Ian Melin-Jones

Ian Melin-Jones

Voith recently reached a deal with Lucart Group for the delivery of a BlueLine stock preparation system at the company’s paper mill headquarters in Porcari, Italy. 

  • Significant increase in production capacity
  • Energy savings of up to 25 percent
  • Maximum fiber cleaning and sustainable fiber utilization 

The scope of supply includes all the latest Voith technologies to minimize energy consumption and achieve maximum efficiency in fiber usage. Above all, the Intensa technology was a key factor for Lucart in choosing Voith. With this pulping technology, based on a flow optimized vat and an eccentrically arranged rotor, Lucart will benefit from a significant increase in production capacity and energy savings of up to 25 percent compared to conventional technologies. The new stock preparation line will be equipped with additional energy-efficient components and systems – like ComMix, InduraHiClean and the Pluralis refining technology – which will help the mill to accomplish its goal of maximum sustainable fiber usage.

Voith BlueLineVoith BlueLine

“At Lucart, we’re continuously seeking to improve the sustainability of our operations,” said Franco Pasquini, Technical Director at Lucart. “Energy consumption reduction and efficient fiber usage are key targets in all our operations. The installation of the latest stock preparation technologies from Voith will contribute to accomplish our strategic goals.”

“Lucart is well known for its focus on environmental sustainability and experience in raw materials usage,” said Roberto Buzzi, Sales Manager, Voith Paper. “We’re proud of having earned their trust with our stock preparation technologies.”

About Lucart
Lucart, a leading company in Europe in the production of MG paper, tissue products and airlaid products, was founded in 1953 by the Pasquini Family. Lucart’s production capacity is 395,000 tons/year of paper on 12 paper machines and 65 converting lines. Its consolidated turnover will amount to more than €450 million, with more than 1,500 employees in ten production plants and a Logistic Center in Italy.

About Voith
Voith Paper is a Group Division of Voith and the leading partner and pioneer in the paper industry. Through constant innovations, the technology group is continually optimizing the paper manufacturing process and paving the way for resource-saving production. Thanks to Papermaking 4.0, paper manufacturers can interconnect their equipment in an optimum way and increase their competitiveness through the effective and secure use of generated data. With Servolution, Voith Paper offers its customers tailored service solutions for all sections of the production process.

Voith is a global technology group. With its wide range of systems, products, services and digital applications, Voith sets standards in the markets for energy, oil & gas, paper, raw materials and transport & automotive. Founded in 1867, Voith today has more than 19,000 employees and earns 4.2 billion euros in sales. It has locations in over 60 countries and is one of the largest family-owned companies in Europe.

Södra received two of the 2018 Sofidel Suppliers Sustainability Awards (3SAward) presented in Columbus, Ohio (USA) last week. Södra was named Best Supplier in the Pulp Producer Category and in the Best Sustainable Project, Social Category.

The prestigious 3SAward is an accolade awarded each year by the tissue manufacturer Sofidel to the suppliers who have distinguished themselves through their environmental and social sustainability activities.

L to r: Marcus Hellberg, sales director, Södra; Andrea Piazzolla, chief purchasing officer, Sofidel; Gunilla Saltin, CEO Södra Cell; Luigi Lazzareschi, group chief executive, SofidelL to r: Marcus Hellberg, sales director, Södra; Andrea Piazzolla, chief purchasing officer, Sofidel; Gunilla Saltin, CEO Södra Cell; Luigi Lazzareschi, group chief executive, Sofidel

In the Pulp Producer Category, Södra was recognised for the sustainability performance of its Swedish mills, Mönsterås, Mörrum and Värö, which between them produce close to 2 million tons of market pulp annually. The Best Sustainable Project, Social Category, was awarded for Södra’s ground-breaking “Act of a Hero” social media campaign.

Södra Cell CEO Gunilla Saltin said: “The prize for ‘Best Supplier’ shows that we at Södra maintain a high level in our sustainability efforts, thanks to the focus and commitment of our employees – this award is an honour and accolade for them. Our mills are well invested and expertly run for the benefit of customers, and selected key sustainability targets have the same status as financial ones.”

