PAPERMAKING PROFESSIONAL STOCK PREPARATION, PAPER MANUFACTURING & FINISHING DECEMBER 2022 02 D 11579 D VOLUME 20 INTERVIEW The power of innovation CLOTHING LIKE A SECOND SKIN ROLL COVER Solution 1Z14
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Courage to change Jürgen Heindl founded his company in 1991. He called the company PROWELL – meaning “pro corrugated board”. His strategy was to manufacture corrugated sheetboard using state-of-the-art technology so that his customers could receive even very small orders just in time, reliably and at low cost. What started out as PROWELL Papierverarbeitung GmbH has today become Progroup AG, which is one of Europe’s leading manufacturers of containerboard and corrugated board. In an interview, Heindl reflects on the history of the company – and at the same time looks ahead to a significant milestone that is just around the corner: the changing of the generations. At the end of the year, he will hand over the role of CEO to his son Maximilian Heindl. Under the direction of Prof.Dr. Stephan Kleemann, Institute for Paper Technology (IVP) e. V., Munich / Germany, – Munich University of Applied Sciences, the 30th IMPS — International Munich Paper Symposium— took place fromMay 23rd to 25th, 2022 in the Westin Grand Munich Conference Hotel. With 376 participants representing 189 companies from 31 countries, the symposium was very well booked. The symposium dealt with developments that improve the processes of paper and board production as well as product quality. In addition, lectures and an exceptionally large number of reports directly from paper mills and cardboard manufacturers were presented. Since the beginning of 2022, a new Questec RQS-V sheeter has been added to the paper converting equipment of DREWSEN Spezialpapiere GmbH & Co. KG, based in Lachendorf near Celle. Dr. Matthias Rauhut, CEO, talks in an interview about exceeding output by 10% and further improvements. The topic of the future for DREWSEN is sustainability. As an energy- intensive company, locally produced and renewable energy plays a particularly important role at the moment. The goal is to achieve climate neutrality by 2045, and they want to be 80% of the way there by 2030. Dr.-Ing. Kerstin Graf Chief Editor Professional Papermaking 2.2022 3 EDITORIAL
Organ des Akademischen Papieringenieur-Vereins e.V. an der DHBW Karlsruhe Organ des Akademischen Papieringenieur-Vereins an der TU Dresden e.V. Mitteilungsblatt des Vereinigten Papierfachverbandes München e.V. Organ des Papierzentrums Gernsbach Mit den Mitteilungen der Papiertechnischen Stiftung (PTS) München, Heidenau Organ der Vereinigung Gernsbacher Papiermacher e.V. Organ des Akademischen Papieringenieur-Vereins e.V. an der TU Darmstadt Das Papiermacherwappen Die sogenannten „Papierer“ wurden in alter Zeit zusammen mit den Buchdruckern, Buchbindern und Glasern der Gilde der Maler zugeordnet und führten deshalb aucwh das Zeichen dieser Gilde: die Schildchen und den Ochsenkopf. Der geflügelte Ochse war der ständige Begleiter des Evangelisten Lukas, des Schutzheiligen der Maler. Er verdankt diese Ehre einer Verwechslung mit dem Mönch und Maler „il Santo Luca“. Eines der ersten Papierwasserzeichen, wie wir sie auch in Gutenbergs Bibeldrucken vorfinden, ist der Ochsenkopf. Organ des Akademischen PapieringenieurVereins e. V. an der TU Darmstadt Organ des Akademischen PapieringenieurVereins an der TU Dresden e. V. Organ des Akademischen PapieringenieurVereins e. V. an der DHBW Karlsruhe Mitteilungsblatt des Vereinigten Papierfachverbandes München e. V. Organ des Papierzenrtums Gernsbach Organ des Akademischen Papi ingenieur-Vereins e.V. an de DHBW Karlsruhe Organ des Akademischen Papieringenieur-Vereins an der TU Dresden e.V. Mitt ilungsblatt des Vereinigten P pierfachverbandes München e.V. Organ des Papierzentrums Gernsbach Mit d Mitteilungen der Papier ech ischen Stiftung (PTS) Mü chen, Heidenau Organ der Vereinigung Gernsbacher Papiermacher e.V. Organ des Akademischen Papi ringenieur-Vereins e.V. an der TU Darmstadt Organ des Akademischen Pap eringeni ur-V reins e.V. an der DHBW Karlsruhe Organ des Akademische Papiering nieur-Ve eins an der TU D esden e.V. Mitteilungsblatt des Vereinigten Papi rfachverbandes Münch e.V. Organ d s Papierzentrums Gernsbach Mit n Mitteilungen der Pap ertechnischen Stiftung (PTS) München, Heid nau Organ der Vereinigung Gernsbache Papiermacher e.V. Organ des Akademische Papieringeni ur-V reins e.V. n der TU Darmstadt Organ des Akademischen ier genieur-V eins e.V. an der DHBW Karlsruhe Organ A i Papi ring nieur-V reins an der TU Dresde e.V. Mitteilung blatt des Vereinigt n Papierf chverba des München e.V. Orga des Papi rzen ums Gernsbach Mit den Mitteilung n der Papiert ch is n Stiftung (PTS) München, Heid nau Ver Organ A i Papi ringe ieur-Ver ins e.V. an d r TU Darmsta t 26 ANDRITZ Novimpianti is working with Sofidel on a groundbreaking solution to cut fossil fuel out of the tissue drying equation. Picture: SchäferRolls 30 Sponge rubber is an ideal material for roll covers in various applications. In fact, its physical properties offer a variety of useful benefits. Picture: ANDRITZ Professional Papermaking 2.2022 4 CONTENTS
51 IMPRINT / SERVICE COVER It’s no secret: paper machine clothing should not come of f the shelf, but be tailor-made. This also applies to the dryer section. Heavily contaminated fabrics have a negative ef fect on the production process, the paper quality and the energy consumption. Wear and hydrolysis resistance also play a key role in choosing the optimal dryer fabric. Heimbach of fers customized designs with high resistance to contamination and improved cleanability. 32 Industrial service provider Actemiumwas jointly responsible for the on-schedule start of production at one of the world’s largest and most modern paper factories. CLOTHING 6 Like a second skin “Tailor made or off the shelf” INTERVIEW 8 The power of innovation In conversation with Jürgen Heindl SYMPOSIUM 13 IMPS 2022 – International Munich Paper Symposium Progress in paper and board technology – Part 1 CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY 17 Save the starch! Diverse application possibilitiesas an additive in the paper industry SUSTAINABILITY 21 Output, size accuracy and stacking quality New Questec sheeter at DREWSEN exceeds all expectations 24 Together for sustainability Partnership leverages resources and know-how to bring the industry forward 26 A new energy source, a new challenge ANDRITZ Novimpianti is working with Sofidel on a groundbreaking solution to cut fossil fuel out of the tissue drying equation ROLL COVER 30 Solution 1Z14 The latest generation sponge rubber roll cover AUTOMATION 32 E lectrical, instrumentation and control technology promotes sustainable paper production Successful commissioning of one of the world’s most modern paper factories AIR TECHNOLOGY 36 Regulation and monitoring system optimizes the operation of ventilation technology Increase in energy efficiency, productivity and transparency MEASURING TECHNOLOGY 40 E valuation of fillers in paper and board within seconds Non-destructive, accurate and reliable PAPER TECHNOLOGY 43 Yesterday. Today. Tomorrow. 150 years of Wochenblatt für Papierfabrikation and Professional Papermaking – 150 years of Körting. The development of paper and pulp technology. SYMPOSIUM 45 IMPS 2022 – International Munich Paper Symposium Progress in paper and board technology – Part 2 Picture: Actemium Professional Papermaking 2.2022 5 CONTENTS
