DRYING TECHNOLOGY – WESTMILL
LUMBER PROCESSING
Westmill - unbeatable service since 1975
Founded in 1975, Westmill has consistently maintained its focus and values on satisfying the requirements of its veneer-drying customers
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tarting with the reliable supply of spare parts and adding in its better-thannew dryer rebuild capabilities and knowledge, Westmill was quickly called upon by its customers to design and supply new veneer drying equipment. Success for the small company competing against multi-national giants was dependent on not only technical excellence but something else that the firm considers a competitive advantage over larger groups: a willingness to tailor solutions to meet customer needs and budget, and a track record of support. “Simply put, Westmill – top to bottom – has as part of its DNA a “We’ve got your back’ attitude for its customers,” the company’s management stated. Success provided opportunities and growth continued. Westmill continues to invest heavily in research and development to create innovative designs and industry firsts. Over the past few years, Westmill has been actively engaged in a number of product development initiatives, leading to some best-in-class technologies that are being embraced by its “most performance-minded customers”.
energy, improving veneer quality, and reducing the risk of dryer fires. This system is operating successfully in over a dozen veneer dryers in North America, with more under contract. • 2 -PEx Exhaust and Dryer Humidity Control System (patents pending): A proprietary 2-PEx Exhaust and Dryer Humidity Control System provides unparalleled control of the humidity ratio along the entire dryer’s length resulting in increased production, energy savings and greatly improved veneer quality. Combining with the WestVac system delivers exceptional dryer performance and control.
The following list includes key innovations:
• Q uick-Change Dryer Roll Baffle System (patented): Westmill designed the first-ever, quickly interchangeable Dryer Roll Baffle system. The most significant benefit of this innovation is that the roll-baffle can be removed and replaced in under five minutes, with an entire dryer end-wall replacement in under an hour – as compared to 16-24 man-hours for existing rollbaffle configurations. The patent design means personnel do not need to remove the dryer rolls, chain, sprockets, star gears or even jet tubes to install new roll baffles.
• W estVac Emission and Dryer Control System (patented): an effective method of controlling end-wall dryer emissions while increasing production, saving
• F an Shaft Seal System: A Proprietary Spring Tensioned Packing Gland has been developed to permanently and effectively solve the common
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problem of emissions leaking through panel packing glands at the fan shaft. This area has long been recognized as a major maintenance concern due to the difficultly accessing the packing gland below the lower shaft bearing and heat slinger. We effectively solved this problem by creating a proprietary Spring Tensioned Packing Gland at this location. This solution has also greatly reduced the number of bottom bearing failures caused by high heat and bearing contamination. The solution has been successfully operating in over 260 dryer fans in North America. • “ Safe Motion” Door Handle Load-Dampener (patents pending): To eliminate any potential risk of ‘strike-hazard’ for an unsuspecting dryer tender when opening a dryer door, Westmill has incorporated a new load-dampening-cell into our Patented Articulating dryer door hardware to provide complete control of the door handle throughout the opening and closing process. • Bearing Vibration Monitoring: A recent contract will incorporate real-time monitoring of Fan Bearing Vibration on two new Westmill 6-Deck Jet dryers for progressive customers. This real-time monitoring directs maintenance personnel to out of tolerance areas before they become failures. • Patented Impressed Current Cathodic Protection (ICCP) System: A proven and effective method of eliminating dryer corrosion. It has been used extensively for over 30 years to protect national structures, pipelines, ships hulls, oil rigs, underground pipeline, and storage tanks together with many more structures to protect from corrosion. • Successfully installed the first ever such ICCP system in a Veneer Dryer: Two years post-installation in a corrosion prone environment, the ICCP system is proving to have effectively eliminated the chemical reactions that result in a corroded, weakened dryer, with less than 1/10th of a gram of steel loss over that period.
