Pulp, Paper & Logistics November/December 2021

VOLUME 12 NUMBER 69

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021

ANDRITZ: An important step in boosting performance Pages 14-17

INDUSTRY NEWS

LOGISTICS

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INDUSTRY NEWS IN THIS ISSUE IN THIS ISSUE

Pulp Paper & Logistics

COMMENT

W

elcome to the November-December 2021 issue of Pulp Paper & Logistics.

Firstly I would like to thank all those readers who took the time to confirm their re-registration for the coming year and offering subjects of interest for editorial inclusion.

Many of us will have been following the COP26 climate change conference in Glasgow where agreements for halting deforestation and replanting trees appear to have had gone well. Which is good, but just as encouraging was a TV interview on the same day with a well-known manufacturer of sustainable paper and packaging materials who detailed the process of taking recycled materials and producing new.

This interview was a well-informed item based about the recyclability of paper-based materials and how the perception that huge volumes of trees were needed for this process was false. It was clearly pointed out just how small the actual volumes of virgin fibre used in the industry are and if the drive to replace the bulk of plastic packaging was to continue then the pulp and paper industry was up to the job.

Looking forward to next year, contributions on any of the following subjects are welcome from 1 December 2021 and should be with me no later than 14 January 2022 where possible.

Feature subjects for the January-February 2022 issue are: mill energy provision for the future; machine clothing (including rolls, wires, felts and inspection); mill maintenance and safety; and chemical use in the paper industry.

Finally may I take this opportunity to wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

INDUSTRY NEWS

LOGISTICS Action plan to deliver a net-zero economy

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

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VALMET

10

ANDRITZ

14

Advanced boiler ash treatment

An import step in boosting performance

Press felts tailor made for pulp

18

PRODUCTS & SERVICES

21

PROJECTS & CONTRACTS

25

PEOPLE

32

HEIMBACH

Vince Maynard, publisher

Vol. 12 Issue No. 69, November/December 2021

1

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) 7557 280 769 Email: anton_print_1@mac.com November/December 2021

2 INDUSTRY NEWS

Pulp Paper & Logistics

Pulp and paper industry supports action to safeguard the world’s forests

F

ollowing the publication by the European Commission on 17 November of a draft regulation on deforestation, the Confederation of European Paper Industries, Cepi, has commented on the EU executive arm’s new proposal.

The upcoming regulation is aiming to minimise the risk that commodities associated with deforestation and forest degradation are placed on the EU market. This is said to demonstrate the EU’s commitment to halt global forest loss, and which follows a recent COP26 pledge by more than 100 countries to halt global deforestation that was also countersigned by the European Union.

The European Pulp and Paper Industry has a strategic interest in keeping the global forest growing and healthy says Cepi.

Cepi director general Jori Ringman “our future totally depends on maintaining healthy forests” Its commitment to sustainable forest management practices has propelled its involvement in effective reforestation, regeneration of harvested areas and the preservation of biodiversity and valuable habitats.

The positive experience of

the EU Timber Regulation, introduced a decade ago to prevent illegally logged timber to be used on EU markets, proves that the Union can lead by example and use regulation to stimulate better forest governance in trade partner countries.

However, Cepi considers that to make real changes when tackling commodity-induced deforestation, it is crucial that efforts target the real drivers of problem. Agricultural commodities driving land conversion play a major role when it comes to embodied deforestation associated to EU imports.

The role of agriculture in global deforestation is even more detrimental than previously thought, according to an assessment by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations. It presently

accounts for 90 per cent of global deforestation. In this, the EU partnerships for development are vital in mitigating unsustainable pressures on forest land.

Cepi welcomes the fact that the new EU draft regulation endorses internationally agreed, well-established FAO definitions of forest and deforestation.

However, Cepi underlines that there needs to be more emphasis on tackling the main drivers behind deforestation: agricultural expansion and poverty.

“We welcome impactful and targeted action to tackle the EU footprint on global deforestation,” commented Cepi director general Jori Ringman, “and this is best done by focusing on the most important causes. This is vital for our sector as our industry, our investments, our future totally depends on maintaining healthy forests.”

Metsä progresses with its Kyro fossil-free target The Hämeenkyrön Voima power plant, from which Metsä Board’s Kyro mill buys energy, has replaced the peat it burns with renewable energy.

In the future, the power plant aims to use wood-based fuels from Metsä Group’s production and wood procurement byproducts. By not burning peat, Metsä Board Kyro’s share of fossil fuels in total fuel demand will be reduced from just over a quarter to about a tenth.

The phase-out of peat has required significant investments in power plant technology to November/December 2021

control boiler corrosion and optimise running conditions.

Previously around one fifth of the fuel used by the plant has been peat. Following the investments, the energy and local district heat from the mill will be produced in a more environmentally friendly way, says the paper maker.

Metsä Board, part of Metsä Group, is planning to achieve fossil-free production and products by the end of 2030.

Moving away from peat-based energy will help Metsä Board reach these goals.

Replacing peat with energy from renewables helps meet fossil-free targets

INDUSTRY NEWS 3

Pulp Paper & Logistics

UK is not keeping up with Europe’s recycling rates, says DS Smith boss

T

he UK should be working harder on its recycling rates to keep up with countries such as Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands, says Miles Roberts, the chief executive of paper maker DS Smith.

Despite the use of cartonboard parcels reaching an all-time high and more people are willing to recycle, the rates for paper and cardboard have dropped by almost 15 per cent over the past four years, he said in advance of the COP 26 climate change conference in Glasgow.

“Much of this alarming drop can be put down to the fragmented way in which we go about recycling in the UK, with up to 300 different council recycling schemes in England alone and a huge variety of kerbside recycling systems quite rightly leaving households confused and struggling to make sense of how they can make a real difference.”

Roberts wants a simpler, standardised system of recycling with separate household waste collections for paper and card.

“One more bin, to allow for separate collections of paper and

X

Chief executive of DS Smith Miles Roberts cardboard, can go a long way to increasing our recycling rates and stop the UK economy losing up to

£1bn every year in lost recycling value.”

Following Brexit, the UK could set minimum local and national recycling targets and learn from other European countries who have ‘progressive policies and waste prevention practices’, some that were set in the 1990s.

“Many of Europe’s leading recycling nations have widespread separate collection systems at the household level. They also operate deposit return schemes on packaging and ban certain materials being dumped in landfill or incinerated,” Roberts said.

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November/December 2021

4 INDUSTRY NEWS

Pulp Paper & Logistics

Ambitious expansion and environmental goals at Lucart

T

issue manufacturer Lucart is investing €80 million over three years at its Laval sur Vologne mill in France to expand its presence in Europe while setting ambitious environmental goals.

The producer of brands such as Tenderly, Lucart Professional, Tutto Pannocarta and Grazie Natural is aiming to increase capacity with the installation of a new paper machine by 2024 along with three new converting lines.

With capacity to produce up to 40,000 tonnes of tissue per year, the new PM15 machine will be served by a state-of-the-art stock preparation plant, capable of processing pre- and postconsumer recycled paper. The Laval site will reach a capacity of about 100,000 tons of tissue per year and it will be able to serve other plants of the group in addition to its own converting line.

“An investment plan of this magnitude is a major strategic step towards consolidating and bolstering our business growth

Lucart’s Laval mill: installing a biomass plant outside Italy,” said Massimo Pasquini, chief executive of Lucart SpA. “With these new investments, the Laval sur Vologne plant will play an even more central role in driving our expansion into the European markets. We are also very proud to be able to export a responsible and sustainable growth model that values environmental achievements as much as economic performance.”

Lucart is also planning to install a biomass power plant capable of producing heat using wood chips from forestry in the areas surrounding the Laval plant that will achieve an estimated reduction in carbon dioxide

emissions of more than 12,000 tonnes per year.

In addition, a highly-automated logistics hub is being constructed in the Vosges region of northeastern France. This will be served by low-environmental-impact shuttles, based on the model already in place in Italy between the Diecimo and Altopascio plants in the province of Lucca.

The Laval plant was acquired by Lucart in 2008 and has doubled its sales over ten years in the production and conversion of recycled tissue paper and Fiberpack paper derived from recycled Tetra Pak beverage cartons.

In brief c Suzano, the leading eucalyptus pulp producer, has brought forward a target to remove 40 million tons of carbon from its processes by five years. Walter Schalka, chief executive of Suzano, explained: “Revising the target from 2030 to 2025 reinforces our commitment to capturing carbon from the atmosphere and underlines our belief that addressing climate change must be a priority. Decarbonising the world economy is a matter that requires serious attention and is of utmost importance to current and future generations.” c Nine Dragons, Asia’s largest manufacturer of recycled containerboard, has commissioned Voith to deliver five BlueLine old corrugated container (OCC) stock preparation lines and two wet-end process (WEP) systems for its plants in Malaysia and other regions. The new systems will have a total production capacity of 2.5 million tons per year and are scheduled to start up in 2022 and 2023.

Bracell’s new Star project sets drying line record The drying line at Bracell’s new paper mill in Brazil, which was started up in September, has set a world production record, says Andritz, which supplied the equipment.

Part of the Star project at Lençóis Paulista near São Paulo, the L2A drying line produced 4,385 air-dry tons in a day, the highest-ever for a single line.

This was in October, just 38 days after the start up and corresponds to 428 tons in a day November/December 2021

Record breaking drying performance at Bracell’s mill in Brazil per metre of working width for the 10.24m-wide line.

