Embolube® 120 D – an embossing fluid technology for a safer, sustainable future

The production of tissue items such as hankies, toilet paper or kitchen towels takes place in several steps. Besides the production, which includes stock preparation and the manufacturing process, the converting to the finished product is also an important part of the process. It is precisely here, in the converting process, that we have seen the opportunity to make a positive contribution to occupational safety and sustainability. During the processing of tissue, a lot of dust is generated, which combines with oil-containing substances that are used to keep embossing lines clean and float around the machine like a cloud.

The leading oil and chemical supplier to industry – over 600 high quality chemical products

This is where our idea of improvement comes in. We are PETROFER and BFG. PETROFER develops, produces and markets innovative process chemicals for a wide range of industrial applications. BFG as our Italian distributor, are also our service provider for technical problems and questions around the application of lubricants and chemicals in the local paper industry.

What is the challenge on the machine in detail?

The oil commonly used for embossing in tissue paper production has a low flash point. Due to the static electrical charge produced on the machine during converting, sparks often occur, which, combined with the aerosol fog of the oil, means a high risk of fire. These circumstances pose a huge safety risk to workers and any subsequent fires are the reason for the high costs incurred to repair the machines after an incident. Apart from these problems, the tissue paper manufacturing process brings other challenges.
The conventional and historical process, based on silicone oil, also has disadvantages. Most of the silicone oil available in Europe is imported from China and the supply of this oil presents logistical challenges. Additionally, due to the high energy consumption in the production of silicone oil, the process is extremely expensive and harmful to the environment. It also poses a hazard because it is very slippery, consequently there is a high risk of workers slipping if any of the oil spills onto the floor.
Our product Embolube® 120 D with its water-based formulation combines the excellent embossing and cleaning properties with an increased level of safety:

• high cleaning power.
• ideal lubrication.
• reduction of frictional heat.
• non-flammable product/no flash point as water based providing a significantly lower fire risk.
• lower total dosage = lower costs.
• not containing MOAH (aromatics).
• high delivery reliability and availability without huge logistical costs.

Case study

One customer experienced up to 3 fires a year on their converting line. In addition to the enormous damage to the machine and the safety risk for his employees, this also posed a problem for the insurance company. Resulting in higher insurance premiums. We were given the opportunity to test our product. Right from the start, it became apparent that we could significantly reduce the consumption quantity while maintaining the same production quality/speed. In total, we reduced consumption by 55% compared to white oil. The reduction in consumption also eliminated the excess aerosol fog. This has the positive effect that dust and pollution debris are considerably reduced. This minimized the cleaning effort and added two further production shifts per month. By using our non-combustible product, the insurance premium for the converting line could also be reduced, as well as the amount for storage and stocking. All this showed our customer that besides the safety advantages, a more cost-efficient product can be realised.

Conclusion: Embolube® 120 D improves efficiency, safety and cost savings in tissue and non-woven converting.