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Albany Value Concept - Click here to see how Albany is increasing value to our customers!

Albany International's primary business is supplying the expanding global paper industry with consumable, technologically sophisticated products called paper machine clothing. Paper machine clothing is used to produce all grades of paper from lightweight sanitary tissue to heavyweight container board. These custom-designed engineered fabrics, essential to the paper making process, are made of monofilament and synthetic fiber materials. This basic technology is also utilized for other industrial process applications.

FORMING

A sheet of paper begins in the forming section, where a mixture of 99% water and 1% cellulose fiber flows between two large, fine mesh porous belts called forming fabrics. It is here that the paper sheet is formed and the initial water removal occurs.

PRESSING

Additional water is removed from the newly formed sheet in the press section where, under high pressure, water is squeezed from the sheet into a press fabric.

DRYING

In the dryer section, the balance of the water is removed by evaporation as the sheet is held in close contact with large diameter, heated cylinders by dryer fabrics.

BELTING

Today various coated belts are desirable on many modern paper machines, tomorrow they will be required.  Most widely used today is the shoe press belt, developed by Albany International, for the most efficient shoe press concept. Today these presses are manufactured by three of the world's largest paper machine manufacturers and their licensees. The shoe press concept lowers paper manufacturers' costs by allowing more water to be removed in the press section, as well as improving sheet characteristics, while using less costly raw materials.

Another emerging belting product, the Transbelt ®, overcomes the problem of sheet breaks between sections of the paper machine, and will be required at tomorrow's higher speeds to provide the continuous sheet support needed for high operating speeds.

Additional new belt products such as the calender belt are being developed in conjunction with machinery manufacturers to improve technology for the papermaker and produce better sheet surface characteristics.

For more detailed information, please see the ALBINT.com Process Belts area.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

Albany International's service is second to none.  With hundreds of service engineers around the globe working to help you.From start-up to cleanings and machine audits to training seminars for managers and crews.  Albany  International's service engineers are  knowledgeable, experienced and local.  Please see our Service Overview 

US AND AUSTRALIAN OPERATIONS

Our US and Australian Operations supply forming, pressing and drying fabrics for all types of papermaking.  Our customer forum (below) has details on our product and service offerings.  If you would like a username and password, please ask your sales or service engineer.

EUROPEAN OPERATIONS

Albany International also has a complete line of products and services available in Europe.