Södra’s strategy until 2020 is based on being a value-generating and cohesive Group with profitable growth, inspired by the 10 principles of the UN Global Compact. “Our ambitions on fossil free operations are high,” said Saltin. “Fossil-free and climate-positive operations are at the top of our agenda, as are sustainable forestry, sustainable innovation, resource efficiency and responsibility to our employees and those throughout the value chain.”

The “Act of a Hero” campaign was a social media expression of Södra’s belief in the sustainable role played by tissue and other paper products in society. Sofidel explained the winning formula: “For realizing an "out-of-the-box" communication approach, through a campaign developed by a b2b company and dedicated to a wide targeted audience of final customers, based on active involvement of retailers, and effective in influencing consumers' choice in favour of sustainable fibre/paper.”

“We thought out of the box for sure,” said head of marketing communications Linda Ottosson. “Our aim was to reach not only our customers, who know the sustainability credentials of our pulp, but to our customers’ customers and consumers who in many cases don’t. Through a simple but unexpected message delivered with humour and a strong human touch, the result was a level of targeted engagement beyond our most optimistic expectations, with more than 1.6 million impressions in the first three months.”

A.Celli Paper presents a new rewinder of high production flexibility.

The two goals were to optimise production and increase line productivity.

Both have now been achieved, limiting investment to a minimum, with E-WIND® T80S: the new rewinder designed by A. Celli Paper to respond to these very needs.

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A.Celli Paper E-WIND® T80S is a modular and fully automatic entry level rewinder, with built-in electrical cabinets, capable of managing products that involve a specific volume, diameter and cutting format while also guaranteeing extra capacity during production peaks.

It is customisable, plug-and-play, perfectly adaptable and compatible with any standard rewinding system or complete line in the tissue sector.

A.Celli Paper E-WIND® T80S: flexibility for everyone!
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The new platform of services and technical solutions that optimizes production efficiency, reduces operating costs and helps customers maintain the value of their production assets over time.

Fabio Perini chooses MIAC for the worldwide launch of digital solutions for Customer Service and the improvement of production efficiency, consolidating its role as a 360° business partner through the new dimensions of Industry 4.0.

If initially the Digital Tissue™ was aimed only for new installations, today, a few months after its launch, the most important innovation is that the suite of digital solutions can also be implemented for the installed base not only of all Fabio Perini customers but also of machinery from other manufacturers.

In this way, Customer Service becomes 4.0 where the use and analysis of production data, combined with the technical expertise of Fabio Perini's staff, allows customers to maintain the value of their capital assets over time and optimize the Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) of the lines.

Here are the solutions presented in detail:

Tissue Data Cloud  

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The data processing through different performance indicators gives immediate visibility to the customer of the critical points of the process. Through the use of a Web Dashboard, directly accessible from the Customer Service Portal of Fabio Perini, the data of the line are processed simply and intuitively. Thanks to the analysis of these values and the competence of the Company's technicians, it is possible to offer to customers a real Digital Audit that will allow, even remotely, to detect the causes of line malfunction and establish in advance the actions to solve them.

WEAREABLE GLASSES

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Two years after the launch of WEAREABLE - the technological solution for remote and real-time technical assistance - the MIAC 2018 becomes the stage for the worldwide launch of the new WEAREABLE GLASSES which becomes more ergonomic in the new "glasses" version and more performing (with the interaction of 3D and AR augmented reality).

Process control

Process control is a package of solutions and services that can now be installed not only on all new converting lines but also on an installed base already in production. Being able to measure the tissue web and the finished product and collect the data to transform it into useful information for production efficiency is now part of the complete Digital Tissue™ solution package launched last June at iT's Tissue 2018; a huge advantage for customers who will benefit from this solution to increase production performance, finished product quality and converting process management.

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The digital services offered are not only limited to Fabio Perini lines and systems but can also be used on machines of other manufacturers. Thanks to Körber Digital, the new Business Area of the Körber group dedicated to the development of digital solutions, it has been developed a new solution to collect data from any installed base.

