Category: Tech-Tour

Voith, a leading full-line supplier in the paper industry, presents its optimized LC (low-consistency) pulping system for recycled paper. The previous TwinPulp system has undergone extensive further development, with the focus on improving efficiency and reducing costs. Following the optimization of the IntensaPump after the IntensaPulper IP-R, the IntensaMaXX and the IntensaScreenDrum, the revisions of all main components have been successfully completed. The high-performance OCC dissolution system, which meets the latest technological standards, is now available under the name BluePulp LC.

“We are proud that we have been able to further develop our TwinPulp pulping system into the BluePulp LC, a product of the proven BlueLine product family,” says Wolfgang Müller, Global Product Manager Pulping. “It now combines all the key economic and technological advantages that our BlueLine portfolio stands for: reduced fiber loss; low energy consumption; simple, safe operation; increased runability; and a robust, low-maintenance machine design.”

Every component of BluePulp LC contributes to more efficient and reliable resolution. Compared to conventional LC pulpers, energy consumption can be reduced by up to 25 percent with the eccentric IntensaPulper IP-R. The improved IntensaPump conveys the highly contaminated stock flow from the IntensaPulper IP-R to the IntensaMaXX disposal machine largely free of blockages, enabling energy savings of up to 30 percent and reducing wear at the same time. IntensaMaXX allows for maximum contaminant contents, while the special shape of the housing suppresses the formation of spinnings. The IntensaScreenDrum screening drum washes out rejects very efficiently, thanks to sophisticated spray pipes, and minimizes fiber losses.

BluePulp LC can be integrated into existing stock preparation systems as well as newly configured systems. The response is impressive. For Bulleh Shah Packaging, the installation of BluePulp LC has been a valuable step.

“The Voith pulper is outclass. We get very convincing results. It delivers uniform mixing and separates reliably,” reports Mohammad Asghar, Manager OCC Stock prep area PM 6 and PM 7 at Bulleh Shah Packaging. “After installing the IntensaPump and its back flushing sequence, we are running free of blockage issues and are 100 percent satisfied with the performance.” The IntensaScreenDrum also receives special recognition: “I have never seen such a high-performance screen in my career. It completely removes plastics and supports us in reaching maximum yield after pulper slushing.”

Contaminant-loaden stock flows in pulping systems for recovered paper can only be conveyed reliably and largely blockage-free with a special pump. Whether in the LC or HC system, the new IntensaPump reliably pumps critical contaminants to the next machine in both systems.

“Compared to its predecessor, the Contaminex CM, the IntensaPump combines a wide range of benefits for our customers, such as higher throughput with reduced energy requirements, lower maintenance requirements and improved runability. These advantages make the IntensaPump a new addition to our comprehensive BlueLine portfolio and the Intensa family,” says Wolfgang Müller, Global Product Manager Pulping.

Voith’s BlueLine portfolio includes modern machines and products for stock preparation that are characterized by efficient energy and other raw material consumption as well as gentle fiber treatment.

Technical advancements enable customer benefits Large debris can easily pass through the pump housing, as the large nozzle and housing space, as well as the recessed vortex impeller, prevent the IntensaPump from clogging. A frequency converter enables optimized pump speed with reduced energy consumption for discontinuous pump operation. During pumping pauses, when no medium is being pumped,sediment and wear-promoting parts are deposited in the horizontal nozzle and prevent further circulation in the pump housing.

High satisfaction with the IntensaPump

“By installing the IntensaPump on our OCC 3, we had far fewer blockages in the pump and were able to save a lot of time and maintenance work. At the same time, we need less energy during operation, which has a positive impact on our CO2 emissions and costs,” says Osman Özkeser, Project Manager of the OCC 3 rebuild at Modern Karton.

In combination with the IntensaPulper, IntensaMaXX and IntensaScreenDrum, the IntensaPump is part of Voith’s BluePulp LC system, which is likewise designed for the lowest fiber consumption, lowest maintenance costs, reduced energy consumption and best runability.

