Pulp mill operations present a demanding combination of material handling challenges: abrasive wood chip and pulp conveyance, aggressive process chemistry in the pulping and bleaching stages, high moisture throughout, and the static hazard of dry chip handling. Pepco Plastics manufactures engineered plastic wear parts and components for pulp mill operations from our Alberta facility, serving pulp and paper facilities across Western Canada.
UHMW handles chip handling and conveyor applications. Tivar addresses antistatic requirements. The chemical environments in pulping and bleaching require HDPE or specialty grades in contact applications. Pepco supplies and machines all of them.
Wood chip conveyors from the chipper to the chip pile and from storage to the digester are high-throughput, abrasive, and in dry chip environments, potentially subject to static charge buildup. UHMW is the standard liner and wear strip material for chip conveyors. Tivar Antistatic grades are specified where static discharge is a hazard in dry chip environments.
UHMW plastic is the primary wear material for chip handling, conveyor liners, bin liners, and general wear applications throughout the mill. Standard UHMW covers most pulp mill wear requirements.
Tivar UHMW - Specifically Tivar Antistatic — is the correct specification for dry chip handling environments where electrostatic discharge is a hazard. Standard UHMW does not dissipate static charge; Tivar Antistatic grades are designed to. For the most severe chip handling wear applications, Tivar 1000 provides additional wear resistance.
Nylon is specified for mechanical components — guide rolls, bushings, drive components — where load-bearing capacity and self-lubrication are required alongside corrosion resistance in the wet pulp mill environment.
Pepco supplies and machines plastic wear components for pulp mill operations from our Alberta facility. Chip handling liner panels and wear strips are standard production — cut and profiled from sheet stock to the dimensions the equipment requires. Custom machined components for specific equipment are produced from drawings or samples.
Pulp mill shutdowns for maintenance are scheduled and timed — supply of wear components that arrives after the shutdown window closes is supply that misses the opportunity. Pepco can discuss supply arrangements for planned maintenance requirements, including pre-positioning stock for scheduled shutdowns.
For adjacent forestry and sawmill applications, see Pepco's forestry industry page.
In dry wood chip environments, electrostatic charge can build up on standard UHMW liner surfaces. Whether Tivar Antistatic is a required specification depends on the specific environment, the chip moisture content, and the relevant safety standards for the facility. Pulp mill safety teams and engineers should assess the static hazard for their specific application and specify accordingly. Pepco can supply and machine both standard UHMW and Tivar Antistatic grades.
Pepco manufactures UHMW and engineered plastic wear parts for pulp mill operations in Alberta and Western Canada. Chip handling liners, antistatic wear strips, bin liners, and custom-machined components — send your specifications and request a quote.
