Pulp, Paper & Logistics - January/February 2022 issue

VOLUME 12 NUMBER 70

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022

VALMET: Safety – an integral part of paper machine design Pages 16-18

INDUSTRY NEWS

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INDUSTRY NEWS IN THIS ISSUE IN THIS ISSUE

Pulp Paper & Logistics

COMMENT

W

elcome to the first issue of Pulp Paper & Logistics for 2022.

While we edge away from the restrictions imposed due to Covid-19, many are still feeling the effects and event organisers are continuing to delay their dates.

Here at PPL we also noticed a delay in the time taken for readers to re-register, but the good news is that the process was completed in late October by more than 22,000 individuals. What was also good was the response from readers about what topics they would like to see included and these have been incorporated into PPL’s plans.

As an independent and privately-owned publishing house, we have the flexibility to adapt to changes and in recent days we had the news that PulPaper 2022 in Helsinki has been postponed to 7-9 June and we subsequently adjusted our editorial schedule. This means the show preview will now be included in the May-June issue published on the last day of May. Flexibility is something many mills have increasingly adopted over the past 24 months and have been switching production away from low-return products to packaging grades where growth shows no signs of slowing. Many of these products have also been featured in our Green Packaging International magazine.

Looking forwards to our next issue for March-April we will be featuring: adopting green technology for the modern mill; digitalisation; stock preparation; and engineering & project management. Editorial submissions are required no later than 15 March.

Vince Maynard, publisher

Vol. 12 Issue No. 70, January/February 2022 ISSN 2045-8622 (PRINT) PUBLISHER & EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Vince Maynard Tralee, Hillcrest Road, Edenbridge, Kent, TN8 6JS, UK Tel: +44 (0) 1732 505724 Mobile: +44 (0) 7747 002286 Email: pulppaperlogistics@virginmedia.com CONSULTANT EDITOR David Young Tel: +44 (0) 1737 551687 Mobile: +44 (0) 7785 796826

EDITOR John Nutting Email: johnnutting47@gmail.com REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE Einar Johansson Tel: +46 8 540 255 15 Mobile: 0046 70 234 80 85 Email: einar.lennart@gmail.com

1

INDUSTRY NEWS

2

LOGISTICS

9

Revival premiere for Tilbury terminal

SAFETY

10

HEIMBACH

14

The role of automation insafety and performance

Spoilt for choice in machine clothing

VALMET

16

ANDRITZ

19

PRODUCTS & SERVICES

23

PROJECTS & CONTRACTS

26

PEOPLE

32

Safety – an integral part of paper machine design

The case for conventional thinking

PRINTER Brown Knight and Truscott Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN2 3BW United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0)1892 511678

PRODUCTION Anthony Wiffen ASTAC Business Publishing Ltd Tel: +44 (0) 1460 261011 Mobile: +44 (0) 785 161 2799 Email: anton_print_1@mac.com January/February 2022

2 INDUSTRY NEWS

Pulp Paper & Logistics

BillerudKorsnäs acquires Verso to ‘ignite North America growth’

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o create what is expected to be one of the largest suppliers of virgin fibre paper and packaging in North America, BillerudKorsnäs has agreed to acquire Ohio-based Verso Corporation, which makes coated papers, for about US$825 million.

Sweden-based BillerudKorsnäs, which produces mostly packaging cartonboard with total sales last year approaching $3 billion, says it plans to build one of the most cost-efficient and sustainable paperboard platforms in North America by converting some of Verso’s assets into paperboard machines with an investment of up to SEK 9 billion ($953m).

In the year to the end of last September, Verso’s sales were $1.26bn.

January/February 2022

Christoph Michalski, chief executive of BillerudKorsnäs: “an excellent platform for longterm profitable growth” The acquisition is expected to close in the second quarter of 2022.

Christoph Michalski, chief executive of BillerudKorsnäs, said: “The combination of BillerudKorsnäs’ expertise in high-quality virgin fibre packaging

materials and Verso’s attractive assets creates an excellent platform for long-term profitable growth. We will obtain costeffective production of coated virgin fibre material in the Midwestern United States.

“We also plan to sequentially transform part of the business into paperboard production while continuing to serve the US customers. Our investments will create new US-based jobs in a growing market and accelerate the transition from plastic-based packaging materials to renewable sources.”

The plan is to convert Verso’s largest facility, its Escanaba mill in Michigan, into a world-class, sustainable, fully-integrated paperboard production site.

One machine is expected to be converted by 2025, a second

Verso’s Escanaba mill in Michigan, which will be converted to produce paperboard with 1.1 million tonnes capacity by 2029 machine by 2029, with an eventual total capacity of around 1.1 million tonnes.

BillerudKorsnäs plans to continue operating Verso’s Quinnesec mill, also in Michigan, which has an annual capacity of around 400,000 tonnes of paper and 200,000 tonnes of market pulp. As a cost and quality leader in graphical paper, specifically in coated woodfree and speciality papers, the mill will continue to serve Verso’s existing customers, says BillerudKorsnäs.

Sales at BillerudKorsnäs last year grew 10 per cent to $2.77bn, while net profit more than doubled to $157m.

INDUSTRY NEWS 3

Pulp Paper & Logistics

Fluff pulp grade with lower carbon footprint

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new fluff pulp grade with a lower carbon footprint has been launched by Stora

Enso.

NaturaFluffEco enables producers of hygiene products – such as baby diapers, incontinence pads and feminine care – to offer consumers a new generation of environmentally friendly, absorbent hygiene products.

The fluff pulp is oxygendelignified, which means that no bleaching chemicals are used in its production. As a result, the fluff pulp has a warm, natural beige colour and a roughly 30 per cent lower carbon footprint

Low-carbon NaturaFluff Eco from Stora Enso is being tested by hygiene product manufacturers compared to traditional fluff pulp, without compromising on product performance.

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Kirsi Seppäläinen, SVP of marketing, competitive intelligence and product

management at Stora Enso’s Biomaterials division, said: “By removing bleaching from the production process and only treating the pulp with oxygen to remove lignin, we have produced a fluff pulp with a significantly lower carbon footprint, while still providing the excellent performance properties of our regular fluff pulp.”

Stora Enso produces its fluff pulp, including NaturaFluff Eco, at its Skutskär Mill in Sweden, where the first commercial volumes have recently been completed. Producers of absorbent hygiene products are now trialling the new material for use on consumer markets.

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January/February 2022

4 INDUSTRY NEWS THE INDUSTRY VIEW

Paper industry can help reduce the effects of climate change

Pulp Paper & Logistics

Cardboard helps brands replace plastic packaging

The latest EU Commission Communication on Sustainable Carbon Cycles, published in December, included carbon removal as a way to avoid the worst effects of climate change.

Cepi, the Confederation of European Paper Industries, welcomed the document for acknowledging the key role that bio-based industries and sustainable forest management must play.

In a statement, Cepi said: “Our industry has the potential to support a new approach tackling climate change by deploying the economy of the future.

“The alignment of the European forest fibre and paper industry with the objectives set in the Communication is not new. The sector has been, over the past decade, leading the EU’s manufacturing sector in its commitment to increasingly reduce its reliance on fossil carbon for energy. More recently, it has also pledged to develop the potential of its sustainable products. The European forest fibre and paper industry is a world champion in recycling, which contributes to biogenic carbon storage and cycles. Building on this experience, the industry is looking for further opportunities in the circular use of biogenic carbon.

“The new Commission plan also recognises the role of sustainable forest management practiced in Europe in enhancing sustainable carbon cycles. The protection of biodiversity, an integral part of sustainable forest management, is now coupled with practices that enhance forests’ capacity to mitigate climate change by extracting carbon from the atmosphere.

“The forest fibre and paper industry has already indicated that it will actively support the EC initiative to plant three billion additional trees by 2030, contributing to a younger tree cover and increasing our chances to reach the EU’s climate ambitions.

“The forest fibre and paper industry’s value chain already explores new business models based on biogenic carbon cycles. Companies in the sector use satellite imagery and Copernicus services to monitor their forests’ carbon content, and pulp and paper mills can achieve negative emissions thanks to a combination of bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS).

“Cepi also holds a strategic position in setting voluntary standards and guidelines for the sector, which are relevant to the development of the future carbon removal certification framework. For that reason, it stands ready to contribute to the carbon farming expert group which is to be set by the Commission.”

Fibre-based multi-pack holders for drinks cans are being launched in Mexico by carton manufacturer Grupo Gondi using a design developed by WestRock.

Brewer Grupo Modelo, famous for its Corona brand, is investing US$4 million in the application of the CanCollar Eco in Quintana Roo, a Mexican state on the Yucatan Peninsula.

The partnership aims to help advance the brewer’s sustainability goals by eliminating its use of plastic rings in Mexico.

First to use CanCollar Eco in the Americas, Modelo expects to save the use of more than 100 tons of plastic a year.

“At WestRock, we are driving greater sustainability by working with our customers to develop and implement new, eco-friendly packaging solutions,” said Patrick Kivits, president of consumer packaging at WestRock. “The introduction of CanCollar Eco to the Mexican market, in partnership with Grupo Gondi, is an exciting example of this work. We look forward to helping Grupo Modelo meet its sustainability goals through the implementation of this innovative, fibre-based packaging.”

News In brief Second edition of the ABB Fiber Guide launched The second edition of the ABB Fiber Guide, a comprehensive reference guide about all things fibre has been published. Originally published by Lorentzen & Wettre in 2006, the second edition now features the ABB brand and incorporates new advancements in measurement, such as fibre morphology online measurement tools such as the L&W Freeness and Fiber Online.

January/February 2022

Cartonboard is replacing plastic packaging in the brewing world

INDUSTRY NEWS 5

Pulp Paper & Logistics

Mondi’s mills in Europe gain Cradle to Cradle certification

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ackaging and paper maker Mondi has received the Cradle to Cradle certification at Bronze level for its uncoated fine papers produced in its mills in Austria, Slovakia and Russia.