The Star project is said to be one of the largest and most

sustainable pulp mills in the world and features two flexible, hardwood fibre lines with capacity for up to 2.8 million

tons/year of bleached kraft pulp or 1.5 million tons/year of dissolving pulp made from sustainably cultivated eucalyptus.

INDUSTRY NEWS 5

Pulp Paper & Logistics

Mondi to improve sustainability at its Frantschach mill

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ondi is investing €20 million to further improve the sustainability of its pulp production at the Frantschach mill in Austria. The mill, which makes kraft papers and dates from 1881, has been self-sufficient in energy for many years and supplies surrounding communities and industries with surplus heat.

Construction of the new evaporation plant has started and commissioning will take place in the autumn of 2023.

Gottfried Joham, managing director of Mondi Frantschach

Gottfried Joham, managing director of Mondi Frantschach: “We see ourselves as pioneers in the bioeconomy” commented: “The focus on sustainability and circularity puts fibre-based products, and pulp, right into the spotlight. Not only is

wood a renewable resource, but we know that paper is the most widely recycled material in the world with, for example 74 per

cent of paper and 83 per cent of paper-based packaging in Europe being recycled.

“Our new plant equipment will make our pulp production even more efficient and sustainable.

The modernisation and expansion of the evaporation plant increases the amount of heat extracted and reduces the need for steam. It also reduces the chemical oxygen demand of the biological waste water treatment by 140 tonnes per year.”

Mondi Frantschach produces kraft papers that are mainly used for packaging food, building materials, and animal feed.

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November/December 2021

6 INDUSTRY NEWS

Pulp Paper & Logistics

Metsä Board wins circular economy and quality awards

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wards that recognise excellent performance and good business practice and a company’s competitiveness within the circular economy have been presented to Metsä Board.

The paper maker, part of Metsä Group, won both the Finnish Circular Economy Award and the Finnish Quality Award in the Laatukeskus Excellence Finland assessment.

The circular economy prize was awarded for the first time this year. Both the Quality Award and the Circular Economy Award are

Metsä Board’s team at the Laatukeskus Excellence Finland award ceremony 2021 based on the international EFQM (European Foundation for Quality Management) model.

The jury for the Circular Economy Award said that the operations of Metsä Board are clearly outlined,

with a systematic approach to defining the company’s direction, implementing its strategy and monitoring and reporting on its performance.

Anne Uusitalo, director of product safety and sustainability at Metsä Board, said: “The circular economy is at the heart of our operations, and I was pleased to see how it was demonstrated at every level of our organisation. This circular economy assessment allowed us to challenge ourselves and helps us further develop our operations.”

Pilot biomass pre-treatment facility started up by Valmet

Södra signs with ABB to create the pulp mill of the future

Valmet’s Pretreatment BioTrac pilot facility has been started up at the Fiber Technology Center in Sundsvall, Sweden.

Objective of the facility is to strengthen Valmet’s R&D capabilities in biomass pretreatment and to respond to new market demands for bioenergy, biofuels, and biochemicals. The pilot facility offers piloting and laboratory services for Valmet’s customers and provides the opportunity to test different feedstocks and develop, verify, and optimise the pretreatment process for specific purposes.

The facility’s system is designed to enable it to process a range of raw materials. It is able to accommodate several different process configurations, such as acid impregnation, and a number

A route to the development of the ‘next generation’ paper mill with higher levels of efficiency, engagement and digitalisation is the objective of a long-term, strategic partnership between Södra, Sweden’s largest forest owners association, and ABB. The creation of a new benchmark for both the forest and pulp industry, and the broader industry, globally is key to the contract, signed in September 2021, which is designed as a continuous engagement model, with ongoing reviews of short- and long-term goals to ensure the digitalisation of Södra’s operations. Södra’s intent is to build its digital capabilities and increase efficiency, sustainability and circular resource utilisation throughout the value chain.

“ABB’s collaborative approach, global technology leadership and

November/December 2021

Valmet’s Fiber Technology Center at Sundsval in Sweden of reactor configurations.

Senior manager at the facility Olof Melander said: “Our pilot facility can help evaluate the performance of Valmet’s pretreatment systems with various raw materials or material mixes for each project.

This reduces the customer’s investment risk in adopting new technology. Furthermore, customers can optimise and verify their pretreatment process at pilot scale, before scaling up to demonstration and commercial scale.”

digital expertise was key to our decision to choose them as our partner,” said Magnus Björkman, president of Södra Cell’s Business Area. “Their foresight of what we want to achieve through this digitalisation project will bring new levels of efficiency in our operations and create an even more desirable workplace of continuous learning for this and the next generation of workers.”

The scope will be jointly defined using the full industrial digitalisation technology stack based on the foundation of ABB’s Ability portfolio.

Björn Jonsson, hub manager for Process Industries at ABB, said, “This collaboration with Södra is a perfect example of how our digital portfolio, coupled with our proven track record of industry collaboration and support, can help mills reach new heights of efficiency.”

INDUSTRY NEWS 7

Pulp Paper & Logistics

Breakthrough in dry-moulded barrier packaging

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project in Sweden that is aiming to develop radically-new biobased and biodegradable materials and evaluate their application with environmentallyfriendly water and/or grease resistant barriers in dry-moulded processes for packaging is making progress after an injection of financial support from innovation agency Vinnova.

The project is being run by a consortium consisting of OrganoClick, Nordic barrier coating and Pulpac. In the last few months extensive tests have been conducted on the sustainable

Testing of barriers in drymoulded fibre packaging at PulPac barrier solutions with new application methods and materials that show the high potential for biodegradable and food-grade solutions for more complex applications.

OrganoClick’s role is to develop and supply the biobased and biodegradable barrier coating

material. Nordic barrier coating uses the barrier material supplied

by OrganoClick in their production of nonwoven materials that is finally used in PulPac’s process for producing dry-moulded fibre packaging.

Sebastian Roos, technology chief at PulPac AB says, “This is a lab-level breakthrough with a great potential to drive the uptake of Dry Molded Fiber in the most challenging packaging applications and increasing efficiency even more. Next is further industrial development and validation in the face of a promising commercial upscaling for sustainable barriers.”

In brief c UPM has sold the Kaipola mill site in Jämsä, Finland, to Kaipola Green Port Oy, a real estate development company owned by Finnish private citizens. The sale consists of the real estate, and no personnel were transferred.

Kaipola Green Port plans to develop the mill site for manufacturing and industrial logistics purposes. In addition to Kaipola, UPM has during the past 12 months sold the Säynätsalo plywood mill in Jyväskylä, Finland, the Shotton paper mill in Wales, United Kingdom, and the Chapelle Darblay paper mill in GrandCouronne, France.

November/December 2021

8 INDUSTRY NEWS

Pulp Paper & Logistics

Solenis bought by private equity and expands scope

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ater treatment specialist Solenis has been bought

by Platinum Equity from Clayton, Dubilier & Rice and BASF in a deal worth US$5.25 billion.

At the same time Solenis has merged with Sigura Water, also owned by Platinum Equity, in a separate deal worth $6.5bn. The combined company has yearly sales of about $3.5bn.

Based in Wilmington, Delaware, Solenis supplies speciality chemicals and services for process,

functional and water treatment applications in two primary segments: Consumer Solutions (consumer and food packaging, graphic paper and tissue and towel markets) and Industrial Solutions

(core water treatment and wastewater markets).

The merger enables Solenis to expand its portfolio to include the residential and commercial pool water and spa treatment markets

of Sigura.

Chief executive of Solenis, John Panichella, will lead the combined company following the transition and integration. “This exciting new transition to Platinum Equity helps us expand the Solenis legacy started more than a century ago,” said Panichella. “With increasing demand for a world that’s safer, healthier and more sustainable, Solenis is well-positioned to continue driving sustainable solutions – and delivering measurable results – for our customers.”

Expansion of board production at Stora Enso Stora Enso is investing €97 million to expand board production at its Skoghall mill in Sweden. At the same time, the paper maker is initiating a pre-feasibility study to convert the second, currently idle, line at its Oulu mill in Finland, to a packaging board line.

The investment at Skoghall will further drive profitable growth in attractive end-use segments, such as liquid packaging board and coated unbleached kraftliner says Stora Enso.

It will enable yearly packaging

board production at Skoghall to be increased by about 100,000 tonnes, to more than 900,000 tonnes, subject to environmental permits, when completed as planned in the second half of 2023..

The board expansion will be implemented through debottlenecking of one of the existing production lines in two steps, utilising scheduled maintenance stops.

Hannu Kasurinen, EVP at Stora Enso’s packaging materials division,

commented, “The investment strengthens Stora Enso’s capability to produce high-quality and cost-competitive consumer board grades within the growing core segments of liquid and food packaging. In Oulu, the ramp-up of the first converted production line has been successfully executed, reaching towards full capacity, quality requirements as well as profitability ahead of plan.”

Stora Enso’s Oulu mill is a premium kraftliner producer in northern Finland. In early 2021,

one of two former paper machines was converted to kraftliner for consumer packaging applications.

The pulp mill and drying machine were modified to produce unbleached brown pulp. The second paper line has been idled.

When fully ramped up, the annual capacity of the first line is 450,000 tonnes of kraftliner and 550,000 tonnes of pulp.

Sales in the first nine months of 2021 were €2.58 billion, up 23.9 per cent year on year. Net profit more than doubled at €386m.

Acquisition of the Verzuolo mill completed by Smurfit Kappa Smurfit Kappa Group has completed its acquisition of the Verzuolo mill in northern Italy for €360 million.