In the Open House set up at the Fabio Perini plants in Lucca, it is possible to see the MYTIME line in operation with the patented "Punzoncini" technology for the production of an extremely soft kitchen towel product. Besides, the line is equipped with new upgrades of machinery (T.I.P. - Technical Improvement Program) that allow both the increase in production efficiency and the reduction of operating costs. In particular, a new fire-fighting system has been developed based on two fundamental elements: a guarantee of detection that minimizes false alarms (without the use of optical sensors, UV, IR, ultrasound that would suffer dust, areosol and movements of hot air masses) and a patented extinguishing system based on low-pressure "water mist" technology.

In addition, there are further T.I.P. such as the new glue filter and glue mixer, the reversible rotor to ensure a higher quality of log cutting and blade life up to 30% more and the new lotion applicator "Leonardo" able to deposit 99.9% of the lotion used on paper.

BillerudKorsnäs have just announced that Helene Biström is appointed as Senior Vice President for Paper, one of the company’s three divisions in the new organisation that came into effect on the 1st of October.

billkorlogoEarlier this year, BillerudKorsnäs announced that the company will create three divisions with profit and loss responsibility in order to more effectively realise the company's growth strategy. The three divisions are Board, Paper and Solutions. Helene Biström is appointed Senior Vice President Division Paper. She will be a member of the company’s senior management team. Helene is currently the CEO of Infanord.

“It is my conviction that Helene, along with the strong team at Paper, will lift the division to new heights both in regards to production stability and new products. Helene will also contribute to Group Management with her broad leadership experience,” says Petra Einarsson, President and CEO of BillerudKorsnäs.

“I am honoured to be offered the position Senior Vice President for the Paper division at BillerudKorsnäs. It will be very exciting to take on this challenge. The combination of solid competence and innovation with a strong focus on sustainability, makes BillerudKorsnäs direction and products perfectly positioned in time. I look forward to developing the Paper division along with my team,” says Helene Biström.

Helene is a highly experienced leader with previous assignments as deputy CEO of Vattenfall and CEO of Norrenergi. Helene also has a background with several significant board assignments, including as chairman of Sveaskog, and is currently active in Pöyry's Board. In 2008 Helene was named Business Woman of the Year by Veckans Affärer.

Helene will start in the position at the latest during April 2019.

BillerudKorsnäs provides packaging materials and solutions that challenge conventional packaging for a sustainable future. We are a world-leading provider of primary fibre based packaging materials and have customers in over 100 countries. The company has 8 production sites in Sweden, Finland and the UK and about 4 300 employees in over 13 countries. BillerudKorsnäs has an annual turnover of about SEK 22 billion and is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm. www.billerudkorsnas.com

b b logoAs part of ROXCEL HOLDING, Brigl & Bergmeister (B&B) is now present in the U.S. with its own sales organization. Roxcel Trading is located in Greenville, SC and Portland, OR, and plans to open an Atlanta, GA office in 2019 to support the company’s growth. “The demand for our label and packaging papers is still growing," says B&B Managing Director and owner Ahmad PORKAR. "By maintaining a permanent presence at additional locations, we can shorten delivery times and transport routes, are even closer to our customers and can also further improve our local service quality.

Phillip Flauder, who has long term sales experience in North America, has recently taken over market responsibility for B&B sales. Philipp will be based in in the new Atlanta office once established. (contact details: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

BRIGL & BERGMEISTER

B&B is the leading manufacturer of label papers and flexible packaging papers. Annually, some 100 billion labels are printed on B&B papers, and our papers bear the face of innumerable famous brands.

The Brigl & Bergmeister plant is located at the heart of Europe, in Niklasdorf in Styria | Austria.

ENAGES, the thermal recycling plant of B&B, supplies the factory with 100% CO2-neutral energy in the form of steam and electricity.

The Papirnica Vevče factory is situated in Slovenia, in the greater area of Ljubljana. A cooperation that had originally started as a joint venture has developed into a fully-fledged partnership. Since 2004, Papirnica Vevče has been a 100% subsidiary of Brigl & Bergmeister.

Brigl & Bergmeister, ENAGES, as well as Papirnica Vevče are part of the Vienna-based Roxcel Holding.

