Machining, grinding, coating, measuring and field balancing directly at your site
Large industrial components do not always need to be removed, transported to a workshop or replaced when they become worn, damaged or no longer perform as required.
PR Rolls provides specialised on-site services for restoring, repairing and optimising large rolls, cylinders and other critical industrial equipment directly at the customer's production site.
Our core capabilities include on-site machining, grinding, coating, measuring, alignment and field balancing, together with specialised services for paper, board and pulp production such as dryer section optimisation, vacuum roll modifications, Yankee and MG cylinder restoration and DD washer maintenance.
By bringing specialised equipment and experienced technicians directly to the machine, PR Rolls helps customers:
- Reduce production downtime
- Avoid unnecessary dismantling and transportation
- Repair worn and damaged components
- Improve machine runnability and reliability
- Extend equipment service life
- Improve surface performance
- Correct geometry, alignment and dimensional problems
- Increase the performance of existing production equipment
- Coordinate several maintenance operations during the same shutdown
The objective is not simply to repair individual components.
Our objective is to help customers get more production, performance and lifetime from their existing industrial equipment.
What Are On-Site Industrial Services?
On-site – also known as in-situ or field service – means that specialised maintenance, machining and surface engineering work is performed where the equipment is installed.
Instead of:
Dismantling → Lifting → Transportation → Workshop repair → Return transportation → Reinstallation
PR Rolls brings the required machining, grinding, coating, measuring and balancing technology to the customer's site.
This approach is particularly valuable for components that are:
- Large or heavy
- Difficult to remove
- Integrated into a production line
- Expensive to transport
- Critical to production
- Required back in operation within a short shutdown
For many industrial applications, the real cost of maintenance is not the repair itself.
It is the production lost while the equipment is out of service.
Complete On-Site Solutions – Not Just Individual Services
A production problem rarely fits neatly into one maintenance category.
A worn cylinder, for example, may require measurement to understand its actual geometry, grinding to restore the surface, coating to provide the required functional properties and field balancing to restore smooth rotational behaviour.
PR Rolls can therefore combine several specialised services into one coordinated on-site project:
Inspection & Measurement → Machining / Grinding → Surface Preparation → Coating → Finishing → Field Balancing → Verification
This integrated approach reduces the need to coordinate several separate suppliers and allows multiple maintenance operations to be completed within the same shutdown.
PR Rolls has demonstrated this capacity in demanding paper-machine projects. One example involved 45 dryer cylinders being machined, coated and balanced within 12 days.
On-Site Machining
Restore large industrial components without removing them
PR Rolls provides precision on-site machining services for rolls, cylinders, shafts, flanges, bearing areas, machine structures and other large industrial components.
On-site machining can be used when equipment has become:
- Worn
- Damaged
- Corroded
- Misaligned
- Dimensionally incorrect
- Out of round
- Outside required tolerances
It can also be used for modifications and upgrades to existing equipment.
PR Rolls' machining capabilities include:
- Grinding
- Drilling
- Grooving
- Milling
- Turning
- Line boring
- Honing
- Superfinishing
The appropriate method is selected according to the component, geometry, material, damage and required final condition.
On-site machining is particularly valuable when removing the component would be expensive, time-consuming or technically difficult.
On-Site Grinding
Restore geometry, surface condition and functional performance
Grinding is one of PR Rolls' core on-site capabilities.
A large roll, cylinder, drum or other rotating component can gradually develop:
- Uneven wear
- Grooves
- Scratches
- Corrosion
- Pitting
- Diameter variations
- Out-of-round conditions
- Profile deviations
- Excessive surface roughness
Precision grinding does more than make the surface smoother.
The objective is to restore the geometry and surface condition required for reliable operation.
PR Rolls performs on-site grinding throughout pulp and paper production, including dryer cylinders, Yankee and MG cylinders, calender rolls, vacuum rolls, guide rolls and felt rolls. In pulp applications, PR Rolls' grinding capabilities also extend to equipment such as debarking drums, pulp dryer rolls, filters and filter drums, kilns and large process drums.
Grinding can also be combined with measurement, coating and field balancing as part of a complete restoration project.
On-Site Coating & Surface Engineering
Give existing components new functional surface properties
Sometimes restoring the geometry of a component is not enough.