The PM9 machine at Verzuolo was converted into a modern 600,000 tonne-a-year recycled containerboard machine in 2019.

It complements SKG’s existing operations, strategically located close November/December 2021

to the port of Savona and is expected to deliver significant benefits for both the Group and its customer base.

Smurfit Kappa Group chief executive Tony Smurfit commented: “We are pleased to complete this acquisition ahead of schedule.

Verzuolo brings a highly experienced and skilled team providing additional security of supply for

SKG’s customers. As we continue to invest in our corrugated facilities, Verzuolo strengthens the group’s integrated model and supports our sustainability ambitions.”

In the first nine months of 2021, Smurfit Kappa’s sales grew 15 per cent year-on-year to €7.29 billion.

Compared with the year earlier, corrugated volume grew 9 per cent

in Europe and 11 per cent in North America.

“Our integrated paper and corrugated system is effectively sold out and I am very proud of our people who are ensuring that customers, for the most part, are supplied securely and efficiently despite many supply chain disruptions,” said Smurfit.

LOGISTICS 9

Pulp Paper & Logistics

Action plan to deliver a net-zero economy

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ILT (UK), the professional organisation for those working in UK transport and logistics, has published an action plan to combat emissions and deliver a net-zero economy.

As part of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, the institute has produced a series of policy papers covering the challenge of decarbonisation across current and future transport operations and practice.

Developed as part of CILT (UK)’s larger policy campaign ‘Routes to Net-Zero 2050’, the seven individual papers were launched at the Low Carbon Logistics’ event at Mossend International Railfreight Park during a Class 90 electric locomotive naming ceremony.

Leon Daniels, vice president of CILT (UK), said that the plan

An electric locomotive was named ‘The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport’ during the Low Carbon Logistics event at Mossend International Railfreight Park in the UK covers both passenger and freight transport, with the papers setting out the problems and issues the logistics and transport sector will face in combating carbon emissions.

Produced by senior industry experts and representatives from the Institute’s Public Policy

Community, the papers set out to inform and guide the industry through the challenge of reducing emissions.

While each of the reports gives in-depth analysis of sector specific issues, CILT (UK) has identified 18 actions and measures that need to be delivered in the

route to net-zero.

Commenting on the reports, Daniel Parker-Klein, director of policy and communications at CILT (UK) said: “Climate change is arguably the most pressing environmental challenge of our time, and with logistics and transport accounting for 28 per cent of all UK carbon emissions, our profession has a huge role to play in reaching net zero by 2050.

This collection of papers presents our latest thinking as part of CILT’s Route to Net Zero campaign and is intended to prompt and inform debate surrounding COP26. The challenges are great but so too are the opportunities, and CILT believes that our sector will be a key part of the solution.”

More information about the papers from: www.ciltuk.org.uk/ routetozero

Paper maker’s trucks cut emissions Paper packaging producer Graphic Packaging International (GPI) was due in October to have completed the replacement of its fleet of UK delivery trucks with models offering improved reliability, safety, fuel efficiency, and lowered emissions.

Supplied by DAF, delivery of the replacements started in 2019 and provided a 15 per cent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions, winning GPI the Gold Environmental award from Masternaut, its vehicle tracking and telemetry provider.

The new trucks return a fuel consumption of 10.8mpg, which is almost a quarter up on the 8.65mpg of the earlier versions.

Last year, GPI says the fleet covered more than two million

GPI’s latest truck fleet is proving to be cleaner and cheaper to run miles with a fuel saving of 11 per cent, and this will now only improve with more trucks having been replaced.

The improvements in emissions,

safety and fuel efficiency have helped GPI to reach FORS (Fleet Operators Recognition Scheme) Gold Standard three years running and successfully gain

acceptance into the UK’s Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Earned Recognition Scheme which puts the company amongst the top one per cent in the UK. November/December 2021

10 VALMET

Pulp Paper & Logistics

Advanced boiler ash treatment Recovery ash analysis developed by Valmet reduces unplanned boiler shutdowns and provides guidance for ash treatment and soot blowing needs, while an ash balance advisor enables operators to optimise ash treatment. Nigel Farrand reports

I

n recent years, the drive to increase power generation from recovery boilers has been boosted by environmental factors and the growing focus on renewable energy sources, in addition to increased pulp mill efficiency.

Unlike boilers developed solely for power generation, recovery boilers have lower steam parameters (temperature and pressure) and thus lower steam to electricity ratios.

Although the ratio of weight of generated steam per weight of liquor solids has actually increased by more than 20 per cent in the last decade, limiting factors for the recovery boiler are the fuel/ash properties and the corrosion resistance of superheater materials for these conditions.

Non-process elements can cause severe corrosion As pulp mill chemical recovery becomes more efficient, with minimised emissions, effluents and waste streams, the accumulation of non-process elements (NPE) in the liquor circulation creates considerable challenges.

For the recovery boiler, the most potentially harmful NPEs are chlorine (Cl) and potassium (K), which can cause severe corrosion of the recovery boiler’s heat exchangers in high concentrations. They also lower the melting temperature of the boiler fly ash and increase the November/December 2021

Key components of a recovery boiler system potential of the flue gas passages to become fouled or plugged.

Ash treatment helps decrease harmful Cl and K levels Ash treatment provides the means to decrease the levels of harmful Cl and K, while retaining

valuable sodium and reducing environmental impact, with less ash removed from the closed process than ash dumping.

Unfortunately, ash treatment is typically based on infrequent and incomplete laboratory tests, with no standard criteria for when to start treating or

dumping ash.

Sodium make-up is very expensive, and treating too much ash or treating ash with low efficiency significantly increases operating costs.

However, if insufficient ash is treated, the recovery boiler can suffer from plugging, increased

VALMET 11

Pulp Paper & Logistics

The ESP ash sample is taken from the ash drop shaft after the ash conveyor by a robust stainless-steel sampler

First melting

T0 Corrosion risk temperature

Fluid Sticky temperature temperature

T15

T70

Complete melting

T100

Sticky ash temperature range

The impact of ash on the superheater tubing If the superheater steam temperature reaches T0, there is a risk that molten ash will corrode the superheater tubes. At T15, 15 per cent of the ash is in sticky form and as the temperature increases it become more liquid so that at a temperature of T70, 70 per cent of the ash is in liquid form and is no longer sticky, which causes minimum scaling.

consumption of soot blowing steam and in the worst-case, superheater corrosion and an increased need for water washes, with associated production stoppages.

More frequent knowledge of ash composition is the key to an improved recovery boiler and ash treatment plant controls, leading to higher boiler efficiency and availability.

Reduced risks and optimised cost balance The recently introduced Valmet Recovery Ash Analyzer offers an innovative online method for measuring fly ash composition November/December 2021

4

12 VALMET

Pulp Paper & Logistics

Improving recovery boiler availability

The Valmet Ash Balance Advisor calculates the corrosion risk and advises how much ash needs to be treated or dumped. It also determines associated sodium make-up costs. This is compared to the loss of electricity production if the main steam temperature is decreased instead. The control action can then be made on the basis of the lowest possible operating cost

ESP ash balance as measured by the analyser over 25 days along with the corresponding ash melting temperatures calculated by the analyser over the same period at the electrostatic precipitator (ESP). It continuously measures the complete chemical balance of carbonate (CO3), sulphate (SO4), chlorine (Cl), potassium (K), and sodium (Na) concentrations, as well as calculating the critical ash melting temperatures that determine fouling and corrosion risks.

The Valmet Ash Balance Advisor software provides an online view of ash balance and boiler operation parameters to give an operating target for ash November/December 2021

treatment volume, while keeping sodium losses and operational costs at an optimum level.

The result is an enhanced removal of chloride and potassium from the recovery loop with an optimised cost balance between fresh chemical make-up and electricity generation, while extending boiler cleaning intervals.

More information from Matti Selkälä, Valmet Product Manager: email, matti.selkala@valmet.com Tel: 358 5 0590 3690.

A sample of boiler ash

The Valmet Ash Balance Advisor and Recovery Ash Analyzer join a growing list of process analysers and optimisers for the recovery line from Valmet. Valmet is also a designer and manufacturer of recovery line equipment that includes some of the world’s largest recovery boilers. Valmet offers a unique insight into and wealth of experience in recovery operations, controls and process optimisation. Expert support, both local and remote using the Valmet Performance Center, can be supplemented with advanced analytic and data discovery services for maximum process enhancement.

Pulp Paper & Logistics

VALMET 13

Tel: +353 (0) 86 0440956 Fax: +353(0) 69 85927 Email: sales@biomass.ie November/December 2021 www.biomass.ie

14 ANDRITZ

Pulp Paper & Logistics

An important step in boosting performance

T

he Papeleira mill at São Paio de Oleiros in Portugal has come a long way since it first started making recycled paper in the 1930s. In fact, until 1973 the mill was producing just seven

November/December 2021

Even when the Covid-19 pandemic was at its most serious in Portugal, Papeleira Coreboard – utilising remote assistance from Andritz – still managed to start up its new, state-of-the-art LC pulping system tons a day (t/d). Since then, Papeleira Coreboard has evolved into a sophisticated operation

making 220 t/d of high-quality coreboard for a wide range of packaging applications.

With the latest ongoing developments, the mill will soon increase its capacity again to

ANDRITZ 15

Pulp Paper & Logistics

The new LC pulping system at Papeleira Coreboard

The latest advanced technology for LC pulping

330 t/d by 2022.