Stora Enso and energy company Gasum have signed a contract to build a biogas plant at Stora Enso’s Nymölla paper mill in Sweden. The plant, built and operated by Gasum, will turn the mill’s wastewater effluent into renewable energy. 

Gasum plans to upgrade the biogas into Liquefied Biogas (LBG) and sell it as fuel for cars, buses, trucks, and ferries. The expected LBG production of the plant is 75-90 GWh per year, equivalent to the amount of fuel needed annually for more than 200 average long haul lorries in Sweden. Production is expected to start during 2020.

stora new1“We are happy to be part of a project that will turn waste into valuable renewable energy,” says Michael Lindemann, Mill Director at Nymölla Mill. “For Stora Enso, substituting fossil-based fuels in our society with renewable solutions is a vital way to combat global warming. The cooperation with Gasum is a good example of the collaborative efforts Stora Enso is taking to do this.”

”We are pleased about the circular economy cooperation with Stora Enso. The biogas plant is a sustainable solution for the processing of wastewater. Gasum is actively building a gas ecosystem for industry, marine and road transport segment in the Nordics,” says Johanna Lamminen, Chief Executive Officer of Gasum.

The total investment of the project for Gasum is around EUR 27 million and for Stora Enso around EUR 5 million. Gasum has been granted an investment subsidy of SEK 121.5 million (EUR 12.7 million) by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency under the Climate Leap (‘Klimatklivet’) programme.

Located in southern Sweden, Stora Enso’s Nymölla Mill has an annual production capacity of 340 000 tonnes pulp and 485 000 tonnes woodfree uncoated (WFU) paper for office and postal use. Stora Enso’s well-known office paper brand Multicopy is produced in Nymölla.

Part of the bioeconomy, Stora Enso is a leading provider of renewable solutions in packaging, biomaterials, wooden constructions and paper globally. We believe that everything that is made from fossil-based materials today can be made from a tree tomorrow. Stora Enso has some 26 000 employees in over 30 countries. Our sales in 2017 were EUR 10 billion. Stora Enso shares are listed on Nasdaq Helsinki (STEAV, STERV) and Nasdaq Stockholm (STE A, STE R). In addition, the shares are traded in the USA as ADRs (SEOAY). storaenso.com

The expanded pulp mill SCA Östrand in Timrå, Sweden, was started up end of June 2018, according to plan. SCA invested SEK 7.8 billion in Östrand pulp mill expansion project making it one of the largest industrial investments in Sweden to date. With this project SCA Östrand doubled its production capacity from 430,000 tonnes to 900,000 tonnes per year and became the largest production line for bleached softwood kraft pulp in the world.

"The rebuild and expansion of Östrand pulp mill is one of the greatest industrial investments in northern Sweden ever. In spite of complexities such as building a twice as big pulp mill in a running mill, we started up the new plant on schedule and budget. The success is the work of many actors, not the least our supplier Valmet", says Ingela Ekebro, Project Director, SCA.

"The start-up went very well.  Valmet delivered the most sustainable solution available today consisting of the new cooking, fiber line and evaporation plants," says Stefan Mattsson, Sales Director, Fiber Processing Business Unit, Valmet.

Östrand pulp mill. Picture: Torbjörn Bergkvist. Östrand pulp mill. Picture: Torbjörn Bergkvist.

The project was implemented in phases, and the new evaporation plant was started up some months before the cooking and fiber line. Very soon after the start-up, pulp was produced with high strength, purity and brightness. In the next phase, the production is increased gradually towards the new nominal production capacity.

State-of-the-art technology and environmental performance

Valmet's delivery to the project included new cooking, fiber line and evaporation plant. The cooking plant has the world's largest soft wood digester, while the new evaporation plant is Sweden's largest with an evaporation capacity of 1,150 tons of water per hour.

The 7-effect evaporation plant is extremely energy-efficient, with its in-built possibility to also recover excess heat from Valmet's cooking plant and includes a methanol plant for producing liquid methanol. This enables Östrand to sell surplus energy in the form of green electricity.

Following the investment, SCA Östrand mill has state-of-the-art technology to minimize emissions to air and water. Customers will be offered both TCF (total chlorine free) and ECF (elemental chlorine free) pulp, produced with wood from sustainable forestry.

