ANDRITZ SPECTRUM Podcast

Stock preparation is perhaps the most important area of the paper and board making process. The way fibers are prepared before reaching the paper machine has a direct impact on product quality, energy consumption, runnability and ultimately mill profitability.

Traditional paper and board mills – up until now – have had to rely on laboratory results to analyze raw material quality to ensure end quality and running efficiency. However, laboratory results often arrive long after the fibers have already passed through refining, making it difficult to correct process deviations in time.

Today, automation and digitalization are changing the reality. Instead of relying on delayed laboratory analysis and operator experience alone, mills can monitor and control fiber properties continuously in real-time and make process adjustments while production is running.

When combined with advanced process controls, PulpEye Fiber Properties Analyzer can reach significant improvements in stock preparation, such as:
• Production increase up to 10%
• Productivity increase up to 10%
• Quality losses reduction up to 11%

In this podcast episode, we speak to Öjvind Sundvall, General Manager of PulpEye at ANDRITZ and explore how real-time fiber analysis with ANDRITZ’s PulpEye Fiber Properties Analyzer is helping mills make smarter decisions, reduce variability, and optimize the entire stock preparation process.

For more information on ANDRITZ Pulp and Paper Service for optimizing mill performance, visit: https://www.andritz.com/products-en/pulp-and-paper/pulpeye-fiber-properties-analyzer

Service is taken very seriously at ANDRITZ. The Pulp & Paper Service Business Area Segment has more than 100 locations, and 70 service centers and manufacturing facilities, which are staffed by nearly 7,000 experts. Service operations cover wood processing, fiber and drying, recovery and power, paper, fabrics and rolls, and maintenance.

The strategy to ensure customer satisfaction across the world is underpinned by a focus on being a local, regional and global partner to customers. Fast response is seen as critical, especially in emergency situations where ANDRITZ assists customers in keeping mills and plants running while essential parts are sourced and installed as a matter of urgency.

Digitalization and AI have become central to transforming service operations at ANDRITZ. Customers are now using digital tools to optimize maintenance, monitor equipment health and boost performance in operations across the globe. Spare parts remains one of the cornerstones of operations where AI is now being integrated into ordering processes for faster, more accurate transactions.

In this podcast we talk to Tomi Suikki, Executive Vice President, ANDRITZ Pulp & Paper Service about the challenges of running such a complex operation, and how the service business is transforming in a digital world.

For more information on ANDRITZ Pulp and Paper Service for optimizing mill performance, visit: https://www.andritz.com/pulp-and-paper-en/global-services

Cooking and fiberline processes are much like conducting an orchestra – dozens of variables must work in perfect harmony. Chip quality, liquor composition, time, temperature, washing efficiency, and bleaching stages all interact to make the final product.

Traditionally, long manual test delays, raw material variability, and limited online measurements have forced mills to operate conservatively. Today, digitalization allows mills to replace guesswork with continuous, data-driven optimization.

ANDRITZ addresses these challenges with a total automation and digitalization portfolio for continuous cooking and fiberline, combining PulpEye Fiber Properties Analyzer, Smart Chip Level Measurement and the ANDRITZ Advanced Process Controls as well as the ANDRITZ Digital Twins. Together, this solution upgrades the cooking and fiberline by stable, optimized, and increasingly autonomous operations.

The results are impressive, including a 0.5 - 1% increase in yield, a 35% increase in Kappa stability and reduced costs in chemical and steam production.

In this podcast we talk to John Watkins, Product Sales Manager – Analyzers and Advanced Process Controls at ANDRITZ about the benefits of digitalization of the cooking and fiberline processes, and how mills can can achieve higher availability, lower maintenance requirements and reduced chemicals and water usage.

For more information on ANDRITZ’s digital solutions, PulpEye Fiber Properties Analyzer, Smart Chip Level Measurement and the ANDRITZ Advanced Process Controls as well as the ANDRITZ Digital Twins, visit out website: https://www.andritz.com/pulp-and-paper-en/pulp-production/automation-and-digitalization-pulp-en/automation-digitalization-solutions-fiberline

The Through-air Drying (TAD) process has been well accepted across the tissue industry as a major breakthrough in terms of final product quality; however, the process is notoriously known for its excessive energy demands. ANDRITZ has come to the rescue with the ATAD concept, which is set to revolutionize the energy-intensive demand of TAD production.

ANDRITZ has tackled the TAD energy challenge head on by launching ATAD (Advanced TAD) - a groundbreaking innovation designed to slash drying energy use by up to 20%. Crucially, the energy reduction takes place while preserving the premium quality that makes TAD so appealing.

Developed through years of research and testing at the ANDRITZ state-of-the-art PrimeLine TIAC pilot plant in Graz, Austria, ATAD addresses the core challenge by removing more water from the sheet before it enters the energy-intensive TAD drying drums.

In this podcast we talk to ANDRITZ experts Paul Richards, Senior Technology Manager for Tissue and Grade Owner for TAD & Hybrid technologies, and Boris Jancic, Head of the Tissue Pilot Plant, about ATAD and how it will revolutionize energy challenges in TAD tissue production.

For more information on ANDRITZ’s ATAD concept visit our website: https://www.andritz.com/pulp-and-paper-en/paper-production/esg-paper-industry-sustainability/esg-tissue-sustainability

Panelboard producers have a major challenge when balancing fiber quality, energy consumption, and raw material efficiency. Since 80% of the board is wood fiber, any small variation in fiber length or width has a huge impact on the final product. Traditionally, quality checks are done offline and intermittently, meaning operators had to rely on experience rather than data. The biggest challenge is how to gain visibility and control, knowing what’s happening in real time.

To alleviate these challenges, ANDRITZ has developed MDFEye, an innovative measuring system that continuously analyzes fiber properties right after refining, using machine vision and data analytics to measure over 150,000 fibers per sample every few minutes right after the refining. When combined with ANDRITZ Advanced Process Controls (APC), MDFEye allows for closed-loop control of refining and drying processes, automatically adjusting parameters to maintain consistent quality and to optimize energy use.

The results? Up to 10% of kWh per ton in energy savings, better internal bond prediction, and reduced glue and wood consumption, turning traditional MDF production into a smarter, more autonomous operation.

In this podcast, we take a deep dive into the panelboard industry with Genc Islamaj, Senior Sales Manager Automation and Digitalization, and former Product Manager of the MDFEye at ANDRITZ. In this podcast we discover how MDFEye and Advanced Process Controls technologies are helping manufacturers achieve a new level of process stability, energy efficiency, and product quality through smart, data-driven control.

For more information on ANDRITZ’s MDFEye and Advanced Process Controls technologies visit our website: https://www.andritz.com/products-en/pulp-and-paper/automation-and-digitalization-paper-en