“Yes, we have come a long way,” says Manuel Delgado, mill manager at Papeleira Coreboard.

“We believe our success here comes from our ability to keep our customers happy, but also

our employees and all the other entities we work with.

“Our goal has always been to be recognised in the markets as a highly competitive company in the packaging business, with excellent performance in every

area. Our experience in the market and the know-how of our team allow us to understand what the market needs – we have a clear picture of our future and of what it takes to get there.”

As part of its plan to increase efficiency at the mill, Papeleira Coreboard decided in October 2019 to invest in the latest LC pulping technology from Andritz to replace its two old pulping systems.

“At that time, we were managing the pulping process on two lines with heavily-used equipment that needed frequent maintenance,” says Delgado.

“Between pulper batches there was a lot of downtime necessary for the removal of rejects. In addition, we had problems with handling of the wet rejects that were pulled out. Our existing equipment created a bottleneck in production, and we had an issue with maintaining the feed to the paper machine. We decided that the only way to solve these problems was to install a new, state-of-the-art line.”

Papeleira Coreboard chose Andritz for the project to replace the mill’s two outdated pulping systems with a new, continuous LC pulping system to solve the efficiency problems, to improve reject handling as well as to save on operating costs.

The order contained a complete package, comprising the entire LC pulping system, engineering work, order execution as well as supervision of installation and start-up.

“We are great believers in the fact that we have to work with the right partners if we want to be the best player. We were very confident right from the start that Andritz was the right partner to deliver the complete package for this project,” 4 November/December 2021

16 ANDRITZ

Pulp Paper & Logistics

The new LC pulping system: FibreSolve FSR pulper with Andritz TrashTrap, detrashing pump, FibreGuard detrasher and FibreWashDrum Delgado says.

The new LC pulping system is an integrated part of an OCC

line processing recovered, corrugated containers from the local area (LOCC), with a

The mill team at Papeleira Coreboard (from left to right): José Ribeiro, instrumentation and electricity; Manuel Delgado, mill manager; Ricardo Oliveira, maintenance; André Santos; production; Rui Moreira, maintenance and deputy plant manager; João Miranda, process engineer November/December 2021

reject content of up to 10 per cent and designed to produce the mill’s different grades of board.

Thomas Ferk, product manager for pulping systems in the Andritz Paper, Fibre and Recycling Division, explains: “The new LC pulping system ordered by Papeleira Coreboard features several design upgrades, including a FibreSolve FSR pulper with new rotor design for efficient slushing and operation at low energy consumption that also reduces the number of pulper rag breaks at the same time.

Also part of the supply is the new pulper hood design that enables fast removal of pulper rags, reduces downtime, and provides a safe as well as ‘steam- and dust-

free’ working environment.”

Other advanced features added to the new system include the latest Andritz TrashTrap, which ensures reliable separation and removal of heavy and light rejects.

Thus, the new TrashTrap makes operation of the subsequent detrashing system and the entire LC pulping process more stable and contributes significantly towards ensuring higher availability. A stateof-the-art ragger was also installed, allowing superior forming, handling and removal of pulper rags, particularly when combined with the new

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Pulp Paper & Logistics

Rejects after compacting in the Andritz Reject Compactor

pulper rotor design and ragger speed control.

Graz was put firmly to the test during start-up.

“We were very proud as well as

amazed at how well the startup went without any Andritz personnel actually on the mill

site,” says Delgado. “Using video imaging and utilising remote technology, our own experts were connected with Andritz experts in real time and the whole operation went very smoothly. It was a great example of teamwork on both sides.”

“Added to this, Andritz had access through our DCS system, which was very important in allowing all the activities during and after start-up to be monitored. There are definitely huge advantages in using this remote way of working, both during such challenges as the pandemic but also in the future, as it could greatly reduce the cost of such operations and activities.”

Klaus-Peter Janisch, director of order execution at Andritz’s Paper, Fiber and Recycling Division, says, “This very successful start-up was only possible due to the excellent know-how and experience of the mill team. We were very fortunate to have such knowledgeable people on the mill site during this start-up.”

Knowhow put to the test

From bottleneck to advantage

Delivery and installation of all the equipment were both supervised by Andritz and completed by the end of November 2020. However, Covid-19 had created a very serious situation in Portugal at the start of 2021, which meant that no Andritz personnel could be on hand for start-up of the LC pulping system in early February.

As a result, the extensive knowhow of the mill team at Papeleira Coreboard and of the Andritz experts working remotely from

In conclusion, Delgado says, “We now see a great improvement in our stock preparation – better handling of raw material and rejects and increased reliability. Since start-up of the new line, the maintenance work needed has dropped by 60 per cent compared to the old lines. We also have more flexibility now in using varied and challenging furnishes. All in all, this project was an important step to further boost our performance.”

“We now see a great improvement in our stock preparation: better handling of raw material and rejects and increased reliability.

Since start-up of the new line, the maintenance work needed has dropped by 60 per cent compared to the old line,” says Manuel Delgado, mill manager at Papeleira Coreboard

November/December 2021

18 HEIMBACH

Pulp Paper & Logistics

Press felts tailor made for pulp The dewatering process for pulp is just as tough as in a paper machine. Here the latest designs for press felt for pulp are described. PPL reports

B

efore bales of pulp make their journey to paper mills across the world, pulp manufacturers have already put in a great deal of work.

Pressing the water out of a fibrous mass and then drying it is an impressive feat. The forces at work here are just as strong as those in the paper machine. For this reason, specialised and highly-resilient

press felts are required. These also come from Heimbach.

A little bit of pulp science By volume, waste paper is by far the most important raw material for the paper industry. However, the quality demands of some consumers mean that pulp is also needed for many types of paper and board. Pulp is a fantastic product, sustainable and environmentally friendly. It is

created by the chemical pulping of plant fibres, and consists mainly of cellulose. Of all pulp produced globally 90 per cent is made from wood. Here, the yield is about 50 per cent, depending on the variety.

The originally wet suspension must be dried as thoroughly as possible before transport.

The equipment used for this is very similar in structure to a paper machine. There is a wire section, press section

and a dryer section. In the final section, however, drying is carried out by means of a hot air process, so there is no need for dryer fabrics.

Caution, hot!

When the pulp is dewatered, the basis weight of the web (8001500 g/sqm) is much higher than in paper or board production.

The production speed (150-200 m/min) is correspondingly lower.

Particularly challenging for the clothing on these applications are the very high fabric temperatures which are required to enable effective dewatering in the press section. At the beginning of the press section, specifically, the fabrics are subjected to very high thermal stress and can shrink or even collapse as a result. With this in mind, Heimbach has developed specialised felts for the pulp industry.

Atronet.P – highly durable and long-lasting

Schematic of modern pulp dewatering machine November/December 2021

It was clear to our designers from the very beginning that conventionally-woven press felts are sub-optimal for the requirements of pulp applications. A better way was required, searched for and discovered. The result of the development work was the Atronet.P design.

The multi-axial press felt concept provides outstanding compaction resistance and maximum dimensional stability.

These qualities, of course, are

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Pulp Paper & Logistics

typical of Heimbach’s non-woven and multi-axial felts.

The base modules are set at different angles and effectively prevent the structure from collapsing. This in turn guarantees that the void volume is maintained to a high degree which leads to excellent dewatering results over long lifetimes. It is not without reason that New-Tech fabrics are the product of choice for many customers in the packaging sector.

In addition, Atronet.P is equipped with a compression layer within the felt. Thanks to this, huge volumes of water can be processed in a controlled manner throughout felt lifetime.

This compression layer also helps improve fibre anchorage, which in turn improves wear resistance.

Comfortable with a single seam Press felts on pulp machines are real heavyweights, and consequently have two seams, which until recently was the standard. Atronet.P Connect meets the needs of paper makers in this respect too: The felt is equipped with just one, extremely strong, seam. This meets all safety requirements and also enables rapid felt installation.

Figure 1: traditional double seamed felt

Figure 2: a modern multi-axial seam felt with a compression layer The modern way Atronet.P Connect: Multi-axial seam felt with compression layer and single seam as shown in Figure 2

● High void volume ● High seam strength ● Moderate felt weight ● Easy installation (only one seam)

● Practically incompressible ● Insensitive to shrinkage ● First class wear resistance

Press felts for pulp dewatering: The traditional way Double seam felt: two conventional woven, double-layer base weaves with two seams as shown in Figure 1 ● High void volume ● High seam strength ● Heavy felt weight (cost) ● Difficult installation (two seams) ● Sensitive to compaction and shrinkage ● Risk of loss of batt

The single connecting seam of the Atronet.P.Connect multi-axial press felt, which is said to provide outstanding compaction resistance and maximum dimensional stability November/December 2021

20 PRODUCTS & SERVICES

Pulp Paper & Logistics

Lifting beam for balancing rolls

A

roll lifting beam and levelling system with a capacity of 1,500lb (680kg) has been delivered by the Caldwell Group to a customer that manufactures a range of hygienic wipes. A key advantage of the system is that it can be operated by one person instead of two.

The beam, which measures 86 inches (2.18m) between the J-style hooks and 95.75 inches (2.43m) from end-to-end, is designed for unbalanced loads. In the end user’s application, it is common for a roll to be slightly off-centre and the operator would previously have to handle the load or use below-the-hook equipment to straighten it.

These substrate rolls must be lifted into place during an important phase of the production process. The method employed by this end user is unique, not because of its utilisation of the beam, but in its incorporation of Caldwell’s load leveller product.

