ANDRITZ SPECTRUM Podcast

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

Maximizing efficiencies and flexibility on paper machines is essential in the highly competitive market of paper and board production. Producers are now actively looking for flexibility in new machine lines or alternatively have reached the limit of their existing forming technology.

ANDRITZ‘s PrimeForm TW Shoe-Blade GapFormer provides a highly flexible solution that enables strength and formation with operating speeds of 1600 m/min and a wide range of grades and furnishes, with single-ply basis weight references from 30-250 gsm.

As well as for installations in new machines, the former is ideal for fast and uncomplicated rebuilds as the basics of the are already installed, for example frame and rolls, remain unchanged. ANDRITZ simply implements the shoe-blade technology in the forming area. With the Shoe-Blade GapFormer, it is possible to add another grade or to convert quickly to a different grade, for example packaging paper.

In this podcast we talk to Lawrence William, Global Product Manager Forming, Paper & Tissue Division, ANDRITZ, to find out the about the benefits of the Shoe-Blade GapFormer which include adjustability, flexibility and a truly pulsation free shoe design.

For more information on ANDRITZ’s PrimeForm TW Shoe-Blade Gap Former visit our website: https://www.andritz.com/products-en/group/pulp-and-paper/paper-production/paper-board-machines/primeform-forming

One of the toughest challenges in the production of nonwovens is
maintaining product uniformity at high speeds. Issues like the 'smile effect,' where fiber accumulates on the edges of the mat, lead to quality losses and wasted material. Producers are also under pressure to cut costs, save fiber, and reduce manual interventions, all while meeting sustainability goals such as lowering energy usage and emissions."

The actual process of producing nonwovens can be described as similar to baking bread - but at industrial speed. Fiber mats have to be laid evenly, layer after layer, without clumping at the edges or thinning in the middle. Even a small imbalance can create wasted material, downtime, and product inconsistency. Traditionally, operators had to constantly adjust settings to avoid this, but that is all changing with autonomous control.

ANDRITZ has developed ProWin™, an autonomous web profiling solution that combines the strengths of its ProDyn™ and ProWid™ technologies, together with Advanced Process Controls systems. The results? Up to 15% faster production speeds, 10% fiber savings, more even fabric weight, and dramatically reduced operator workload.

In this podcast we talk to Guillaume Julien, Global Sales Director, Nonwoven, ANDRITZ about addressing the challenges of maintaining product uniformity at high speeds through a smart combination of technologies and automated regulation.

For more information on ProWin please visit our website: https://www.andritz.com/nonwoven-textile-en/technologies/needlepunch/web-profiling-pro-win