High wear in seam area Stickies located on fabric contact points Specific damage on surface Stickies located between contact points High wear resistance and good cleaning options with Secoplan.O Like a second skin There is no doubt that dryer fabrics play a key role in controlling the consumption of energy on the paper machine, and in the quality of the final product. In just the same way that a tailor adapts every piece of clothing to an individual body shape, so dryer fabrics should not come off the shelf, but instead must be selected individually. Wear, resistance to contamination, cleanability, hydrolysis resistance...all these properties must be taken into account from the outset. In this way, not only do you get dryer fabrics that are tailor-made, they fit the machine like a second skin. For over 200 years, the Mecca for fans of the finest fabrics has been Savile Row in London. Prince Charles, Robert de Niro, Barack Obama and of course 007, they all have their wardrobe tailored here. Hardy & Amies, Gieves & Hawkes, Anderson & Shepard...with these legendary Men’s outfitters the tailor-made suit is the result of intensive interaction with the customer. This is because every single body is unique, and the garment, precisely manufactured to the millimeter, has the greatest degree of customisation. Why should it be the same with dryer fabrics? Because every paper machine is also unique in its specifications. In order to ensure that your machine always delivers the highest performance and works with maximum efficiency, every position in the dryer section requires a tailor-made fabric. Even machines with the same basic construction will usually require different designs. Dryer section: The driver for energy and quality Whether on a paper or board machine, the dryer section plays a critical role from the perspective of efficiency. Consuming four times more energy than in the press section, and up to two hundred times more than the forming section this is where the largest share of production costs occurs. It is therefore all the more important that all components work in harmony with each other, and that any savings potential is exploited to the maximum. In addition to this, essential properties of the final sheet are also established in this section. At 60% dryness, almost all water molecules act as a weak chemical link in the cellulose chains. The dryer fabric becomes the focal point in transporting the sheet through the dryers and as the water molecules evaporate via heat transfer, the links between the cellulose chains are strengthened and paper properties consolidated. Pictures: Heimbach Fabric inspection: vital for targeted application “Tailor made or off the shelf ”. Professional Papermaking 2.2022 6 CLOTHING
Secoplan.V – Ideal for positions prone to heavy contamination Extremely high wear resistance with Secoplan.X Secoplan.HT+ and Secoplan.HT: Well suited to positions with hydrolysis inate all of them. Nevertheless: The right design can help in “damage limitation”, and reduce any negative impact to a minimum. Contamination analysis Where contamination is concerned, there are different parameters providing clues to help choose the correct fabric design. How has air permeability developed over time? What about the permeability profiles? Where exactly are dirt particles deposited on the fabric surface? Our application specialists get to the bottom of this. Many drying positions now have a cleaning device. This is intended to counter the declining quality of raw materials now in use. The use of cleaning devices is not, however, a guarantee of success. How easy or difficult it can be to clean a fabric depends primarily on the structure of the fabric itself. So, for example, designs such as Secoplan.V, with their small number of paper side contact points can be very efficiently returned to a good working condition as well as designs like Secoplan.O where main air channels are well exposed to the cleaning devices. Exploiting production and saving potential Paper makers think of one thing above all: Production! With new machines and rebuilds, many of you have spared no expense in the past to modernise the dryer section. Steam pressure levels have been increased over time. High temperatures and a saturated environment provide excellent conditions for reversal of the esterification of polyester yarns. This process is known as hydrolysis. Today, however, there are new materials available with a high resistance to hydrolysis that make it possible to significantly reduce or even eliminate this process. In short: Modern machine fabrics have become truly high-tech products. If we are to develop their production and savings potential to the maximum, it is vital to select and use them exactly as each individual position demands. Tailor-made for success! www.heimbach.com Highly demanding Taking into account the key role played by dryer fabrics in the economic performance of the paper machine, design selection becomes a critical point. Just as it is with the Savile Row tailor, the demands are many and varied. Resistance to contamination, ease of cleaning, anti-wear properties and hydrolysis-resistance are just a few of the factors to be considered. Unfortunately, there is no universal dryer fabric that is capable of doing it all. While increased contact on the paper side surface of the fabric will improve heat transfer to the sheet, it can also lead to more stickies being picked up by the paper. A more open structure, in turn, makes it easier to remove water molecules but will cause more water to be transported in cases where a cleaning