Pulp tech
Fines Management Audit is a unique analytical service
TIMO SORMUNEN
Retaining fines, keeping material and energy expenses in check, and making production processes cleaner and more efficient – these are the key benefits from Fines Management Audit, which Metsä Fibre’s Technical Customer Service experts offer to pulp customers.
Customers in the paper and paperboard industry are con- stantly seeking to improve the material and energy efficien- cy of their production processes and the quality of their end products. Metsä Fibre’s Technical Customer Service experts dig deeper into this challenge with the help of Fines Management Audit, an analytical service. The service is primarily offered to customers that have been cooperating closely with Metsä Fibre’s Technical Customer Service. In the new service concept, Metsä Fibre’s experts not only analyse pulp refining, but focus on the wet-end production process at large to identify potential areas of improvement. Juho Rossi , Technical Customer Service Manager, says that the ‘Less is more’ approach is quickly gaining traction throughout the customer base. Special attention is now being paid to the mills’ fibre and water balances. “Our customers want to use raw materials as efficiently as possible and reduce water consumption. Obviously, global conditions also come into play. If a specific raw material is in short supply, paper furnishes must be adapted accordingly.”
Moving forward through inspections Analyses of the fines balance at mills can help determine the sources of runnability problems or process fluctuation. Rossi compares the new audit service to a traditional vehicle inspection, where the vehicle is carefully exam- ined, and the owner provided with a list of any defects or necessary repairs. Appropriate measures can help improve the management of fines, as well as the management of extractives and the cost-effectiveness of refining. Smoother and more efficient production processes also offer substantial savings, Rossi says. By improving the re- tention of fines, hundreds of thousands of euros can be saved annually. Savings are also obtained from the decline in production disturbances and interruptions, as well as longer mainte- nance intervals. Furthermore, improving the retention of fines helps re- duce the wastewater load and improve safety at work at tissue paper mills.
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