The award makes Mondi the first to offer an extensive uncoated fine paper portfolio as Cradle to Cradle Certified, meeting the requirements of the certification scheme which marks the step from a linear to a circular economy.

Devan Naidoo, marketing and sales director at Mondi Uncoated Fine Paper, said: “We are proud

to kick off the year with this strong sustainability achievement underlining our Mondi Action Plan 2030 commitment to create circular-driven solutions. For many years, Mondi has been a leader, and often a pioneer, in the sustainability of its uncoated fine papers.

“For example, Color Copy became the world´s first FSC-certified colour laser paper in 2005. Thanks to our new Cradle to Cradle certification our customers have a uniquely wide choice of products to support the environment and contribute to the circular economy

Mondi is offering a wide choice of products to support the environment and contribute to the circular economy without sacrificing on quality or price.”

The Cradle to Cradle programme assesses five categories of sustainability performance: material health, product circularity, clean air and climate protection,

water and soil stewardship, and social fairness. Mondi´s uncoated fine paper portfolio was assessed across all five categories, reaching levels from Gold to Bronze, thereby being Bronze the overall level of the final certification.

January/February 2022

6 INDUSTRY NEWS

Pulp Paper & Logistics

International Paper profits hit by ‘challenging environment’

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espite increased fourth-quarter sales in 2021 of US$5.09 billion, up 14.5 per cent in the same period of 2020, International Paper’s net profit slipped to $107 million from $153m a year earlier in what chief executive Mark Sutton described as “a highly challenging operating and cost environment”.

Industrial packaging sales grew 12.8 per cent to $4.26bn but operating profits stalled at about $414m. In the cellulose fibre segment sales grew by 19.6

per cent to $717m and a loss of $105m in the final quarter of 2020 was turned into a profit of $1m a year later.

Full year sales were $19.36bn, up 10.2 per cent, while net profit grew 6.2 per cent $1.64bn.

“Throughout 2021, we serviced strong customer demand while managing through significant operational and supply chain constraints,” said Sutton. “We focused our portfolio around corrugated packaging and initiated meaningful actions to accelerate profitable growth

Green deal for Lucart could unpack finance Italian paper maker Lucart has signed a finance agreement that will be linked to its performance in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) and circular economy targets.

Provided that the producer of tissue brands such as Tenderly, Grazie Natural and Tutto Pannocarta meets the targets it will qualify to receive up to €10 million to fund growth and development.

The deal with Intesa Sanpaolo has a pricing mechanism linked to the achievement of specific sustainability targets. These include the completion of the Castelnuovo di Garfagnana production line at Lucca, which will enable the company to increase its use of alternative packaging, along with higher recovery rates of Tetra Pak-type food cartons at the Diecimo plant, also at Lucca.

The agreement is also backed

by SACE, which plays a central January/February 2022

role in the implementation of the Green New Deal in Italy.

Andrea Fano, chief financial officer of Lucart Group, commented: “We are very pleased with the support that SACE and Intesa Sanpaolo will be giving our projects. Their commitment to the sustainable economy dovetails perfectly with our dedication to applying circular business models through a strategic plan to increase the recovery of raw materials to 60 per cent. Another important goal is to get to 100 per cent recycled and/or compostable packaging by 2030 on all our production lines.”

Lucart has also signed a deal with Italian energy firm Enel Group for the installation of a photovoltaic plant at the Diecimo mill which will generate more than 3 GWh of power a year, enabling Lucart to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by 1,160 tonnes per year.

and materially lower our cost structure. Additionally, we returned $1.6 billion to shareowners through strong cash generation and reduced debt by $2.5 billion.”

Looking ahead, Sutton commented: “As we enter 2022, underlying customer demand remains solid, although we anticipate near-term pressure on volume due to Omicron-related labour and logistics constraints on the value chain. We expect to grow earnings in 2022 and are confident in our ability to

International Paper’s chief executive Mark Sutton: ‘managing through significant operational and supply chain constraints’ accelerate value creation for our shareowners and customers as we take actions to Build a Better IP.”

Voith’s manufacturing operations are now climate neutral The operations of global engineering group Voith, which is a leading supplier of process equipment and services to the pulp and paper industry, became climate neutral from the beginning of January 2022.

The German-based company says that by the end of last year it had reduced carbon dioxide emissions to ‘net zero’ as part of its sustainability goal.

Increased energy efficiency and the comprehensive use of renewable energy sources were key factors in reaching the group’s carbon dioxide reduction goals.

Voith also supports its customers in reducing their carbon footprint and achieving their sustainability and climate protection goals.

“Developing sustainable technologies for future generations is at the core of Voith’s DNA. We have already achieved our goal of

climate neutral production today.

This clearly demonstrates the Voith team’s strong implementation skills,” emphasised Voith Group chief executive Dr Toralf Haag.

“Our customers can also rely on this strength. We combine our expertise to support them in meeting their climate protection goals.”

Voith says its products are already saving more carbon dioxide emissions than they produce. This is confirmed by a TÜV-verified analysis of the Voith products launched in 2019/20 and their potential deployment. According to the report, Voith products achieve annual carbon dioxide savings of almost 3 million tons compared to 2.2 million tons produced. “The group is continuously striving to further reduce the carbon footprint of its products during their service life at customer sites,” says Voith.

INDUSTRY NEWS 7

Pulp Paper & Logistics

More investment at Stora Enso as Oulu ramp-up completed

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tora Enso, which has successfully converted its Oulu mill to produce containerboard, reported strong sales in the final quarter of 2021.

Sales reached €2.72 billion, up by 26.3 per cent on the same three months in 2020 while operating profit almost tripled at €839m.

The Finnish paper maker, which makes a broad range of fibrebased products, said the €350m conversion to containerboard at the Oulu mill in northern Finland has reached key milestones of the investment: profitability, quality and performance ahead of schedule.

“From our areas of strategic

focus, both packaging and wood products delivered record high fourth-quarter results. The main driver in packaging materials was containerboard, which was supported by higher prices and the successful ramp-up at our Oulu site in Finland,” said chief executive Annica Bresky.

It is also planning to invest €23m to increase capacity in containerboard at its Varkaus mill in Finland. This move will increase the mill’s capacity of 405,000 tonnes by about 10 per cent.

Stora Enso has, according to plan, stopped deliveries and production of dissolving pulp to focus on growth in other existing

and new innovative pulp grades and products.

Sales for the full year in 2021 were €10.16bn, up 18.8 per cent year on year ● During 2020 and early 2021, the pandemic-driven shift to stay-athome work, where people print less, brought a dip in demand for office paper. Now with workers heading back to the office, a new survey commissioned by Stora Enso indicates an expected recovery for office printing paper.

“This is good news for the industry,” says Stora Enso’s Jonathan Bakewell, head of office and book papers, “but we also set out to ask some broader questions

Stora Enso’s chief executive Annica Bresky: “The main driver in packaging materials was containerboard” about printing behaviour and preferences and what going back to the office would really look like for people.”

The survey, among 3,400 people across Sweden, UK, France, Netherlands, and Germany, showed that a return to the office is under way now, with 35 per cent of respondents saying they have already returned and a further 51 per cent expecting to return soon.

7–9 June 2022 HELSINKI, FINLAND

Welcome to the leading international event for the forest industry BUILDING TOMORROW’S BIOECONOMY

PulPaper is the forum for the latest technology and offers optimal business and networking opportunities in a multinational environment.

The global industry will once again be gathered in Helsinki.

For more information and contact details: pulpaper.fi #PulPaper2022

Exhibition • Conferences • Green Economy Business Summit • Excursions • Social events PULPAPER IS ORGANISED AT THE SAME TIME WITH the leading Nordic chemistry and biotechnology event ChemBio Finland and the international chemistry conference Helsinki Chemicals Forum.

Organized by:

January/February 2022

8 INDUSTRY NEWS

Pulp Paper & Logistics

Packaging Corporation of America exceeds expectations

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ackaging Corporation of America, the third largest producer of containerboard in North America, surprised analysts with strong growth in fourth-quarter and year-end sales in 2021.

In the final three-months of the year sales were US$2.0bn, 17.6 per cent up on the $1.7bn of 2020, while for the year sales reached $7.7bn, up by 14.9 per cent.

Net profit for the year was $1.24bn, up a healthy 71 per cent from 2020’s $724m.

In Illinois-based PCA’s packaging segment, total corrugated product shipments were up 0.1 per cent over last year’s fourth quarter.

Containerboard production was 1.24 million tons, and containerboard inventory was down 9,000 tons from the third quarter of 2021 but up 42,000 tons compared to the fourth quarter of 2020. In the paper segment, sales volume was down 12,000 tons compared to the third quarter of 2021 and down 29,000 tons from the fourth quarter of 2020.

Commenting on the results, chief executive of PCA Mark Kowlzan said: “Demand in our Packaging segment remained very strong, with our corrugated products plants delivering record fourth quarter total shipments and an all-time record shipments per day that exceeded last year’s extremely strong fourth quarter. We utilised the capability of both machines at our Jackson, Alabama, mill to produce containerboard for the entire quarter yet inventories, including the additional

containerboard inventory from our December acquisition of Advance Packaging, moved lower from the end of September.”

Looking forward, he said: “We expect shipments per day to be higher than last year’s first quarter as demand remains strong, along with slightly higher domestic and export prices and mix. Additionally, in our Paper segment, we expect higher prices and mix from our previously-announced price increase that was implemented beginning last November.”

Solenis takes over German chemical firm

PulPaper show is rescheduled to June

US-based speciality chemical manufacturer Solenis has made its first acquisition since being taken over by Platinum Equity.

Solenis has bought SCL GmbH, the German producer of DMA3, a primary raw material for the production of cationic polyacrylamide which is widely used in paper making industry for retention and wastewater treatment.

“The acquisition of this business provides Solenis with the backward integration that

The PulPaper 2022 trade show, along with ChemBio Finland 2022 and the Helsinki Chemicals Forum 2022, have been rescheduled from the end of March to June.

The three-day PulPaper event will be held from 7-9 June inclusive, while the other two will be held over two days from 8-9 June.

