Felt filling

1. Where filling is a problem across the machine, strips of old felts should be analyzed (a service provided by the manufacturer).
2. New felts should be wetted down evenly.
3. The felt must be kept clean by use of a continuous felt cleaning system.
— poor felt cleaning contributes to wet streaks, felt plugging, picking, crushing, and general breaks throughout the papermaking system.
— shower water must be maintained at the correct temperature.
4. “Working the seam” by means of two bowed rolls in conjunction with a shower will keep a felt open under adverse conditions.
5. Care must be taken when installing a felt so that it is not soiled.
6. There should be separate vacuum systems for each felt.
— a common system will short circuit through more open felts leaving the filled or compacted felts poorly cleaned and conditioned which compounds an already poor situation.
See Felt cleaning.