On the occasion of the 2024 Valmet Tissue Innovation Days, Valmet unveils Valmet MTC Wizard, its latest cutting-edge technological advancement for Multifold products.

The webinar will take place on July 16th, 2024 in 2 sessions: the first one from 9:30 to 10:00 AM CEST and the second one from 3:30 to 4:00 PM CEST. The presentations will explore the features of this new technology, demonstrating how it redefines production performance and enhances clients’ competitive advantage.“The MTC Wizard elevates the production of multi-panel, Z and W fold, away-from-home products such as hand towels. It guarantees high-speed performance, through an innovative folding process, boosting production capacity and overall efficiency.” states Giovacchino Giurlani, the new Director of Technology for the Tissue Converting Business Unit, who will present the advanced features of this high-speed multifolder solution in the upcoming webinar.

MTC Wizard: a game-changer for folded products in the away-from-home market

Paper stress, and wrinkling are common challenges for tissue folding producers. Valmet responds, by presenting MTC Wizard, which effectively minimizes these issues through several technological advancements. Its innovative VAM fold (Vacuum Assisted Mechanical fold)system replaces traditional methods by gently pulling the paper into the clamp through vacuuming, eliminating the wear and tear usually caused by mechanical grippers and tuckers. This leads to reduced maintenance downtime, increased reliability, and performance for single-ply, low-bulk products.

Additionally, the lack of contact between mechanical components minimizes wear, enabling for higher operating speeds of 600 meters per minute (mpm) for 3 and 4 panels and 16 cycles/min. This results in a daily production ofup to 55 tons, paving the way in the interfolded household towels market. High efficiency is also ensured by an innovative overlap system that provides several benefits: it eliminates speed differences between moving elements for precise overlap and allows controlled sheet positioning up to the folding rolls without stressing the paper.

Additionally, the added value of this technology includes two of Valmet’s SAM (Self-Adjusting Machine) solutions, namely MTC Sam Vacuum and MTC Sam Cut. These solutions offer significant advantages to customers such as enhanced monitoring of the production process and waste reduction, ensuring seamless operation with minimal manual intervention.

In depth, the MTC Sam Vacuum solution offers precise control over vacuum levels to maintain consistent product quality. It automatically adjusts to save energy and prevent interruptions. Real-time alerts from the HMI (Human-Machine Interface) ensure timely adjustments and proactive maintenance, further enhancing operational smoothness.

The second technology, MTC Sam Cut enhances cutting precision to a new level, by automatically replacing the blades or adjusting cut settings timely increasing performance and preventing downtime. It optimizes blade durability and consistently ensures high-quality sheet after sheet. Its ease-of-use is outstanding and enables operators to focus on other tasks while receiving instant alerts through the HMI or letting automatic adjustments occur seamlessly.

“Our primary goal in this project is to optimise the price per ton of multifold away-from-home products. Furthermore, the MTC Wizard’s design enables easy access, speeds up maintenance operations, and facilitates cleaning, ultimately increasing operator safety.” addsGiovacchino Giurlani. He concludes “This technology undoubtedly enhances return on investment for Clients by reducing production costs and increasing line production capacity by 30%.”

Valmet is to supply an OptiWin Drum two-drum base winder to Wuzhou Special Paper’s paper machine PM 19 in China. The main target of the investment is to have one winder to handle the high quality and capacity targets of the high-speed paper machine. The winder includes Valmet Perforating Splicer, a new innovation to support the fast parent roll change. The start-up of the winder is scheduled for 2025.

The order is included in Valmet’s orders received of the second quarter 2024. The value of the order will not be disclosed.

“Valmet winders are equipped with technologies necessary for high-speed printing paper machines. Also, the collaboration between Valmet and Wuzhou has been good in the past years: Valmet has actively participated in Wuzhou’s projects and always tried to respond to our needs. We are willing to take this opportunity to establish a long-term cooperation,” says Zhang Yanchen, Deputy General Manager, Wuzhou Special Paper.

“Wuzhou Special Paper was searching for a supplier capable of providing a single winder solution. Our OptiWin Drum two-drum base winder together with the new Valmet Perforating Splicer solution helps them reach their long-term investment targets,” says Ze Fan, Vice President, Capital Sales, China, Valmet.