This balances the roll before a worker performs the next operation and is operated by two pendant push-buttons.

Caldwell was initially presented with the material handling problem, in addition to the weight, width, height of rolls, and distance between the cradle support. Based on this, it was decided that a combination roll lifting beam and leveller would best suit the user’s requirements.

The attachment works beneath the hook of Harrington Hoists’ equipment, to which it is attached by a hook and latch system. The lifter’s bottom hooks are not designed for side-loading, but they can pivot laterally. These J-hooks extend about 50 inches (1.27m) in November/December 2021

Substrate rolls must be lifted into place during an important phase of the production process length and are designed to handle a specific mandrel diameter.

Darrin Noe, director of sales at Caldwell, said: “A red / green indicator light notifies the operator that the leveller has engaged and which direction the bail is adjusting to accommodate for the load’s centre of gravity location. The leveller can be used to adjust the lifter bail as needed to find the centre of gravity. Once

the leveller indicates a level lift, the operator can continue to move, rotate, and position the load as needed.

“Caldwell’s leveller, originally used strictly for the Posi-Turner product, is now used in multiple applications where it is beneficial to have a control system that senses when a load is out of level and automatically activates the levelling adjustment on the lifter

to level the load. Besides added speed and efficiency, the levelling option brings added safety to many types of lifting requirements by allowing the operator to stand a safe distance from the suspended load.”

More information from Caldwell Lifting Solutions, 4080 Logistics Parkway, Rockford, Illinois 61109, USA. Tel: 1 815 229 5667. Email: Darrin Noe, dnoe@caldwellinc.com

PRODUCTS & SERVICES 21

Pulp Paper & Logistics

Competitive gains for NSK bearings with special heat treatment

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range of spherical roller bearings with higher performance has been launched by NSK to meet specific challenges in the paper making industry.

The improved bearings feature a number of benefits that include enhanced inner ring strength, longer service life and dimensional stability at high temperatures.

TL (tough and long life) bearings were originally developed to solve a specific problem: inner ring fractures in spherical roller bearings with tapered bores, particularly when used with a relatively high interference fit.

This issue occurred on dryer cylinders (including Yankee dryer rolls) and calender rolls, where super-heated steam passes through the hollow journals of dryer rollers and the centre of bearings. The subsequent

NSK spherical roller bearings with TL technology are said to deliver twice the service life of their conventional counterparts temperature difference increases the interference fit, producing an increase in hoop stress on the inner ring, increasing the potential for cracks.

Japanese manufacturer NSK set about creating the TL specification based on a steel with a formulation for case-carburising, but using a special method of heat

treatment. From a metallurgical standpoint, the raceways are harder than conventional bearing steel but the core remains tough.

This contrast delivers the shock resistance needed to prevent fracturing, as well as the necessary surface hardness for long bearing life, says NSK. The resistance of inner rings

that meet the TL specification is higher than the resistance of inner rings made from bainitic steel or standard bearing steel, as demonstrated in a series of benchmark fracture tests.

In fatigue life tests, the TL series bearings all demonstrated superior performance against the other bearing material types when comparing Weibull plots of the test results.

NSK’s proprietary heat treatment technology also serves to support dimensional stability at high temperatures, as demonstrated by further tests. Bearings made from TL specification steel (at 150 deg C) showed a negligible rate of dimensional change (around 0.002 per cent) after 10,000 hours – less than bearing steel with dimension stabilising treatment (at 130 deg C) and far less than bearing steel with standard heat treatment.

Winder performance optimised by cloud-based diagnostics As part of its Industrial Internet services, Valmet has developed diagnostics to help board and paper manufacturers optimise the overall performance of their winders.

The service is said to ensure better maintenance predictability, which in turn means fewer unplanned stops and improved performance of the winder. It provides information from the winder enabling quick reactions to sudden abnormalities and prompt scheduling of maintenance actions.

Voith collaborated with selected

Better runnability for winders is possible with Voith’s diagnostics mills during development of the diagnostic system to ensure its usability and usefulness.

Markku Savioja, global product

manager for board and paper service technology at Valmet, explains: “The collaboration with mills was started at a very

early stage of the development process. It has been very important to exchange ideas and development needs and receive feedback from genuine user experiences all along the way. We also used the Valmet Customer Portal as the common communication platform.”

Winder Diagnostics runs in Valmet’s cloud environment and analyses and visualises the data received from the winder. The application is accessed through the Valmet Customer Portal, with both the customer and Valmet having the same view.

November/December 2021

22 PRODUCTS & SERVICES

Pulp Paper & Logistics

Voith upgrades its pilot coater to meet sustainable barrier papers need

T

o help the paper industry produce more versatile barrier papers that are recyclable and ideally biodegradable, Voith has extensively rebuilt its pilot coater at its Technology Center in Heidenheim.

For ideal results, the new pilot coater features expanded drying capacities, optimised web guiding and the latest automation technology and sensor systems.

“With the modernised pilot coater, Voith enables its customers to conduct extremely flexible pilot tests with different coating variants for all grades of speciality papers, packaging papers, board and graphic papers – and with highly efficient drying,” says Frank Opletal, chief technical officer at Voith Paper. “Customers can apply the knowledge gained directly to practical applications.

By producing small batches for market tests or comparing

More versatility in testing barrier papers and films are provided by Voith’s upgraded pilot coater different system concepts, our customers get a much higher planning reliability for possible future projects.”

Uwe Fröhlich, senior manager of R&D pilot operations at Voith, added: “With the rebuild of our pilot coater, we are significantly increasing flexibility.” A total of 18 different coating variants can be tested through the coating stations that use a modular design,

enabling, for example, conventional film application but also as a size press or high-penetration. Also, the new DynaLayer is the most widely used option for highly functional barrier paper grades.

Using the compact curtain coating technology, up to three layers can be applied at the same time.

Voith paid special attention to the drying technology when rebuilding the test coater. “As part

of the upgrade, we succeeded in implementing non-contact drying in the existing hall over a web length of more than 40 metres,” explains Fröhlich. Eight dryers, the last of which can also be used as a cooler, ensure that the coating is dried reliably. Around 200 sensors for measuring dryingspecific parameters and innovative automation technology enable a wide range of analysis and process control options.

To include upstream or downstream process steps in the trials, the pilot coater can be combined with the XCal1 pilot calender. This makes it possible, for example, to specifically investigate the impact of precalendering on barrier properties. In addition, customers can test the recyclability of the developed papers on site at Voith’s Fiber Technology Center.

More information from: https:// voith.com/technology-center

Fewer web breaks with smart vision systems A paper maker in Japan has been able to improve the quality of its products following the application of surface inspection systems from Ametek Surface Vision.

Based in Osaka, Rengo Co Ltd provides paper products to a range of industries, including general packaging. Its Kanazu mill makes corrugated board and was upgraded in 2017.

Initially, Ametek Surface Vision’s SmartView system was added to inspect the paper for defects.

This was supported by a singlecamera Advanced Winder Advisor November/December 2021

(AWA) tool, which enables automatic stops at the detected defect location. Designed specifically for paper inspection systems, it allows immediate resynchronisation after a web break or sheet splicing.

Defects could be dealt with much quicker because of the better stopping precision of the AWA. This led to a further investment in Ametek’s SmartAdvisor web inspection system to reduce the number of paper breaks by identifying the cause of the defects.

In addition to 12 cameras

installed in the SmartAdvisor system a SmartSync tool was also applied. This integrates the multi-camera video monitoring power of SmartAdvisor with the flexibility and proven quality of SmartView surface inspection.

This enhanced level of surface inspection provided an immediate identification of the cause after the defect occurred, leading to rapid results and a reduction in the amount of waste paper created by defects.

Additionally, paper breaks reduced by 17 per cent year-onyear.

Takefumi Nakanishi, Rengo’s deputy general manager, commented: “Before we installed SmartSync, it took me a while to find the information I needed.

Now we have succeeded in narrowing down the paper break and defect information.

“Our next step will be to install more cameras and require a more accurate system performance, which we are able to do thanks to the modular nature of the Ametek Surface Vision solution.”

More information from: www. ameteksurfacevision.com

PRODUCTS & SERVICES 23

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More intelligent assessment of equipment performance

A

BB has launched the Ability Genix Asset Performance Management (APM) Suite for condition monitoring, predictive maintenance and insights into asset performance for the process, utility and transportation industries.

Using the Genix APM Suite, it is said to be easy to add asset condition monitoring to existing operational technology systems, enable prioritisation of maintenance activities based on artificial intelligence (AI)-informed predictions, and provides a comprehensive overview of asset performance.

By assessing the remaining useful life of industrial assets, Genix APM generates a plan for preventive maintenance, which can extend equipment lifetime

Add asset condition monitoring to existing operational technology systems with ABB’s Ability Genix by as much as 50 per cent and increase asset life by up to 40 per cent.

“Poor asset availability and reliability is a major problem that results in unplanned downtime

and unexpected maintenance costs, and also impedes strategic planning and procurement,” said Rajesh Ramachandran, chief digital officer at ABB Process Automation.

“It’s not that industrial customers

lack data; it’s that many lack effective ways to use their data to improve operational and business performance.”

More information from go.abb/ processautomation

New Yankee dryer design cuts inspection needs A new design of Yankee dryer with a forged-steel shell has been developed by A.Celli in Italy.

The Evo-Lock Yankee Dryer enables the number of inspection activities to be minimised and improvement to the runnability on the sheet edges, with benefits in machine efficiency.

