Steam Separator Upgrade

Confidential (Paper Mill)

Northeastern U.S.

Contract Value:

>$500K

Total Man Hours:

777

Recordable Injuries:

Completion Date:

2025

Project Overview

In the winter of 2025, Notch was awarded this project, marked the first phase of a multiphase upgrade to increase the overall capacity of a critical paper machine. Our scope involved the removal of an undersized steam separator, a key component in the paper drying process, and installation of a larger, high-efficiency unit. The work required two months of intensive preplanning for: measuring critical dimensions, setting rigging hardware, and installing fire blankets for fire protection. All field execution was performed within a 24-hour scheduled outage window, ensuring the paper mill’s production cycle remained on track. The successful completion of this phase not only improved the machine’s immediate performance but paved the way for additional upgrades planned over the next year, ensuring long-term gains in production capacity.

With decades of paper mill shutdown expertise and deep knowledge of cascade-type steam systems, our team was ready to meet the challenge head-on.

Client Challenges & Our Solutions

The client’s paper machine only shuts down every six weeks, meaning all upgrades and capacity improvements must be performed within this narrow outage window. Any schedule slip would cause major production losses, so precise planning and flawless execution were non-negotiable.
To ensure success, our team maximized off-site preparation and engineering:
✅ Field-marking all steam and condensate piping cuts in advance,
✅ Developing piping isometrics for prefabrication of new piping spools,
✅ Completing all spool fabrication prior to the outage,
✅ Engineering rigging load points and designing custom rigging assemblies,
✅ Coordinating with the steam vessel manufacturer to pre-position inlet and outlet nozzles, creating a near plug-and-play installation, and
✅ Deploying labor resources experienced in off-shift work, fully prepared for continuous 24-hour operations.

Execution Highlights

During The 24-Hour Outage:

A dedicated construction manager and mechanical engineer were on-site, ensuring rapid response to any issues or field adjustments.
We partnered with a specialized rigging subcontractor to safely remove the old steam vessel and install the new, larger unit.
Given the tight equipment clearance, we had proactively planned to temporarily cut and reweld the vessel’s rear supports — a contingency we successfully executed during the shutdown

Results & Impact

*Metric*	*Outcome*
Outage Duration	Completed within the planned 24-hour window
System Improvement	Increased steam capacity, improving machine efficiency
Project Milestone	Cleared the path for future machine upgrades
Client Benefit	Enhanced production performance and long-term scalability