Above a paper machine everything that destroys lighting comes together: temperatures well above +90 °C above the dryer section, saturated steam condensing in every seam, paper dust settling on every surface, and a machine that only stands still a few times a year.
Standard lighting rarely lasts a year here. Our luminaires are designed to survive replacement rounds until the planned machine stop, and they prove it daily at VPK Paper.
Above the dryer section, at mounting height
Sealed against saturated steam and condensation
Linear HT, linear light across the web width
Condensation and splash water, IP67 and glass instead of plastic.
The hot core, above +90 °C at mounting height; this is where the Linear HT hangs with the driver outside the hot zone.
Dust and vibration, robust mounting and directed beams.
| Zone | Loads | Luminaire | IP requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wet end | Condensation and splash water | Snapper HT | IP67, glass front |
| Dryer section | Heat well above +90 °C at mounting height, saturated steam | Linear HT across the web width, Snapper HT | IP67 |
| Reels and unwinding | Paper dust and vibration | Snapper HT SS with a focused beam, robust mounting | IP67 |
A paper web is inspected for uniformity, and that requires uniform light without shadow bands. The Linear HT (300 to 1,200 mm) lays an even line of light across the full web width, with high colour rendering for sheet quality control.
You choose the length based on the web width and mounting height: the Linear HT comes in lengths from 300 to 1,200 mm. Above a wide web, several luminaires are placed in a line so the light covers the full width without shadow bands; the lighting calculation determines the spacing.
Colour rendering also matters for quality control of the paper web. What the CRI value tells you is explained under colour rendering and CRI.
The standard above paper machines and dryer sections: an even line of light across the full web width, 6,400 to 25,600 lumens, up to +120 °C.
The all-rounder for the wet end, intermediate zones and walkways, also fully in 316L stainless steel.
The drive is outside the hot, wet zone: maintenance takes place next to the machine, at floor level.
Every lamp that fails between two stops does more than stop burning: it forces a choice between running on in the dark or an unplanned aerial platform above a running machine. That is why we calculate the lifespan per position against your stop schedule.
A worked example: at a continuous +105 °C, an HT luminaire reaches 71,700 hours to L90B05, more than eight years. If a standard luminaire at that position is replaced every year, seven to eight replacement rounds disappear over that period. Multiply that by your cost per round, for the aerial work platform, work permit and labour during the shutdown, and you have the saving per position.
Do you want the calculation for your machine? Use the Savings calculator or request the calculation from us.
A worked example with VPK Paper is included in the article on the payback period of high temperature LED lighting.
VPK lights its paper machines with JEL luminaires at positions with 120 °C and steam. The trial started in 2020 above the dryer hood, with six luminaires at a time; there are now 98 Snapper HT luminaires in and around the paper machine, and they last from one planned machine shutdown to the next. In other paper mills, the Snapper HT has been running since 2019.
Board machines and corrugators have the same profile as a paper machine: heat, steam and dust. The difference lies in the positions. On a corrugator, the heat is mainly at the hot plates and the glue section, and the line is long and relatively low, so linear light often works better than floodlights mounted high.
The building blocks are the same as above the paper machine: the Linear HT along the length of the line, and the Snapper HT for higher positions and intermediate zones. The lighting calculation determines the spacing and wattage per zone.
Is your question not listed? Call 033 785 9809, you will speak with an engineer.
Luminaires designed as a system for heat and steam: the Linear HT for linear light across the web, with chemically hardened glass, IP67 sealing and the driver outside the hot zone. Continuously usable up to +120 °C ambient temperature.
With an IP67 seal, a glass front and silicone cabling. Saturated steam condenses in every seam; a luminaire that once lets moisture in never gets rid of it in this climate.
That is exactly the design goal. We calculate the lifespan per position against your stop schedule, so replacement becomes a planned action during the machine stop instead of an emergency job above a running machine.
Web inspection requires uniform light without shadow bands and high colour rendering, more than a high lux figure alone. The right value depends on web speed and inspection task; we calculate that in the lighting design.
Yes. The smooth housing and glass front give dust little grip, and the luminaires are built to withstand periodic cleaning. Dust on the beam is solved with a cleaning round during the stop.
Yes. Board machines and corrugated lines share the same profile of heat, steam and dust; the same luminaires and the same system design are in place there.
At mounting height above the dryer section well above +90 °C, with positions up to +120 °C, as at VPK Paper. So measure at the height where the luminaire will hang: it is considerably warmer there than on the floor, and that temperature determines the lifetime.
Lighting for paper machines belongs to the sector heavy industry.
The paper machine is one of the environments our high temperature LED lights was designed for, with the driver outside the hot zone and a published lifespan curve.
