Smart Smelt Spout Robot
Improve the recovery boiler safety with automated smelt spout cleaning and sampling technology
The Smart Smelt Spout Robot automatically cleans the smelt spouts and spout hoods. This increases safety in one of the most hazardous areas of a pulp mill as well as also improves reliability and availability of the recovery boiler.
Due to the presence of molten smelt and a high temperature environment, the smelt spout deck of a recovery boiler is one of the most dangerous places to work in a modern kraft pulp mill. By ANDRITZ automation solutions for smelt spout deck you can significantly increase safety and operational efficiency of the recovery boiler.
Safety awareness is paramount in modern pulp and paper industry
Improve operator safety by more than 90% with the installation of the Smart Smelt Spout Robot
The Smart Smelt Spout Robot automatically cleans the smelt spouts and spout hoods without requiring human intervention - significantly reducing time spent on the spout deck.
The robot system is a precision instrument, cleaning build-up along the spouts without physically contacting the spouts. Laser sensors track the thermal movement of the boiler and continuously update the robot‘s cleaning movements. Frequent cleaning maintains a consistent smelt flow from all spouts which improves green liquor stability and boiler availability.
Operation efficiency
The non-contact cleaning feature of the robot eliminates the need for physical scraping of the spouts, which is currently done manually
Reduced mechanical wear on spouts ensures optimal spout lifetime. When paired with Smart Smelt Flow Measurement, the robot will always clean the spouts that need it the most, thus avoiding production losses due to a plugged spout. Consistent smelt flow along the spouts reduces thermal cycling, which in turn improves spout reliability by mitigating thermal cracking. Clean spouts with consistent smelt flow from all spouts will also improve green liquor TTA stability.
Smart Smelt Spout Robot combined with Smart Smelt Reduction measurement enable automated smelt reduction measurements from individual spouts. Frequent and immediate reduction results enable process optimization for best sustainable reduction rate.
Enhanced operator efficiency is another key benefit. Operators can focus on more value-added tasks, reducing operator fatigue and keeping the operators alert for process troubleshooting and optimization tasks. Improved job conditions also enhance operator retention by reducing job-related stress.
An automated smelt spout cleaning system will clean and maintain up to three ANDRITZ standard-spaced smelt spouts using one robotic arm.