The surface may also need improved properties such as:
- Wear resistance
- Corrosion resistance
- Non-stick performance
- Improved release
- Increased traction
- Reduced contamination
- Resistance to aggressive doctoring
- Easier cleaning
PR Rolls provides on-site coating and surface engineering solutions for rolls, cylinders and other industrial equipment.
Depending on the application, the complete solution can combine:
Grinding + Surface preparation + Coating + Finishing + Doctoring solution
PR Rolls has developed a range of Tecno surface solutions for different industrial challenges, including TecnoClean, TecnoCeraHybrid, TecnoDiamond, TecnoGrip, TecnoGuide and TecnoMicro, as well as selective brush plating for localised repair and dimensional restoration. The current service architecture reflects this broad coating portfolio.
The correct coating should always be selected according to the component, process position, wear mechanism, contamination, temperature and required surface functionality.
On-Site Measuring & Alignment
Understand the condition before deciding how to repair it
Accurate maintenance begins with accurate information.
PR Rolls provides on-site measurement and alignment services for large industrial machinery where geometry, position and dimensional accuracy are critical.
Measurement can be used to identify:
- Alignment deviations
- Geometry problems
- Runout
- Diameter variations
- Wear patterns
- Positioning errors
- Surface profile deviations
- Machine condition
This is particularly important before grinding or machining.
Instead of removing material based only on visual inspection, measurements can be used to determine what actually needs to be corrected and how much material needs to be removed.
The same measurement expertise can also support installation, maintenance planning and verification after repair.
Field Balancing & On-Site Balancing
Reduce vibration without unnecessary component removal
Imbalance in large rotating equipment can contribute to:
- Excessive vibration
- Bearing loads
- Mechanical wear
- Noise
- Reduced machine reliability
- Production disturbances
PR Rolls provides field balancing – also known as on-site balancing – directly at the customer's production site.
The component can be balanced in its operating environment without necessarily being transported to an external balancing facility.
Field balancing can also be combined with grinding and other mechanical restoration work.
This is particularly useful when both geometry and imbalance contribute to vibration.
Dryer Cylinder Grinding & Coating
Dryer cylinders are a major area of PR Rolls' expertise.
PR Rolls performs dryer cylinder grinding and coating directly in paper, board and tissue machines, eliminating the need to remove the cylinders for workshop restoration.
Grinding restores cylinder geometry and surface condition, while functional coatings can provide properties such as:
- Better paper release
- Reduced contamination
- Wear resistance
- Corrosion protection
- Improved doctoring conditions
- Cleaner operation
Several cylinders can also be treated simultaneously during a planned shutdown, which can significantly reduce the total maintenance time.
Dryer Section Optimisation
Improve more than individual cylinders
Sometimes the problem is not one cylinder.
It is the performance of the complete dryer section.
PR Rolls provides dryer section optimisation for paper, board and tissue machines by combining mechanical restoration with process and equipment improvements.
Projects can include:
- Dryer cylinder measurement
- Grinding and coating
- Field balancing
- Vacuum optimisation
- Vacuum roll modification and drilling
- Stabilisers
- Suction boxes
- Pocket ventilation
- Airflow optimisation
- Web stabilisation
- Moisture profile improvements
PR Rolls works with technology partner Runtech for stabilisation, ventilation and related dryer-section solutions.
The objective is to improve runnability, drying efficiency, production performance and the utilisation of existing equipment without unnecessarily replacing the complete dryer section.
Vacuum Roll Grinding, Coating & Drilling
Vacuum and suction rolls play an important role in web handling and stabilisation.
PR Rolls can perform mechanical modifications and restoration of vacuum rolls directly at the mill.
Depending on the project, services can include:
- Measurement
- Drilling
- Deburring
- Grinding
- Coating
- Field balancing
- Final verification
Vacuum roll drilling can also form part of a wider dryer section optimisation project involving stabilisers and vacuum technology.
When correctly engineered as part of the overall system, these modifications can support better web control, improved runnability, reduced web breaks and increased speed potential.
Yankee & MG Cylinder Grinding and Coating
Yankee and MG cylinders are large, production-critical components where surface geometry and surface condition are essential for reliable operation.
PR Rolls provides specialised on-site grinding and coating solutions for Yankee and MG cylinders, allowing the cylinder surface to be restored without unnecessary removal and transportation.
