News: High-speed converting lines for the production of face masks and respiratory masks

Running a pulp mill successfully requires that all processes, technology, and equipment work in harmony across the entire system with the whole chain being only as strong as its weakest link. Metris DryQ™ is the new intelligent solution from ANDRITZ, designed for monitoring data from drying systems, helping to strengthen a vital link in the production chain to optimize the drying performance.

Suzano Imperatriz, located in Maranhão, northern Brazil, is one of the new breed of giant pulp mills. The mill has recently undergone a number of improvements including the implementation of a smart bleaching system from ANDRITZ that is making a real difference when it comes to chemical consumption.

The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc across the world’s industries, shutting down operations and leading to the mass furloughing and laying off of workers and contractors. However, due to its massive importance to the country of Chile as well as to the global pulp and paper industry, Arauco’s MAPA project has continued, although in a much-adapted way.

ANDRITZ is fully aware of what downtime means to its customers in the paper and board industry – however, to keep ahead in a competitive environment, rebuilding, updating, and refurbishing equipment is essential. The secret is to plan well in advance, shut down quickly, get the work done fast, and then be up and running again as soon as possible.

The pulp making process hasn’t inherently changed over the years; however, ANDRITZ has had a lot of success with reinventing processes and technology in and around mills to increase capacity, improve quality, and cut operating costs. The LimeWhite-H White Liquor Disc Filter is another game-changing development.

ANDRITZ has launched a completely new machine concept for tissue producers to provide the very best in technology available for making specialty products with maximum efficiencies. The concept, the PrimeLineTEX, is now available on the market and can be tested at the ANDRITZ tissue pilot plant in Graz.

Major upgrades and a series of smaller innovations have been incorporated into the new ANDRITZ PrimeFilter D to improve performance and reduce maintenance. The new design includes the latest bagless technology, which is well-proven in over 65 installations to date. The upgraded PrimeFilter D has been well-received already – 15 units have been started up and more orders are being received from leading papermakers.

To avoid unplanned plant shutdowns, it is important to know at an early stage when vital components need to be replaced or maintained. Condition monitoring enables operators to work proactively and keep shutdown time to a minimum.

Reliable measurements from inside the digester. ANDRITZ has teamed up with Savcor, a Finnish technology provider specializing in the use of electrochemistry for corrosion prevention and structural health monitoring, and have together developed a novel method to measure alkali levels inside the digester.

The potential of Industry 4.0 and IIoT is monumental; it will redefine how we work and operate over the coming decades. It is reinventing industry thanks to a huge array of innovations, including sensors, big data, digital twins, augmented reality, artificial intelligence, machine learning, 3D printing, and robotics. Underpinning it all is the crucial aspect of cybersecurity. Address that from the beginning and the future of IIoT promises to be a bright one.

Franz Harrer is the director of the ANDRITZ Steel Yankee and Technology Tissue team. He joined ANDRITZ about 13 years ago as a design engineer for tissue and paper machines providing a product development focus early on. He played a major role in various machine rebuilds and experienced how tissue and paper machines with the first ANDRITZ steel Yankees were sucessfully put into operation. A real highlight was seeing the tissue machine “armada” of the Hengan Group in China, for instance, which encompassed 13 ANDRITZ tissue machines, the majority of which operated with PrimeDry Steel Yankees.

ANDRITZ received an unusual request: The world famous Schönbrunn Zoo in Vienna needed help to grate and process raw bamboo into refined flour for its giant pandas Yuan Yuan and Yang Yang. ANDRITZ, of course, accepted the challenge.

ANDRITZ has utilized visual technology, combined it with the latest in digitization methods and created the Metris AVA Recovery Boiler Toolbox, designed to revolutionize the monitoring and managing of critical boiler operations and activities.

ANDRITZ is once again providing opportunities for pulp producers to increase the range of added value bio-products in their product portfolios with its A-ConCrystal™ continuous technology for microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) production. There is still an increasing demand for the use of MCC in several fields of applications, strengthening the position of being one of the fastest growing areas in the use of specialty celluloses.

ANDRITZ continues to service its customers around the world despite the COVID-19 pandemic. However, strict precautions are insisted upon both in our own operations and at our customer sites to ensure the safety of our own personnel as well as of our customers and any people working on or around projects in which we are involved.