OptiFlo Gap and OptiFlo Layering Gap headboxes - for efficient lightweight board making

Metso's OptiFlo Gap and OptiFlo Layering Gap headboxes provide:
• Maximized streght properties	• High operating speed and good runnability
• Excellect layer purity • Lower basis weights	• Low operating costs • Proven technology for secure investments

One or two-layer gap forming headbox for efficient lightweight board making

The new OptiFlo headbox family brings together our unrivaled expertise and new technology, opening the door to improved quality and increased productivity in all forming applications. Metso’s high-performance headbox is ideal solution for single- and two-layer applications, in order to meet today’s high boardmaking demands on containerboard production.

High-performance headbox for demanding gap forming applications

The key elements of the OptiFlo Gap headbox are its completely redesigned headbox turbulence generator and a slice channel built using composite wedge technology. These innovations allow a consistent and disturbance-free slice jet. The key objectives of the OptiFlo Gap headbox are first to achieve optimal fiber suspension fluidization and then to maintain this optimal fluidization without disturbance across the forming section.

Experiences from several production machines show that homogenous slice jet quality yields excellent board properties. This gap forming headbox design maximizes the utilization of raw material strength potential, which enables the use of more cost-effective raw materials.

Excellent layer coverage as a result

Top side view of brown (40 gsm) on grey (40 gsm) linerboard sample, total 80 gsm
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The two-layer OptiFlo Gap headbox delivers good layer coverage. All hydraulic components of the headbox have been designed to minimize slice jet and board sheet disturbances to reach this. Metso’s high-performance headbox provides a robust hydraulic performance and excellent board properties with uniform basis weight and fiber orientation profiles within an extended operating window. This means increased operating performance and adaptability to varying production conditions. OptiFlo II and OptiFlo Pro headbox applications are available under the renewed names OptiFlo Layering Gap headbox and OptiFlo Gap headbox.

OptiFlo Gap at Saica PM 11, UK: The record-breaking start-up speed was 1,105 m/min with a basis weight of 95 g/m2. Three days later the first sellable paper reels were produced and tested, reaching the first customer shortly afterwards.

Do you want to know more?

You can easily contact our OptiFlo headbox experts using this contact request. Our headbox expert will contact you shortly after the request - Contact request.

Read more about Opti^TM for papermakers - Metso's solutions for paper and board making lines.