Displaying items by tag: Voith Group

After a successful first rebuild stage of PM 5 in Oberkirch – with the installation of the Voith SpeedSizer film press and contactless qDryPro Compact high-performance drying system – specialty paper manufacturer Koehler Paper has confirmed its confidence in Voith. Koehler has selected the full-line supplier to deliver the second modernization stage, focusing on the much-proven NipcoFlex shoe press.

• Koehler confirms very good and successful cooperation with Voith
• After the second rebuild phase, a new NipcoFlex shoe press in the existing press section ensures more sustainable production
• The technologically leading solution from Voith also increases production capacity

"We have a long-standing, successful business relationship with Koehler," says Thorsten Heidt, Senior Sales Manager at Voith. "Just recently, Koehler was able to achieve a world speed record with the new PM 8 line at the Kehl location thanks to our successful cooperation and continuous optimization. We are very pleased that Koehler has again opted for our leading technologies and that our solution convinced in all points."

"For the second rebuild stage, we are again relying on Voith to achieve an optimum production result," says Hartmut Felsch, plant manager at Koehler’s Oberkirch site. "In Voith, we have found a strong and reliable partner with the highest quality standards for all areas of paper production."

With the installation of the NipcoFlex shoe press in the existing press section, the dry content after the press is significantly increased. As a result, large amounts of steam can be saved in the dryer section for drying the paper web. The rebuild thus helps save energy and reduce CO2 emissions in the plant. In addition, the higher dry content increases line speed and production capacity. At the same time, work safety and operability are improved when changing the felt with the aid of the cantilever framing for the pick-up felt.

The rebuild is a tailor-made solution and addresses the limited space available, especially on the drive side of the machine. As part of the rebuild, the transfer process from the press to the dryer section is optimized and a draw reduction is achieved to significantly increase efficiency. The press roll uses a TerraSpeed Trend Supreme ceramic coating, which is also utilized on other Koehler Paper machines. This guarantees optimized sheet release with long running times and a high level of cleanliness. The order is complemented by the proven QualiFlex shoe press sleeves and a start-up set for all press felts.

About the Koehler Group
The Koehler Group was founded in 1807 and has been family-run to this day. The Group’s core area of business is the development and production of high-quality, specialty paper, including thermal paper, playing card board, drink coasters, fine paper, carbonless paper, recycled paper, decor paper, wood pulp board, sublimation paper, and, since 2019, innovative specialty paper for the packaging industry, too. In Germany, the Koehler Group, with its more than 2,000 employees, has five production sites, as well as three more in the USA. The Group operates on an international level, with an export ratio of 70% in 2020 and annual revenue of €770 million.

As an energy-intensive enterprise, Koehler invests in renewable energy projects such as wind energy, hydroelectric power, photovoltaics and biomass. The Koehler Group has committed itself to producing more power from renewable sources than is needed for paper production by 2030. More information is available here: https://www.koehler.com.

About the Voith Group
The Voith Group is a global technology company. With its broad portfolio of systems, products, services and digital applications, Voith sets standards in the markets of energy, oil & gas, paper, raw materials and transport and automotive. Founded in 1867, the company today has more than 20,000 employees, sales of € 4.2 billion and locations in more than 60 countries worldwide and is thus one of the larger family-owned companies in Europe.

The Group Division Voith Paper is part of the Voith Group. As the full-line supplier to the paper industry, it provides the largest range of technologies, services, and products on the market, and offers paper manufacturers integrated solutions from a single source. The company’s continuous stream of innovations facilitates resource-conserving production and helps customers minimize their carbon footprint. With its comprehensive automation products and leading digitalization solutions from the Papermaking 4.0 portfolio, Voith offers its customers state-of-the-art digital technologies to improve plant availability and efficiency for all sections of the production process.

With a visionary design study, technology group Voith is creating the paper production line of the future. The design particularly focuses on improved efficiency and ease of maintenance. As a full-line supplier, the company has considered all aspects of the paper production process for an integrated concept. Maintenance and operation of the facility are simplified, a higher degree of interconnectedness reduces interfaces, and an appealing design ensures a consistent overall look, while at the same time improving efficiency, safety and sustainability.

• As a full-line supplier, Voith presents a holistic concept for all areas of paper production
• The long-term design study is to significantly increase efficiency and maintainability
• The focus is on the implementation of a "Clean Design" as well as the latest digitalization and automation solutions in combination with artificial intelligence

“The goal of our long-term design study is to significantly improve efficiency and ease of maintenance across the entire production line,” says Dr. Michael Trefz, President Division Projects at Voith Paper. “We are considering a wide variety of aspects, such as the degree of automation of the machine, the interconnectivity of various sections, better accessibility and greater safety as well as optimized availability. However, the materiality and an appealing design also play an important role in the concept.”