Delivery’s technical information

Valmet’s delivery will include an OptiWin Drum two-drum base winder with automatic functions such as set change with core and tail gluing and slitter positioning. To meet the high-capacity targets reliably with only one winder, it is additionally equipped with Valmet Perforating Splicer which will improve capacity with fast parent roll change. The delivery will include spare parts packages and Valmet Industrial Internet solutions with connectivity.

The winder will handle parent rolls with a width of 8,210 mm at a design speed of 3,000 m/min and a daily design capacity of 830 tonnes. The PM 19 produces uncoated woodfree grades with a design basis weight from 55 to 100 g/m2.

About Wuzhou Special Paper Group

Founded in 2008, Wuzhou Special Paper Group Co., Ltd. located in Quzhou City, China, is mainly engaged in the R&D, production and sales of special paper. The offering includes food wrapping paper, glassine paper, tracing paper, transfer printing paper and special fine paper. The company is one of China’s largest manufacturers of glassine paper and tracing paper.

As a step in the strategy of getting more out of every tree, Södra is now establishing a new business to become a world leader in the production of kraft lignin. Södra’s production facility will be the first commercial facility in Sweden and the largest of its kind in the world. This is an investment of over two billion SEK and expected to be in operation in 2027. 

Kraft lignin can replace fossil materials in, among other things, glue, batteries, rubber, composites and form the basis for new biofuels and biostimulators. The market and demand for replacements for fossil chemicals are increasing and Södra has for some time been exploring the opportunities on the market, had dialogue with potential customers and signed offtake agreements for a significant part of the production volumes. There is good possibility for kraft lignin production both to contribute to the green transition and the profitability of the forest estate. 

”The forest is being called on for many things as society seeks to replace fossil-based materials. To succeed in that transition, sustainability and profitability need to go hand in hand and Södra’s kraft lignin investment is a good example of that. We will make more out of every tree and strengthen our profitability. This is a big investment for Södra and the green transition,” says Lotta Lyrå, CEO of Södra. 

Today, lignin is used for generating energy, but the refining process Södra is investing in will make more use of the raw material as a product. This is in line with Södra’s strategy to make more of each tree and create more value for the forest estate.

”Innovation is a necessary and important part of our business to ensure our competitiveness today and in the future. We are constantly working to create the most possible value from each tree, both with today’s processes and through new opportunities. Within Södra’s strategy, we see several future energy and chemical products with great potential as alternatives to fossil-based materials in society, of which kraft lignin is one,” says Catrin Gustavsson, Executive Vice President at Södra Innovation. 

”With kraft lignin in our product portfolio, we are strengthening our position as a supplier of sustainable alternatives. Södra has seen potential in kraft lignin production for a long time. Now that we see growing market interest, we can offer a product that contributes to the green transition,” says Johannes Bogren, Vice President, Södra Bioproducts. 

Södra’s new facility will have the largest capacity for kraft lignin production in the world. Production is planned to start in 2027 and is enabled through the Swedish Energy Agency and The Industrial Leap.

What is lignin

Lignin is the component of the forest raw material that holds the fibres together and ensures that trees are strong and stable. In separated form, lignin is a brown powder. In chemical language, lignin is a biopolymer comprising a series of interconnected aromatic compounds. Södra has for many years collaborated with, and supported, research on lignin and has extensive knowledge about lignin and the opportunities it brings. 

In the pulp cooking phase, lignin is released so that the fibres can be released and become pulp or dissolving pulp. This means that large amounts of lignin are created at the mills and that part of the lignin can be separated and become a product. Today, lignin generates steam and electricity to operate the mills, of which a surplus is sold to the public power grid. 

What is ”Industriklivet” (Industrial Leap)

The Swedish Parliament has adopted the climate goal that Sweden should reach net zero emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere by 2045, and then achieve negative emissions. Large and complex technological leaps by several industries will be needed to achieve this. To support the transition, the Government has decided on a long-term investment approach called Industriklivet (Industrial Leap).