The design, which uses a headto-shell connection system that doesn’t require welds or bolt fitting, enables the overall width to be reduced while being able to dry a larger-format sheet within the same machine gauge.

Clive Butler, Yankee dryer production manager, explained: “As there is no bolt stick-out and the heads are inside the

A.Celli’s latest design of Yankee dramatically cuts the need for inspection shell width, the shell length can be increased for a given frame clearance; this allows more

grooves in the shell and hence a wider sheet.”

A.Celli says the design means

that users can expect inspection activity to be reduced by 94 per cent in the first 12 years of use, without reducing the quality of the tissue, reliability or operator safety.

“Evo-Lock represents A.Celli’s attitude to continuous innovation, which springs out when science and technology meet creativity and experience,” said Fabrizio Tonello, technical director of A.Celli Paper.

More information from Clive Butler, Yankee Dryer Production Manager, Tel: 44 743019649.

Email: c.butler@acelli.it; or Fabrizio Tonello, Technical Director, Tel: 39 0583 98441.

Email: f.tonello@acelli.it November/December 2021

24 PROJECTS & CONTRACTS

Pulp Paper & Logistics

Newly-formed Croatian mill orders tissue line

A

tissue plant for the production of highquality grades has been ordered by newly-formed Astrabel for its mill at Belišće in Croatia.

Andritz will manage the turnkey project which includes stock preparation, tissue machine with air systems and rewinder, complete electrification and automation, and pumps. Startup is planned for 2023.

The tissue machine is a PrimeLineCompact S 1300 with a design speed of 1,300 metres per minute that will produce a 2.85m-wide web. The machine is equipped with a 15ft-diameter PrimeDry Steel Yankee and a PrimeDry Hood Combo (combined efficiency hood with wet blowing and dry suction) to improve energy-efficiency.

The stock preparation plant will be equipped with a FibreSolve

The Astrabel tissue line at Belišće will be capable of 1,300 metres per minute FSV pulper for energy-efficient bale pulping as well as HD cleaning, deflaking, TwinFlo disc refining and headbox screening machinery in the approach flow system.

Metris UX – the Andritz digitalisation platform with fully-

embedded Distributed Control System Metris X – and numerous applications for remote assistance as well as process and production optimisation will enable maximum mill performance.

Dinko Burić, managing director and also city mayor of Belišće,

explains: “This investment is not only a major step for Astrabel but also for our city. Andritz offers a perfect solution with local proximity as well as the opportunity to conduct trials and train the staff at their tissue pilot plant in Austria.”

Andritz supplies more than 20 stock preparation systems to Vinda A stock preparation system supplied by Andritz to Vinda Personal Care (Guangdong) has been started up as part of tissue production at its Yangjiang mill in China.

There are now more than 20 stock preparation systems from Andritz operating in mills belonging to the Vinda Group.

The new system comprises specific lines for needle bleached kraft pulp, leaf bleached kraft pulp and bagasse as raw material.

Andritz installed the whole stock preparation system, with equipment for low-consistency (LC) pulping and refining, highconsistency (HC) refining, the November/December 2021

approach flow system, and broke handling.

Dong Yiping, executive director

of Vinda International Holdings Limited, says: “With the new Andritz HC refining systems,

Use of an HC Refiner at Vinda Personal Care’s Yangjiang mill has improved the handfeel and softness of the tissue produced

we achieve better fibre quality in terms of strength, softness and absorbency compared to a conventional LC system in a similar tissue application. Our customers gave very positive feedback as to handfeel and softness of the final product – further proof that our decision to trust in Andritz again was absolutely right.”

Vinda Personal Care (Guangdong), part of the Vinda Group, is one of the top four tissue producers in China. The Vinda Group provides high-quality hygiene products and services with brands such as Vinda, Tempo, Tork, Tena, Dr P, Libresse, VIA, Libero, and Drypers.

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Steel dryer replaces cast version at Cartiera Ponte d’Oro Ansalcarta

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new steel Yankee dryer supplied by Toscotec has been started up the Villa Basilica tissue mill of Cartiera Ponte d’Oro Ansalcarta in Italy.

The TT SYD replaced an existing cast-iron dryer installed on the PM1 in 1993 by Officine Meccaniche Toschi, the name of

Toscotec prior to 2003.

Manufactured at Toscotec’s fully-integrated Technology Center at Massa in Italy, the steel Yankee dryer included a condensate removal system, Toscotec’s patented head insulation for maximum thermal efficiency.

Latest innovation on Toscotec’s TT SYD is TT Defender, a patented

Cartiere Saci continues upgrades at its Verona mill A dryer section rebuild of PM2 at Cartiere Saci in Italy is to be carried out by Toscotec.

The rebuild follows the modification of the PM2 line started up in 2015 through a range of steps with the supply of a new calender and work on part of the dryer section after which the entire press section was reconstructed.

The project includes the replacement of PM2’s existing cast-iron dryers with Toscotec’s TT SteelDryers designed for a maximum operating pressure of 10 bar(g). The dryers will be customised with a diameter of 1,600mm, instead of the standard 1,500mm, to maximise the machine’s capacity inside the available space of the existing dryer section.

The work continues ten years

of cooperation that has led to major rebuilding projects of PM1 and PM2 at Verona paper mill.

The modification of PM1 started in 2014 with part of the dryer section, which was then entirely rebuilt in 2018 on a full-on turnkey rebuilding operation. The most recent project was successfully accomplished last year during the Covid-19 pandemic where Toscotec rebuilt the entire press section of PM2.

Lorenzo Poli, chief executive of Cartiere Saci, says: “We are very satisfied with our partnership with Toscotec. Both speed and efficiency have been increasing with each rebuilding project, and Toscotec is the right partner to improve different sections of the paper machine with a complete view of a modern paper mill.”

Toscotec Cartiere Saci’s paper mill in Verona, Italy

internal coating that protects against corrosive steam.

Armando Ansaldi, chief executive of Cartiera Ponte d’Oro Ansalcarta, says, “This Yankee rebuild is part of our long-term strategy to green manufacturing and achieving the lowest possible carbon footprint using the most advanced technology. With the installation

of TT SYD, we aim to significantly boost our efficiency in the most energy-intensive section of the paper machine.”

Founded in 1961 in Lucca’s tissue paper district, Cartiera Ponte d’Oro Ansalcarta produces rolls of white and coloured tissue paper from almost entirely recycled fibres, for both at-home and afh markets.

New tissue line for Xuong Giang Paper in Vietnam

Vietnam’s Xuong Giang Paper Mill has started up a tissue production line supplied and installed by Andritz.

With a design speed of 1,300 m/min and a width of 2,850mm, the PrimeLineCompact S 1300 tissue machine processes virgin pulp to produce high-quality facial and toilet tissue as well as napkins. It is equipped with a 12ft-diameter PrimeDry Steel Yankee with a steam-heated hood.

The scope of supply also includes the stock preparation plant, which processes short and long fibres in separate systems, the approach flow system, fibre recovery and broke handling equipment, and pumps. The press felts were supplied by Andritz Fabrics and Rolls in Geelong,

The team with the new tissue machine at Xuong Giang Paper in Vietnam Australia, while complete line is equipped with an Andritz PrimeControl automation package and a multi-motor drive system.

Tran Xuan Nam, deputy general director of Xuong Giang Paper Mill, a subsidiary of Bac Giang Import Export JSC, comments: “Thanks to the great support we received from Andritz, our production line went into operation successfully and according to the time schedule.

Andritz supplied advanced technology, highly-efficient equipment, and professional service – this is why we are looking forward to a long-term partnership.”

November/December 2021

26 PROJECTS & CONTRACTS

Pulp Paper & Logistics

Major disc filter rebuild from SCA Pulp

S

CA Pulp in Sweden is having a disc filter at its mill in Orthicon, Sundsvall, rebuilt by

Andritz.

After the rebuild, the capacity of the disc filter will be tripled to 900 bdmt/d, and the filtrate flow will be increased to a maximum of 130,000 l/min.

The refurbished disc filter will ensure the throughput at different beating temperature levels, ranging from 300 to 700 deg CSF, for the production of various high-quality pulp grades. Start-up is scheduled for the fourth quarter 2022.

The rebuild comprises the main disc filter components, such as:

● A new hollow shaft with highvolume filtrate channels – the largest-volume filtrate channels ever designed for an Andritz disc filter ● 396 SuperFlow sectors for 22 filter discs with customised filter bags ● A disc guiding system ● A filtrate valve with automated adjustment to the different beating degrees ● A knock-off and cleaning shower systems ● A repulper screw.

A new filter bag has been developed by Andritz that is able to handle temperatures above 600 deg C. The new development

SCA Pulp’s Orthicon pulp mill in Sweden was tested on a full-size disc filter during a three-day trial at the Andritz pilot plant in Graz, Austria, the first time that a single disc filter could be operated at such a wide temperature range.

In brief

New reel for Knauf Petroboard’s KM2 rebuild A new reel has been started up

by Andritz at Knauf Petroboard mill in Kommunar, Russia, as part of its KM2 board machine rebuild.

The KM2 – with a basis weight range from 100 to 320 g/sqm – has a design speed of 700 m/min and a working width of 4.26m.

It has a maximum capacity of 155,000 tons per year for production of gypsum board and uses 100 per cent wastepaper as raw material.

The rebuild includes a new PrimeReel system with new reel spools, drives and controls, ensuring consistent paper quality from the first to the last wrap during reeling. The new reel reduces the volume of rejects previously generated and enables the use of larger reel diameters, thus resulting in less frequent reel spool changes.