‘Clean design’ for greater efficiency and a smooth production process
Special attention was paid to the implementation of ‘clean design’ principles, for example by increasing cleanliness in the wet end. Less contamination reduces the risk of unscheduled downtimes due to web breaks. Consequently, operational reliability and machine efficiency are improved and the production process runs smoothly. Also, scheduled shutdowns are completed more efficiently thanks to more accessible work areas and simpler maintenance procedures. The design concept is a long-term project and will be implemented step by step over the coming months and years.

Optimized human-machine interface improves ease of maintenance
“The smartphone has shown how simple and intuitive communication between humans and machines makes many areas of everyday life more efficient. In the industrial environment too, the information and all relevant functions a user needs will in future be presented in one platform,” says Oliver Kunerth, Digital Product Manager at Voith Paper. As part of the vision for the future, a standardized and intuitive user interface will therefore be introduced from stock preparation through to the reeling. In this context, the human-machine interface uses a role-based operating concept to adapt to the individual task of users, which at the same time improves ease of maintenance. In the future, more efficiency will also be ensured by distinctive SmartLights on individual components of the system. They show the machine status at a glance, and if necessary, whether operator intervention is required.

Automatic data analysis replaces pure monitoring
Papermaking 4.0 solutions, sensors, field devices, scanners and actuators already monitor the condition of machines and the quality of production in real time. In the coming years, automatic data analysis will become even more important and replace pure monitoring. Intelligent algorithms will then ensure that in a very short time, the system autonomously creates the optimal conditions for resource-saving production. In the near future, new apps on the Voith OnCumulus IIoT platform will create complete transparency about all conditions in a paper mill and give paper producers far-reaching optimization potential. “For example, one of these apps, the AI-based OnEfficiency.BreakProtect system, can already provide users with recommendations about how to avoid web breaks,” says Oliver Kunerth. Time-consuming and cost-intensive downtimes can thus be minimized, while maintenance and servicing are optimized in a forward-looking manner.
In the future, the OnCumulus cloud platform will also provide a networked interface to all service functions, such as for ordering spare parts via the web store or to the remote service center OnPerformance.Lab, enabling more efficient and sustainable production.

Appealing design for a calm overall appearance
In future, Voith’s expertise as a full-line supplier is also set to be reflected in the design of a plant. In this context, clear structures, high-quality surface finishes and modern materials underline the special quality of a Voith BlueLine stock preparation and XcelLine paper machine.

For more information and details on the paper production of the future please go to: Papermaking Vision | Voith.

About the Voith Group
The Voith Group is a global technology company. With its broad portfolio of systems, products, services and digital applications, Voith sets standards in the markets of energy, oil & gas, paper, raw materials and transport & automotive. Founded in 1867, the company today has more than 20,000 employees, sales of € 4.2 billion and locations in over 60 countries worldwide and is thus one of the larger family-owned companies in Europe.

The Group Division Voith Paper is part of the Voith Group. As the full-line supplier to the paper industry, it provides the largest range of technologies, services and products on the market and offers paper manufacturers holistic solutions from a single source. The company’s continuous stream of innovations facilitates resource-conserving production and helps customers minimize their carbon footprint. With its leading automation products and digitalization solutions from the Papermaking 4.0 portfolio, Voith offers its customers state-of-the-art digital technologies to improve plant availability and efficiency for all sections of the production process.

Voith wins this year’s AI Champions Award in the ‘large enterprise’ category for its newly developed AI application OnView.DigitalEye. For the first time, this innovation allows the quality of recovered paper to be analyzed at the stock preparation stage, one process step before paper production. Every year, the Ministry for Economic Affairs, Employment and Tourism of the state of Baden-Württemberg awards the accolade to outstanding innovations that contribute to a successful AI ecosystem with the help of artificial intelligence. Voith’s digital solution impressed the committee with its sustainability, innovative strength, area of application, and added value for the customer.

• With its AI Champions Award, the Ministry for Economic Affairs, Employment and Tourism of the state of Baden-Württemberg recognizes outstanding solutions from the field of artificial intelligence (AI) that contribute to a successful AI eco-system.
• With the help of the digital analysis tool OnView.DigitalEye, it is possible for the first time to determine the precise quality of recovered paper even before the stock preparation process.
• The key criteria applied by the jury included sustainability, degree of innovation, areas of application, and the added value of the Voith innovation for the customer.