Information about the customer SCA

The core of SCA's business is the forest, Europe's largest private forest holding. Around this unique resource, SCA has built a well-developed value chain based on renewable raw material from own and others' forests. SCA offers paper for packaging and print, pulp, wood products, renewable energy, services for forest owners and efficient transport solutions. In 2017, the forest products company SCA had approximately 4,000 employees and its sales amounted to approximately SEK 16.7 bn (EUR 1,6 bn). SCA was founded in 1929 and has its headquarters in Sundsvall, Sweden.

Valmet is the leading global developer and supplier of process technologies, automation and services for the pulp, paper and energy industries. We aim to become the global champion in serving our customers.

Valmet's strong technology offering includes pulp mills, tissue, board and paper production lines, as well as power plants for bioenergy production. Our advanced services and automation solutions improve the reliability and performance of our customers' processes and enhance the effective utilization of raw materials and energy.

Valmet's net sales in 2017 were approximately EUR 3.1 billion. Our more than 12,000 professionals around the world work close to our customers and are committed to moving our customers' performance forward - every day. Valmet's head office is in Espoo, Finland and its shares are listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki.  

On June 4th, 2018, PMP (Paper Machinery Producer) signed a contract with Arctic Paper Kostrzyn, for a PM1 press section rebuild, that includes a delivery of a new Intelli-Nip® Shoe Press.

pmp logo 2016Arctic Paper Kostrzyn S.A. for several years has been consistently working on its assets modernization. Previous investitions were conducted to prepare PM1 for a future, significant capacity increase. The name of whole project is ”315” [thousand tons of capacity for whole plant] and it will be completed in 2019, when the new press section with PMP Intelli-Nip® Shoe Press will be implemented at the PM1.

The main goal of the ”315” project is to increase manufacturing capacity, to boost paper properties and to implement energy saving solutions. Arctic Paper has decided to choose state-of-the-art solutions provided by PMP, and invested in a press section equipped with Intelli-Nip® Shoe Module. Solutions that will be designed and manufactured by PMP, will play a key role in the ”315” project final success. What is most important, it will allow to improve the after press dryness from 43% before rebuild, to up to 50% after rebuild. It is also worth to mention that each 1% of dryness brings around 4% of steam savings in the dryer section. Furthermore, Shoe Press technology will significantly improve final product quality (especially its bulkness and bursting strength), it will also majorly improve PM1 runnability.

Intelli-Nip® Shoe Press technology is a great combination of energy saving solutions & impressive paper properties and is nowadays a desired solution worldwide. Recently PMP has executed number of projects that included shoe press solution, for example in USA, Mexico, Colombia, China and Poland. For Arctic Paper Kostrzyn S.A., it will be a huge step in whole plant development.

PM1 is producing writing and offset papers, with the basis weight of 60 up to 100 gsm. PM1’s current operating speed is on the level of 700 mpm, with a plan to increase it up to 1000 mpm after rebuild. PMP’s scope of supply covers press section with Intelli-Nip® Shoe Press (design nip load 600 kN/m, module dia 1100 mm). In addition, PMP will supply most of the controls equipment, spare parts and on-site services, including on-site erection, start-up supervision. The assembly and start-up are scheduled for the year 2019.

About Arctic Paper Group:

Arctic Paper Group is a leading European producer of high-quality graphic paper, with annual revenues of approximately PLN 3 billion. Annually, company delivers over 700,000 tonnes of premium graphic paper – for quality printing, reading and branding purposes – produced by more than 1,250 dedicated employees at three mills. Their strong and recognisable brands are synonymous with quality and environmentally friendly production processes. (learn more: www.arcticpaper.com)

About PMP:

PMP – Paper Machinery Producer - a global provider of tissue, paper & board technology, has been supporting pulp and paper industry for over 160 years, executing projects on 6 continents, in 34 countries. Company owns 6 facilities in 4 countries (Poland, USA, China, Italy). PMP is a recognized international player in both paper & tissue industry. (learn more: www.pmpgroup.com)

Toscotec will provide a complete plant with two AHEAD-2.0L tissue machines on a full turnkey basis to Sofidel America’s integrated plant (paper mill and converting) in Inola, Oklahoma, the second greenfield investment of the Group in the United States. The start-up is scheduled for the last quarter of 2019 for PM1 and for the first quarter of 2020 for PM2.