November/December 2021

c Valmet is to supply a paper machine grade conversion rebuild to one of its major customers in Indonesia. The paper machine, which was originally producing fine paper grades, will be rebuilt to produce brown grades with startup is scheduled for 2022.

The start-up team in front of the new PrimeReel system at Knauf Petroboard’s KM2 Yuriy Mikhaylov, general director of Knauf Petroboard AG, says: “We are really impressed by the work of the Andritz team. Despite the very challenging conditions due to the Covid pandemic, the start-up ran smoothly, and the rebuilt machine went into operation

The disc filter rebuild is part of SCA’s project to transform the existing TMP (thermo-mechanical pulp) line at the Ortviken site into a CTMP (chemo-thermomechanical pulp) plant with an capacity of 300,000 tons per year.

before the scheduled date.”

Knauf Petroboard, part of the international Knauf Group, has a leading market position in Russia and the CIS countries in producing packaging board as well as gypsum board, which is used in the production of plasterboard.

c A complete tissue production line including stock preparation, automation system and a Focus rewinder is being supplied by Valmet to Arkhbum Tissue Group LLC. The new Advantage DCT 200 tissue line will be installed at the company’s mill at the Vorsino industrial park, in the Kaluga region in Russia, with start-up planned for the first quarter of 2023. c An upgraded heat-recovery chain on the PM3 tissue machine at ICT’s mill in Piano di Coreglia, Italy, has been started up by Andritz Novimpianti. Hot exhaust air from the hood on the Yankee Ecosteam System helps to reduce steam consumption by two-thirds.

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Rebuild for PM2 line at Shumacher’s Myszków mill

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chumacher Packaging, a corrugated board producer and fullrange supplier of paper-based packaging, has commissioned Voith to rebuild the PM2 line at its Myszków mill in Poland.

The line is scheduled to restart in mid-2023, with its capacity of lightweight containerboard doubled from 500 to 1,000 tons per day.

As part of the rebuild, Voith will upgrade the OCC stock preparation with technologies from its BlueLine portfolio, and the paper machine will be extensively modernised with state-of-the-art concepts and a new VariFlex NG high-performance winder.

“We have found a perfect

partner for our ambitious project with the full-line supplier Voith,” says Bjoern Schumacher, chief executive of Schumacher Packaging Group. “With the doubled production capacity, we enable a smooth supply chain with significantly increased planning reliability.”

In 2018, Voith supplied a BlueLine-OCC stock preparation system to Schumacher Packaging, which is based at Ebersdorf bei Coburg in Germany.

Other Schumacher Packaging sites in Germany are at Bielefeld, Forchheim, Greven, Hauenstein, Schwarzenberg and Sonneberg. It operates five in Poland: one each in Bydgoszcz and Grudziądz and two in Wroclaw; the paper mill at Myszków was acquired in 2016.

Upgrades planned for Schumacher Packaging’s mill in Myszków, Poland

Next-generation paper testing is expected to modernise quality control at MM’s Frohnleiten mill

Next-generation automated paper testing for MM Board & Paper MM Board & Paper has ordered two L&W Autoline automated paper testing systems from ABB and has secured a new service agreement at its Frohnleiten mill in Austria.

The ‘next-generation’ testing systems are expected to modernise quality control and reduce costs at the mill, 28km from Graz, which serves MM as a centre for research and development, product safety and compliance, and analytical chemistry.

MM produces cartonboards that have certified barriers to protect packaged foods.

The Frohnleiten mill produces 520,000 tons of cartonboard per year – the highest in Europe – and has reliably used the L&W Autoline 300 for quality testing for 20 years.

The new L&W Autoline includes a dual-test function that reduces queuing by allowing simultaneous testing of the mill’s boards. With more data points and faster, more accurate results than previously possible, the new L&W Autoline provides the same results as lab equipment and delivers accurate, quality reports in minutes.

Gerald Lösch, technology manager at MM Frohnleiten, commented: “We enjoy a longterm relationship with ABB whose team has consistently delivered a high standard of service since we first signed a contract with them in 2001.

“We were convinced by their best-in-class, new L&W Autoline solution that also supports our commitment to producing our cartonboard products efficiently and in a resource-friendly way.”

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Foundation stone laid at Metsä Fibre’s Kemi bioproduct mill

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rogress with the construction of Metsä Fibre’s Kemi bioproduct mill project was made with the laying of a ceremonial foundation stone in September.

The stone was laid within the area of the fibre line by chief executive of Metsä Fibre, JariIsmo Nousiainen, Jari-Pekka Johansson, project director, and Mika Vuoti, the on-site contact person. To ensure safety during the pandemic, the foundation stone was laid without the presence of guests.

The €1.6 billion investment is said to be the largest in the history of Finland’s forest industry. Through its direct value chain, the bioproduct mill will employ around 2,500 people in Finland once it is completed.

Start up is planned for the third

The foundation stone is laid during the construction of Metsä Fibre’s bioproducts mill quarter of 2023.

“The impact of this large-scale industrial investment is significant.

The Kemi bioproduct mill will increase Finland’s annual exports by around €500 million and its annual positive income effect

through the value of the wood raw material and the purchasing of Finnish labour is likewise roughly €500 million,” says Nousiainen.

Operating without fossil fuels, the Kemi bioproduct mill will produce around 1.5 million tonnes

of softwood and hardwood pulp a year, as well as many other bioproducts. It will also produce 2.0 TWh of renewable energy a year, which is equivalent to about 2.5 per cent of Finland’s total annual electricity production.

Metsä Board’s Kyro mill Evaporation line rebuild at Harihar Polyfibers starts up modernised pulp mill finishing area The modernisation of the finishing area at Metsä Board’s Kyro mill, north west of Tampere in Finland, has been completed and the finishing line with advanced equipment has started up.

During the mill’s annual maintenance shutdown in October, a new state-of-the-art reeler and winder were installed on the production line, and the reel broke handling system was significantly upgraded.

The investment, announced in December 2019, was worth €20 million. Metsä Board is part of November/December 2021

Metsä Group.

“The new high automation finishing line will further improve the quality consistency of the paperboard reels and increase the runnability on our customers’ converting lines. In addition, the automation will improve upon the existing occupational safety level in the mill’s finishing area and reduce the physical workload,” says Petri Huiko, mill manager at Kyro.

The Kyro mill – with a capacity of 190,000 tonnes a year – produces coated high-quality folding boxboard and innovative dispersion coated barrier board.

An evaporation line is to be rebuilt by Valmet at the Harihar Polyfibers pulp manufacturing mill in India.

The rebuild project for Grasim Industries, the owner of the mill, is designed to improve the evaporator reliability and to handle the increased plant capacity to match future expansion needs. Improving the quality of the secondary condensate recycling will reduce energy and water consumption.

Ajay Gupta, unit head at Harihar Polyfibers, says: “We are aiming to increase the capacity and the energy efficiency of our pulp

production line to meet the future needs. We selected Valmet as our partner to deliver the rebuild project with advanced evaporation technology.”

The project includes two new evaporation effects units based on Valmet Vapor Recycling technology, which provides high dry solids operation without medium pressure steam.

Grasim Industries, part of the global Aditya Birla Group, is a leading global producer of viscose staple fibre (VSF), and the largest chlor-alkali, linen and insulators company in India.

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Biggest tissue making line in Turkey starts up

Berli Jucker Cellox starts up new tissue rewinder

urkey’s biggest and most productive tissue line has been started up by Essel Kâğıt at its Osmaniye mill.

The Ahead 2.2L tissue line, supplied by Italy’s Toscotec on a turnkey basis, was the fourth tissue machine started up by Toscotec over three weeks in four different countries in Europe and Asia.

The new PM3 is manufacturing high quality tissue paper for the local market. Featuring a net trim width of 5,700mm the line has a production capacity of 270 tonnes per day.

It features a fully hydraulic TT HeadboxMLT with dilution control, TT NextPress shoe press technology, a third-generation TT SYD with optimised geometry for increased heat transfer efficiency, and gas-fired TT Hoods with multiple stages of thermal energy recovery and designed for a cogeneration upgrade. The line also includes two OPTIMA slitter rewinders with tension and nip control and automatic shaft puller

A new tissue rewinder installed

by A.Celli at Berli Jucker Cellox’s Prachinburi mill in Thailand has been successfully started up.

The E-Wind T100 rewinder is designed to process 3,300mmdiameter paper rolls with a width of 2,750mm and a basis weight ranging from 13 to 45 gsm, at an operating speed of 1,700 m/min.

This enables Berli Jucker Cellox to produce up to 90 tons of tissue

T

for top winding efficiency.

Ahmet Temuroglu, project manager at Essel Selüloz ve Kâğit Sanayi Tic, says, “We are very satisfied with the outcome of this investment operation. Toscotec demonstrated their ability to manage and successfully complete a turnkey project on a tight schedule. They kept their focus on our common goal and showed great flexibility in solving various issues and adjusting their schedule to meet our requirements. The new Ahead machine is already operating at a good efficiency, we are confident we will soon fully reap the benefits of this advanced technology.”

Essel Cellulose and Paper Industry is a leading manufacturer of tissue jumbo rolls for tissue paper converters, with a portfolio of 600 products including toilet paper, napkins, dispenser napkins, paper towels and dispenser towels. It operates two tissue mills in Turkey: at Zonguldak Çaycuma (PM1) in the north and Osmaniye (PM2) in the south with an overall capacity of 76,000 tpy.