“With the award-winning modular system OnView.DigitalEye it is possible for the first time in the paper industry to assess the quality of the recovered paper immediately before the first step in paper manufacturing,” says Dr. Linus Friedrich, Senior Manager R&D Technology & Digitalization at Voith Paper. “We can use the newly generated signals for example to increase the yield from recovered paper preparation and improve operational reliability. The innovation is thus another important element of Papermaking 4.0 and autonomous paper production.”

More than 70 percent of the paper produced in Europe is recovered from recycled paper. Nowadays, assessing the quality of the recovered paper is generally limited to an incoming goods inspection that either takes the form of a visual inspection or a random sampling process involving costly or labor-intensive solutions. However, the quality of the recovered paper is not known immediately before it is pulped for paper manufacture, which can result in a high degree of uncertainty for the process. Voith has now developed a solution to deal with this. OnView.DigitalEye is based on artificial intelligence, although it uses images from conventional color cameras, which keeps the investment costs comparatively low. The centerpiece of OnView.DigitalEyes is an artificial neural network that leverages expert knowledge to learn how to assign recovered paper with a high degree of accuracy to its respective commercial grade. In combination with conventional image analysis, additional valuable signals are generated for recovered paper properties that can be used for efficient process control. The AI application OnView.DigitalEye is currently undergoing final trials in pilot installations at customers in Germany and abroad, and will probably be available from the middle of next year.

KI champions awards

The expertise and digital infrastructure established for OnView.DigitalEye are planned to also be used in future for other cross-industry applications relating to AI-supported visual inspection at the Voith Group. “By using Voith’s own robust IIoT & AI services, we can realize customer solutions for groundbreaking application requirements simply and agilely,” says Thomas Greil, Vice President IIoT & Advanced Applications at Voith Group Innovation & Technology. “In the process, the underlying technology services will be further expanded successively and sustainably, while at the same time creating a harmonious application eco-system for our customers. The added value for the customer, with a pragmatic approach to the latest technologies, is always the focus of our digital ambitions.”

About the Voith Group
The Voith Group is a global technology company. With its broad portfolio of systems, products, services and digital applications, Voith sets standards in the markets of energy, oil & gas, paper, raw materials and transport & automotive. Founded in 1867, the company today has more than 20,000 employees, sales of € 4.2 billion and locations in over 60 countries worldwide and is thus one of the larger family-owned companies in Europe.

The Group Division Voith Paper is part of the Voith Group. As the full-line supplier to the paper industry, it provides the largest range of technologies, services and products on the market and offers paper manufacturers holistic solutions from a single source. The company’s continuous stream of innovations facilitates resource-conserving production and helps customers minimize their carbon footprint. With its leading automation products and digitalization solutions from the Papermaking 4.0 portfolio, Voith offers its customers state-of-the-art digital technologies to improve plant availability and efficiency for all sections of the production process.

www.voith.com

Designed as one of the most efficient specialty paper machines in the world, Koehler Paper commissioned Voith's production line 8 at its Kehl mill at the end of October 2019 - after a previous project time of only around two and a half years.

• Fastest MG paper machine in the world with consistent speed of more than 1,400 m/min
• Flexible production of packaging paper covering a wide range of grades from 22 gsm to 95 gsm
• Trailblazing paper products developed to market readiness

Thanks to ongoing optimization, the company recently achieved a groundbreaking level of performance for the production of around 40 gsm base paper at a continuous speed of more than 1,400 m/min. Thanks to intensive cooperation, permanent project support and continuous optimization from Koehler and Voith, the line achieved an average speed of 1,410 m/min over a period of 24 hours as well as a maximum value of 1,432 m/min - a world record for the MG paper machine.

On the occasion of this event, Voith presented Koehler Paper with an engraved glass plate that records this historic speed record. At the award ceremony at the Kehl mill last week, Dr. Michael Trefz, President Projects at Voith, was pleased to present the recognition: "An outstanding value, which was made possible by the cooperation between Koehler and Voith, the combination of extensive technical knowledge and a long-standing and trusting partnership. Koehler and Voith are thus once again demonstrating their pioneering spirit in paper production." Dr. Stefan Karrer, COO at Koehler, and Joachim Uhl, Mill Director in Kehl, also appreciate the cooperation and are proud of the team's performance on production line 8: "The optimizations have enabled us to raise our machine to a new level."

Joint development of trailblazing packaging paper products
Another outcome of the collaboration between Koehler and Voith is the development of cutting-edge products. As part of the development partnership for new paper grades, Voith carried out several test series on the R&D pilot coater at the Voith Paper Technology Center in Heidenheim. The technological requirements of the new paper grades were investigated in depth and then implemented in the new production line. This has resulted in the innovative products of the NexFlex® product line, Koehler's flexible packaging paper.

