The pulp washer, or wash press, is a critical piece of equipment in pulp production. As such, it is a prime target for online condition monitoring. When Norwegian pulp mill FollaCell AS equipped three pulp washers with the Intellinova Compact online system some time ago, it was not long before the system detected developing bearing damage.

Early on, measurements with the SPM HD shock pulse technology indicated outer race damage in an 8-15 rpm bearing. The development was monitored for about eighteen months before the bearing was replaced during a planned maintenance stop. On inspection, spalling in the outer race was confirmed.