Condition Monitoring in the Pulp and Paper Industry
Uncovering compressed air leaks in pulp and paper mills with acoustic imaging cameras
Amid an ongoing energy crisis, industries must prioritise the efficient use of resources to ensure their continued success. Among various manufacturing industries, such as paper and pulp, energy expenses comprise a significant portion of total production costs. For example, in the pulp and paper industry, energy usage can account for up to 20% of total manufacturing costs (see white paper for reference).
Compressed air systems often operate continuously in manufacturing plants and contribute substantially to the total energy expenses. Compressed air is used throughout the entire papermaking process. Compressed air is used to separate and clean the raw pulp fibre, operate pneumatic tools, and even control valves.
Unfortunately, compressed air leaks are abundant in manufacturing plants. Compressed air systems typically lose 25-30% of their air to leaks (see white paper for reference).
Skilled leak auditors that will you some plants waste far more than average, with leakage levels of over 80% not uncommon (see white paper for reference).
Compressed air leaks can result in energy waste, reduced productivity, and increased operating costs, so it is imperative for the pulp and paper industry, as well as other manufacturing industries, to address these compressed air leaks through proactive measures such as regular system maintenance, timely repairs of leaks, and the implementation of advanced leak detection technologies to minimise energy costs and enhance production efficiency.
Compressed air systems are a critical component of the paper recycling process
The FLIR Si124 detecting a compressed air leak
Solution - Acoustic Imaging Camera
In contrast to traditional methods like sniffers and leak sprays, the FLIR Si2-PRO Acoustic Imaging Camera offers a much safer and faster alternative for maintenance personnel. Its advanced technology enables compressed air leaks to be identified accurately from a distance, eliminating the need for close proximity to suspected leak areas and heavy machinery, thereby reducing the risk of occupational hazards and promoting a safer working environment.
Featuring 124 microphones, the FLIR Si2-PRO offers swift and precise leak detection and estimation of the severity and associated cost in real-time using AI-driven analytics. The Si2’s sensitive microphones are also advantageous when inspecting high voltage systems, which require a safe distance from the energised equipment.
The camera also requires minimal training. Its one-handed operation makes it user-friendly and compatible with any stage of a mill’s maintenance cycle, while its large-scale inspection capability ensures inspections can be carried out without interrupting production, thus further reducing costs.
The FLIR Si2-PRO software sets it apart from other acoustic imaging cameras. The FLIR Si-Series Plugin for FLIR Thermal Studio Suite allows you to import acoustic images from FLIR Si-Series cameras to FLIR Thermal Studio. The software enables maintenance departments to prioritise reporting while making it easier for maintenance managers to demonstrate the impact of leaks on a company’s bottom line. With the plugin you have support for automatic fault classification, severity indication, recommended action for utility inspections, estimation of leak volume, and cost savings for air leaks. The software even integrates thermal and acoustic imaging in a single report.
Additionally, with FLIR Acoustic Camera Viewer, image captures are rapidly uploaded over Wi-Fi and analysed in-depth, facilitating quantification of compressed air leaks, including estimated leak cost.
Acoustic Imaging Camera Results
By deploying the FLIR Si2-PRO acoustic imaging camera, mills can locate pressurised leaks in compressed air systems up to 10 times faster than point scanning methods.
The FLIR Si124 can also save pulp and paper mills money. To estimate the potential energy a plant could save from detecting and repairing air leaks, in relation to the cost of the camera itself, the ROI Calculator can be used.
Ultimately acoustic imaging cameras offer a wealth of benefits and results regarding air leak detection in pulp and paper mills. By deploying an ultrasonic acoustic detector, mills can save money and ensure uninterrupted operations by identifying hidden compressed air leaks before they become critical problems.
The benefits of using an acoustic imaging camera for air leak detection in pulp and paper mills include the following:
- Saving money and ensuring operational continuity and uniform quality by locating hidden compressed air leaks in time
- Scanning large areas quickly and pinpointing critical problems accurately for time, energy, and cost savings
- Requiring minimal training and being easy to incorporate into maintenance cycles
- Providing real-time results and actionable data for maintenance and repair plans through machine-learning-driven analytics
- Allows professionals to complete their inspections 10 times faster than with traditional methods
VIEW FLIR Si2-PRO ACOUSTIC CAMERA
COMPRESSED AIR LEAK CALCULATOR
FULL WHITE PAPER (please note the White Paper pertains to the FLIR Si124 model but this has been superseded by the FLIR Si2-PRO)
Deeper dive: Condition Monitoring in Pulp and Paper manufacturing
Pulp and paper sites run hot, wet, and fast. Felts, rolls, pumps, fans, and refiners all work under high load. When a bearing or coupling slips, the line can stop in minutes. That is why plants are moving from reactive fixes to predictive maintenance built on hard data. The goal is simple: spot early signs of machine failure and act before quality or safety takes a hit.