State-of-the-art technologies for effective production
With a volume of 300 million euros, the entire production line 8 is one of the largest investments in Koehler's history. As well as the XcelLine paper machine and a offline coating machine, the project includes a BlueLine stock preparation system including wet end process and a VariPlus winder. The facility is designed to produce around 100,000 tons per year of various paper grades. An offline coating machine enables variable coating orders and combinations, resulting in an enormous range of grades. This extensive range of different paper grades and basis weights from 22 gsm to 95 gsm is another unique selling point of the production line. PM 8 paper machine thus supplies already finished paper and raw paper for the further finishing process.

A special technical highlight is the MG cylinder, which has a diameter of 7,315 mm, the largest of its kind worldwide at the time of installation. The cylinder gives the paper its unique smoothness, which is essential for optimum downstream processing. Thanks to the MCB air dryers, the coated paper is dried extremely gently and without contact, while at the same time maintaining high thermal efficiency. A special calender design ensures final calendering of the specialty papers.

About the Koehler Group
The Koehler Group was founded in 1807 and has been family-run to this day. The Group’s core area of business is the development and production of high-quality, specialty paper, including thermal paper, playing card board, drink coasters, fine paper, carbonless paper, recycled paper, decor paper, wood pulp board, sublimation paper, and, since 2019, innovative specialty paper for the packaging industry, too. In Germany, the Koehler Group, with its more than 2,000 employees, has five production sites, as well as three more in the USA. The Group operates on an international level, with an export ratio of 70% in 2020 and annual revenue of €770 million.

As an energy-intensive enterprise, Koehler invests in renewable energy projects such as wind energy, hydroelectric power, photovoltaics and biomass. The Koehler Group has committed itself to producing more power from renewable sources than is needed for paper production by 2030. More information is available here: https://www.koehler.com

About the Voith Group
The Voith Group is a global technology company. With its broad portfolio of systems, products, services and digital applications, Voith sets standards in the markets of energy, oil & gas, paper, raw materials and transport and automotive. Founded in 1867, the company today has more than 20,000 employees, sales of € 4.2 billion and locations in more than 60 countries worldwide and is thus one of the larger family-owned companies in Europe.

The Group Division Voith Paper is part of the Voith Group. As the full-line supplier to the paper industry, it provides the largest range of technologies, services, and products on the market, and offers paper manufacturers integrated solutions from a single source. The company’s continuous stream of innovations facilitates resource-conserving production and helps customers minimize their carbon footprint. With its comprehensive automation products and leading digitalization solutions from the Papermaking 4.0 portfolio, Voith offers its customers state-of-the-art digital technologies to improve plant availability and efficiency for all sections of the production process.

Nine Dragons Paper, the biggest manufacturer of packaging paper in China, has commissioned Voith to build and deliver three XcelLine paper machines for the production of high performance testliner and white top testliner. The three lines will further strengthen the paper manufacturer’s leading position in the packaging paper segment.

• Voith’s technological performance as decisive factor in winning the order.
• Significant capacity expansion reinforces Nine Dragons’ leading position in China’s packaging paper industry.

“We are delighted to have received the orders from China’s largest packaging paper manufacturer Nine Dragons and we look forward to our renewed collaboration on a partnership basis,” says Hanson Zhao, Vice President Sales & Application Asia at Voith Paper.

The planned daily production volume of the three identical paper machines is especially high: approximately 2,400 metric tons each, at production speeds of 1,400 m/min. In order to meet these requirements, the components must be extremely high-performing and robust. The elaborate former design of the machines, which are equipped with a DuoFormer DII E, allows for the required speed with high basis weights at the same time. The press sections each feature a Triple NipcoFlex press, which ensures excellent surface smoothness of white top liner. Due to the double unwind configuration and a fully automated full reel change, the high-performance TwinDrive winder enables fast and efficient winding and thereby ensures a winder capacity that is up to 20 percent higher than conventional unwinding systems.

The commissioning of the machines is planned for 2022 and 2023.

About the Voith Group
The Voith Group is a global technology company. With its broad portfolio of plants, 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 20,000 employees, sales of €4.2 billion and locations in over 60 countries worldwide, and is thus one of Europe’s larger family-owned companies.

The Group Division Voith Paper is part of the Voith Group. As the full-line supplier to the paper industry, it provides the largest range of technologies, services, and products on the market, and offers paper manufacturers integrated solutions from a single source. The company’s continuous stream of innovations facilitates resource-conserving production and helps customers minimize their carbon footprint. With its comprehensive automation products and leading digitalization solutions from the Papermaking 4.0 portfolio, Voith offers its customers state-of-the-art digital technologies to improve plant availability and efficiency for all sections of the production process.

