Keeping Pulp & Paper Mills Moving: Flexible Metal Hose and Expansion Joint Solutions from Hose Master

Pulp and paper mills are demanding environments. High temperatures, steam, aggressive chemicals, abrasive materials, vibration, equipment movement, and continuous production all place significant demands on piping systems and process equipment.

That is why flexible metal hose assemblies and metal expansion joints play such an important role throughout a pulp and paper facility.

From steam connections on dryer cylinders to chemical transfer and pneumatic conveying, Hose Master products are engineered to provide flexibility, corrosion resistance, temperature capability, and durability in applications where conventional piping connections may not be the best solution.

Why Flexible Metal Products Make Sense in Pulp & Paper

Paper manufacturing involves far more than turning wood fiber into a finished roll of paper. Mills rely on complex systems for pulping, chemical recovery, bleaching, stock preparation, drying, utilities, and material handling.

Many of these processes involve high temperatures and corrosive media. Others require a flexible connection because equipment moves, vibrates, or cannot be connected effectively with rigid piping.

Hose Master identifies a wide range of pulp and paper applications for flexible metal hose and expansion joints, including:

• Steam connections
• White and black liquor connections
• Rotary joint connections on dryer cylinders/cans
• Pneumatic transfer of sawdust
• Boiler water pretreatment
• Railcar unloading
• De-inking processes
• Lubrication lines
• Compressed gas lines
• Storage tank connections
• Expansion joints on digesters, blow tanks, condensers, et al.

Choosing the appropriate hose or expansion joint depends on the media, pressure, temperature, movement, environment, size, alloy, and other application-specific conditions.

1. Steam Connections: Annuflex™, Masterflex and Expansion Joints

Steam is essential throughout pulp and paper manufacturing, particularly in the drying process.

Steam piping also presents several challenges. Temperature changes create thermal expansion and contraction, while equipment movement and vibration can introduce additional stresses into a piping system.

Hose Master recommends Annuflex™, Masterflex and metal expansion joints for steam connections in pulp and paper facilities.

Flexible metal hose can provides a reliable connection between piping and equipment while accommodating movement and vibration. Metal expansion joints can be engineered into piping systems to accommodate thermal movement.

The result is a flexible metallic solution suited to the demanding temperature conditions commonly associated with mill steam systems.

2. Dryer Roll Connections: Annuflex™ and Masterflex

The dryer section is one of the most recognizable areas of a paper machine. A roll of paper travels through a series of steam-heated dryer cylinders to remove moisture.

These rotating components create an application where flexibility is particularly important.

Hose Master recommends Annuflex and Masterflex for connections on rotary joints to dryer rolls. Flexible hose provides the connection needed between the steam/condensate system and the dryer equipment while accommodating the movement associated with the application.

For mills where uptime is critical, correctly engineered dryer connections can be an important part of maintaining a reliable drying operation.

3. White and Black Liquor Connections: Annuflex™, Masterflex and ChemKing®

Chemical recovery is a critical part of the kraft pulping process.

White liquor is used in the pulping process, while black liquor contains dissolved wood components and spent cooking chemicals. These applications can present challenging combinations of chemicals, temperature, and operating conditions.

Hose Master recommends Annuflex, Masterflex and ChemKing® for white and black liquor connections.

The ability to select appropriate corrosion-resistant metallic materials is particularly important in these services. A properly specified flexible metal assembly can also accommodate vibration and movement while providing a robust connection in demanding chemical environments.

4. Pneumatic Sawdust Transfer: Ultraflex™ and Interflex™

Pulp and paper operations also need to move dry bulk materials such as sawdust.

For pneumatic sawdust transfer, Hose Master recommends two stripwound metal hose products: Ultraflex™ and Interflex™.

Interflex is a roughbore interlocked metal hose suited to conveying dry bulk materials. Ultraflex incorporates a smoothbore design with a highly abrasion-resistant liner and is specifically suited to dry bulk pneumatic conveyance.

The distinction between smoothbore and roughbore construction can be important. A smoother internal surface like Ultraflex can promote efficient product flow and help reduce damage to material, while a roughbore stripwound metal construction, like Interflex, provides flexibility and ruggedness for industrial material-handling applications.

5. Boiler Water Pretreatment: Annuflex™, Masterflex, ChlorSafe™ and ChemKing®

Reliable boiler operation begins before water reaches the boiler.

