Corrugating medium continues to trend toward higher recycled content, bringing with it shorter fiber length, reduced freeness, and greater variability from load to load.
For single facers running at high speeds, these conditions make consistent flute formation increasingly difficult.
This reality raises a practical operational question:
How can corrugators condition today’s recycled medium more effectively, without sacrificing speed, reliability, or control?
One proven approach is preconditioning the medium with precisely controlled moisture, delivered in a form that supports flute formation rather than disrupting it.
Kadant Johnson’s Variable Moisture Steam (VMS) shower supply system is designed specifically for this challenge. By mixing steam with a controlled amount of water, the system supplies a moisture-rich, saturated vapor to the steam shower. This conditioned steam softens and plasticizes the fibers, allowing the medium to form proper flutes more consistently, even as fiber quality declines and machine speeds increase.
How VMS Shower Supply Systems Work
System Function
The Variable Moisture Steam Shower Supply System blends steam with a calibrated, controlled water flow to create saturated vapor for delivery to the steam shower.
Key Technical Capabilities
- Operator-adjustable moisture levels to match actual medium conditions
- Automatic start/stop of shower
- Design to prevent water slugging and medium breakouts
Process Impact
- Improved flute definition at higher single facer speeds
- Precise control of conditioning level
- Fiber softening and plasticization prior to flute formation
- More stable operation with reduced maintenance
Application Flexibility
- Single facer steam showers
- Liner heating
Unlike fixed-output systems, VMS shower supply systems allow operators to adjust conditioning levels in real time, providing flexibility as recycled fiber quality changes throughout the day or from run to run. Integrated automatic controls help reduce operator dependency while improving reliability and consistency.
In practice, corrugators using VMS shower supply systems see:
- Improved and more stable flute formation
- Precise control of moisture delivery
- Increased reliability at higher operating speeds
- Reduced maintenance and fewer process upsets
As recycled fiber use continues to grow, success at the corrugator will depend less on fiber alone, and more on how effectively equipment manages variability before it becomes a quality or productivity issue.
At Kadant Johnson, we view Variable Moisture Steam shower supply systems as a practical example of how targeted steam and moisture control can help corrugators run faster, more consistently, and with greater confidence in an unpredictable fiber environment.
The ThermoZone™ Condensate Handling Station
Discover how the ThermoZone condensate handling station optimizes double backer steam system performance with greater reliability and efficiency. Watch the video to see its smart design features and how it helps maintain proper drainage and heat recovery in demanding corrugated packaging environments
Kadant Inc. is a global supplier of technologies and engineered systems that support sustainable industrial processing, serving process industries worldwide.