The papermaking process starts with pulping and separation of coarse contaminants to prepare the pulp for the subsequent cleaning steps. Based on its many years of expertise, Voith Paper now introduces the latest technology within the BlueLine stock preparation – the IntensaDrum Duo, a two-piece drum pulper. The machine, suitable for recovered paper, is perfect for very high production volumes and is characterized by extreme robustness and high reliability and efficiency. The two-piece modular design corresponds to the IntensaDrum ID45XL, which has been used successfully many times for smaller production quantities.

Maximum robustness for large production volumes
How well the machine concept works in practice is demonstrated by the installation of the IntensaDrum Duo at the company Progroup as part of the Taurus PM 3 project in Germany. With a diameter of 4.5 m each, the 48 m long drum pulper and the 23 m long screening drum have since then been processing 3,000 tons of recovered paper per day. The total length of the IntensaDrum Duo, which weighs over 300 tons, is 78 meters. This makes the stock preparation plant in the Taurus project the largest of its kind in the world.

Advantages of a two-piece design
In order to enable this high production volume with a one-piece drum pulper, the free hanging areas would have to be significantly enlarged. This would significantly increase the dynamic loads in all directions and lead to extreme design challenges. With the two-piece design, Voith has successfully overcome these technical limitations of one-piece single drums. The ability to run very high production volumes over one drum pulper and thus also over one stock preparation line leads to a significant reduction in investment and operating costs.

High mechanical engineering quality combined with long experience
IntensaDrum Duo processes the production volumes of two standard drum pulpers. As only one pulper is now required and the complete production is processed in one line, maintenance and servicing costs can be significantly reduced. At the same time, the IntensaDrum Duo impresses with its enormous robustness due to its modular design.

"The IntensaDrum Duo is based on the same drum design as the IntensaDrum ID45XL,” says Pierre-Haakon Berger, Global Product Manager for drum pulpers at Voith Paper. “Many customers use the IntensaDrum successfully for small and medium production volumes. When developing the IntensaDrum Duo, we were therefore able to utilize the experience from this size. Standard machine components also ensure high engineering quality in the design of the IntensaDrum Duo. Compared to a one-piece design, the two-piece IntensaDrum Duo offers significant advantages with these dimensions in terms of transport and installation."

Resource-saving process
Special lifting bars guide the suspension in the pulping area from the bottom and almost to the top. Once at the top, the suspension falls back onto the drum body. Since there is no rotor to reduce the size of the reject, the process is extremely careful. The fibers and reject are also gently separated in the screening section. In addition, water from the shower pipes can enter the drum through the screening area so that the fibers can be efficiently washed away from the reject. Also, the absence of wear parts results in a constant accept quality of the stock as well as lower production and shutdown costs.

Berger adds, "Due to the very gentle pulping process, the recycled fibers are disintegrated without shear forces. This process is particularly gentle on resources because foreign materials, for example plastic, are not destroyed and can therefore be sorted out at an early stage."

For more information on the proven IntensaDrum and the new IntensaDrum Duo, please follow this link: www.voith.com/pulping.

You can also experience the drum pulpers via augmented reality: for this, please download the IntensaDrum app onto your tablet or smartphone via the Google or Apple app store. Subsequently, experience the interactive functions by activating the AR mode in the lower right corner and following the instructions on the screen.

About the Voith Group
The Voith Group is a global technology company. With its broad portfolio of systems, products, services and digital applications, Voith sets standards in the markets of energy, oil & gas, paper, raw materials and transport & automotive. Founded in 1867, the company today has more than 20,000 employees, sales of € 4.2 billion and locations in over 60 countries worldwide and is thus one of the larger family-owned companies in Europe.

The Group Division Voith Paper is part of the Voith Group. As the full-line supplier to the paper industry, it provides the largest range of technologies, services and products on the market and offers paper manufacturers holistic solutions from a single source. The company’s continuous stream of innovations facilitates resource-conserving production and helps customers minimize their carbon footprint. With its leading automation products and digitalization solutions from the Papermaking 4.0 portfolio, Voith offers its customers state-of-the-art digital technologies to improve plant availability and efficiency for all sections of the production process.

The data and inventory management of products and consumables involves a considerable amount of administrative work. The new digital asset management tool OnCare.pmPortal now offers paper manufacturers an optimum alternative for increasing both the transparency of product data and the efficiency of the procurement system, while also facilitating the planning of maintenance periods and downtimes and increasing plant availability. Thanks to a direct connection to the Voith Paper Webshop, registered components can be reordered quickly, easily and without any risk of confusion. 