device is used. Taking precision measurements It’s the same on the Haute Couture mile as it is with the application of dryer fabrics – customer needs must be analysed in as much detail as possible and precise measurements must be taken in order to deliver an individual solution. Thus, the selection process at Heimbach begins with listening and understanding. Customer requirements are always the common thread. Optimal lifetime and cleanability usually have the highest priority. If both are to be successfully achieved, inspection and analysis of the dryer section is recommended. Fabric inspection There are plenty of possible causes for premature fabric wear. Only by pinpointing and localising these can the most suitable design for a position be selected. Wear can affect the paper or roll side of the fabric, or its seam. It could equally impact on a combination of all these. A wear profile seen across the width of the fabric is often a source of useful information regarding undesirable abrasion. Even when the origins are identified, it is often impossible to elim- Professional Papermaking 2.2022 7 CLOTHING
ABOUT! Jürgen Heindl is Chief Executive Officer of Progroup AG. He spent his childhood on a farm in Odenwald. By his own admission, he learned to think like an entrepreneur and get stuck in at a very early age. After studying electronics and industrial engineering at university, the young graduate engineer ended up in the packaging industry. He joined Zewawell GmbH & Co KG, PWA – Verpackungswerke as a management assistant and ended up as a member of the Board. In 1991, Heindl decided to set up his own company in order “to do things better”. After around 30 years leading the company, the founder will be passing on the reins at the end of the year to his son Maximilian, who is also an industrial engineer. His second son, Vinzenz, is interested in psychology and philosophy and runs the Professionals Academy. The power of innovation I was convinced right from day one that the company would be successful if we relied on the power of innovation Pictures: Progroup Progroup founder and Chief Executive Officer Jürgen Heindl: He has revolutionized an entire industry with his visionary business model. In conversation with Jürgen Heindl Having the courage to revolutionize a traditional industry, a tireless spirit of innovation and long-term succession planning Jürgen Heindl founded his company in 1991. He called the company PROWELL – meaning “pro corrugated board”. His strategy was to manufacture corrugated sheetboard using state-of-the-art technology so that his customers could receive even very small orders just in time, reliably and at low cost. Moreover, the intention was that they should be able to link up with PROWELL, place their orders online and find out the status of their orders at any time. This was also an era in which there was not yet any internet or online banking. The particular group of customers he targeted was family-run packaging manufacturers in Central Europe that do not produce their own corrugated board and can only develop if they have a highly efficient and independent supplier. Heindl’s plan worked. What started out as PROWELL Papierverarbeitung GmbH has today become Progroup AG, which is one of Europe’s leading manufacturers of containerboard and corru- Professional Papermaking 2.2022 8 INTERVIEW
In 2002, the plant at Rokycany in the Czech Republic installed a corrugator machine with a width of 3.35 metres – a first in the industry. gated board. In an interview, Heindl reflects on the history of the company – and at the same time looks ahead to a significant milestone that is just around the corner: the changing of the generations. At the end of the year, he will hand over the role of CEO to his son Maximilian Heindl. Your company currently has around 1,700 employees, you expect to generate approx. 1.8 billion euros of revenue in 2022 – and you have done this in just 30 years. If you think back to when you first founded the company: Did you expect things to develop the way they have? Back then, even more so than today, the paper and corrugated board industry was an industry that was dominated by large companies whose tradition often stretched back more than 100 years. To succeed as a company founder in this kind of market, you need great self-confidence and courage but also a clear vision and well-devised strategy. I was convinced right from day one that the PROWELL business model would be successful if it was based on consistent innovation, in the business processes, organization and technology. If we manufactured corrugated sheetboard in small quantities at the lowest costs on greenfield sites using the very latest machinery, the most optimized workflows and maximum networking of the machines and processes. This approach was tantamount to a revolution in the traditional world of packaging. I was also aware that in a commodity market like ours a company needs to be among the top five players to be profitable and successful over the long term. You only have the scope to shape and oversee the market if you’re the market leader. This is why industry. I had spent many years working in responsible positions at Zewawell GmbH & Co KG, PWA Verpackungswerke, eventually as a member of the Board. Moreover, it was apparent even back then that the international flow of goods would increase significantly as a result of globalization – and all these exports and imports need packaging. As well as its low weight, one of the benefits of corrugated board is that, in contrast to polystyrene and plastic, it is a sustainable product. This is because it is made entirely from recovered paper and can easily be recycled after it has been used. You started producing corrugated sheetboard in 1992 with your first plant in Offenbach an der Queich. From there you then expanded throughout Europe. This sounds like an exceptional success story. Fortunately, our fully networked and data-driven method of working and production very quickly proved to be successful, the objective was always to achieve growth and leadership in the sheetboard market. Nevertheless, I am of course incredibly proud to see what we have achieved with Progroup in just over a quarter of a century. I do not take this success for granted. With corrugated board as a product, you spotted an excellent opportunity well before there was anything like online trading and people started receiving everyday items delivered to their homes by parcel companies in corrugated board packaging. Back then, the internet was just something talked about by scientists. What made you so sure about the product? I knew the potential of corrugated board, particularly in relation to the “cocooning” trend, because I was already involved in the Professional Papermaking 2.2022 9 INTERVIEW
