MoveRoll Oy

Based in Finland with operations worldwide, MoveRoll Oy has invented a unique way to convey paper rolls. This new roll handling solution has dramatically changed the level of safety and energy consumption in paper mills says Mikko Rantanen, MoveRoll's CEO. "Our patented pressure conveying system is well-tested and industry approved. Measurements have shown that, compared to traditional roll handling systems, MoveRoll products save up to 85 % in energy consumption. Feedback from the industry has it, that due to modularity and lack of moving parts, our conveyors are flexible, robust, and easy to use. " Mr. Rantanen founded MoveRoll in 2008. He previously worked as an engineer in the paper industry, focusing on the automation of production processes. "We just wanted to develop a better way of conveying paper rolls, " he says. He goes on to explain that most paper mills use traditional conveying methods to move paper rolls. These traditional systems are in fact used across a variety of industries, whether it's short conveyors for transporting electronic components along a production line, or long, heavy duty conveyors belts for moving coal or other material. There are several issues when this method is used to move paper rolls,however. Paper rolls require heavy duty conveyors which are expensive to build, as you need to dig a big foundation for them. They also are high maintenance; with regular wear and tear the conveyor needs to be replaced on a regular basis, for example. Additional problems with classic paper roll conveyors include high energy consumption, and a relatively high worker safety risk. MoveRoll aims to address all of these issues with a completely new, patented roll handling solution which does not need a big foundation and which produces significant energy savings. A compressed air system forms the basis of MoveRoll's roll handling solution. While wheels move the classic conveyors, it's air pressure that moves goods along MoveRoll's system. In addition to increased worker safety benefits, the fact that MoveRoll's solution uses air pressure rather than moving parts (wheels) produces significant cost savings as there is less wear and tear. The technology also consumes up to 85% less energy. M. Rantanen points out that the MoveRoll conveyor system can easily be built on top of an existing conveyor foundation. "So we're addressing two markets with this: paper mills who are looking for a new conveyor system will benefit from the fact that they do not need to dig a big foundation and in fact can mount it on the factory floor, and paper mills who are looking to replace their existing conveyor system can install our technology on top of their existing foundation. We've gone to great lengths to reduce the thickness of our solution to facilitate this. It is just 40 mm thick, comparable to your typical carpet. One pressure element can move up to 500 kg but as it's a modular system you can easily scale up. The biggest MoveRoll system in operation today can handle up to 10,000 kg." He adds that in the first two years of its existence, MoveRoll concentrated on building a business in its domestic market, Scandinavia. Mr. Rantanen built a strong relationship with a number of paper mills in the region to test and perfect the MoveRoll system. In 2010, when the technology was proven in Scandinavia and MoveRoll had built a customer base there, the company started to internationalise, forming partnerships with system integrators all over the world. "We're essentially an engineering company; we don't want to be installing systems ourselves," Mr. Rantanen points out. In the US, MoveRoll has notably teamed up with Advanced Dynamics, who focus on the engineering, designing and manufacturing of custom heavy duty material handling systems, and who have a strong reputation in their domestic paper industry. Mr. Rantanen says North America is their biggest market, but they also see continued growth in Europe and China, while they have just started to sell into India. "Despite of the adverse economic climate, business is good for us at the moment. The paper industry in the US in particular is investing in optimising production with the aim of achieving energy savings, optimising efficiency, and improving worker safety. The latter arguably is one of the biggest issues in the paper industry right now." MoveRoll meanwhile continues to innovative. Its new product range features a new generation of MoveRoll conveyors, new bumpers, and zeroenergy receivers. "We developed the receiver from zero, tested it in the field, and the results are excellent," says Mr. Rantanen. "Traditional systems consume up to 20 MWh energy annually. Our receiver does not need energy at all." MoveRoll will showcase its new products at the Zellcheming Expo 2013 shows this year. "We have to raise awareness," says Mr. Rantanen. "This is a completely new product and a lot of paper mills simply don't know about us yet. Another priority for us is to continue to innovate, using the feedback of our system integrators and our end users to further optimise our technology." Copyright 2009 - 2014 © Zillion Media BV