• Maximum transparency of product data, run times and inventories
• Optimally planned maintenance periods and downtimes
• Rapid reordering of registered components via the Voith Paper Webshop

“With the OnCare.pmPortal, Voith has developed a powerful asset management tool that simplifies central data management and gives paper manufacturers an overview of key products and consumables in their paper machine,” says Richard Birkhold, Global Product Manager Asset Management at Voith. “This facilitates optimized documentation of activities such as maintenance, repair and replacement, and simplifies data maintenance.” A particularly convenient feature of this tool is that it allows employees to select the component they are looking for using a digital image of the paper machine and provides them with immediate access to all relevant product information.

“Every day, I coordinate maintenance measures and control numerous processes,” says Karl-Josef Uhlemann, maintenance manager for rolls at Schoellershammer in Germany. “With the digital inventory management tool, I can now manage consumables and rolls centrally and access the data at any time and from any place.” 

The OnCare.pmPortal now starts with two modules: The automated data recording of rolls and fabrics, as well as the digital inventory management of doctor blades. These product groups are automatically identifiable in the OnCare.pmPortal by means of a digital nameplate and do not require manual entry in the system. 

ID tagging for rolls and fabrics: For constant visibility of product data and run times
The ID tagging module for rolls and fabrics is a combination of contactless, radio-based connection technologies and the integration of digital nameplates based on proven industry standards. The solution offers simple, user-friendly tagging of rolls and fabrics and enables seamless identification through the scan of a digital nameplate. Regardless of the technology standard, the ID tags can be read with a smartphone and the corresponding Voith app and managed in the OnCare.pmPortal. The mobile application grants access to all product data, at any time and from any location, for efficient tracking of the product history and optimized documentation of activities such as maintenance, repair and replacement. 

Karl-Josef Uhlemann explains: “Thanks to the combination of OnCare.pmPortal and the ID tagging module, I can identify a product directly via the digital nameplate or search the database. The mobile application with its intuitive interface provides a quick and easy overview of product information and important product lifecycle data.” 

Blade Inventory Management System: Digital control of inventory data and fully automated management of inventories
With the help of the Blade Inventory Management System module, the operator no longer has to worry about ordering doctor blades or the associated stock control and supply chains. This is made possible with an ID tag on the packaging of the doctor blades. New doctor blades are automatically reordered and delivered by the system as soon as the stock in the warehouse reaches a minimum, individually defined level. As soon as the new blades arrive in the customer warehouse or existing blades are removed from the warehouse, the stock is updated in the OnCare.pmPortal and can be accessed from there at any time, thus increasing inventory traceability and transparency. At the same time, there is no need to maintain inventory lists or carry out inventory controls. As a result, the OnCare.pmPortal not only reduces the outlay and costs associated with inventory management, but also increases its efficiency by using automated and digitized processes. 

Voith plans to extend ID tagging to additional consumables and components in the near future and, in doing so, will offer paper manufacturers an even more powerful tool.

Further information on the OnCare.pmPortal and available modules can be found at: www.voith.com/oncarepmportal 

About the Voith Group
The Voith Group is a global technology company. With its broad portfolio of systems, products, services and digital applications, Voith sets standards in the markets of energy, oil & gas, paper, raw materials and transport & automotive. Founded in 1867, the company today has more than 20,000 employees, sales of € 4.2 billion and locations in over 60 countries worldwide and is thus one of the larger family-owned companies in Europe.

The Group Division Voith Paper is part of the Voith Group. As the full-line supplier to the paper industry, it provides the largest range of technologies, services and products on the market and offers paper manufacturers holistic solutions from a single source. The company’s continuous stream of innovations facilitates resource-conserving production and helps customers minimize their carbon footprint. With its leading automation products and digitalization solutions from the Papermaking 4.0 portfolio, Voith offers its customers state-of-the-art digital technologies to improve plant availability and efficiency for all sections of the production process.

Voith and the nonwoven fabric expert Truetzschler Nonwovens have delivered a new system for specialty paper production to the Spanish paper factory Papel Aralar. In December, the PM 5 successfully started up and is now stably producing adult and baby wet wipes that are completely plastic-free, flushable and biodegradable, a characteristic that conventional wet wipes do not have. With the recent investment, Aralar now has two WLS lines with a total production capacity of 45,000 tons/year.

• Production of plastic-free, flushable and sustainable wet wipes
• Technological highlights are Voith’s HydroFormer and Truetzschler’s AquaJet for high-performance Wet-Laid Spunlacing (WLS)

“The successful start-up of PM 5 is an important step forward in our company’s sustainability strategy,” says Senén Amunarriz, CEO of Papel Aralar. “And it is Voith’s innovative papermaking solutions and know-how that are contributing to this success. Our decision to invest in this state-of-the-art new production line was driven by the forecast growth in demand for biodegradable substrates for wet wipe production.”

