AFT recently had another successful refiner start-up with the BillerudKorsnäs group. Its new pulp mill reject refiner started-up in December at the 460,000 t/d Skärblacka mill in Sweden, designed to defiberize knots, shives and fiber bundles coming from pulp screening. Combined with Finebar technology, AFT refiners deliver optimized performance and energy savings which will help support BillerudKorsnäs' sustainability goals through resource-efficient production.

The Skärblacka installation also includes an AFTLinx integration unit for monitoring refiner performance remotely. Its optional IoT gateway collects equipment-specific operating data to address customer needs for remote product support and service. The data access allows AFT specialists to assist with start-ups, conduct comprehensive real-time machine diagnostics, and provide advice for optimized refiner operation.