automated fashion without travelling long distances. The customer can then carry out further processing directly. This saves time and delivers cost benefits for both companies. We first implemented Model 1 in practice back in 1998 when we constructed our third corrugated sheetfeeder plant PW03 in Burg. It is now an integral part of our growth strategy. I also regard 2002 as a milestone. This represented the first time, in Rokycany in the Czech Republic, that we had installed a corrugator machine with a machine width of 3.35 metres rather than the industry-standard widths of 2.50 or 2.80 metres. My initial thought was: You need courage and self-confidence to challenge conventions and do things differently. But it’s often worthwhile. In our case, we succeeded in boosting our productivity by 35 per cent compared to the competition. This was also the year in which we founded Prologistik, our company’s dedicated logistics unit. Another important moment came five years later when we became Progroup AG. Did you choose the new business form in order to separate operations and management from one another? Correct. From then on, we acquired the ability to access alternative financial instruments on the capital market in order to achieve greater productivity with more modern plants and deliver even more service to our customers. What happened after that? The commissioning of our first corrugated sheetfeeder plant in Poland in 2009 marked another key milestone in the history of our company. PW07 in Stryków was at the time, and still is today, the which meant that just two years after we started operating our first plant, we were able to start planning the next ones: The next site in the town of Douvrin near Lille in northern France opened in May 1996. This site and the one in Offenbach boasted the most productive machines in the industry at the time. Just two years after this, the third sheetfeeder plant started operating in Burg near Magdeburg and this marked an important step: Our annual production capacity had then reached 300,000 tonnes. This made us big enough to allow vertical integration: In 2001, to make us less dependent on the volatile paper market, we started producing containerboard with what was at the time the world’s fastest liner machine – also in Burg. This was followed by more production sites for paper and corrugated board, including in Schüttorf, Ellesmere Port in the UK and Stryków in Poland. Today we operate in six countries in Central Europe, with a total of three paper factories, eleven corrugated sheetfeeder plants, a logistics company and a highly efficient refuse derived fuel (RDF) power station. From the early years to the present day, what have been the key milestones for you? There have been lots of significant moments on our journey. One of them was undoubtedly the opening of our first packaging park. The idea behind this was partnership rather than competition. We generally do not compete with our customers because we do not manufacture packaging. Instead, we particularly offer larger customers that are keen to expand the opportunity to construct their plant right next to ours (Model I) or set ourselves up next to one of our customers (Model II). This allows us to deliver our corrugated board sheets to our neighbour in an integrated, A winning formula from Heindl: He opted for a networked and data-driven method of production back in the early 1990s. He is pictured on the right with the then premier of Saxony-Anhalt, Reinhard Höppner. Professional Papermaking 2.2022 10 INTERVIEW
to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and reduce CO2. For example, thanks to the power plant in Eisenhüttenstadt that I mentioned, we have no reliance at all on fossil fuels. At our stateof-the-art paper factory in Sandersdorf-Brehna, our circulating water treatment plant provides us with biogas which already covers 10% of the energy demand there. We are also planning to construct another RDF power plant there. However, at some sites we are still reliant on natural gas, which is currently a very expensive, rare commodity. Despite this, Progroup remains on course to grow. How is this possible? As a family company, we have always had our eyes set firmly on the future. We have thus far always been able to trust our business model; our vision and thirst for innovation have also steered us through challenging periods. Another factor is that we manufacture a product that is used every single day and is essential for any economy to work properly. This is because without corrugated board there’s no packaging, without packaging there’s no supply chains, and without supply chains there’s no stable economy. Following our growth plan, by 2025 we will be commissioning four large plants in Poland, Germany, France and Italy in order to further expand our position with a clear strategic approach in each of these markets. Nevertheless, the current situation is volatile. We continue to keep a very close eye on developments so that we can respond quickly and flexibly if necessary. Talking of looking ahead: You’ve already mentioned that the long planned changing of the generations The PW07 corrugated sheet feeder plant in Stryków star ted operating in 2009. It remains the biggest plant in Poland and one of the most productive in Europe. biggest corrugated sheetfeeder plant in Poland and one of the most productive in Europe. Along with the site in Rokycany, we were thus able to supply corrugated board sheets to the whole of the Eastern European market but also southern Germany and Austria. Another important year was 2011, when we started to embrace sustainable and resource-conserving papers with the concept of the PM2 paper machine in Eisenhüttenstadt. We developed and installed an innovative generation of machine that manufactures lightweight containerboard with grammages of between 70 and 130 g/m² with maximum productivity: Next Fibre® containerboard. It delivers the best surface finish and strength figures with less use of fibres. Its outstanding processing properties make it the ideal base material for making the best- performing corrugated board sheets. And a very significant milestone is just ahead of us with the change in the generations at the end of the year. Throughout all this, have there been tough times too? From 2007 we were planning to build the PM2 paper factory in Eisenhüttenstadt including a power plant by making an investment of 750 million euros. Then came the financial and economic crisis followed by the euro crisis in 2008. They were challenging times from which we learned a great deal because we were forced to reconsider and optimize our existing structures. Turning a crisis into an opportunity – this was the maxim even at this difficult time. But we don’t even have to go back that far. You only have to look at the current situation in the energy market which is affecting all of the paper and packaging industry and therefore us as a company as well. We took measures at a very early stage to start Corrugated sheetboard production star ted in 1992 with the first Prowell plant in Of fenbach an der Queich. Professional Papermaking 2.2022 11 INTERVIEW