“We are happy and proud to partner with Papel Aralar and to provide them, together with Truetzschler, with our efficient and sustainable papermaking technologies,” says Marcos Garcia de la Torre, Managing Director Voith Paper Spain. “Thanks to the Aralar-Truetzschler-Voith team and the close collaboration we were able to carry out a smooth and timely start-up.”

HydroFormer and AquaJet for high-performance Wet-Laid Spunlacing
As a full-line supplier, Voith supplied the BlueLine stock preparation, the main components of the XcelLine paper machine and a comprehensive automation and control package from one single source. The HydroFormer, which is one of the main components of the new system, draws on Voith’s extensive experience in the papermaking and pulp industries. With this technology, the suspension is heavily diluted to produce nonwoven materials made completely of cellulose, a renewable resource. Besides the HydroFormer, Voith has supplied the BlueLine stock preparation, a master reel, and the approach flow system for the new line.

Truetzschler Nonwovens completed the production line with the well-proven AquaJet in an innovative configuration for hydroentangling (spunlacing) and an energy-efficient multi-drum dryer. The many years of expertise and experience of the Truetzschler company form the basis of the web bonding and drying components that have been adapted to the needs of the wet-laid process.

About Truetzschler
With about 3,000 employees, Truetzschler is one of the leading textile machine manufacturers in the world. Truetzschler specializes in machines, systems, and accessories for spinning preparation, nonwovens, and the chemical fiber industry. Founded more than 125 years ago, the company is headquartered in Moenchengladbach, Germany. It has additional locations in Germany, India, China, Brazil, the USA, and Switzerland.

Truetzschler Nonwovens is a division of the Truetzschler Group with a focus on complete production lines and machinery for hydroentangled (spunlaced), through-air and chemical bonded nonwovens. Its range of products includes solutions encompassing the entire nonwovens process chain from fiber preparation, web formation, web bonding, and finishing to drying and winding.

About the Voith Group
The Voith Group is a global technology company. With its broad portfolio of systems, products, services and digital applications, Voith sets standards in the markets of energy, oil & gas, paper, raw materials and transport & automotive. Founded in 1867, the company today has more than 20,000 employees, sales of € 4.2 billion and locations in over 60 countries worldwide and is thus one of the larger family-owned companies in Europe.

The Group Division Voith Paper is part of the Voith Group. As the full-line supplier to the paper industry, it provides the largest range of technologies, services and products on the market and offers paper manufacturers holistic solutions from a single source. The company’s continuous stream of innovations facilitates resource-conserving production and helps customers minimize their carbon footprint. With its leading automation products and digitalization solutions from the Papermaking 4.0 portfolio, Voith offers its customers state-of-the-art digital technologies to improve plant availability and efficiency for all sections of the production process.

On January 10th, Sun Paper started up a new packaging production line PM 2 in Laos. As the 6th packaging paper machine that Voith supplied to Sun Paper, PM 2 started up 18 days ahead of schedule and is Sun Paper’s second paper machine outside of China. From stock on wire to paper on reel it took only 1 hour and 46 mins. The team has thus set up a new start-up record for this type of paper machine.

• Second Voith-supplied paper machine in Laos within one month
• Start-up 18 days ahead of schedule
• All six Voith-supplied packaging production lines put into operation
• New milestone for Sun Paper “Forest-pulp-paper integration” strategy

Voith supported Sun Paper’s fast expansion in capacity and high-quality development with the start-ups of PM 1 and PM 2 just within one month. The tight schedule was a challenge but due to the strong collaboration and close project execution among Voith and Sun Paper, both paper machines started up ahead of schedule. Sun Paper’s “Forest-pulp-paper integration” strategy implementation achieved a new milestone.

“Based on our experience of PM 1, our team from Voith and Sun Paper further optimized feather and parameters of the second machine,” says Aimin Zhang, Laos Project Director from Sun Paper. “Consequently, PM 2 started up 18 days earlier than planned and it took only 36 days from I/O checking to first roll-out. This success proves again the expertise and know-how of both teams, as well as the close collaboration. I believe that PM 2 will soon achieve the highest performance level. I would like to thank Voith for the great contribution.”

