"Broke" refers to partly or fully manufactured paper or board that is discarded from paper or board making, converting, and finishing processes. It also refers to the stock made by repulping these materials. Broke is continuously being produced, and it is the job of the "broke system" to collect this valuable resource, process it, and make it available for reuse. Because broke can amount to well over 5% of a machine's total production, broke is an important fiber source and the broke system is an essential part of the papermaking process, from both financial and operational perspectives.
Learning Objectives
At the end of this module, you will be able to:
- Describe the purpose of the broke system for a paper or board machine
- List safety hazards and safety guidelines for broke systems
- Identify how broke usage affects machine operations
- Explain why broke consistency control is important
- List ways to control contamination in broke systems
- List sources of wet and dry broke
- List the main differences between wet broke and dry broke repulpers
- List the functions of repulper showers
- Describe how operators maintain control of broke systems