Water treatment systems may use chemicals that create demanding transfer applications, making material compatibility an important consideration.

For boiler water pretreatment lines, Hose Master recommends Annuflex, Masterflex, ChlorSafe™ and ChemKing.

Different chemicals and operating conditions require different hose constructions and alloys, which is why the hose should always be selected based on the actual application rather than simply choosing a general-purpose assembly.

6. Railcar Unloading: Annuflex™, Masterflex, ChlorSafe™ and ChemKing®

Many chemicals and processing materials used by mills arrive by rail.

The unloading connection between a railcar and the facility requires flexibility because the connection is temporary and must accommodate positioning and movement while transferring the specified media.

Hose Master recommends Annuflex, Masterflex, ChlorSafe and ChemKing for railcar unloading applications in pulp and paper facilities.

Proper hose selection is particularly important here because the assembly must be compatible with the material being transferred as well as the application's pressure, temperature and operating conditions.

7. Lubrication Lines: Annuflex™, Masterflex, Hydraflex™ and PressureMax HP®

Paper machines contain numerous bearings, rolls and other moving components that depend on reliable lubrication.

Hose Master recommends Annuflex, Masterflex, Hydraflex™ and PressureMax HP® for lubrication lines in pulp and paper operations.

Flexible metal hose can be valuable where vibration, movement, temperature, pressure, or the surrounding environment makes a robust flexible connection desirable.

8. De-Inking: Annuflex™

Recycled-paper production introduces another set of processing requirements.

During de-inking, inks and contaminants must be separated from recovered paper fibers through a combination of mechanical and chemical processes.

Hose Master recommends Annuflex for hydropulping and de-inking applications. Its corrugated metal construction provides flexibility for process connections while allowing an assembly to be specified around the temperature, pressure, media and movement requirements of the application.

9. Compressed Gas Lines: Masterflex

Compressed gases and air are used throughout industrial facilities for controls, equipment, instrumentation and production processes.

Hose Master recommends Masterflex for compressed gas lines within pulp and paper operations.

A flexible metal connection can help accommodate vibration or movement between piping and equipment while maintaining the durability expected in an industrial environment. Metal hoses also avoid permeation issues that can arise when transferring gases through non-metallic hoses.

10. Metal Expansion Joints: Managing Movement in Mill Piping

Not every movement problem should be solved with a hose.

For piping systems experiencing thermal growth and other defined movements, a properly engineered metal expansion joint may be the appropriate solution.

Hose Master manufactures both pre-engineered and custom-designed metal expansion joints. Depending on the piping system, designs can address axial, lateral and angular movement as well as more complex movement and pressure-thrust requirements.

This can be particularly valuable in steam and other high-temperature piping systems found throughout pulp and paper facilities.

More Than a Hose: The Importance of Application Engineering

One of the most important lessons in flexible metal products is that the product name is only part of the solution.

The assembly must match the application.

Factors such as media, pressure, temperature, size, movement, alloy, end fittings, hose length, installation geometry, flow conditions, and surrounding environment all influence product selection.

Hose Master supports these applications with engineering and application expertise, specialized attachment techniques, testing capabilities, expansion joint design, and product and failure analysis.

That expertise can be particularly valuable in a pulp and paper mill, where solving the root cause of a recurring hose or expansion joint failure can prevent repeated downtime.

Keeping the Mill Flowing

From the woodyard to the dryer section, flexible metal products may represent a relatively small portion of the overall mill—but they can perform critical jobs.

Annuflex and Masterflex support applications ranging from steam and dryer rolls to chemical and utility services.

ChemKing and ChlorSafe provide options for demanding chemical applications.

Ultraflex and Interflex address dry bulk material handling such as pneumatic sawdust transfer.

Hydraflex and PressureMax HP provide solutions for lubrication applications.

And Hose Master metal expansion joints help engineers manage movement in piping systems where thermal expansion and other forces must be properly controlled.

In an industry where heat, chemicals, movement, abrasion and continuous production are part of everyday operations, selecting the right flexible connection matters.

Hose Master Helps Keep the Pulp and Paper Industry Flowing.

Application note: Product selection should always be based on the specific media, pressure, temperature, movement, environment, alloy requirements and other operating conditions of the application. Consult Hose Master or an authorized Hose Master distributor when specifying an assembly or expansion joint.