The Laos project is Sun Paper’s “Going Global” strategic expansion, which has already shown the company’s insight and competitiveness by taking advantage of the region’s rich forest resources, geographic location, and future tax privileges brought by the regional comprehensive economic partnership agreement. PM 1 and PM 2 have helped to increase the proportion of high-quality packaging paper, and the two efficient and reliable paper machines strengthened the cost competitiveness. The two machines are installed in the same workshop, while PM 1 is the right-hand machine, producing paper with basis weights of 140-250g/m2 and an annual output of 520,000 tons; PM 2 with left-hand machine direction is producing low-weight products with a range of 100-160g/m2 and an annual capacity of 480,000 tons.

The start-up of PM 2 also signifies that all packaging paper machines operating at Sun Paper are provided by Voith. Sun Paper partners with Voith from its first entry into the packaging paper business, co-worked on the structural optimization under supply-side reforms in China, and now, the overseas project witnessed the collaboration during Sun Paper’s global expansion. The development of Sun Paper’s packaging paper is a journey of innovation and also one in which Voith is always present to provide the best possible solutions and services to its customers.

About the Voith Group
The Voith Group is a global technology company. With its broad portfolio of systems, products, services and digital applications, Voith sets standards in the markets of energy, oil & gas, paper, raw materials and transport & automotive. Founded in 1867, the company today has more than 20,000 employees, sales of € 4.2 billion and locations in over 60 countries worldwide and is thus one of the larger family-owned companies in Europe.

The Group Division Voith Paper is part of the Voith Group. As the full-line supplier to the paper industry, it provides the largest range of technologies, services and products on the market and offers paper manufacturers holistic solutions from a single source. The company’s continuous stream of innovations facilitates resource-conserving production and helps customers minimize their carbon footprint. With its leading automation products and digitalization solutions from the Papermaking 4.0 portfolio, Voith offers its customers state-of-the-art digital technologies to improve plant availability and efficiency for all sections of the production process.

The Ilim Group in Russia had been planning for a long time to upgrade the PM 4 at its plant in Koryazhma by adding a new MasterJet Pro headbox. However, due to pandemic-related travel bans the installation team from Heidenheim was not able to get to the site by the scheduled date. Nevertheless, a clever solution was found: Using the remote video support tool OnCall.Video, the Russian team on site was able to access Voith expertise in Heidenheim in real time. Thanks to the use of the audio-visual communication system, the rebuild was completed on schedule despite the travel restrictions and implemented in a very short period of time. The result is a significant increase in paper production efficiency and a highly satisfied customer.

The Ilim Group is Russia’s largest manufacturer of paper and pulp with a production capacity of three million metric tons per year. To reduce operating costs, improve paper quality and minimize maintenance, the company planned to replace the existing headbox on the PM 4 at its plant in Koryazhma, in the north-west of Russia, with a new MasterJet Pro headbox. However, the retrofit scheduled for April had to be deferred because the German installation team was not able to travel due to official restrictions. Thanks to Papermaking 4.0, however, an alternative solution was found: Using the remote video support tool OnCall.Video, the experts from Heidenheim were able to provide support to the Russian team in St. Petersburg. “Thanks to our web-based video collaboration platform, our highly specialized expertise is available immediately worldwide at all times, without the need for anyone to travel,” explains Werner Goebel, Director Project Management at Voith Paper.

A worthwhile rebuild that immediately produced marketable paper

The new MasterJet Pro headbox ensures optimum paper quality, low operating costs and cost-effective maintenance. For minimal maintenance shutdowns, for example, system components like lower and upper lips and separating wedge can be replaced quickly and easily. In addition, the system is designed for uncomplicated grade changes. This offers Ilim Group a high degree of flexibility in production. Thanks to OnCall.Video, the entire installation went according to plan. The PM 4 was able to operate again immediately after the retrofit, and since then has been producing high-quality, marketable paper in a range of grades and grammages. The customer is impressed not only by the smooth installation process but also by the excellent result. “The performance of the upgraded paper machine has actually surpassed the project objective,” says Alexander Pozdnyakov, SVP Operations at Ilim Group.

About the Voith Group

The Voith Group is a global technology company. With its broad portfolio of systems, products, services and digital applications, Voith sets standards in the markets of energy, oil & gas, paper, raw materials and transport & automotive. Founded in 1867, the company today has more than 19,000 employees, sales of € 4.3 billion and locations in over 60 countries worldwide and is thus one of the larger family-owned companies in Europe.

The Group Division Voith Paper is part of the Voith Group. As the full-line supplier to the paper industry, it provides the largest range of technologies, services, components and products on the market and offers paper manufacturers solutions from one single source. The company’s continuous stream of innovations takes papermaking to the next level and facilitates resource-conserving production. With its Servolution concept, Voith offers its customers tailored service solutions for all sections of the production process. Voith Papermaking 4.0 ensures that equipment is optimally connected, while the secure use of generated data enables paper manufacturers to improve plant availability and efficiency.