Process Weighing, Web Tension & Force Control Systems Built for the Pulp and Paper Industry

Every Paper Break, Mis-Weighed Batch and Unplanned Stop Costs the Mill Real Money

A paper machine is one of the most demanding environments in industry: high temperatures, constant moisture, chemical exposure and relentless vibration. Standard sensors drift, corrode and fail — and when measurement fails, web tension control suffers, paper quality slips and the line stops.

BLH Nobel has spent decades developing a deep understanding of the process challenges facing pulp and paper manufacturers. The result is a portfolio of precision shear beam load cells, force measurement units and weighing instruments that hold their accuracy through dynamic process forces and severe conditions. That accuracy translates directly into tighter web tension control, better paper quality, fewer breaks and higher machine speeds — from the wet end and the press section to the calender, winder and the tambour crane.

 

Built Around the Questions Paper Mill Engineers Actually Ask

• › How do I measure web tension on a paper machine? By placing precision load cells under a tension roll so they read the true resultant force of the moving web — the foundation of any closed-loop tension control system.
• › How can I reduce paper breaks and machine downtime? Stable, accurate web tension control keeps the sheet within its tolerance window across every draw, cutting the breaks that stop the line and the rejects that follow a restart.
• › How do load cells handle heat, moisture and vibration in a paper mill? Through rugged stainless construction, high ingress protection and synchronous, multichannel measurement that stays true even under severe shock and vibration.
• › What is the best weighing system for silos and tanks in a paper mill? A complete system of shear beam load cells, weigh modules and a process weighing instrument — sized for the vessel and engineered to ignore agitation and thermal expansion.
   

Force Measurement and Process Weighing Engineered for the Harshest Mill Environments

• 01 - WEB TENSION
  Force Measurement Unit (FMU)
  • Built from two precision load cells, a load plate carrying the pillow block, and a base plate that mounts to the machine support.
  • Cylindrical load cells can be rotated to measure in the direction of the exact resultant force.
  • Resultant force measurement gives the highest possible accuracy and removes wrap-angle restrictions.
  • High ingress protection makes the FMU suitable for every section of the paper machine.
     
• 02 -  PROCESS WEIGHING
  KIS Load Cell & Weigh Module
  • KIS load cell technology delivers accurate weighments even during heating and agitation.
  • Easy to install and extremely accurate, even under dynamic process forces.
  • Designed to perform under severe environmental conditions found around the mill.
  • Minimises the effect of mixing, agitation and temperature change in critical process stages.
     
• 03 -  INSTRUMENTATION
  G6 Multichannel Process Instrument
  • Next-generation modular instrument that builds on the legacy of the proven G4, while preserving existing BLH Nobel investments.
  • Simultaneous, synchronous measurement across up to eight channels for true multichannel force and weighing data.
  • Robust aluminium housing and a large backlit touchscreen, built for long-lasting reliability in harsh mill conditions.
  • Customisable software packages, multiple user interfaces and high-speed communication for seamless line integration.
     
• 04 - SHEAR BEAM LOAD CELLS
  Precision Industrial Load Cells
  • Precision shear beam load cells engineered for industrial process weighing and roll force measurement.
  • Backed by strain gage technology from Vishay Precision Group, a recognised technology leader.
  • Proven in harsh environments such as steel mills and pulp and paper plants.
  • Suitable for silos, tanks, mixers, hoppers and vessel weighing throughout the mill.
     
• 05 - WEIGHT INDICATORS
  WIN5 & Weighing Modules
  • Stainless steel enclosure rated for use in harsh environments.
  • Works with BLH Nobel weigh modules and standard strain gage load cells.
  • Weighing modules available for integration with PLC chassis for inventory and process control.
  • Multivoltage power options for flexible installation across the plant.
     
