Milestone Reached: New Dieffenbacher CPS+ Press Produces First Board

Only 17 months after Dieffenbacher unveiled the new continuous CPS+ press at Ligna 2015, the first plant with a CPS+ press has been successfully put into operation. After a seven-month assembly period, the first board was produced according to plan on October 1, 2016 at Kronospan's new particleboard plant in Bjelovar, Croatia.

"The process of commissioning the first CPS+ was absolutely seamless," said Bernd Bielfeldt, Dieffenbacher Head of the Wood Business Unit. Only two weeks after first board production, Koronospan increased production to three shifts, citing the reliability of its CPS+ press.

Kronospan has also said it is extremely satisfied with the project, adding that the joint approach to project processing has proven to be reliable. It was not apparent either in the planning phase or installation phase that this was the first project involving a CPS+.

Dieffenbacher began development of the new generation of presses in 2014. One ambitious goal was to improve the thickness tolerances of manufactured boards. Due to the modular frame with its new arrangement of press cylinders, the CPS+ ensures perfectly even distribution of pressure when pressing the board. For Dieffenbacher customers, this provides  consistently high product quality and low raw material consumption.

"We are confident that Kronospan and other customers will benefit from the advanced CPS+ technology," explained Bielfeldt. For example, new thermoactive roll plates ensure that the mats can be heated at an earlier stage. The CPS+ Press also offers improved accessibility for servicing. Its clear distinction between the supply side and the maintenance side enables faster and more convenient press maintenance.

The CPS+ has all the advantages of the original CPS model, proven over decades of service. These advantages include the variable double joint press infeed, thermal expansion of the frames—which allow product changeover on the fly without interruptions—and the Parallel Press Gap System (PPS), which stops the mat "breathing out" between the cylinder banks.

Two CPS+ project commissions in Thailand will take place in the first half of 2017. Dieffenbacher has sold eleven plants featuring the new CPS+ press.