Tissue Softness Analyzer User Report ANDRITZ AG

We spoke to Klaus Gissing, Director PrimeLineTIAC and Air & Energy Systems at ANDRITZ about the tissue trials and the use of the emtec Tissue Softness Analyzer: “The tissue market has turned more and more into a mass-production business since 2008. To stay competitive in the pulp and paper industry also in the future, we have to be better prepared in the premium segment. Customer do not invest in a machine without having seen it before. Therefore, ANDRITZ built a pilot tissue plant in 2017, which helps to improve and optimize existing processes and to find ideas for new solutions. In the focus are resource savings, increase in quality as well as sustainability. At our so called PrimeLineTIAC, Tissue Innovation and Application Center, we have the emtec Tissue Softness Analyzer in use”.

Hand Panels for the Quality Assurance of Tissue Products are Outdated

The key parameters for the quality control are the elongation and compressibility of the material, the water absorbency and the hand feel.
In the past, with the traditional hand panel test, at least ten people have been necessary to rank or rate the different grades of for example toilet paper. Often it was necessary to send material to test institutes, which are specialized in hand panel testing. Results in a timely manner could not be expected.

Objective Softness Measurement with the emtec TSA – Industrial Standard within the Tissue Industry

An alternative to the time-consuming hand panel method is the TSA, introduced to the marked in 2006, developed and manufactured by emtec Electronic, Leipzig (Germany). The Tissue Softness Analyzer is the only test device, which is able to objectively measure the softness, roughness and stiffness of a tissue product. Because of its very good correlation to the human expectation, the industry accepted the device very fast. From now on, it was possible to receive results, provided by an objective test device.

Today the device is used by institutes and R&D centers, pulp and tissue mills, chemical suppliers and tissue converters. “The TSA is the only accepted and also from others recognized device for the measurement of the softness of tissue papers. The success has proven emtec right, the device is used worldwide.” This is how Klaus Gissing and ANDRITZ took notice of the test method. Since the beginning of 2019, ANDRITZ has used the device. The installation only needed a square meter space in the conditioned lab. Due to the good training and support by the application engineer, the start-up went well and the operators were left with a good understanding of the measuring principle, the handling of the device and the interpretation of the results. “The operators reacted very positively, because they can see the changes in the process”, describes Klaus Gissing and continues: “The handling of the device became routine very fast”.

TSA Softness Analyzer is now used in 48 countries, in each part of the world

Process Optimization with Short Response Time and Increased Product Quality

Today ANDRITZ uses the device to optimize machine settings of their customers worldwide, mainly by comparing samples with the device that are made at the pilot machine and at the customer’s site. With the help of the device, such optimizations can be realized faster and more targeted. “After the test production, it takes less than 10 minutes to get the results from the tests in the lab and adjust our production process”, explains Mr. Gissing. “The hand panel tests in the past often took a day, and after the tests it was still not always clear what wheel to turn to reach a certain degree of improvement. The 10 minutes are a real highlight! The icing on the cake would be to have the complete measurement process online.” Besides all the possibilities the device offers, Klaus Gissing is happy about the boost in motivation which came along with the implementation of the TSA.

World leader in all major business areas

The ANDRITZ GROUP provides a comprehensive product portfolio for special industries all over the world. With its technologies and service solutions, ANDRITZ is one of the world leaders in all major business areas. The Pulp & Paper Business Unit is responsible for one third of the company’s turnover and is represented globally. Klaus Gissing says: “With the Pulp & Paper Business Unit, we are active in all parts of the world. There are no white spots”. With machines for the converting of trees, the production of pulp, paper and tissue and many more, ANDRITZ offers solutions for different steps of the pulp, paper and tissue production.