In a statement, the show organiser Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre said: “The success of international

supports our polyacrylamide growth plan and better enables us to provide strategic products to our customers around the world,” said John Panichella, chief executive of Solenis.

“This is our first bolt-on acquisition following our recent ownership change to Platinum Equity. The support by the Platinum team for our strategic growth plan has been excellent, and I am confident that our partnership will yield more of these projects in the future.”

professional events at that time is challenging due to current restrictions. Many companies still have travel bans in early spring.

For this reason, Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre, together with the cooperation partners of the event have decided to reschedule the event entirely to the beginning of June.”

More information from business manager Marcus Bergström at Tel: 358 44 562 4524 and by email at marcus.bergstrom@messukeskus. com Website: www.pulpaper.fi

Pulp drying records set by Bracell in Brazil World records for pulp drying production have been set by the two new lines installed at the Bracell mill at Lençóis Paulista, in the São Paulo state of Brazil.

The two identical lines, L2A and L2B, were installed last year as part of the Star project by Andritz.

In December the L2A line achieved a daily output of 4,672.5 dry tons January/February 2022

Record breaking start-up for Bracell’s Star project per day, which is a production record on a single line. On the same

day, both lines achieved a total of 8,897.4 air dry tons, which is a new

mill-wide capacity world record.

Bracell’s Star project is one of the largest pulp mills in the world, meeting the highest environmental standards. It features two hardwood fibrelines for a capacity of 2.6 to 2.8 million tons/year of bleached kraft pulp or 1.5 million tons/ year of dissolving pulp made from eucalyptus.

LOGISTICS 9

Pulp Paper & Logistics

Revival premiere for Tilbury terminal

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CA Logistics has opened for business in the Port of Tilbury, on the River Thames in the UK, with agency staff and high quality storage.

Coinciding with the closure of SCA’s terminal in Sheerness, the process of integrating SCA’s digital information flow with the Port

of Tilbury has been ongoing for some time and in mid-January a SCA RoRo vessel was due to leave from Sweden to make its first call at the port.

“While moving a complex operation from one location to another is a challenge, we managed to be ready in time and according to plan,” says Steve

Harley, former managing director of SCA Logistics’ UK terminal.

SCA Logistics first established a terminal at the Port of Tilbury in 1967. The operation moved to Sheerness in 2015, further downstream on the Thames and closer to the North Sea, only to return to Tilbury seven years later.

Harley says the lock that must

be navigated to reach Tilbury is compensated for by the shorter distances by land to customers and improved access by road.

“Tilbury is significantly closer to the M25, which is the main artery connecting England’s motorway network,” he explains. “There is also space for collaboration with new customers.”

INDUSTRY NEWS

Koehler Paper to convert its power plant to use sustainable fuel

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reparation for a key sustainability project at Koehler Paper’s mill at Greiz in Germany has started.

Representing an investment of €6.5 million, the project will convert the mill’s power plant from using pulverised lignite to fine wood fraction fuel.

Engineers at Koehler Renewable Energy, which is also part of the Koehler Group, have developed a technique in which a type of biomass can be used as fuel in the existing coal-fired power plant. The converted plant is scheduled to be commissioned at the end of 2022.

The project is part of Koehler’s sustainability strategy to meet the goal of producing more energy from renewable sources by 2030 than is required for its paper production operations.

Udo Hollbach, chief executive of the Koehler Paper mill, said: “Switching from lignite to fine wood fraction will allow us to save more than 24,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions

Preparations for the start of construction of the power plant conversion at the Koehler Paper site in Greiz have begun. Pictured are Alexander Schulze (Mayor of Greiz, 4th from left), Kai Dittmann (1st Deputy District Administrator in the Greiz district, 2nd from left), Udo Hollbach (Managing Director of Koehler Paper Greiz, 6th from right) and Holger Palm (Plant Management Koehler Paper Greiz, 2nd from right). per year at the Greiz plant.”

Founded in 1807, familyowned Koehler Group produces thermal paper, playing card

board, drinks coasters, fine paper, carbonless paper, recycled paper, decor paper, wood pulp board, sublimation paper, and

also innovative speciality paper for the packaging industry since 2019. Sales are about €770m a year.

January/February 2022

10 SAFETY

Pulp Paper & Logistics

The role of automation in safety and performance Automated processes that manage waste in tissue making and converting plants provide significant improvements in safety, says David Barnard*

T

issue production has come a long way since the days of open machinery in wood warehouses in the middle of virgin forests across the US. Thanks to legislation over the years, safety is deeply embedded in a tissue plant’s processes and procedures. In 2020, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released data that showed that the 10.9 incidents per 100 workers in 1972 January/February 2022

had dropped to 2.8 per 100 in 2019. Whereas the risk of falling into machinery has diminished exponentially, there is still opportunity to improve the safety and, therefore, the performance of an organisation.

Is there an opportunity to help tissue making and converting become safer? Absolutely. Better safety and efficiency come from integrating automation into the infrastructure of your plant design,

probably in an area that you hadn’t noticed before.

It’s likely you already have automation in many parts of your plant, considering the global industrial automation market is worth more than US$190 billion and the largest segment of that market is in process automation.

But what I see too often when working with tissue manufacturers is a high-speed converting line running like clockwork, but

Dealing with waste such as this cookie trim and tissue logs is a key safety issue, both for workers handling it and the risk of fire spitting scrap cookies/trimmings, logs or slab waste onto the floor.

Then a worker comes around, bends over, picks it up, puts it in a bin and wheels it to the next stage of the process, or leaves it in the sea of bins cluttering the converting line’s operation space.

SAFETY 11

Pulp Paper & Logistics

And for an industry that prides itself on being steeped in the Six Sigma philosophy, you’ll likely be as surprised as I am that this is a persistent problem. Even the big boys usually only automate part of this process. Don’t worry, the sea of wheelie bins is not a small facility problem. This common practice is widespread across all facilities, both large and small.

Where the current safety approach falls short Take a moment to do a little back-of-the-napkin math about how many people it takes to move waste in your plant from the point of production to your repulper or your recycling solution.

Now think about how much potential there is for injury per person. Think of the repetitive bending, long treks through plant floors dodging tow motors, the impact of concrete on the body, or the potential issues from unmitigated dust. Unmitigated dust is a whole article on its own.

What does a converter risk by letting waste fall on the floor?

More pressure to be safe and efficient Not only does having people out of production due to injury impact your bottom line, it also grabs the attention of unions or compliance agencies. They’ve spent the last 100 years or more pushing hard for improved safety and we’re continuing to see that be the case. They’re heavily backed by new legislation like the new Build Back Better bill introduced by the current US administration.

With penalties that can cost an organisation up to $700k for safety violations, it can actually save you money to find new ways to improve the safety of your plant.

Opportunities for safety and performance So, how do you improve safety, mitigate risk and increase performance while satisfying compliance requirements? It’s as simple as bridging the gap between the creation of waste from the converting line to the repulper or recycler. Nobody can deny that the best option would be to eliminate this waste. But realistically, isn’t there always going to be some waste? For the mythical tissue manufacturers that claim to eliminate waste entirely, we salute you. For the rest of us, we need to manage the waste that remains. For example, there will always be a seam when a new mother roll is initiated; thus, there will always be log waste.

Non-fatal injuries can keep someone out of production for up to 12 days. The major points of pain for both you and your staff include the discomfort of injury, the lost time and money from medical care (increased health insurance rates) and loss of productivity from absenteeism.

Even in the best of scenarios, preventative care like acquiring back braces can take time and money. More severe injuries could permanently eliminate a welltrained employee from further contribution to your company.

This would be a big loss for all parties involved.

Here are three opportunities to improve the safety (and performance!) of your business on the converting line and what you can do about them: c Injuries from bending and walking long distances on concrete: Plan ahead to create infrastructure that reduces repetitive strain. c Tow motor injuries and fatalities: Create new processes that help with fewer people

crossing tow motor paths, reducing the likelihood of a ‘stop and look’ violation. cD ust risks: Ensure that there are systems in an organisation that help with the overall reduction of dust created and present in the converting line area.

In all three of these instances, automation can help improve your processes, improve overall performance, reduce the risk and provide added guardrails against safety challenges that most tissue plants face. Let alone overall costs, but that’s not safety, is it?

Engineering a safer future The potential to improve the movement of waste materials is really one of the key ways to improve safety for your worker’s health, as well as the health of the

company’s bottom line. There are four key moments where waste is created and opportunity for safety improvements emerge. c Moment 1: Slab waste – The moment when you take the top contaminated layers off the mother roll. That waste falls on the floor and a worker typically wads it up and puts it in a bin.

That sounds simple, like tossing a Kleenex in the trash. What you might not consider is that a piece of slab waste can be about 10 feet by 10 feet. That’s the equivalent of wadding up multiple large tarps and wrestling them into a bin. c Moment 2: Tissue log rejection – When a mother roll is switched out and a seam is created or if the tissue log gets rejected for other quality reasons. When 4

Manual collection of waste is unsafe and unproductive January/February 2022

12 SAFETY these are identified as waste, the converting line rejects them onto a conveyor inside the converting line and ejects them onto the floor. That means there is a pile of 10 foot-long tissue lying on the floor for workers to trip over. c Moment 3: Tissue cookies/ trim – To create the end product that a consumer is expecting, machines must trim off the ends of a good log, creating a cookie or piece of waste. When those are created, they fall onto another conveyor and are also dumped onto the floor. In some cases, converters have added a second conveyor to at least direct them into a standing wheelie bin. Within minutes, there will be hundreds of them, piling up into an unmanageable mess quickly. c Moment 4: Rejected tissue rolls – When a tissue roll is finished, but rejected because it is uneven, or has fallen off the conveyor or some other quality reason. They either drop

Pulp Paper & Logistics

onto the cookie/trim conveyor or are simply tossed into the nearest wheelie bin in the sea of wheelie bins that need to be wheeled long distances by people, filled with a fire accelerant.