will be happening at the end of the year. You are handing over the role of CEO to your son Maximilian Heindl. How have you prepared him but also yourself for this change? There was a clear plan in place for this. After completing his degree, Maximilian spent five years gaining initial experience in another large family business and then joined our company in 2016 as Head of Production and Technology Paper. He gradually took on more responsibility and in July 2021 was appointed deputy CEO. This allowed me to pass on my experience and knowledge of the market to my son and he has been able to gradually adjust to the new role. We thus made the arrangements to ensure a smooth transition early on. This is important so that we can continue to make a lasting impact in the market with our business model in the future. And continue to grow along with our employees, customers and partners. We want to be a strong, reliable company for them long into the future. I am certain that Maximilian has all the skills he will need for his new role. And I have great confidence that he will continue to develop Progroup successfully. We share values as a family and have a very similar attitude on many issues – a solid foundation for guiding the company successfully into the future. This means at the end of the year I can hand over the helm with a clear conscience and focus on doing new things. Will you then no longer have any say? Perhaps slightly less of a say. This is because I am not leaving the company entirely. From 2023 I will be switching to the Supervisory Board. In addition, I will be leading the holding company. It is Progroup’s principal shareholder. It includes, At its state-of-the-ar t paper factory in Sandersdorf-Brehna, Progroup’s innovative circulating water treatment plant provides it with a biogas supply which already covers 10 % of the energy demand there. To become even less dependent on fossil fuels and reduce CO2, the company is planning to construct an RDF power plant at the site. At the turn of the year, Jürgen Heindl (lef t) will be handing over the helm to his son Maximilian, who is currently deputy CEO of Progroup AG. About Progroup Progroup AG, located in Landau, Germany, is one of the leading manufacturers of containerboard and corrugated board in Europe. Since it was founded in 1991 in Offenbach/Queich, the company has been pursuing a consistent growth strategy which, in addition to technological leadership, is also based on the use of innovative and environmentally friendly production technologies. Progroup operates production sites in six countries in Central Europe. These currently include three paper factories, twelve corrugated sheetfeeder plants, a logistics company and an RDF power plant. With 1,554 employees, the company generated sales of around 1.3 billion euros in 2021. for example, a business office with a Customer Academy that is run by my second son, Vinzenz, who is the managing director. With this organization, we are creating a platform for engaging on issues specific to the industry and family-run companies. What do you have planned for this new chapter in your life? I am very inquisitive, really enjoy travelling and love engaging with other cultures. Maybe my wife and I will manage to spend more time pursuing this hobby from next year. We both definitely want to spend more time with our grandchildren – for the following generation is already in place with Maximilian’s two children. www.progroup.ag Professional Papermaking 2.2022 12 INTERVIEW
IMPS 2022 – International Munich Paper Symposium Progress in paper and board technology – Part 1 Under the direction of Prof. Dr. Stephan Kleemann, Institute for Paper Technology (IVP) e.V., Munich / Germany, – Munich University of Applied Sciences, the 30th IMPS — International Munich Paper Symposium — took place from May 23rd to 25th, 2022 in the Westin Grand Munich Conference Hotel. Prof. Dr. Kleemann opened the symposium and gave an overview. With 376 participants representing 189 companies from 31 countries, the symposium was very well booked. Paper manufacturers were once again very well represented with a share of 38%. All lectures were translated simultaneously into German and English. The 30th IMPS — International Munich Paper Symposium — dealt with developments that improve the processes of paper and board production as well as product quality. In addition, lectures and an exceptionally large number of reports directly from paper mills and cardboard manufacturers were presented. Both wellknown and new companies were represented with their products and services in the exhibition that accompanied the conference. The conference was framed by two joint multi-course lunches, a gala dinner and the chance to take part in a cultural evening (concert by the Residenz soloists in the court chapel of the Munich Residenz) and an excursion (laboratories, paper machine and coating systems of the Munich University of Applied Sciences in Munich). The 31st IMPS will be held from 25th to 27th April 2023 in Munich. The organizer is happy to receive suggestions for interesting presentations about technical innovations (symposium@paper-online.de). Overview of the lectures Progress in the development of gearless drives J. Bußmann, Papierfabrik Vreden GmbH, Vreden /Germany A. Jagodowski, AS Drives & Services GmbH, Reken / Germany This presentation showed the current state of development of gearless drives, in the form of the highly efficient synchronous machine “FlexoDirect®” from AS Drives & Services GmbH (AS). Following on from the IMPS event from 2015, the presentation highlighted the development of particularly compact and powerful synchronous machines