Tissue: in full swing

Martin Jauch, let’s start with your role and vision for the new tissue organization.

My goal is to concentrate on our tissue activities worldwide. This means putting a global focus in our development and simultaneously taking local customer needs and market trends into account and adding even more customer benefits. We will use our existing strengths and experience to further expand and increase our footprint in the tissue industry. Our digitalization drive alone secures a real value-add for our customers.

How will tissue customers benefit?

We are respected in our field as the reliable partner with a strong technology focus. Our new tissue organization will build on these strengths. The focus will be 100% on tissue, backed by the full potential of Voith’s expertise as the full-line supplier in the industry. We offer innovative solutions, products, service concepts and digital portfolio. By bundling our experience across the whole papermaking process for tissue, we are in a position to develop the market further together with our customers.

Voith is renowned as a full-line supplier not only for all paper, but also for all tissue applications. How has Voith built up such expertise and trust?

Voith built and sold the first-ever tissue machine worldwide! We have at our disposal unrivaled expertise at the Voith Tissue Innovation Center in Brazil. Our Fiber Technology Center in Germany covers all grades, as does our automation competence. Our domain knowledge doesn’t end there; it extends over fabrics, clothing and covers too. As the full-line supplier, we provide complete process competence from one single source. This is a huge benefit for our customers. Of all the tissue machines on the market, our XcelLine offers the fastest start-up, highest availability and shortest erection time.

Since 2015, customers from around the world have purchased over 25 XcelLine tissue machines. These were chosen by customers after their own due diligence evaluation of Voith machine efficiency, paper quality and low energy consumption. We also supplied the world’s fastest tissue machine with a steam-heated dryer hood. This TM 16 for Cheng Loong in Taiwan produces up to 2,001 meters of tissue every minute. It set new technical standards when it went into operation.

Tissue manufacturers will benefit from our digital twin

Tell us more about the success of the innovations for tissue.

We have succeeded in transferring tested and proven Voith technologies to tissue. Take for instance the NipcoFlex T. This development of our shoe press technology specifically for tissue saves on natural resources and reduces energy costs significantly. Other innovations also include the EcoChange T and, of course, the MasterJet Pro T headbox. This works without recirculation, which reduces energy consumption. Together, and combined with our LowMist Former layout and automated dust-eliminating steam hood, these innovations ensure the highest solid contents and high efficiency, and really make a difference when it comes to serviceability, energy consumption and overall performance.

Tissue manufacturing comes with a unique set of hazards. How does Voith reduce the risks?

Safety is a crucial component in the design of all our products. Our technology fulfills all international standards, such as pressure codes for Yankees. Voith engineers developed the high efficiency dust removal system to reduce the risk of fire. Our design improves the overall operator environment, which is secured by our equipment accessibility and maintenance.

What’s happening in the area of pulp?

Fiber makes up 60% of production costs. Our BlueLine stock preparation solutions ensure highly efficient fiber handling. In addition, our IntensaPulper IP-V for virgin fibers contributes to reducing energy consumption, improving maintenance expenditure and lowering fiber loss.

And on the digital side?

Papermaking 4.0 applies equally to tissue operations as it does to other paper grades. Including in the use of artificial intelligence. Conventional means to measure paper properties and derive machine settings take time and disrupt the process. Papermaking 4.0 reduces this delay – which immediately translates into higher efficiency. Virtual sensors bring reliable and fact-based data about the process. Such insights reduce uncertainties and lead to stable and predictable operations. Our one-stop Industrial Internet of Things cloud platform, OnCumulus, provides tissue manufacturers with a customizable central hub for data analysis and applications. For instance, the OnEfficiency Strength module uses sensors to determine sheet strength. And, as with all of the XcelLine machines, our OnCare Asset Management portfolio is an essential component for predictive maintenance and performance monitoring in tissue production. Tissue will also enjoy the same benefits of virtual reality as all other paper grades. Voith is the first company to use virtual reality on a large scale for paper manufacturing. Starting with the 3-D model, customers can experience their machine before purchasing.
And I mean really experience what it is like to walk through and use the machine. Virtual training will not only speed up the learning curve, it will also help improve performance. Ultimately, as with all our customers, tissue manufacturers will benefit from our digital twin. This is an exciting development that will change how the industry will work in the future.

Finally, a word about your dedicated services for tissue?

One word covers it all: Servolution. This is about customer-centric solutions. In practice, we offer so much more than just spare parts. By providing overall solutions, our customers improve their productivity and reduce costs. In the field of tissue, we offer specialized OnSite Yankee Services, as well as a mechanical roll service contract. In addition to conventional services, such as supervision, startup, optimization or alignments, Voith offers machine audits. Our Availability Service and Productivity Concept will bring existing tissue equipment to the next efficiency level.