Safety opportunities By manually moving waste, you’re increasing the risk and reducing the overall safety and efficiency of your plant. The key to increasing the safety of an organisation means rethinking the way you treat waste and waste movement.

There’s truly no need for your team to touch the waste once it’s created. How can you holistically optimise the process? Through automation, of course.

How can automation reduce risk?

Rethink the assumptions about the process. Let’s think about the process that you probably haven’t thought about much. No, not the process everyone thinks about… not the converting process itself.

That process is well thought through and probably meets at least three or four sigma efficiency standards. I want you to go a little farther off grid, to the waste removal process that probably is a one on the sigma efficiency standard.

What rule says that the slab waste, tissue log or cookie/trim needs to fall on the ground?

It’s time for us, as an industry, to come up with a solution that transforms waste into something that can be transported across the plant without manual human labour or, quite honestly, a second thought: just make it disappear.

How do you do that? In truth, it’s about truly rethinking the way we see waste and material movement. Flexing our Six Sigma skills here will pay off.

When you find equipment partners that can handle waste redirection to efficiently move the rejected product to the repulper/ recycler, you can now remove safety challenges while also getting that product back into the

“Winning the safety and performance war means automating the transfer of all four forms of waste,” says David Barnard, chief executive officer of Industrial Shredders January/February 2022

process faster, as repulped fibre.

Here’s how it could work: 1. Shred it: shred waste materials at the point of creation to reduce repetitive bending and manual movement.

2. Move it: use air handling to move shredded materials efficiently from production to reuse while significantly reducing dust and floor transportation.

3. Repulp/recycle it: improve the quality of the end product by moving precision shredded material back into production with minimum degradation of raw materials. As an added bonus, the shredded material will repulp more efficiently, reducing reclamation time and cost. Yeah, bonus!

Winning the safety war Winning the safety and performance war means automating the transfer of all four forms of waste. This means taking a deeper look at the processes around waste and being willing to invest in new forms of automation to implement the types of ruthless efficiency that the tissue industry is already known for, but admittedly in an area it seldom looks at.

The safety benefits of this type of process-first thinking applies to any type of paper production.

Whether it’s tissue, towels, napkins, non-wovens or even other forms of paper, such as writing paper.

Approaching the product waste process holistically in manufacturing pays off in safety, improved human life and healthier bottom lines. * David Barnard is chief executive officer of Industrial Shredders Ltd, PO Box 38442, Olmsted Falls, Ohio 44138, USA. Tel: 1 330 549 9960. Website: www.industrialshredders.com/

Heimbach TASK Process expertise and tailored solutions

Even small improvements in and around the paper machine can often release great savings potential.

Your profits can be enhanced by maximising production efficiency and keeping maintenance costs to a minimum. Place your trust in our technical know-how and sound service competence that provide effective support in optimising your processes.

See for yourself our well-established expertise and extensive technical service portfolio, including: • MD Mass Variation Analysis (ODIN) • Speed Measurement • Thermography Measurement • Troubleshooting

www.heimbach.com

14 HEIMBACH

Pulp Paper & Logistics

Spoilt for choice in machine clothing Almost a decade since the launch of its single-binder forming fabrics, Heimbach continues their development. PPL reports

W

hen the range of Primoselect forming fabrics were introduced

by Heimbach to the market in 2013 papermakers were overnight confronted with a multitude of choices.

They could now choose, or ‘select’ the best possible option for their production. Since then it has been an individual’s decision to determine whether, for example, maximum dewatering, less energy consumption or longer running time is the top priority.

Almost a decade later, singlebinder technology has become indispensable for many. As it is a key goal for Heimbach to make good products better, the Primoselect family has been continually

Heimbach’s Primoselect.F line is ideal where super fine fabrics are required optimised in recent years, with several variants added. This applies particularly to the packaging sector.

We all see it on a daily basis: the conditions for economic paper and board production are constantly changing and competition

becomes ever fiercer. Above all, scarcity and price inflation in raw materials weighs heavily on the industry. Increasingly diverse customer requirements must also be taken into account.

As might be expected from a

Primoselect Concept

paper machine clothing expert, Heimbach keeps a close eye on this and reacts to it at an early stage.

Numerous additional options In 2013, a new product for the forming section was introduced.

Paper Side Single Layer

All yarns have a high degree of efficiency, as two single-layer fabrics are combined with each other c All Paper Side yarns are for fibre support c Machine Side yarns to avoid elongation (Machine Direction) and for life potential (Cross Direction) Small CD yarns

Small MD yarn

Larger CD yarns for life potential

Machine Side Single Layer January/February 2022

Larger MD yarn to avoid elongation

HEIMBACH 15

Pulp Paper & Logistics

turn, is frequently translated into superior runnability.

New designs for new possibilities

With just a single binder yarn replacing the previously common paired binders, Primoselect ushered in a new era of woven forming fabrics. While the first designs were aimed towards graphic paper machines, numerous additional options have since been added to provide for other paper grades and machine types.

It therefore comes as no surprise that half of all Heimbach forming fabrics bear the name, Primoselect. More than half-amillion square metres – an area the size of 70 football pitches – of this fabric have since been

supplied to mills around the world.

Growing product range Even almost nine years later, Heimbach’s forming designers continue to push the long-running product.

They provide answers to the ongoing question of how papermakers can increase productivity with continuously improved weave structures.

Weave patterns are under constant review and continually developed.

One objective with this type of development work is to find

structural improvements that make drainage channels as even as possible. This can then be translated for example into longer fabric life, reduced energy consumption or even better paper quality.

Forming fabrics from Heimbach are as individual as papermaker’s wishes. Weave pattern, yarn density and diameter are precisely matched to the application requirements. Special mention should be made of one of the most important core benefits: the much-reduced thickness and open structure of Primoselect promote exceptional dewatering efficiency.

The basic rule here is: the thinner the fabric the less time it takes for water to be removed through the structure. Low fabric caliper is also associated with reduced fibre carry and improved hygiene in the former which, in

With 22 new additions, it is the Primoselect.F line that has grown the most. It is no coincidence, where this is concerned, that the days when packaging board was made at low speeds are now long past.

Running speeds on these latest board machines would typically have required super fine fabrics that could dewater sufficiently quickly but may not have provided adequate lifetimes. These new Primoselect.F options fill this void, being thin enough for high speed operation while providing the life required for economic production.

Quality criteria for packaging products have also radically changed and are now just as demanding as those for graphic papers. Hardly surprising, in a way, as packaging papers now routinely go through printing processes.

Type F fabrics have now been introduced for medium-weight grades and lightweight packaging papers with impressive results.

These designs are suited equally to gap-former and Fourdrinier machines.

January/February 2022

16 VALMET

Pulp Paper & Logistics

Safety – an integral part of paper machine design

New and more demanding requirements are being set for the safety of papermaking and paper finishing machines. At Valmet, safety is integrated into machine design just like efficiency, reliability and excellent usability, reports Marianne Valta

V

almet is investing in machine safety through long-term development work, internal training and guidelines, continuous technological development, and active cooperation with inspection bodies.

“We work persistently on January/February 2022

machine safety to ensure that the machines we deliver meet all the requirements set for them. We follow the European Machinery Directive and various standards by the book, and we collaborate proactively with our customers to make sure they get the most from their machine investment – and from the safety perspective too,”

says Jouni Juhala, product safety manager at Valmet.

Automation enables the development of functional safety Machine safety includes numerous mechanical solutions that are used from headbox to winder: walkways, handrails, covers and

guards, as well as colour coding.

Recently, the increase in machine automation has made it possible to introduce new safety features implemented by automation as well.

Jenni Kiviaho, senior chief engineer at Valmet, explains: “What distinguishes Valmet from many manufacturers is

VALMET 17

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Safety is enhanced by the machine’s automatic functions

the development we’ve made in functional safety. It’s a safety feature that is often invisible to the naked eye; it’s built within the machine structure but plays a key role in ensuring a safe working environment for machine operators.

“For example, to open a safety gate, certain functions need to be

turned off. And when an operator enters the enclosed space behind the gate, it’s programmed to make it impossible to turn on the functions again from the control room.

“Safety is enhanced by the machine’s automatic functions and improving its overall reliability, which leads to reduced

interaction between the machine and the human. The less the machine operator needs to enter the machine space, the lower the risk of accidents.”

Safety of old lines can be improved Structural change in the paper making industry has increased

the volume of machine rebuilds and modifications. All new components and machine parts integrated in the old machine line are built according to the highest safety standards, so the safety level of the entire machine is improved step by step.

“We also offer comprehensive Mill Safety Audits, in which an 4 January/February 2022

18 VALMET

Pulp Paper & Logistics

Functional safety is often invisible to the naked eye: it is built within the machine structure but plays a key role in ensuring a safe working environment for machine operators old machine line is thoroughly inspected, and all safety-related issues are documented,” says Kiviaho. “The customer receives an in-depth analysis of potential

safety risks and a proposal for corrective actions.

“With our long experience of both machine design and the papermaking process, we can

offer the customer solutions that not only improve the machine’s safety but take into account the runnability and productivity requirements as well.”

Safety comes first It is said that attitude is the worst enemy of improving occupational and machine safety. Kiviaho and Juhala say that the persistent work they have done has affected the safety atmosphere on many fronts.

“We aim to become a benchmark for machine safety expertise in the entire industry.

To achieve this, we make sure enough information, know-how and support are available for our own sales, and engineering experts and customers alike,” they say.

Valmet is investing in machine safety through long-term development work, internal training and guidelines, continuous technological development, and active cooperation with inspection bodies

January/February 2022

ANDRITZ 19

Pulp Paper & Logistics

The case for conventional thinking Most of the world’s tissue is produced using dry-creping techniques, but although Andritz is regarded as an innovator in developing technologies for the manufacture of premium tissue grades, it continues to enhance the reliability and performance of its ‘standard’ technology.

PPL reports

A full line of dry-creping solutions Today, Andritz is among the top three tissue technology suppliers in the world and the number one supplier in China.