for the entire papermaking process – the “special drive for the dryer group” from 2010 has grown into a highly effective product family, whose range of applications extends from stock preparation to rewinding. The FlexoDirect® was first installed at Papierfabrik Vreden GmbH (PPF Vreden) in 2010. The feedback of practical experience since then and the consistent further development of this technology have opened up impressive areas of application for many sections of the paper machine. As an example, the presentation dealed with a current drive rebuild at the PPF Vreden, where the wet end of the PM1 was upgraded with the FlexoDirect® motor technology. The specific project objectives and challenges (e.g. environmental conditions, installation space, temperature, humidity, etc.) will be highlighted, concrete solutions presented and the added value that gearless drives bring to PPF Vreden explained. An overview of current installations in other paper mills showed the potential of this drive technology and rounds off the presentation. Practical cases from many areas of the paper machine impressively show how seamless integration of this technology helps to save energy, increase availability and solve “known” problems during installation, reliably and sustainably. The central advantage of the FlexoDirect® is its unrivaled high energy efficiency, the enormously high power density and the resulting compactness. A “paper-machine compatible” development, hand in hand with the operators, manifests itself in longlasting operating times, which strengthen the availability. Prof. Dr. S. Kleemann Professional Papermaking 2.2022 13 SYMPOSIUM
In addition, methanol synthesis produces water, oxygen (from the electrolyzers), and waste heat, which in turn can be used within a closed-loop system in the pulp mills. Oxygen is a valuable raw material in the pulp and paper industry for e.g. the bleaching process, wastewater treatment, or efficiency increase of other processes. The oxygen must be either produced on site with a high energy expenditure, or must be bought as a raw material from the market. Demineralized water from the Pulp & Paper process can be used in the electrolysis process, where it serves as feedstock for further hydrogen production. Last, but not least, modern pulp mills are producing, due to highly efficient process and state of the art technologies, much more electrical energy than needed for the pulp production itself. Today the surplus is either used in integrated pulp and paper mills or sold on the energy market for sometimes more, mostly less profit. Liquid Wind, a Swedish power-to-fuel development company, is currently planning together with Østed as investor, the worldwide first large-scale industrial roll-out of a eMethanol production facilities. The first plants will be built in Sweden, with additional plans to roll out the so-called Flagship facilities in Europe and on a global scale, in partnership with pulp and paper mills and CHP plants. The eMethanol produced can be used to power all kinds of ships to replace marine fuel oil. Ten Flagships, with an annual production volume of a minimum 50,000t/y eMethanol, are to be built by 2030. The company is planning to scale rapidly, targeting the development and implementation of 500 plants worldwide by 2050. Construction and commissioning of Progroup’s PM3 P. Resvanis, Progroup Paper PM3 GmbH, Sandersdorf-Brehna / Germany After a record-breaking construction and assembly time of only 18 months, Progroup’s new high-tech paper mill PM3 in Sandersdorf-Brehna started operations in August 2020. The ramp-up phase went largely as planned. Fine adjustments were made to continuously improve production performance, and as early as Finally, the new FlexoDirect® powerPULP were presented, which is used for safe and effective pulping in the pulper with over 40,000 Nm and is already being delivered. Paper Industry as a main emitter of CO2, a problem, or an opportunity? E. Schrapp, Siemens Energy AB, Stockholm / Sweden C. Fredriksson, LiquidWind AB, Göteborg / Sweden The answer to this question, which is asked inside the pulp & paper Industry more and more frequently, is given by Siemens Energy and Liquid Wind, who partnered up to use renewable energy and biomass based (biogenic) CO2 to produce eMethanol for e.g., the shipping industry. Methanol synthesis, based on green hydrogen and CO2 from biomass-based flue gas, raises the prospect of a carbon-neutral industrial system. As a fuel for mobility applications and feedstock for the chemical industry, green methanol can decisively drive the de-fossilization of the shipping industry and other industry sectors. At the same time, integrating green methanol production into existing industrial facilities, such as pulp mills or combined heat and power plants, creates an opportunity to re-use a valuable resource like biomass-based (biogenic) CO2, where the Pulp & Paper industry as the main emitter of biogenic CO2 can play an even more important role in the transformation of the transportation industry. eMethanol is produced by chemically combining CO2 and hydrogen. First, hydrogen is produced by an electrolyzer. The hydrogen is converted into methanol in a reactor by catalysis with carbon dioxide (CO2). To produce ‘green’ (i.e. carbon-neutral) eMethanol, hydrogen from renewable energy is used, in combination with biogenic CO2. The potential of this method lies in the fact that the biogenic CO2 emitted from e.g. biomass-based boilers or a lime kiln, can be obtained via a carbon-capture process. This process avoids the emission of further climate-damaging carbon dioxide and uses it as a valuable resource and raw material for a new green energy carrier, like eMethanol, a sustainable energy. Session 1 (v.l.n.r.) E. Schrapp, C. Fredriksson, A. Jagodowski, J. Bußmann Session 2 (v.l.n.r.) H. Laubrock, P. Resvanis, P. Vrizas, Prof. Dr. S. Kleemann Professional Papermaking 2.2022 14 SYMPOSIUM
