MillOne in detail: How intelligent production systems enhance operational control and transparency
Operational management in paper mills continues to face mounting pressure. Expectations for transparency and rapid responsiveness are rising, while many mills contend with limited personnel and increasingly complex production environments. In this context, digital platforms such as Voith’s MillOne serve as the central intelligence of the mill, creating an interconnected ecosystem that stabilizes and streamlines production processes.
A primary objective is to bolster operational control – the capability to oversee processes in real time, detect deviations early and initiate corrective measures without delay. MillOne supports this through its Production Center, Production Cockpit and structured alarm management system, all of which provide a fast and comprehensive overview of mill performance, especially during shift changes.
Production Center: Fast orientation at the start of a shift
“The Production Center is the central point of contact for operating personnel at the start of their shift,” explains Ulf Grohmann, Director of Product Management Autonomous Paper Mill at Voith Paper. A clearly organized dashboard brings together all essential information on ongoing production and current tasks, such as average machine speed or quality and efficiency indicators including fresh fiber content or steam consumption within a user-defined time window.
“By visually marking machine sections according to the action required, operators immediately get an overall impression of the current production,” Grohmann notes. “This makes it a practical hand-off tool that greatly simplifies communication about shift progress and the current status of production.”
Beyond initial production insights, the Production Center consolidates information on operational activities – from planned and unplanned downtimes to personnel planning, supported by an integrated task overview displaying all activities at a glance. Operators can also access reports and shift handoffs directly within the system and use a mouseover function to quickly examine data for each paper roll produced.
Production Cockpit: Deeper insight for targeted decision-making
For more detailed analysis of machine components and process areas, operators can turn to the Production Cockpit. “Here, too, it was important to us to first provide a compact overview of the most important values, which the operator can define themselves,” explains Zsuzsanna Ozvary, Project Manager UX/UI Co-Development at Voith Paper. “A traffic light color system makes it immediately clear whether or not the respective key figures are within the desired range.” Thresholds can be defined using static limits or adaptive parameters based on grades or advanced algorithms. Operators can then delve further into the data as needed.
“MillOne’s Production Cockpit is much more than an attractively designed user interface,” adds Grohmann. “It combines visual clarity with powerful analysis functions that go beyond monitoring alone.”
For instance, if a paper quality index drops below a specified threshold, MillOne provides a clear, data-driven recommendation on corrective actions. This feature enables operators without extensive analytical expertise to interpret process values, recognize trends and act accordingly. Such action-oriented guidance is particularly valuable in light of the industry’s growing shortage of skilled workers, making it possible to manage complex processes with less specialized personnel.
Structured alarm management for quicker responses
Focused alarm handling is another essential component of effective operational control. Lars Mallasch, Group Technical & Sustainability Director at Mondi, reports that as many as 3,000 alarms can occur on a single machine within a week. “To avoid flooding the operating personnel with too many messages, alarms are prioritized and clearly displayed in the MillOne interface,” says Grohmann. “This creates transparency in the event of a fault and enables fast, targeted responses.”
Alarms are fully customizable, allowing mills to monitor not only individual measured variables but also complex process sequences. This flexibility makes it possible to tailor alarm structures precisely to the conditions of each facility and adapt them as operational requirements evolve.
Conclusion
MillOne demonstrates how a comprehensive digital production system can bring structure and clarity to the demanding operational landscape of modern paper mills. By combining centralized data access, intuitive guidance and integrated analysis and alarm capabilities, the platform becomes more than a monitoring tool: it actively supports decision-making. In an environment marked by limited human resources and the need for faster reaction times, MillOne offers a practical and reliable approach to managing complex processes — helping establish the foundation for more resilient, future-oriented paper production.