With this solid foundation, the company continues to improve the performance and cost-efficiency of its drycrepe product technologies – PrimeLineCOMPACT and PrimeLine – which are available in a range of widths and capacities: c PrimeLineCOMPACT machines are ideal for producers who appreciate a standardised, modular approach that reduces engineering, transport,

infrastructure, installation, and start-up costs. The COMPACT machine ensures a certain throughput and production quality in a streamlined, costeffective package. c PrimeLine machines are customised high-speed machines with widths from 2.6 to 5.6 metres. Like the PrimeLineCOMPACT, they can be equipped with a shoe press, a steel Yankee (in diameters up to 26 feet) and Andritz Novimpianti air and energy systems that help to improve yield, efficiencies, and energy conservation.

Proven Andritz technologies

in stock preparation, such as ShortFlow approach technology and the Papillon refiner, contribute to the economical use of resources and superior performance in conventional tissue applications. ShortFlow minimises the amount of equipment and the amount of energy consumed, saving on both capital and operating costs. It requires very low, but efficient, storage volumes to reduce the size of tanks and allow for fast grade changes on the machine.

For refining, the Papillon refiner has a compact cylindrical rotor design. Energy savings can be quite significant when compared

PrimeLine tissue machine for the production of dry-crepe tissue to competitive refiners, and the fibre is properly treated over the entire refining area.

One of the more recent innovations in stock preparation, the PrimeScreen X, improves energy consumption, screening efficiency, and ease of maintenance. This new screen has a top feed stock inlet and a new PrimeRotor configuration with new rotor foils to offer unique benefits.

Machine and mill automation are addressed through Andritz Automation’s Metris technologies 4 January/February 2022

20 ANDRITZ

Pulp Paper & Logistics

Andritz refiner with its compact cylindrical rotor design for digitalisation, simulation, and overall optimisation. Smart Solutions for tissue producers include, but are not limited to, automation technologies for predictive maintenance, the Metris UX Platform, Metris Smart Service including the Metris Spare Parts Catalog and Metris OPP (Optimization of Process Performance).

Innovation and performance To further develop and support its technologies, Andritz continues to make investments in the PrimeLineTIAC pilot plant. The tissue pilot plant is available to all tissue producers and suppliers

worldwide, and also to partners and institutions within the tissue value chain.

For example, the latest machine design, PrimeLineTEX, was developed and tested at the tissue pilot plant. It enables the production of premium textured tissue with a quality very close to TAD. The PrimeLineTEX tissue machine provides the bestpossible flexibility: it can be configured as a ‘pure’ textured machine or as a machine that can produce either dry-crepe or textured tissue.

More information from www. andritz.com/tissue and tissue@ andritz.com

Andritz high-performance PrimeDry Steel Yankees are made entirely of steel, contributing to enhanced safety and better machine performance when compared to a cast Yankee

Andritz PrimeLine technologies for sustainable, high-quality tissue production

January/February 2022

PRODUCTS & SERVICES 21

Pulp Paper & Logistics

Paper machine moisture sensor ‘is fastest on the market’

W

ith the claim that it is the fastest and most precise moisture sensor for paper machines on the market, ABB has launched the High-Performance InfraredReflection (HPIR-R) sensor.

The sensor takes up to 5,000 measurements per second, providing high-resolution data that enables mills to increase productivity while reducing operating costs.

ABB says that the technology will enable pulp, paper and board producers to gather precise moisture levels, giving them the confidence to raise moisture targets and improve CD profiles, enhancing end product quality with fewer rejects.

Being able to measure and control the moisture levels as the sheet moves through the paper machine leads to optimised drying, lower steam usage, energy savings in dryer sections and reduced carbon emissions. For example, changing the steam pressure to create a moisture change of just 1

per cent can equate to US$400,000 in yearly energy savings.

HPIR-R moisture measurement includes a built-in sheet temperature sensor that is fully air-cooled and field repairable.

That, coupled with its insensitivity to dust and disturbances leads to more uptime.

While it can be placed in any location, the best for this reflection moisture sensor is before a size press, where better precision and accuracy enables users to raise the moisture target, giving optimised starch/sizing pickup and reduced drying energy demand. This also applies to pre-coat locations.

Another useful application is placing it after the wet press section, enabling operators to adjust press loadings to improve the moisture profile and increase sheet dryness going into the dryers. In addition to energy savings, this also gives higher sheet strength in what is a sensitive area, bringing improved runnability and sheet break recovery.

“Unlike competitive offerings, ABB’s HPIR-R moisture sensor provides the highest frequency measurements possible, which helps customers to improve

Precisely measuring and controlling the moisture levels leads to optimised drying, lower steam usage, and energy savings in dryer sections quality, reduce downtime, decrease costs and increase yields,” said Andy Broomfield, product line manager at ABB. “It has been designed for papermakers looking for accurate and precise moisture measurement in hot, difficult machine environments.”

Safe and precise paper sample cutter from L&W A device for paper sample preparation that can be used with two of L&W’s lab testing systems has been launched.

The L&W Sample Cutter works alongside the Tearing Tester and Bending Tester, and can also be used with the L&W Autoline Elrepho Module.

The cutter is a triple-shear, manually-operated tool for easy and quick preparation of precise test pieces for use in tearing, bending resistance and folding

This paper sample cutter from L&W is more accurate, and easy to use

strength tests. The punch and die are made of tool steel to ensure

precision cutting, essential for reliable testing across a wide

range of paper grades and grammages.

Operation is simple, with the samples needing to be correctly positioned in the device and cross-machine directions aligned with the internal back stop. The ergonomic design and slanting edges of the punch ensure that only slight to moderate force is needed to cut the test pieces.

The cut test pieces slide towards the operator automatically for collection.

January/February 2022

22 PRODUCTS & SERVICES

Pulp Paper & Logistics

Application package enables better furnish quality control

B

oard and paper makers will be able to better stabilise refiner operation for higher productivity with ensured furnish quality using a newlylaunched control system from Valmet.

Based on real-time measurements of a range of fibre properties and freeness, the Fiber Furnish Control features advanced feedback and feedforward systems together with model predictive control.

The application can be fully integrated into an existing Valmet DNA Automation System or IQ Quality Control System. It is also available as a stand-alone version including all necessary basic licenses and hardware.

In the development phase, the control performance was

Valmet’s Fiber Furnish Control features advanced feedback and feedforward systems followed closely for 18 months at a mill in Finland, where it ensured that stock production and quality targets were met from two fibre lines, while providing energy savings. In the fibre refining lines, freeness variability was reduced by almost a third to almost 70 per cent compared to the time before the

control was introduced.

Typically, refiner controls have been based on specific energy or freeness targets where key fibre properties such as fibre length, fines, shives and fibrillation are followed. Fiber Furnish Control can be connected to a Fiber Furnish Analyzer, which continuously measures these

properties in adjusting the specific energy setpoint for target freeness. Another key element of the controls are Valmet’s consistency measurements, which provide reliable and accurate measurements essential for the stabilising control functions.

Ismo Joensuu, manager of board & paper analysers in the automation business at Valmet commented: “In the one-and-a-half years since the project started, the reduction in web breaks due to the more homogenous fibre furnish resulted of several extra days of production. The best thing was the positive feedback from the operators on how they were able to focus more on controlling the machine when making grade changes.”

Measure fibre orientation in real time Paper manufacturers can more reliably control the fibre orientation angle by using a newly-launched measurement and control system from Voith.

The OnQ Fiber Orientation Sensor continuously measures fibre orientation in real time in combination with the OnQ Profilmatic control system, and the OnQ ModuleStep and OnQ ModuleJet actuators.

“The benefits of the new fibre orientation measurement and control are numerous,” says Marc Stampfer, global product manager for QCS scanners & sensors at Voith Paper. “With the new solution from Voith’s quality control system portfolio, paper makers can control the January/February 2022

The OnQ Fiber Orientation Sensor measures fibre orientation in real time required fibre orientation angle and thus influence and improve the tear length ratio. Due to the homogeneous orientation of the fibres, B quality can therefore be

avoided, especially in the edge areas of the paper web.”

The OnQ Fiber Orientation Sensor uses high-resolution macro photography, digital image

processing and nanosecond flash illumination to distinguish the individual fibres and their orientation in the moving paper web, surface measurement possible on one or both sides.

The OnQ Profilmatic CD control system derives suitable set points of the OnQ ModuleStep actuators from the measured fibre orientation angles, which enable zonal, mechanical profiling of the headbox slice lip using stepper motors. In combination with the OnQ ModuleJet actuators, the dilution water can also be controlled, thus avoiding undesirable side effects on the basis weight.

More information from www. voith.com/OnQuality

PRODUCTS & SERVICES 23

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Virtual design tools for paper making lines

S

oftware that enables design engineers to model roll-to-roll product lines and include web handling in machine simulations has been launched by Canadian company Maplesoft.

The MapleSim Web Handling Library is an add-on to MapleSim, a system-level modeling and simulation tool that reduces development time, lowers costs, and diagnose performance issues.

The Library expands the modelling scope of MapleSim by adding rollers, drum brakes and other components that can faithfully simulate a machine’s handling of paper, plastic film, textiles, or foil.

In addition to this new library, Maplesoft has released updates to the MapleSim range, which

Otherwise costly revisions after prototyping can be applied to the digital model of a paper making line in a fraction of the time using MapleSim provides an enhanced user experience through expanded modelling libraries, new productivity features, and an increase in connector choices.

Machine builders use systemlevel models at the early stages of automation design to predict

the operating performance and to optimise machine responses.

MapleSim is used to create a high-fidelity model of the machine that can be run through testing and a simulation scenario before a physical prototype is built.

Design revisions that would be

costly to make after prototyping can be applied to the digital model for a fraction of the time and effort. Using MapleSim and the MapleSim Web Handling Library, the engineer can proactively test physical changes, such as adding extra nip rollers or dancers, and determine the impact of adjustments to the controller code. Users can then visualise the torque, tension, and web motion in 3D. This information can be used to limit the fluctuations in tension that result in poor quality for downstream processes, or even tear or stretch the web.