January 2021, the sound barrier of 50,000 tonnes of containerboard per month was reached for the first time. As an innovation and technology leader, Progroup now has one of the most modern paper machines in the world with a maximum annual production of 750,000 tonnes of containerboard. First experiences with the ProAquaPlus concept P. Vrizas, Progroup Paper PM3 GmbH, Sandersdorf-Brehna / Germany H. Laubrock, Meri Environmental Solutions GmbH, Munich / Germany An essential sub-project for the successful installation and commissioning of Progroup PM3 is the internal recirculating water treatment system – the ProAquaPlus concept. The concept combines closed-loop process water management with technical innovations and standards as well as experience gained in the paper industry with the central objective of further resource conservation ranging from fresh water savings to the use of biogas. A summary of the initial operating experience and successes achieved. Mondi Ružomberok PM19 “State of art Kraft-Topliner-machine” H. Meysel, Mondi AG, Wien / Austria At Mondi SCP Ružomberok 5 paper machines produce approx. 940kt/year of graphic paper, kraft paper, packaging paper and 660kt/year of bleached short fiber pulp are produced. About 100kt/ year is sold as market-pulp and the rest is processed in the integrated paper mill. In the years 2018 to 2021, a two-stage project “ECO plus” was executed, reflecting market requirements, the new packaging paper machine PM19 was built in addition to an expansion of Hardwood-pulp production. The new PM19 kraft-topliner-machine has a paper-width of 5.3m and an annual capacity of 300kt/year. The product Kraft-Topliner is launched under the Mondi brand: “Smartwhite” as a two-layer liner with a virgin fiber on top ply and a recycled fiber on back ply. This provides higher strength and better optical properties than most of 100% recycled paper-based WTTL. This presentation gave an insight into the trials and investigations carried out in order to develop a proper machine-concept for this product. In the course of these considerations, new concepts were developed with machine suppliers that have not yet been implemented in this application. Finally, the Mondi-team decided to go with a compact solution with low technical risk. A particular focus was on the technological considerations and calculations that determine paper- strength and optical properties in the project. The summary expressed the experiences of project execution and the first year of machine operation. Furthermore some insides were shared how the technology assumption matches with reality so far. Project PM5 Aalen-Neukochen mill S. Gruber und F. Schmid, Papierfabrik Palm GmbH&Co.KG, Aalen /Germany The Aalen-Neukochen plant is the origin and headquarters of the Palm group of companies and the Palm paper mill. In 1872, Adolf Palm laid the corner stone for the family business on the river Kocher. In addition to the production of corrugated base paper, the administration and sales for the three German paper mills are located at the site. As part of an investment of 500 million euros, the old mill, consisting of three aging paper machines, a power plant and a wastewater treatment plant, was completely dismantled between 2017 and 2022 and replaced by a modern production facility for manufacturing lightweight corrugated base paper. The new production plant is a trendsetter for even lower basis weights of corrugated base paper and thus for further ecologically sensible savings in corrugated board packaging. As a result of the investments, the 300 employees directly employed at the site have been given career prospects at the heritage site. An enormous planning challenge was the parallel operation of the three old paper machines to the dismantling of the existing mill and the construction of the new facilities. In order to be able to start with the new construction, parts of the production had to be temporarily relocated from the construction site and buildings or plant sections had to be demolished ahead of schedule. The presentation showed the project sequence and the interfaces between the new building and the existing plant as well as the challenges and hurdles in times of a pandemic. Experience with the use of lime milk in a fine paper mill W. Gels, UPM Nordland Papier, Dörpen / Germany J. Schulte, Levaco Chemicals, Leverkusen / Germany UPM Nordland Papier produces uncoated and coated writing and printing papers as well as speciality papers. The Dörpen fine and speciality paper mill is the largest of its kind in Europe and produces up to 1.2 million tons of fine and speciality paper annually on four paper machines and two coating machines. The company is located in north-west Germany and employs about 1,150 people in the paper mill. Nordland Papier GmbH was founded in 1967. LEVACO Chemicals, with its headquarters and production site in the Chempark Leverkusen, is a leading manufacturer and supplier of special chemicals and additives such as defoamers, cleaners, flocculants and fixatives as well as lime milk-based process aids for paper production. The company is globally positioned with in-depth knowledge in the development, production and application of the products. In this presentation, the experience and results with the use of milk of lime in a fine paper mill were presented. For some years now, one of the most important challenges in the production of graphic papers has been to save costs without compromising quality. However, increased system stability, especially pH and conductivity, have also become even more important. Since UPM Nordland switched from birch to eucalyptus pulp a few years ago, there had been an increase in vessel picking (vascular cell rupture) due to transbelt clothing and, accordingly, repeated complaints. In addition, the system conditions in the processes had deteriorated extremely since the summer of 2018, with particular mention of the increased conductivity and the decreased pH value. Impurities from the pulps and recycled DIP due to the manufacturing and bleaching process rendered the biocide effectiveness ineffective for a longer period of time. The additive system was compromised in its effectiveness and the result was transbelt Professional Papermaking 2.2022 15 SYMPOSIUM
