Paper mills already recognize the instrument for safely and accurately measuring tearing resistance on all paper grades and its unique automation, digitalization and safety features. Tearing resistance is a crucial determinant of product toughness and machine runnability and can help mills characterize pulp to determine if refining and reinforcement fibers are optimized.

ABB’s L&W Tearing Tester, which uses a pendulum to further tear a pre-cut sample, helps mills achieve tearing strength results faster with automatic clamping and notch cutting of the sample piece as well as automatic pendulum release, catch and retraction. Plus, testing for different grades is now faster than ever with interchangeable weights for the instrument’s one pendulum.

Lab technicians will benefit from a user-friendly touchscreen and more ergonomic-friendly operation. They will also be better protected with the two-hand operation requirement, avoiding contact with moving parts and the blade, and a unique pendulum safety guard that minimizes the risk of injury without interrupting the pendulum swing or slowing the test.

The instrument interfaces with ABB’s L&W Lab Management System, a web-based automated data acquisition and lab reporting solution that helps halve lab procedure times. With its capability to connect to ABB Ability™ Manufacturing Execution System for pulp and paper, manufacturers gain visibility of data across the mill and the entire enterprise to ensure consistent product quality.

“All mills aim for the best possible product toughness and machine runnability, and yet many struggle with measurement challenges – such as reliability or repeatability – associated with ageing equipment that could affect improvement opportunities,” said Per Sandstrom, Head of Lab and Process Testing Measurements for ABB Pulp & Paper.

“The new ABB L&W Tearing Tester is the only instrument on the market that combines the best modern automation, digitalization and safety advancements to deliver accurate and repeatable tearing strength results to help expedite quality and machine optimization.”

ABB provides a comprehensive support network for the L&W Tearing Tester using L&W-specific calibration devices that are regularly certified with traceable calibration from global certification institutes.