More information from Maplesoft, 615 Kumpf Drive, Waterloo, Ontario N2V 1K8, Canada. Tel: 1 519 747 2373.

Website: www.maplesoft.com

Better process stability from mist reduction Improved runnability and process stability in a paper machine is said to be provided

by Toscotec’s newly-launched TT LowMistFormer, the latest innovation of the wire section of Crescent Former tissue machines.

Originally designed by Voith, the system has been integrated into Toscotec’s designs as part of the know-how exchange following Toscotec’s acquisition

by Voith.

TT LowMistFormer technology has been applied on a number of Ahead tissue machines manufactured by Toscotec.

Enrico Raffanti, Toscotec’s deputy technical chief, says: “TT LowMistFormer improves the runnability of the machine in the key section of paper formation, leading to higher process stability. This new concept is

Toscotec’s newly-launched TT LowMistFormer perfectly in line with our mission as manufacturers of advanced technology: developing innovative

solutions to boost production efficiency while reducing energy consumption, in order to

increase sustainability in paper production.”

With significant mist reduction by creating a screened area in the wire section, the TT LowMistFormer delivers remarkable air, water, and mist flow performance. The contained mist is captured and carried away through the venturi effect generated by the jet speed of the TT Headbox.

With a mist removal system unnecessary, energy is saved and also improves the working environment around the wire section which usually produces the highest concentration of mist of the entire tissue line.

More information from: Marco Dalle Piagge, sales director, Toscotec Tissue division. Email: marco.dallepiagge@toscotec. com January/February 2022

24 PROJECTS & CONTRACTS

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Sun Paper’s integrated pulp and paper mill in China takes shape

A

number of production line start-ups were completed by the end of 2021 at Sun Paper’s large new integrated Beihai City pulp and paper mill in the Guangxi province of China.

The mill, being built on a greenfield site in two phases over about four years, will eventually have a total pulp and paper capacity of 3.5 million tonnes per year.

The second of two PrimeLine W 2000 tissue machines delivered by Andritz was started up at the mill on 25 December.

The TM6 tissue machine has a design speed of 2,000 m/min, a working width of 5,650mm and a capacity of 60,000 tonnes per year, and it is equipped with energysaving components such as a steel Yankee with head insulation, a heat recovery system, and a Yankee Ecosteam system for reevaporation. Forming fabrics and press felts by Andritz Fabrics and Rolls were installed for optimum end-product quality.

Like the similar TM5 order, the project included FibreSolve FSV pulpers, the paper machine approach flow systems, broke handling and fibre recovery, and automation systems.

Earlier, a chemi-thermomechanical pulping system was started up at the mill by Andritz.

The P-RC APMP line has a capacity of 600 admt/d and processes eucalyptus wood chips as raw material to produce highquality pulp for the production of printing and writing paper. It is the sixth P-RC APMP line to be delivered to the Sun Paper January/February 2022

The installation team with the TM6 line at Sun Paper’s Beihai mill Group by Andritz.

Technical highlights of the line include: ● A two-stage impregnation system with outstanding MSD Impressafiners for efficient pre-treatment and optimum chemical impregnation of wood

chips prior to refining ● A high-consistency (HC) refining stage with two parallel S2070 single-disc refiners to improve fibre properties and production flexibility ● A low-consistency (LC) refining stage with TwinFlo refiners to

The P-RC APMP team at Sun Paper’s new Beihai mill

develop optimum pulp strength at the lowest shive content Cao Yanjun, vice general manager at Sun Paper, commented: “In close cooperation with the highly dedicated team from Andritz China, we were able to start up the new P-RC APMP line at our

PROJECTS & CONTRACTS 25

Pulp Paper & Logistics

Beihai mill in only 24 days. That’s an impressive start-up curve!

The new line is already delivering excellent mechanical pulp within such a short time for our topquality paper production.”

Board making line commissioned in a record 18 months In another start-up, a new highspeed board making line was commissioned by Voith at the Beihai mill in a record-breaking time of 18 months.

The XcelLine PM2 line produces high-quality white folding boxboard with a basis weight of 170 to 350 gsm and a wire width of 8,900 mm.

Running at a design speed of 1,400 m/min, the line’s annual capacity is more than 1 million tons.

The Voith XcelLine at Sun Paper’s mill in Beihai was commissioned 18 months after the project’s start It is the third paper machine that Voith has started up for Sun Paper in the last 12 months. In total, Voith has already delivered 12 XcelLine paper machines to Sun Paper.

“Sun Paper and Voith are trustful partners,” said Li Lu,

chairman of Sun Holding Group.

“From Laos PM2’s 1 hour and 46 minute start-up to today’s Beihai PM2, the fastest project execution at 18 months, we have created many world records together.”

Ying Guangdong, chief engineer

of Sun Paper, added: “We are very pleased that the paper machine started up smoothly thanks to the joint efforts of Voith and Sun Paper. The line produces the best board quality currently available on the market.”

Effluent and sludge treatment line for Holmen Iggesund UK mill Holmen Iggesund Paperboard has ordered from Andritz a primary effluent and sludge treatment line for its premium paperboard mill at Workington in the UK. With start-up scheduled for the first quarter of 2023, the mill will completely replace an existing plant to improve the efficiency of the system and reduce the level of total suspended solids (TSS) in the outfall.

The replacement will include channel screening, clarifying, automated flocculant and coagulant dosing, and sludge dewatering: All of the key equipment will be provided with a special surface coating to protect against the harsh coastal

Holmen Iggesund is replacing the sludge treatment systems at its Workington mill environment at the Workington mill.

The project also includes field instruments, tanks, agitators, and process pumps as well as

installation and service support after commissioning to maintain highest availability of the plant.

As part of the Holmen Group, Holmen Iggesund

Paperboard manufactures premium paperboard for various packaging products and focuses on sustainable production processes.

January/February 2022

26 PROJECTS & CONTRACTS

Pulp Paper & Logistics

Start up for new recovery boiler at JK Paper in India

J

K Paper’s Unit: CPM mill at Fort Songadh, in the Tapi District of Gujarat state, India, has started up a Herb chemical recovery boiler supplied by Andritz.

The boiler, with a capacity of 950 tons a day, is designed to process hardwood black liquor and enables environmentally friendly and more energyefficient operation compared to the direct-contact evaporator boiler currently used at the mill.

This will significantly increase the mill’s pulp production and power-to-heat ratio. The boiler also features what is said to be a unique air system to minimise air emissions.

President of JK Paper A S Mehta says: “The entire Andritz team has worked tirelessly and zealously to see that the commissioning was trouble-free and fast. This has been achieved despite many constraints during the Covid-19

pandemic. Team JK Paper conveys its warmest gratitude to the Andritz team for this wonderful support.”

This is the fourth Herb recovery boiler Andritz is currently installing in India. JK Paper is a leading integrated pulp, paper, and packaging board manufacturer in India, offering quality paper and packaging board products made from mixed hardwood raw material.

The new Herb recovery boiler from Andritz at JK Paper Limited, Unit: CPM

PulpEye supplies quality control equipment to SCA’s new CTMP mill As part of SCA’s conversion of its Ortviken paper mill in Sweden to produce CTMP market pulp with capacity of 300,000 tons a year, key quality control equipment has been ordered from PulpEye. SCA has already been using PulpEye’s online pulp-quality analysers with modules covering fibre, freeness and shives for the TMP plant.

These modules will now be upgraded to the latest technology.

In addition, two DotEye analysers

will be installed to make sure that the pulp products are as clean as possible.

The CrillEye technology, originally developed by STFI in Sweden and now produced and sold by PulpEye, has proven to be useful when measuring the amount of crill in a pulp suspension. As a part of the agreement SCA will rent a CrillEye module to evaluate its potential for the coming Ortviken CTMP mill.

“SCA Ortviken has for more than 15 years relied on PulpEye analysers for their TMP production,” says Öjvind Sundvall, managing director of PulpEye. “In order to be efficient and deliver top quality pulp products, it is important to have a robust and fast 24/7 online quality control. The upgraded PulpEyes, complemented with two DotEye analysers, will give the new CTMP plant a pulp quality control second to none.”

As a part of the PulpEye delivery two DotEye analysers will be installed at SCA’s new CTMP mill

Upgrade for Henan’s PM9 folding boxboard paper line Henan Xinya New Tech Materials in China has ordered two calenders and a complete paper machine approach-flow system from Andritz for its PM9 machine at the Xinxiang City mill in Henan Province.

The PM9 has a design speed of 950 m/min with a width of 5,700mm at the pope reel. Startup is scheduled for the end of 2022.

The Andritz equipment will ensure production of high-quality January/February 2022

The PrimeCal Hard calender at Henan Xinya New Tech Materials has features to improve the surface properties of the paper folding boxboard paper in grades from 180 to 450 gsm. It includes a PrimeCal Hard calender with a

zone-controlled PrimeRoll MHV to improve the surface properties of the paper and provide a

consistent CD caliper profile, and a PrimeCal Soft calender featuring edge-controlled rolls with soft elastic covers will enhance the smoothness and gloss of the paper.

Founded in August 2015, Henan Xinya New Tech Materials manufactures and sells paper, paper products and pulp. Its business also involves production and delivery of thermal power and energy, chemical products and machinery.

PROJECTS & CONTRACTS 27

Pulp Paper & Logistics

Arkhangelsk mill orders oxygen delignification system

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n oxygen delignification system is being supplied by Valmet, including additional TwinRoll presses, to Arkhangelsk’s Pulp and Paper Mill at Novodvinsk in Russia with start-up scheduled for the second half of 2022.

Pavel Smirnov, development director at the mill, commented: “Our collaboration with Valmet to rebuild our existing market pulp and board production facilities has been successful.

Our previous experience with Valmet’s rebuilding of the Arkhangelsk washing and

Arkhangelsk’s Pulp and Paper Mill at Novodvinsk in Russia screening equipment project began in 2014, and we chose them because they are a reliable

supplier of process solutions.”