Since 2021, Industriklivet has been part of the green transition to a climate-smart society after the COVID-19 pandemic and is part of the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF). RRF is an element of Next Generation EU that, among other things, will contribute to a more environmentally friendly EU, better adapted to current and future challenges.

With SolarFlow Green, Voith is setting yet another standard for paper manufacturing products made of renewable raw materials. The suction press roll cover is certified according to the internationally recognized DIN CERTCO standard for bio-based products.

The cover combines all the advantages of the proven SolarFlow technology while simultaneously reducing the carbon footprint. This innovation is in line with Voith’s long-standing commitment and ambitious goals to promote sustainability in both paper manufacturing and its own production.

SolarFlow Green is a premium polyurethane roll cover and boasts a maximum void volume that remains constant over a long operating period.

“Achieving a high dry content is extremely important to us. Thanks to SolarFlow Green, we were able to implement our customized surface design, resulting in a high void volume and maximum dewatering in the press section. We achieve this using resource-friendly, sustainable materials. It’s a winning combination for us.”, Robin Linney, Palm Paper plant manager at King’s Lynn.

The polyurethane material with its biobased component also gives the press roll cover a high degree of stability that can withstand extreme nip conditions. This enables not only fast machine speeds with a high dry content but also low energy consumption at the same time.

“With SolarFlow Green, we are the first manufacturer with the ability to offer our customers a suction press roll cover made of biobased materials that has been certified by DIN CERTCO. We look forward to working together with our customers to make paper production even more sustainable and resource-friendly in the future”, Dr. Christina Bauer, Global Product Manager for Press Roll Covers at Voith.

Papermaking for Life sustainability program

The sustainability of our own activities is a main emphasis of the Papermaking for Life sustainability program. As part of our innovation and development offensive, Voith Paper is introducing a wide range of technologies and initiatives that will lead to more efficient and sustainable processes in paper production. The key focus is on the areas of water, energy, and fiber savings, digitization, innovations, and partnerships as levers for more sustainable production. 

About DIN CERTCO

DIN CERTCO is the certification company of the TÜV Rhineland Group and the certification body for issuing the DIN mark and other certification marks. The internationally recognized “DIN-Geprüft biobased” (“DIN-tested biobased”) label confirms that renewable raw materials are used in the production of a product.

Kimberly-Clark Corporation has recently announced that, Mike Hsu, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, and members of his executive leadership team are unveiling the next phase of the company’s transformation, including a new operating model and key commercial initiatives designed to grow its brands and businesses at a faster pace than its categories.

“Over the past five years, our global team’s dedication and strong execution have positioned us to fully leverage the scale we’ve built and to catapult Kimberly-Clark into its next chapter of growth,” said Hsu. “We are building on the consumer centricity and commercial advantages we’ve established by moving to a more agile and focused operating structure that we are confident will help accelerate our proprietary pipeline of innovation in right-to-win spaces and improve our growth trajectory, profitability, and returns on investment. We have more than 150 years of history, transforming groundbreaking insights into innovative categories, with products that provide Better Care for a Better World. We are excited to build on the strength of that legacy as we drive for consistent, long-term value creation.”

Hsu added, “Science and innovation are competitive advantages at Kimberly-Clark, and together they fuel our ability to meet the needs of today’s consumers. Sustainability is a critical component of the Kimberly-Clark innovation strategy, and we are proud to announce our ambition to be 100% Natural Forest Free in all our products and to be more than mid-way to this goal by 2030.”

The Kimberly-Clark Operating Model

The company will focus on driving a step-change in performance by sharpening its strategic focus through a new operating model that leverages three synergistic forces:

1. Accelerating Pioneering Innovation to capture significant growth available in its categories by investing in science and technology to satisfy unmet and evolving consumer needs. Kimberly-Clark will focus on growing 12 powerhouse brands that have #1 or strong #2 positions and drive more than 80% of the company’s net sales in five, global daily-need spaces with a total addressable market of approximately $240 billion: Baby & Child Care, Feminine Care, Adult Care, Family Care, and Professional.
     