Condition Monitoring - What to watch, and why it matters
Focus first on assets that threaten throughput. Think rotating machinery on the wet end, stock prep pumps, vacuum systems, and calendar stacks. Start with a small criticality list and build out. Good programs mix thermal, acoustic, electrical, and vibration monitoring so you can see faults from different angles.
- Thermal shows friction and electrical imbalance.
- Ultrasound hears air and steam issues through noise.
- Vibration shows imbalance, looseness, misalignment, and bearing wear.
- Electrical test confirms load, phase, and insulation health.
Use these inputs to drive smarter scheduling maintenance windows around grade changes or wash-ups rather than emergency stops.
Spotlight: FLIR SV89 for high-value assets
For vibration on critical assets, the FLIR SV89 sensor is purpose-built for mills. It captures high-frequency content, supports common spectral metrics, and carries robust ingress protection for wet, dusty areas. Wireless connectivity speeds installation, and the GW66 gateway supports industrial protocols so data flows to your historian or CMMS. Long battery life fits mill reality where access can be tight.
Pair the SV89 with its sibling SV88 where lower-g ranges are enough, and use trending to catch bearing defects, looseness, and misalignment before they escalate. In short: you get high-resolution vibration analysis without running new cable plants.
Build a practical FLIR stack
- Fixed vibration: SV89/SV88 on critical rolls, refiners, and large pumps provide continuous monitoring and alarms.
- Thermal imaging: FLIR Exx and T-Series handheld cameras help operators find hotspots on motors, bearings, and MCCs.
- Acoustic imaging: FLIR acoustic cameras help you detect leaks in steam, compressed air, and vacuum systems, even in high-noise areas! This cuts energy waste and process variability.
- Electrical test: FLIR imaging multimeters and clamp meters verify load balance and connection health after a mechanical repair.
Together, these tools let you monitor equipment quickly during rounds and also watch your “can’t-fail” assets all the time.
From data to decisions
Sensors are only half the story. You need workflows that your maintenance teams will actually use. Keep the stack simple:
- Sense: fixed sensors on the most critical assets, portable instruments for routes.
- Ingest: push data through gateways into your historian, EAM, or condition monitoring software.
- Analyse: apply rules and machine learning where it helps, but keep alarms human-readable.
- Act: tie alerts to work orders so planners can slot work into existing maintenance programs.
This is classic condition based maintenance: act on evidence, not guesswork... Start with practical monitoring techniques. You can set thresholds for things like RMS, crest factor, temperature rise, and ultrasound leak rates. Over time, as your dataset grows, these simple thresholds will evolve into more sophisticated pattern matching.
Scaling across the mill
Mills rarely fail at one asset. The challenge is rolling the approach out to multiple machines across stock prep, approach flow, and finishing. Here, open protocols matter. SV-series sensors and gateways that speak industrial standards make integration into plant condition monitoring systems straightforward - no custom middleware required.
As your coverage grows, keep the human side in focus. Train operators to use a thermal camera as a first-line maintenance tool during shift checks. Reserve detailed analysis for reliability engineers. Use dashboards that highlight “what changed since yesterday,” not just raw spectra.
What is the payoff you can measure with condition monitoring
Plants that wire in this approach see fewer surprises, better energy performance, and safer work. The big gain is fewer unplanned downtimes on the paper machine, where each hour costs real money. With better alarms, planners can slot jobs into short stops or grade changes, tightening condition monitoring solutions into everyday work.
Quick start checklist
- Pick five assets that keep you up at night.
- Install SV89 on those assets and baseline them for a week.
- Add a weekly thermal and acoustic route to round out the picture.
- Pipe alarms into the CMMS and assign owners.
- Review alarm accuracy monthly and tune thresholds.
- Celebrate early saves to build momentum.
By starting focused, using proven tools like FLIR’s SV-series vibration sensors, and keeping data flows simple, mills move fast from pilots to value. That is the heart of a modern reliability program... evidence that guides action, one asset at a time.