occupancy and failure to achieve ash set points, extremely short transbelt run times and vessel picking complaints. Through the more targeted use of biocide and milk of lime already in the pulping process since 2019 and 2020, respectively, it was possible to counteract the acidification and the increasing conductivity at an early stage and to establish system stability. The increased system stability has generated a number of benefits: — Reduction of biocide use — Currently no vessel picking complaints — Achievement of the ash target values without transbelt occupancy — Extension of the running times of transbelt and cylinders — Reduction of further additives (e.g. mass starch, deaerator) The use of milk of lime has now been a very good tool for stable system operation for about 2.5 years. Long-term use and the consequences will continue to be monitored and at UPM Nordland lime milk is to become standard in 2022 with a corresponding permanent solution in the plant technology Mineral recovery from deinking sludges T. Gliese, Omya International AG, Oftringen / Switzerland J. Schuivens (Papierfabrik Palm GmbH & Co. KG), Aalen / Germany The European pulp and paper industry is creating roughly 11 million tons of solid waste every year and it is estimated that this number will further grow, due to the increased demand of recycled paper products. The handling of this waste brings major challenges to the industry due to stricter waste treatment laws and regulations. Many countries prohibit waste disposal to landfill. Therefore, in Europe the amount of landfilled waste has declined over 80 % from 1990 until 2010. A paper making process step which is considered to create a relatively high amount of solid waste, is the deinking process. The so-called deinking sludge is described in literature as an inhomogeneous mixture containing inorganic and organic material such as fibers, fines, inks and minerals. As part of a master thesis, a research was executed focusing on reduction of pulp and paper industry waste by separation and recovery of minerals from deinking sludge. Main target was the comprehensive evaluation of potential technologies for separation and processing of inorganic minerals. A literature review was done to determine potential mineral recovery techniques. Attractive technologies then were tested, using deinking sludges from three paper mills. The quality as well as the reuse potential of the recovered mineral in the pulp and paper industry was investigated. A detailed sludge analysis of three different deinking sludges showed that the sludges have certain shared characteristics, but also have major differences. All of the sludges have a high ash content (57 – 75 %) dominated by calcium carbonate (>80 %). The inorganic fillers are not present as fine dispersed particles, with typically used particle size distribution, but are highly agglomerated. Depending on the sludge sample, the agglomerate diameters did exceed 800 µm. Another obvious sludge characteristic is a low brightness, which was determined to be between 27 – 50%. Different technologies (e.g. Wet Air Oxidation, Acid Leaching, Washing) were tested in lab scale trials. Mineral fractions were separated more or less successfully, reaching unique characteristics depending on which mineral recovery technology was applied. However, all recovered minerals showed a clear impact on optical properties when being used in paper production. The influence of such properties was evaluated in an extensive lab sheet study. Results show that all recovered minerals more or less decrease paper lab sheet brightness between 2 – 30% compared to a reference lab sheet using a standard Hydrocarb60 product as a filler. Opacity on the other hand increased between 1 – 8 % when using recovered minerals due to increased light absorption of the relatively darker fillers. www.paper-online.de Read the articles of the IMPS 2022, part 2 from page 45. Session 3 (v.l.n.r.) F. Schmidt, J. Kivimaa,, J. Muhonen, H. Meysel, Prof. Dr. S. Kleemann Session 4 (v.l.n.r.) W. Gels, Prof. Dr. T. Gliese, J. Schulte, J. Schuivens, Prof. Dr. J. Belle Professional Papermaking 2.2022 16 SYMPOSIUM
With prices for starch skyrocketing throughout Europe and extremely high costs for gas and energy, the savings of raw materials and reducing energy and electricity consumption in additive processing within the paper and board industry is more important than ever. New technologies can support producers in this matter. Save the starch! Diverse application possibilities as an additive in the paper industry S1 S1 S1 T1 T1 A1 R1 C3 O1 H4 In Germany, the paper industry is the largest industrial consumer of starch, accounting for around 35 % of the total starch use. Significant price increases for this important raw material are therefore affecting many paper and board producers. Prices on the market had already doubled at the end of last year. Since spring 2022 and the Ukraine crisis, there has been another additional increase of around 50%, this time due to increased energy, raw material and logistics prices. In times like these, savings are no longer just a “nice-to-have”, but have become an important cost factor. The use of starch as an additive in the paper industry is very versatile. For example, starch is used to treat the paper surface, the so-called sizing or impregnation. Thanks to improved surface properties, starch also helps to improve writing property and printability. Furthermore, the strength and rigidity of the sheet is improved by applying surface size. In the manufacturing process of corrugated cardboard, starch is used as an adhesive to bind and glue the layers of paper. However, when native (unmodified) starch is used, it must be prepared in advance in order to be able to use it as an adhesive. For the processing of starch, the colloquial term “cooking of starch” is also used. If you mix starch powder with (cold) water, you get a cloudy liquid that looks like diluted milk. In contrast to milk, which can be mixed/diluted with water indefinitely, a water/starch mixture (starch slurry) is a two-component mixture, since the starch powder does not dissolve in water. Thus, the starch granules are undissolved and finely distributed as a solid in the water. Such a two-component mixture is also referred to as a suspension. If a sample is left to stand for a longer period of time, the sedimentation of the starch granules can be observed. If the starch suspension is heated, the starch granules will swell. The solid particles “grow” continuously in volume until the cell walls of the starch granules burst open. Only then the starch is able to dissolve in the water and can be used as a paste for the paper web. The swelling and subsequent “going into solution” of the starch granules is also referred to as “gelatinization” in technical terminology. As an undesirable side effect, however, there is also an increase in viscosity during swelling. Classic enzymatic starch preparation The tried and tested GAW systems are a good example of how to achieve impressive savings in resources when processing starch. For decades, GAW has been focusing on new technological developments on reducing the use of water, energy and raw materials in the customer’s production process. In the GAW enzymatic Professional Papermaking 2.2022 17 CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY
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