The challenge of besting press section performance

June 1998 marks the fifth in TAPPI JOURNAL'S series of Technology Spotlight articles, dedicated to focusing on current industry topics as well as seeking to define the limits of current papermaking technology. Each part of the series, different industry leaders will answer specific questions on select areas of the pulp and paper industry. The questions are based on the growing realization that the capital intensity of the industry must be reduced and the returns increased for the industry to remain vital and healthy. There are several ways in which the capital intensity of the industry can be reduced-the simplest is to increase the production of the current largest and best machines while eliminating older, smaller, and slower machines. The other option involves seeking radically different pulping and papermaking processes, ones that are so much less expensive that the current equipment base would immediately be obsolete. This month's topic focuses on the press section limitations we would face if we had to double the speeds of our best machines immediately-in essence, addressing the press section/press felt needs of the paper machine of the future.