2. Optimizing its Margin Structure to deliver superior consumer propositions at every rung of the price-value ladder. The company will implement initiatives and deploy technology and data analytics designed to create a fast, adaptable, integrated supply chain with greater visibility that can deliver continuous improvement. The planned supply chain modernization is expected to generate more than $3 billion in gross productivity and $500 million in working capital savings that will be used to help fuel growth investments.
     
3. Wiring its Organization for Growth to drive agility, speed, and focused execution that extends the company’s competitive advantages further into the future. In the coming months, the company plans to reorganize its operations into three business segments:

• • North America: A business that currently generates approximately $11 billion in sales annually and a 23% operating profit margin that will leverage its significant scale to amplify value creation, drive an end-to-end cost transformation, and accelerate innovation into fast-moving consumer need spaces through 11 powerhouse brands across consumer and professional channels.
  • International Personal Care (IPC): A segment with approximately $6 billion in sales annually and low-to-mid teens operating profit margins that is focused on three core categories ꟷ Baby & Child Care, Feminine Care and Adult Care. IPC is designed to drive strong growth and improved profitability by scaling a proven growth model, with focused investments in five Core Markets that make up approximately 60% of segment sales. In the 50 Enterprise Markets that make up the balance of the business, the company will seek to improve growth trajectories, profitability and returns on investment by optimizing routes-to-market while harmonizing and simplifying product portfolios.
  • International Family Care and Professional (IFP): A business that currently generates approximately $3.5 billion in sales annually and approximately 10% operating margins. IFP will bring together the company’s international consumer tissue business with its international professional business to capture synergies and establish shared resources globally. The segment will focus on improving its business mix and profitability by growing six iconic brands in five large Family Care and five Professional markets while capturing significant margin potential by leveraging shared technology platforms, and efficiently deploying and scaling the best of its business.

These three new business segments will be supported by more efficient, world-class functions, including Research & Development, Marketing, Finance, Information Technology, and Human Resources. The company expects to complete its transition to the new organizational structure by the end of 2024. These actions are expected to generate approximately $200 million of selling, general and administrative savings in the next few years that will be available to invest back in the business.

100% Natural Forest-Free Ambition

Sustainability is a key pillar of Kimberly-Clark’s innovation pipeline, with the company focused on delivering products with enhanced consumer benefits while striving to use less material and increasing the use of more sustainable material. Over the past decade, the company has explored an extensive array of alternative fiber options, investing significantly in developing more sustainable products. Based on progress against existing goals, Kimberly-Clark is setting a new ambition to be 100% Natural Forest Free across its product portfolio. The company expects to be more than halfway to this goal by 2030.

Long-Term Growth and Return Algorithm

Kimberly-Clark has set long-term growth and return targets that include:

• Organic Net Sales growth ahead of market growth;
• Adjusted Operating Profit growth in the mid-to-high single digits on a constant currency basis;
• Adjusted EPS growth in mid-to-high single digits on a constant currency basis; and
• Annual Free Cash Flow generation of at least $2 billion.

“We see a clear path to consistent growth and strong margin expansion as we sharpen our focus on areas of competitive advantage and where we believe we have the right to win,” said Nelson Urdaneta, Chief Financial Officer. “Leveraging our strong innovation pipeline and go-to-market capabilities to drive growth, our new productivity programs to deliver efficiencies, and our capital priorities to support reinvestment and accelerate our strategic plan will support our ability to achieve our new long-term financial profile in the years ahead.”

The company’s capital priorities have not changed. These priorities include investing to accelerate organic growth with strong returns that will strengthen the company’s market positions; growing the dividend while maintaining the company’s single-A credit rating; evaluating strategic acquisitions that can deliver incremental growth and return opportunities; and allocating residual capital to share repurchases, to minimally offset dilution from equity incentive programs.

The company currently expects to incur approximately $1.5 billion in one-time restructuring and reorganization costs, split roughly into 50% in non-cash charges and 50% of cash expenses, over the next three years as it implements its plans.