The delivery includes technology for the oxygen

Advanced process control to reduce starch consumption at Hoya mill An advanced process control system has been installed by Voith at Smurfit Kappa’s Hoya mill in Lower Saxony, Germany.

Part of Voith’s Papermaking 4.0 portfolio, the OnEfficiency.

Strength package is said to be showing very positive results.

With virtual sensors and predictive control, the system reduces the amount of starch

applied while maintaining defined quality standards – a step that is leading to significantly lower costs and more sustainable paper production.

“We chose Voith’s digital solution approach because it offers significant cost savings with the latest technologies and pays for itself in less than a year,” says Gerold Buck, operations manager

at Smurfit Kappa Hoya. “With the implementation of OnEfficiency.

Strength, we are successfully continuing our innovation and digitalisation strategy while paying towards our sustainability goals.”

In the first step, Voith said it conducted a value-adding assessment that identified optimisation potential and significant cost reductions for

delignification system and TwinRoll presses. In addition to the main machinery, the order also includes auxiliary equipment such as system instrumentation, motors, a DCS process control system and a system for white liquor oxidation.

Controlled by Pulp Mill Holding GmbH, Arkhangelsk Pulp and Paper Mill is one of the leading wood chemical mills in Europe.

It is also a major Russian containerboard manufacturer and pulp producer and specialises in the production of bleached sulphate pulp, board, kraft liner and a range of paper grades. production with the help of digital technologies. Subsequently, Voith experts analysed all relevant process, laboratory and production data from previous months, checked for anomalies and from this defined a control concept.

For smooth data exchange and efficient commissioning, the plant was also connected to the Voith OnCumulus Cloud. After the quick installation and start-up, OnEfficiency.Strength immediately showed potential savings in starch application, says Voith.

Complete OCC line for Alizay Papier in France Alizay Papier SASU in France has ordered a complete OCC line with a capacity of 1,400 bdmt/d from Andritz.

The order includes a PrimePulping LC system that offers the lowest fibre loss in slushing and reject removal, multi-stage fine screening with PrimeScreen X screens, PrimeFilter D disc filter with

bagless sectors, a reject treatment with ADuro shredders and Reject Compactors processing the rejects from pulping and coarse screening as well as the pulper rags. Start-up is expected before the end of 2022.

Alizay Papier is part of the VPK Group, a packaging supplier with more than 70 plants operating in 20 countries.

January/February 2022

28 PROJECTS & CONTRACTS

Pulp Paper & Logistics

More upgrades for the Mondi Frantschach pulp mill

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ollowing the implementation of new advanced process controls at the Mondi Frantschach pulp mill in Austria, the evaporation plant is being upgraded, also by Andritz.

Target of the process control upgrade was to reduce the variability of Kappa, an indication of the lignin content in the pulp, so the process could be run closer to its maximum. This measure leads to higher production efficiency in the mill because less wood is needed to produce the same amount of pulp.

As part of the optimisation project, Andritz Automation commissioned and fine-tuned three advanced process controls (APCs) in the continuous cooking process. The controls implemented, including the chip

Advanced process controls and an evaporation upgrade at Mondi Frantschach level control for digester and impregnation vessel, the digester H-factor control (kinetic model for the rate of delignification in kraft pulping) and the blow-flow consistency control, were fully developed with Metris X: the distributed control system (DCS) developed by Andritz Automation to simplify operational complexity,

lower project risk, and improve plant performance.

With start-up scheduled for October 2023, the upgrade to the evaporation plant components will allow even more efficient and sustainable pulp production. The equipment increases the amount of heat extracted and thus reduces the need for steam. At the same

time, the environmental impact is further reduced by lowering the chemical oxygen demand for biological wastewater treatment.

Mondi Frantschach produces high-quality packaging paper, including sack kraft paper and machine-glazed speciality kraft paper. The mill also produces speciality market pulp.

Dryer section upgrade at Omnia Advanced Materials in Italy Omnia Advanced Materials in Italy has had the dryer section of its PM2 machine in the Alife mill rebuilt by Toscotec, including the supply of 16 TT SteelDryers.

The PM2 machine produces highly-customised speciality paper including gaskets, absorbency, and filtration media for numerous industrial and consumer applications.

The TT SteelDryers were customised to the PM2 line’s specifications, having a diameter of 1,250mm, a trim width of more than 2,300mm, and an operating pressure of 10bar(g).

Toscotec added a cover on many of the dryer cans to ensure better cleanliness throughout the paper making process January/February 2022

Better performance for the PM2 line at Omnia Advanced Materials following the press section.

With the higher operating pressure, the TT SteelDryers are expected to improve the

PM2 line’s performance, with a guarantee a higher specific evaporation rate, compared with the existing cast-iron cans.

Francesco Giusti, plant manager at Omnia Advanced Materials, says: “We chose Toscotec for the steel dryers supply, because they were able to offer the best guarantees of quality and the highest number of references. Toscotec has achieved technological excellence in the design and manufacture of TT SteelDryers. Based on their reputation in the market, we are confident they will also provide professional solutions.”

Founded in the 1950s by the Fronzoni family in Italy, Omnia Advanced Materials remains a private company owned by Gino Fronzoni with operations in Alife and at Beaver Falls, New York, USA.

PROJECTS & CONTRACTS 29

Pulp Paper & Logistics

Zibo Oumu orders fifth paper rewinder

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fifth paper rewinder has been ordered from Italy’s A.Celli Paper

by Zibo Oumu Special Paper Co in China.

Delivery of the winder to the paper mill at Zibo, in Shandong province, is scheduled for October 2022.

The A.Celli E-Wind P100 line will be used to produce special decorative paper with a width of 2,710mm at a design speed of 2,000 metres per minute.

Riccardo Cattani, sales manager at A.Celli Paper, says: “The collaboration between Zibo Oumu Special Paper Co

More rewinding capacity for Zibo Oumu in China and A.Celli began profitably in 2009 with the supply of an AC842 rewinder. Gradually this

collaboration turned into an important partnership thanks to the subsequent supplies of

another four units, to finally arrive at this new agreement for an E-Wind P100 model.

“This makes A.Celli the leading company in the Chinese market for the last 10 years, as regards large decorative paper rewinding projects. We are proud to have received such appreciation over time from this important partner.”

Founded in 1976, Zibo Oumu Special Paper has 20 years of experience in the production of decorative base paper, wearresistant paper and nonwoven wallpaper base paper, and is China’s leading producer of latex impregnated paper.

OCC and board making lines for Turkey’s Tekstil Sanayi

Capacity increase for Klabin’s Puma pulp project in Brazil

Turkey’s Tekstil Sanayi is investing an estimated €65 million in a new OCC line, three stock preparation lines and a container board line, all supplied by Valmet, at its Adana mill.

Start-up of the PM1 container board line, which will produce high-quality testliner and fluting grades, will be in the fourth quarter of 2023.

Ziya Kıvanç, owner representative of Kıvanç Tekstil, commented: “Kıvanç Tekstil wanted to invest in high-performance technology.

Valmet offered us an interesting set of solutions and technology, including an aqua layer headbox and hard nip sizing.

Since we are a newcomer in the paper industry, we were also looking for a reliable partner in this project. Valmet has a

As part of the capacity increase for Klabin’s Puma I hardwood Fiberline project in Brazil, Andritz is supplying key process equipment, which includes modernisation of the cooking, washing, screening and bleaching processes.

With a target for start-up of the line at Ortigueira, in Paraná state, in the second quarter of 2023, the project will increase capacity from 3,742 to 4,080 air-dried tons per day.

The order also includes a new DD-Washer (drum displacer washer), to ensure production of high-quality pulp, maximum operating time, and low chemical consumption, thus minimising the environmental impact. The DDWasher supplied to Klabin will be the 400th such washer to be sold worldwide by Andritz.

Pablo Cadaval, general mill

strong track record of similar successful projects.”

The OCC (old corrugated containers) line will use energy-efficient drum pulping technology and fractionation. The tailored use of raw materials is ensured by including a clippings line, hardwood and softwood lines, as well as an MFC (microfibrillated cellulose) line in the stock preparation.

Along with the OCC line, a high-speed OptiConcept M container board machine from headbox to reeling and winding will be included. With a 7,250mm-wide fabric it will produce testliner and fluting grades with a basis weight range of 50 to 135 g/sqm. At a design speed of 1,200 metres per minute, its capacity will be up to 1,000 tonnes a day.

manager of Klabin’s Puma Unit, says: “We selected our reliable partner Andritz to supply a new DD-Washer, a washer whose capabilities are already very familiar to us, especially its flexibility for higher production rates and low chemical consumption in bleaching.”

Andritz will also deliver the sixth eucalyptus debarking and chipping line (with a capacity of 350 cubic metres sob/h) to the site, thus completing the existing Wood Processing Plant in the Puma II line. This order is part of the second phase of the Puma II project and includes an Andritz debarking drum, which is said to provide excellent results with very low wood losses, and a horizontally-fed HHQ-Chipper (EXL model), ensuring high capacity without compromising on chip quality.

January/February 2022

30 PROJECTS & CONTRACTS

Pulp Paper & Logistics

Key equipment upgrade for Anhui Linping Paper Co

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hina’s Anhui Linping Paper Co has ordered key equipment for its PM7 paper machine from Italy’s A.Celli Paper.

The equipment for the line at Xiao County, in Anhui province, includes a new headbox, suction rolls and paper rewinder for the testliner production line, which will have a width of 6,270mm and produce papers with a basis weight ranging from 70 to 150 gsm. At full capacity the Anhui Linping testliner line will be capable of producing 871 tons per day.

Anhui Linping Paper Co is a new

customer for A.Celli Paper which says the deal was due to its recent acquisition of PMT. The project, due for delivery in mid-2022, will include the Ægo Stream S hydraulic headbox equipped with a Smarpro dilution control system, two Ægo suction rolls and an E-Wind P100 paper rewinder, capable of processing jumbo rolls with a diameter of 3,500mm at a speed of 2,500 metres per minute. The contract also includes installation and commissioning services.