Depending on the application, the work can address:
- Surface wear
- Geometry deviations
- Corrosion
- Scratches and grooves
- Surface roughness
- Coating requirements
- Doctoring conditions
Performing the work on-site helps mills coordinate restoration with planned shutdowns and return the equipment to production faster.
DD Washer Maintenance & Lifecycle Services
PR Rolls also provides specialised DD washer maintenance for pulp mills.
The company's capabilities include:
- DD washer seals
- Seal replacement
- Sealing-face repair
- Coating
- Rib repair
- Condition assessment
- Expert services
- Planned maintenance
Rather than considering the seal as an isolated spare part, PR Rolls evaluates the seals, sealing faces, ribs and mechanical condition of the washer as a complete system.
This lifecycle approach is designed to support reliable DD washer operation and longer maintenance intervals. The current main On-site Services page already identifies DD washer maintenance as a core specialist capability.
On-Site Services for Pulp Mills
PR Rolls' expertise extends beyond paper machines to critical equipment throughout pulp production.
Typical applications can include:
- Debarking drums
- Pulp dryer rolls
- Drying cylinders
- Filters and filter drums
- Kilns
- DD washers
- Large process drums
- Suction and vacuum rolls
- Guide rolls
- Large rotating process equipment
Large pulp-mill components are particularly well suited to on-site restoration because their size and integration into the production process can make workshop transportation difficult and expensive.
Measurement, machining, grinding, coating and balancing can be combined according to the actual equipment condition.
On-Site Services for Paper, Board & Tissue Mills
Paper, board and tissue production remains a core area of PR Rolls' expertise.
Services can be applied throughout the machine to components including:
- Dryer cylinders
- Yankee cylinders
- MG cylinders
- Vacuum and suction rolls
- Press rolls
- Guide rolls
- Felt rolls
- Calender rolls
- Reel drums
- Pope reels
- Coated rolls
- Other critical rotating equipment
The objective is not only to restore damaged components but also to improve runnability, surface functionality, reliability and production availability.
On-Site Services for Heavy Industry
PR Rolls' on-site capabilities can also be applied outside pulp and paper.
Large industrial machinery presents many of the same maintenance challenges: components are heavy, production-critical and expensive to remove.
Relevant industries include:
Power Generation
Machining and restoration of shafts, flanges, sealing surfaces, bearing areas and other large components.
Steel Industry
Rolls, shafts, bearing housings, frames and other heavily loaded components can be restored or modified on-site.
Marine & Shipyards
Large shafts, flanges, structures and machinery can often be machined without transporting the complete component.
Process Industry
Large rotating and stationary equipment can be measured, machined and restored during planned shutdowns.
This broader industrial capability is already reflected in PR Rolls' on-site machining offering.
Repair, Restore or Optimise Instead of Replace
One of the most important principles behind PR Rolls' on-site services is extending the useful life of existing industrial assets.
A worn surface does not automatically mean that the complete component needs replacement.
A damaged cylinder may be ground.
An undersized shaft may be restored.
A worn surface may be coated.
An imbalanced rotating component may be field balanced.
An old dryer section may be optimised rather than completely rebuilt.
This approach can help customers:
- Extend component lifetime
- Reduce capital requirements
- Reduce material consumption
- Avoid unnecessary transportation
- Reduce maintenance lead time
- Improve the return on existing equipment
The question should therefore not always be:
“Do we need a new component?”
It can often be:
“Can we restore or improve the component we already have?”
Why On-Site Instead of Workshop Repair?
For large industrial equipment, workshop repair can create a significant amount of work around the repair itself.
On-site service can reduce or eliminate:
- Extensive dismantling
- Heavy lifting
- Transportation
- Workshop queues
- Return logistics
- Reinstallation
- Additional alignment work
This makes the method particularly valuable during tightly scheduled maintenance shutdowns.
But speed is only one advantage.
Performing the work in situ also means that PR Rolls can evaluate the component in relation to the surrounding machine and actual installation conditions.
Multiple Services During the Same Shutdown
This should, in my opinion, become one of the most important differentiators on the page.
PR Rolls has the capacity to perform several operations simultaneously.