• 06 -  CUSTOM SYSTEMS
  Tailor-Made Solutions & Service
  • Custom hardware and software versions for application-specific requirements.
  • Web and strip tension products cover any range of force, from high to low.
  • Service and calibration kits, pocket calibrators and diagnostic tools.
  • Field service and maintenance teams to keep systems performing over their life.
     

Where BLH Nobel Measurement Works Across the Mill

From the pulper to the jumbo roll, force and weight measurement touches nearly every process on the line. These are the points where precision pays back fastest.

• PAPER MACHINE
  Web & Felt Tension Control FMUs under tension and felt rolls feed real-time force data into the drive system, holding the sheet at target tension through every draw — the press section, dryers, calender and beyond.
  Web & Felt Tension Control
• CALENDER
  Calender Web Tension Accurate resultant-force measurement at the calender helps maintain consistent caliper and surface quality as the web is finished, without introducing wrinkles or breaks.
• WINDER / REWINDER
  Winder & Rewinder Weighing Tension and force measurement at the winder and rewinder supports tight, defect-free roll building and reliable jumbo roll handling.
• STOCK PREPARATION
  Pulper & Coating Kitchen Weighing KIS load cells and weigh modules give accurate batching in the pulper and coating kitchen — even while vessels are heating or being agitated.
  Pulper & Coating Kitchen Weighing
• TANKS & SILOS
  Silo, Tank & Vessel Weighing Complete weighing systems for chemical, additive and stock storage — engineered to reject the agitation and thermal expansion that defeat ordinary sensors.
• MATERIAL HANDLING
  Tambour Crane & Jumbo Roll Weighing Crane weighing captures the weight of tambours and jumbo rolls during handling, supporting inventory accuracy and safe load management.
  Tambour Crane & Jumbo Roll Weighing

Closing the loop on web tension

Consider a paper machine where tension is inferred indirectly and drifts as rolls heat up through a shift. Operators compensate by hand, breaks cluster around grade changes, and every restart scraps sheet. Fitting Force Measurement Units that read the true resultant force at key tension rolls gives the drive system a direct, stable signal — the basis for genuine closed-loop tension control. With tension held inside its window across every draw, the typical outcomes mills pursue are fewer breaks, steadier paper quality and the confidence to run at higher machine speed.

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

What Pulp and Paper Engineers Ask Us Most

How do I measure web tension on a paper machine?
Web tension is measured by supporting a tension roll on load cells that sense the force the moving web exerts on the roll. BLH Nobel’s Force Measurement Unit uses two cylindrical precision load cells that can be rotated to read the exact resultant force, which delivers the highest possible accuracy and removes wrap-angle restrictions. That force signal becomes the input to a closed-loop tension control system.

How can I reduce paper breaks and machine downtime?
Many breaks trace back to tension that has drifted outside its acceptable window. Accurate, stable force measurement at the right points on the machine lets the control system hold tension precisely through every draw and grade change. Steadier tension means fewer breaks, fewer restarts, and the headroom to run the machine faster — which is exactly the productivity and quality outcome BLH Nobel systems are designed to support.

How do load cells handle heat, moisture and vibration in a paper mill?
BLH Nobel load cells are built for harsh environments — the brand’s products are proven in steel mills and pulp and paper plants. The FMU carries high ingress protection so it suits every section of the machine, while the KIS load cell holds accuracy through heating and agitation. On the instrument side, the G6 multichannel process instrument measures all channels simultaneously and synchronously, so force and weighing data stays true even in demanding mill conditions.

What is the best weighing system for silos and tanks in a paper mill?
For silos, tanks, mixers and hoppers, the right approach is a complete weighing system: precision shear beam load cells or weigh modules sized to the vessel, combined with a process weighing instrument or indicator such as the WIN5. BLH Nobel load cells minimise the effect of mixing, agitation and temperature change, and customised solutions can be engineered when a vessel or process has specific demands.

Put Precision Force and Weight Measurement to Work in Your Mill

Talk to a BLH Nobel application engineer about web tension control, process weighing or a complete custom system — or download the technical resources to share with your team.