“We are very pleased to have chosen A.Celli rewinder and key components of the Ægo product

Anhui Linping’s mill at Xiao County in China line,” says Mr Yao, chief engineer of Anhui Linping Paper. “There is no question that their technology is first-class. We look forward to further collaborations with

A.Celli.”

Founded in 2002, Anhui Linping has six production lines and a packaging paper capacity of 950,000 tons a year.

Suzano’s pulp mill Two tissue machines at Barra do Riacho for Liansheng Pulp & Paper’s Zhangzhou mill upgrades boilers China’s Liansheng Pulp & Paper has ordered two Andritz tissue machines, along with stock preparation equipment, for its mill at Zhangzhou in Fujian Province.

The two PrimeLine W2000 CrescentFormer tissue machines will have a design speed of 2,000 m/min and a working width of 5,650mm. Both are equipped with a large suction press and a 20ft-diameter PrimeDry Steel Yankee. Startup is planned for the second quarter of 2022.

The PrimeDry Hood ST – steam-heated Yankee hood – is engineered with a steamheated air system and operates at around 200 deg C, which provides an additional 15January/February 2022

25 per cent drying capacity compared to the Yankee alone.

The tissue machine, including all key components, will be manufactured at the Andritz workshop in Foshan, China, while the hoods will be supplied

by Andritz Novimpianti, Italy.

Andritz will also provide tailored PrimeControl automation systems, pneumatic and hydraulic equipment, and lubrication systems.

The stock preparation systems, using needle bleached kraft pulp and leaf bleached kraft pulp as raw material, will feature equipment such as FibreSolve FSV pulpers. Andritz has supplied more than 10 stock preparation systems to Liansheng Paper since 2009.

Leading Latin American pulp and paper producer Suzano has ordered an Ash ReCrystallization (ARC) system from Andritz for the recovery boilers at its eucalyptus kraft pulp mill at Barra do Riacho in Brazil.

The ARC plant removes harmful chloride and potassium from the ElectroStatic Precipitator (ESP) ash and returns valuable chemicals to the chemical recovery cycle. The plant is designed to handle 550 tons of ESP ash a day.

Featuring energy recovery technology, the ARC plant will optimise energy efficiency, says Andritz. This technology is also based on an enhanced evaporative crystallization concept that will improve the recovery process.

A FibreFlow drum pulping system from Andritz will ensure premium quality at Nine Dragons in China

PROJECTS & CONTRACTS 31

Pulp Paper & Logistics

World’s largest fibre and chemical recovery plant for Suzano

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razilian pulp producer Suzano has ordered technologies for all the main process islands in a fibre and chemical recovery plant from Andritz that is claimed to be the world’s largest of its type with a single eucalyptus pulp production line.

The Cerrado project at Ribas do Rio Pardo in Mato Grosso do Sul state will have a yearly capacity of 2.55 million tons when it starts up in the second half of 2024.

The project includes: c a complete Wood Processing Plant with five chipping lines – each consisting of the world’s

biggest horizontally-fed HHQChipper with a capacity of 500 cubic metres of solid-under-bark per hour; c an EvoDry Pulp Drying System with two energy-efficient pulp drying lines (working width of 10,005 mm and capacity of 4,000 adt/d each) based on the high-capacity Twin Wire Former technology; c a black liquor Evaporation Plant with a capacity of 2,650 t/h, which has advanced energy integration with the cooking plant and the Ash Recrystallization Plant (ARC).

Easy-to-clean lamella heating

Third OCC line in a year for Nine Dragons in China A third complete OCC line has been ordered within a year by Nine Dragons Paper Industries in China from Austria’s Andritz.

The preparation system on the latest line will have a design capacity of 2,000 bdmt/d and will process 100 per cent LOCC (local old corrugated containers) for the production of high-quality packaging paper when it starts up in the third quarter of 2023.

A FibreFlow drum pulping system will ensure premium quality, gentle slushing, and efficient

removal of contaminants with minimum fibre loss. PrimeScreen F screens and PrimeFilter D disc filters, as well as an ultra-high dispersing system that enables at a consistency of up to 40 per cent, will achieve substantial savings in steam consumption and superior fibre strength development, says Andritz.

Nine Dragons Paper is part of the Nine Dragons Paper Group, a global player in the pulp and paper industry with mills in China, Vietnam, Malaysia, and the United States.

The group primarily produces linerboard, high-performance corrugating medium, coated duplex board, and printing and writing paper.

A FibreFlow drum pulping system from Andritz

surfaces ensure high availability and easy operation of the plant. c a Herb Recovery Boiler with a firing capacity of 11,150 tds/d black liquor, with steam values of 515 deg C and 100 bar(g) at the turbine, features energy-efficient flue gas cooling and feed water preheating technologies to maximise steam production for power generation. t c he world’s largest single-line Fiberline (with a capacity of more than 8,000 adt/d), including state-of-the-art LoSolids continuous cooking enabling high pulp yield, efficient heat recovery and unique washing

and bleaching technology based on DD-Washers – all contributing towards high-quality pulp, longest operating times, and low chemical consumption, thus minimising environmental impact. c a biomass Power Boiler with 120 t/h steam production capacity based on the high-performance Andritz EcoFluid Bubbling Fluidized Bed (BFB) technology. c a complete White Liquor Plant with Andritz gasification plants, enabling full fossil-free operation of the lime kilns with an optimised pulp mill carbon footprint.

Complete OCC line for HKB-Hoa Lu Paper in Vietnam HKB-Hoa Lu Paper in Vietnam has ordered a complete OCC line from ANDRITZ, including a reject treatment system, for its mill in Nho Quan District, Ninh Binh Province.

The OCC line will have a design capacity of 500 tons per day when it starts up in the third quarter of 2022.

It will process mixed old corrugated

containers as raw material to produce high-quality testliner and corrugated medium for markets in Vietnam and China.

The order comprises the complete stock preparation equipment including the approach flow, fibre recovery, and reject treatment systems.

Fibre line and paper machine rebuild for Model Paper An extensive grade conversion rebuild with an automation package is being supplied to Model Paper Eilenburg in Germany by Valmet. In the project, a paper machine, which currently produces newsprint grades, will be rebuilt to produce lightweight, recycled containerboard grades.

The project will include a rebuild of the DIP (deinked pulp) line and OCC line, updates to stock

preparation, and a rebuild of the board machine.

“The converted machine will focus on the production of lighter grammages and will therefore meet the customers’ demands in the future. The containerboard production volume of Model Group will be more than doubled after the successful conversion,” says Jürgen Lemke, operations chief at the Paper Unit of Model Group.

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Pulp Paper & Logistics

New head of Biomaterials at Stora Enso

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ohanna Hagelberg has been appointed executive vice president of Stora Enso’s Biomaterials division. She will continue as a member of the Group Leadership Team (GLT).

Hagelberg joined Stora Enso in 2013 and has been a member of the GLT since 2014 as Head of Sourcing and Logistics. Prior to joining Stora Enso, she held management positions at companies including General Motors, NCC and Vattenfall.

Hagelberg holds two masters degrees in Management of Manufacturing Systems and Industrial Engineering and Management.

While the search for a new Head of Sourcing and Logistics continues, Tuomas Mustonen, currently senior vice president of Performance, Controlling and Strategy for Sourcing and Logistics, will work in an acting position in this role.

Stora Enso’s chief executive Annica Bresky commented: “Biomaterials is a core strategic business for Stora Enso. As we now move into an innovationdriven era for biomaterials, I am delighted to appoint Johanna as

Johanna Hagelberg, Stora Enso’s new head of Biomaterials head of the division. Her proven leadership skills and experience from various industries, including the automotive industry, will enable us to take this business to the next level.

“Johanna has the background and ability to accelerate commercialisation of new biobased products, such as Lignode, lignin-based battery carbon for mobile electrification.”

Markus Mannström, the previous head of Biomaterials, will leave to pursue new career opportunities outside the company.

Global sustainable packaging lead appointed at BW Packaging Systems Michelle Bryson has been appointed to lead global sustainable packaging at BW Packaging Systems, the St Louis, Missouri-based packaging equipment division of BarryWehmiller.

Bryson will lead the development of a sustainability roadmap for the company, and collaborate with team members and customers on several fronts, including the use of responsible materials, recyclability, packaging design, waste, and carbon footprint reduction.

Bryson brings more than 30 years of packaging development experience to the role. In her previous roles with Wells Enterprises and PepsiCo, she developed and supported the development of packaging innovation and sustainability roadmaps. Most recently, to help meet 2025 sustainability goals, she led PepsiCo’s packaging team in an initiative to commercialize 100 per cent recycled PET for the Tropicana flagship brand, Tropicana Essentials, as well as for Quaker Oats Beverage’s bottles.

Michelle Bryson: previously worked at PepsiCo “Michelle’s experience and passion for driving sustainable packaging initiatives complement our team’s commitment to building a better world at BW,” said Christi Emmenegger, vice president of strategic marketing at BW Packaging Systems. “By helping us adopt more formal sustainability practices, Michelle will play an essential role in positioning our businesses and our customers’ businesses to operate in support of the global sustainability imperative.”

Operations chief at BW Integrated Systems appointed Karl Odegaard has been appointed as vice president of operations at BW Integrated Systems to direct leadership for the engineering, manufacturing and assembly teams across the company’s US locations.

Based at Romeoville, Illinois, BW Integrated Systems is part of Barry-Wehmiller and specialises January/February 2022

in the manufacture of end-of-line packaging equipment and robotic automation solutions, as well as systems integrations.

Most recently, Odegaard was senior director of operations for water technology company Xylem and for 20 years worked at Honeywell.

“Karl joins us at an ideal time as

we focus on implementing critical initiatives across the organization to improve the customer experience and operational efficiencies,” said Pete Carlson, president of BW Integrated Systems. “His experience positions him well to drive impact in both people and performance very quickly.”

Karl Odegaard, new operations chief at BW Integrated Systems

Tel: +353 (0) 86 0440956 Fax: +353(0) 69 85927 Email: sales@biomass.ie www.biomass.ie

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