Turkey’s biggest tissue machine has been started up by Essel Selüloz

paper per day.

Prachinburi plant director Chusak Soysungvarn says: “It was difficult to put into words the happiness you get from seeing the first tissue reel came out from the A.Celli rewinder. We have focused heavily on this expansion project to enhance manufacturing efficiency, energy consumption and quality level to serve our customers in the best possible way.”

Rewinder enables 90 tons of tissue to be processed a day

High capacity winder to handle 550,000 tonnes a year A high-capacity OptiWin Pro winder is being supplied by Valmet to Norske Skog’s Golbey mill in France.

The objective is to use one winder to handle the 550,000-tonne capacity of the converted PM1 paper machine, following the paper machine conversion from production of newsprint to recycled containerboard. The start-up of the winder is scheduled for 2023.

Yves Bailly, managing director of Norske Skog Golbey, says: “We

strongly believe Valmet’s single winder solution will meet our high-performance targets for Golbey PM1. We also liked to work with Valmet’s sales team to reach this agreement.”

The winder will handle parent rolls with a width of 8,870mm at a design speed of 3,000 metres per minute and a daily capacity of 1,820 tonnes. Golbey’s PM1 will produce recycled fluting and testliner grades with a design basis weight from 70 to 135 g/ sqm.

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Pulp Paper & Logistics

Increased sustainability for CMPC’s Guaíba pulp mill

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outh America’s CMPC Pulp has ordered key technology and automation from Valmet to modernise the Guaíba pulp mill’s line 2 in Brazil and increase its capacity from 1.5 million to 1.85 million air dry tonnes per year.

With expected start up in the final quarter of 2023, the BioCMPC project will include new control and environmental management measures throughout the mill.

Bertel Karlstedt, president of pulp and energy at Valmet, says: “We will provide the mill with our latest technological innovations designed for high efficiency which will allow the mill to be one of the

Valmet will deliver key technology and automation for CMPC’s BioCMPC project most sustainable in Brazil with low environmental impact. The project will have a significant employment impact both for our engineering, production and project execution in Brazil and the Nordics.”

Valmet’s work at the mill will include a rebuild of the pulp

drying, fibreline, evaporation and white liquor plant, a new recovery boiler and new ash treatment, and extended distributed control system including advanced industrial internet features.

The pulp drying line upgrade will increase the drying and baling

capacity and performance with the same high operational safety requirements that always guide Valmet’s projects. The upgrade includes improvements to screening and drying, automatic tail threading and an additional baling line.

CMPC produces and markets wood, pulp, packaging products, paper, tissue, and personal care products from certified plantations. It owns 641,000 hectares of forest plantations, mainly pine and eucalyptus, located in Chile, Brazil and Argentina. CMPC Pulp SpA operates four production lines in Chile and two in Brazil, with total annual pulp production capacity of 4.1 million tonnes.

Second Herb chemical recovery boiler installed in India A chemical recovery boiler has been started up by Andritz at Naini Papers in India.

The Herb boiler has a capacity of 500 tons per day, is designed to handle a mixture of hardwood and agro-based black liquor and enables environmentally-friendly and more energy-efficient operation compared to the black liquor incinerator previously used in the mill.

The boiler, which can be upgraded to 700 tpd, also features a novel vertical air system to minimise emissions.

Pawan Agarwal, managing director at Naini Papers Limited, says: “The entire Andritz team has worked tirelessly November/December 2021

and zealously to see to it that commissioning was trouble-free and fast. Team Naini conveys its warmest thanks to the Andritz

team for this wonderful support.”

This is the second of six Herb recovery boilers currently being installed in India by Andritz.

Naini Papers is a leading paper manufacturer in India, offering quality paper products made from agricultural residue.

The Herb chemical recovery boiler at Naini Papers uses novel vertical air system to minimise emissions is one of six being installed in India by Andritz

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World’s first large-scale bleached straw pulp line starts up

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n innovative pulping line using wheat straw that is the first of its kind to operate on a large scale worldwide has been started up in Germany by Andritz which supplied the main mechanical equipment.

The plant at hygiene and health products company Essity in Mannheim has a capacity of 100 bdmt/d and processes wheat straw to produce bleached pulp for the mill’s own tissue production.

As raw material for pulp production, the facility mainly uses FSC- and/or PEFC-certified thinning and waste wood from the area surrounding the mill.

Essity has also been using plantbased agricultural residue from local farms for the production of high-quality tissue since the new equipment was started up. The innovative process uses less water and energy and is regarded as a

The wheat straw pulping mill at Essity’s Mannheim mill processes 100 tons a day breakthrough in sustainable tissue manufacturing.

Dr Martin Wiens, factory and project manager for the new installation, says: “This is a big step for Essity, and the paper industry as well. Essity is the first company in the tissue industry to process agricultural residue on an industrial scale.

“We have developed unique

processing technology that does not exist anywhere else in the world. The design is purely based on a small pilot installation and, together with Andritz, we have managed to implement the concept in a little over two years.

That is really impressive.”

Andritz supplied most of the main equipment, from technology for cleaning,

screening, dewatering and bleach tower discharge to refining. Mechanical installation, commissioning and start-up supervision were also part of the scope of supply.

Essity operates four tissue mills in Germany. The Mannheim mill has an annual capacity of 283,000 tons produced on five paper machines and 23 converting lines.

Newsprint line conversion for Volga Pulp and Paper Volga Pulp and Paper Mill in Russia is having its PM6 newsprint machine converted to produce packaging paper by Andritz along with having a new OCC line installed, with start scheduled for the spring of 2023.

The OCC line will process locally-supplied old corrugated containers with a capacity of 400 bdmt/d.

After the conversion, PM6 will use a mix of OCC and TMP fibres, which is said to be a groundbreaking composition for the production of packaging paper.

The rebuilt PM6 will have an

An Andritz FibreFlow drum is part of the newsprint line conversion at Volga Pulp and Paper annual production capacity of 140,000 tons and a design speed

of up to 720 m/min, producing lightweight fluting and testliner

in the range of 65-120 gsm. The conversion project follows the installation by Andritz of a new TMP line in 2020 at the mill.

Chief executive of Volga Pulp and Paper Mill Sergey Pondar says: “The smooth start-up of our TMP line one year ago convinced us that Andritz would once again be the right partner for us. The conversion of PM6 will be an even more ambitious project, especially in view of the tight time frame.”

JSC Volga is one of Russia’s largest newsprint producers and mainly uses 100 per cent TMP as furnish.

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First sustainability officer for Graphic Packaging

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ichelle Fitzpatrick has been appointed as Graphic Packaging International’s first chief sustainability officer.

The Atlanta, Georgia-based paper-based consumer packaging manufacturer says that it has had a long-standing commitment to running operations in a sustainable manner and has continued to advance environmental, social and governance (ESG) programmes to benefit all stakeholders.

The appointment of Fitzpatrick is another step in GPI’s pursuit of Vision 2025 and reflects awareness of the critical nature of sustainable business practices to achieve those goals, it said.

Chief executive of Graphic Packaging, Michael Doss commented, “We are committed to a world-class sustainability programme and executing improvements to our reporting, ensuring transparency and focusing on topics that matter most to investors, customers, employees and other stakeholders. Michelle brings a wealth of industry knowledge and environmental engineering expertise. Her experience and skillsets will further advance our risk management oversight, including strategic planning to mitigate risk November/December 2021

Michelle Fitzpatrick, Graphic Packaging’s new chief sustainability officer from climate change impacts as well as identifying new opportunities and challenges our company can address for customers.”

Most recently, Fitzpatrick served as global sustainability leader at The Chemours Company, one of the world’s leading producers of titanium dioxide and has previously held roles within the Titanium Technologies business segment and the corporate remediation function.

Fitzpatrick has a PhD in environmental (civil) engineering from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, in addition to her MSE in environmental engineering and BSE in chemical engineering from Tulane University.

PulPac appoints manager for its technical centre Swedish developer of moulded fibre-based packaging, PulPac, has appointed Conny Högström as manager of its Tech Center.

He joins an expanding team at the Tech Center to support the continued commercialisation of Dry Molded Fiber.

Högström has moved from his position as operations manager of Seldén Mast AB, a manufacturer of standardised and customised yacht rigs, bringing experience as a leader, having been responsible of development of teams, operations, facilities, special projects, strategic and daily production coordination.

Commenting on his new role Högström said, “I am very happy to be part of the fantastic journey that the PulPac team have set out on. I am passionate about getting staff and projects to go hand

Conny Högström, PulPac’s new Tech Center manager in hand, while achieving great results.”

Sebastian Roos, chief technology officer at PulPac, said, “Now was the time to broaden our team and Conny, with his solid technical background combined with experience from a leading position in production and operations management, will allow us to further capitalise on the strength of Dry Molded Fiber as we continue to innovate, commercialise and grow.”

New global R&D chief for PCMC Cristian Giuliani has been appointed director of global R&D tissue and nonwovens at Paper Converting Machine Company (PCMC), a division of BarryWehmiller.

The Green Bay, Wisconsin-based supplier of converting machinery for the tissue, nonwovens, package-printing and bag converting industries says that Giuliani’s career has led him to hold positions of responsibility in North America, China, and Italy.

PCMC said that Giuliani’s role will be involved in developing projects for its global tissue converting and

PCMC’s new global R&D chief for tissue and nonwovens Cristian Giuliani packaging and nonwovens product lines, making his relationship with customers the key.

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