machine runnability by increasing the dryness, and reducing the steam consumption per ton of paper. It will also reduce paper breaks and improve the formation of the paper. Many problems will be solved in one go by using this Robo clean technology on the dryer screen.
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PM: How water efficient will the mills become in the next five years and where do you see yourself in this?
RB: I think in the next five years, if the paper mills use our technology, they will be able to reduce their paper machine water consumption by around 90 percent.