During a large shutdown, different teams can work on:
- Grinding
- Coating
- Machining
- Drilling
- Measurement
- Field balancing
- DD washer maintenance
- Dryer section modifications
This can shorten the critical path of the maintenance project.
PR Rolls cites a particularly strong example: 45 dryer cylinders were machined, coated and balanced within only 12 days.
For customers, the relevant value is therefore not only the quality of each individual service.
It is PR Rolls' ability to coordinate and execute a large amount of specialised work within a limited production shutdown.
A Typical PR Rolls On-Site Project
Although every project is different, a typical assignment can follow five main stages.
1. Assessment
Understand the production problem, component condition, operating environment and required result.
2. Measurement & Planning
Measure the equipment where required and define the appropriate repair, restoration or optimisation strategy.
3. Mobilisation
Prepare specialised equipment, tools and personnel according to the customer's shutdown schedule.
4. On-Site Execution
Perform the required machining, grinding, coating, measuring, balancing or modification work – with several operations running simultaneously where appropriate.
5. Verification & Return to Production
Verify the completed work and return the equipment to operation as efficiently as possible.
The project is built around one key constraint:
the customer's available maintenance window.
Why Choose PR Rolls?
One partner for demanding on-site industrial work
PR Rolls combines precision machining, surface engineering, measurement, balancing and process optimisation within one on-site service organisation.
This allows us to look beyond individual maintenance operations.
A vibration problem may require measurement, grinding and balancing.
A dryer cylinder problem may require grinding, coating and doctoring.
A runnability problem may require dryer section measurement, vacuum modifications and stabilisation.
A worn component may require machining and dimensional restoration rather than replacement.
Our strength is the ability to determine what combination of technologies is required to restore or improve the equipment – and then perform that work directly at the customer's site.
PR Rolls has solved more than a thousand cylinder-related problems globally and has developed specialised mobile technologies for working within demanding industrial shutdown schedules.
Frequently Asked Questions About On-Site Industrial Services
What are on-site machining services?
On-site machining means that portable precision machining equipment is brought directly to the customer's facility. Large components can therefore be machined where they are installed instead of being transported to a workshop.
What services can PR Rolls perform on-site?
PR Rolls provides machining, grinding, drilling, grooving, milling, turning, line boring, coating, measuring, alignment and field balancing. The company also provides specialised dryer section optimisation, vacuum roll, Yankee/MG cylinder and DD washer services.
Can large rolls and cylinders be repaired without removing them?
Yes. This is one of the main advantages of PR Rolls' service model. Many rolls, cylinders and other large components can be measured, ground, machined, coated or balanced in their installed position.
Which industries does PR Rolls serve?
PR Rolls has particularly extensive expertise in pulp, paper, board and tissue production. Its on-site machining capabilities can also be applied to power generation, steel, marine and other process and heavy industries.
Can PR Rolls combine grinding and coating?
Yes. A worn cylinder can be measured and ground to restore its geometry before a functional coating is applied. This is particularly important for dryer cylinders and other surfaces where both geometry and surface properties affect machine performance.
Can PR Rolls perform field balancing on-site?
Yes. Field balancing can be performed at the customer's premises and can also be combined with grinding and other maintenance work.
Can several components be repaired during the same shutdown?
Yes. Parallel execution is an important part of PR Rolls' service concept. PR Rolls cites a project where 45 dryer cylinders were machined, coated and balanced within 12 days.
Can PR Rolls optimise an existing paper machine instead of replacing equipment?
In many cases, yes. Dryer section optimisation can combine mechanical restoration with vacuum, airflow, ventilation and web-stabilisation improvements to increase the performance of existing equipment. The appropriate solution depends on the condition and configuration of the machine.
Get More Performance from Your Existing Equipment
Large industrial equipment does not always need to be removed or replaced when performance deteriorates.
PR Rolls brings specialised machining, grinding, coating, measuring, alignment and field balancing directly to your production site.
From paper machine dryer cylinders, Yankee and MG cylinders and vacuum rolls to DD washers, pulp-mill drums, filters, kilns and heavy industrial machinery, our goal is to restore critical equipment, improve performance and extend service life while minimising production downtime.
And when the challenge extends beyond one component, PR Rolls can combine several technologies into a complete on-site restoration or optimisation project.
Measure it. Restore it. Improve it. Keep it running.