The supply includes two AHEAD-2.0L tissue machines, equipped with second generation TT SYD and gas-fired TT Milltech-DYH Duosystem Hoods, with a high level of energy recovery. Each  AHEAD-2.0L machine features a sheet trim of 5,500 mm, an operating speed of 2,000 m/min and is designed for an annual production capacity of over 80,000 tons.

The supply also comprises the stock preparation equipment and accessories, Toscotec’s TT SAF (Short Approach Flow) ensuring increased operation efficiency, the Distribution Control System (DCS) and Quality Control System (QCS) and the dust and mist removal systems.

The project’s turnkey scope includes the boiler plant, the compressed air station, the bridge crane, the shaft puller, the roll handling and wrapping systems, the chemical preparation system, the hall ventilation system and the water treatment system (Fresh Water Treatment Plant and Waste Water Treatment Plant).

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Toscotec will also provide the detailed mill engineering according to US codes and standards, the construction management, the plant and the machine erection, commissioning and start-up supervision and training programs.

The two tissue lines are dedicated to the production of toilet paper and towels and will process 100% pre-dried virgin pulp.

Luigi Lazzareschi, CEO of Sofidel, states: "Toscotec’s tissue lines represent an important part of our expansion plan in the US, one of the most important markets for our Group. A key technology investment for our new, integrated plant in Inola to serve the South-Central and Central-Western United States. We opted for one of the most advanced and energy-efficient technology, to help pursuing our penetration in the American market and sustaining the high quality of our products."

The construction of the plant – that will combine sustainability and technological innovation – started in March 2018 and will be completed by mid-2020. Once fully operational, the new facility will employ 300 full-time workers. Since the beginning of the expansion to the United States in 2012, Sofidel has now operations in seven states: Florida, Mississippi, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Sofidel is a family-run company owned by Stefani and Lazzareschi families, and is the second biggest player in Europe today, and the sixth worldwide in tissue paper manufacturing, with net sales of 1,947 million USD (2017) and a production capacity of over one million tonnes per year (1,098,000 tonnes in 2017).

"We are honoured to have been selected for such an important investment by Sofidel. And even more so, this project represents the joint effort of two Lucca-based Italian companies who set out to succeed in the USA. I know that we have already achieved important synergies and I firmly believe that working together for a shared expansion target will lead to a successful outcome," says Alessandro Mennucci, CEO of Toscotec. 

The Sofidel Group

The Sofidel Group is one of the leading manufacturer of paper for hygienic and domestic use worldwide. Established in 1966, the Group has subsidiaries in 13 countries – Italy, Spain, the UK, France, Belgium, Germany, Sweden, Poland, Hungary, Greece, Romania, Turkey and the USA - with more than 6,000 employees, net sales of 1,724 million Euros (2017) / 1,947 million USD (2017) and a production capacity of over one million tonnes per year (1,098,000 tonnes in 2017). “Regina”, its most well-known brand, is present on almost all the reference markets. Other brands include: Softis, Le Trèfle, Sopalin, Nouvelle, Thirst Pockets, KittenSoft, Nalys, Cosynel, Yumy, Soft & Easy, Volare, Onda, Lycke, Forest, Nicky, Papernet. A member of the UN Global Compact and the international WWF Climate Savers program, the Sofidel Group considers sustainability a strategic factor with regards to growth and is committed to promoting socially and environmentally responsible development.

Sofidel America

Sofidel America is a subsidiary of the Sofidel Group. It was established in 2012 through the acquisition of the Cellynne tissue company which was founded in 1988 with two converting plants in Green Bay (Wisconsin) and Henderson (Nevada), and one integrated plant in Haines City (Florida). The company is now active in seven states – the original three already listed, as well as Oklahoma (Tulsa), Mississippi (Hattiesburg), Ohio (Circleville) and Pennsylvania (Philadelphia) where the company has its American headquarters. Furthermore, a new integrated plant is currently under construction in Oklahoma (Inola).