#36 How to increase revenues by lifting the quality of the wood chip side stream in sawmills?

As demand for quality wood chips increases at pulp mills across the globe and the sourcing of logs in some regions becomes more difficult, the wood chip side stream at sawmills can often be a significant revenue source. This means sawmill operators have a genuine opportunity to fill the gap by supplying wood chips to pulp mills. However, top quality chips are key. To ensure the production of quality chips at sawmills located across the globe, ANDRITZ mission in the supply of chipping technology is to always work to improve chip quality, reduce operational costs, increase uptime and maintain consistency of output – all in the safest of environments. ANDRITZ sawmill products include debarking and chipping equipment, including its PowerHead canter and the well-known TurnKnife system. This equipment is in use in sawmills all around the world – operating on various wood species in a variety of climates. In this podcast we talk to two ANDRITZ experts, Andreas Henning, Global Product Group Manager, and Adrian Yeoman, Customer Service Manager for Australia and New Zealand, about how sawmills can open up new revenue streams by utilizing the very best in chipping technology. For more information, visit our website: https://www.andritz.com/products-en/pulp-and-paper/service-solutions/sawmill-chipping

Today’s pulp mills are operating under intense pressure to be more sustainable, more efficient, and more reliable. One of the biggest challenges is dealing with process variability. These include fluctuations in raw material quality, changing production demands, and complex chemical dosing requirements. These issues not only affect the stability of the operation but also drive up costs and reduce efficiency. ANDRITZ has developed a combination of optimization and artificial intelligence tools to assist pulp mills in reducing chemical usage, minimize failures and achieve greater stability in operations – with some remarkable results. Metris Optimization of Process Performance (OPP) and Metris Copilot integrate advanced analytics with AI to enhance mill operations. Metris OPP leverages plant data to detect inefficiencies and define optimal conditions, while Metris Copilot delivers real-time, AI-driven recommendations, enabling continuous performance improvement and informed, data-based decision-making. In this podcast we talk to André Demuner, Global Automation and Digitalization Business Manager at ANDRITZ about how these new technologies allow pulp mills to move from simply managing problems to preventing them entirely. For more information, visit our website: https://www.andritz.com/pulp-and-paper-en/pulp-production/automation-and-digitalization-pulp-en

ANDRITZ recently acquired A.Celli Paper, an Italian company with extensive experience in tissue, paper and board machinery and services. The company offers turnkey tissue plants and tissue machines including key components and services, as well as winders, unwinders, and rewinders, and packaging solutions for all kinds of tissue, paper, and board production. The company operates in more than 60 countries, with the A.Celli Paper brand being well-known globally with around 1,000 installations. Its installed technology includes over 100 tissue machines, 400 rewinders for tissue and paper and 100 roll handling systems. The acquisition now enables ANDRITZ to be a full line supplier to the tissue paper and board industries, from stock preparation to finished reel. In this podcast, we welcome experts from the former A.Celli Paper, Luca Billi Sales Director and Chiara Allegrini Operations Manager and Alexander Wassermann, Executive Vice President, ANDRITZ Paper & Tissue to discuss the extra benefits now available for tissue, paper and board producers. For more information, visit our website:

With rising pressures to reduce costs and increase productivity, paper manufacturers are constantly looking for ways to improve all aspects production. Inefficiencies in the stock preparation stage can lead to high costs, poor fiber yield, and inconsistent quality in the paper making process. The challenges are compounded by raw material variations, unexpected breakdowns, and a lack of real-time data on operational performance. So, what can manufacturers do to tackle these issues? That's where Metris OPP (Optimization of Paper Production) and ACEs (Advanced Control and Expert Systems) come in. These digital solutions are designed to bring more control, efficiency, and predictability to the stock preparation process. By integrating digital solutions like Metris OPP and ACEs, paper manufacturers can make real strides in optimizing operations and achieving both cost savings and sustainability goals. The future of paper production is smart, connected, and efficient. In this podcast we take a deep dive with ANDRITZ expert John Schröder, Director, Packaging & Tissue Digital Solutions to find out how the combination of OPP and ACE can vastly improve the stock preparation process. For more information, visit our website: https://www.andritz.com/products-en/pulp-and-paper/automation-and-digitalization-paper-en/automation-digitalization-solutions-stock-preparation

Yes they can! With the ANDRITZ OCCasion program, existing mill operators can benefit from customized solutions tailored exactly to their own mills’ needs with the goal of improving efficiency and maximizing profitability. The program includes access to the very latest innovations and advanced products to optimize production processes. ANDRITZ OCC experts work with customers on improving fiber yield, increasing capacity, material and water system balances, stickies and digital transformation. The program is designed as a holistic solution covering multiple process areas across mills. In this podcast we speak to ANDRITZ OCCasion experts George Emery, Process Director and Al Zumpano, Process Expert from ANDRITZ about how existing mills can begin the transfomation ready for the future. Learn more about the program: https://www.andritz.com/pulp-and-paper-en/innovation/andritz-occasion

The often used saying “what you put in is what you get out” is very true when it comes to the mechanical pulping process (TMP). Good quality chips are essential for efficient and profitable production, as well as high quality paper products. Chip pretreatment is a crucial stage in the TMP process as it sets the foundation for effective fiber separation during the refining process. With the latest ANDRITZ pretreatment technology for TMP, the PrimeMSD Impressafiner, producers can be assured of uniform chips, consistent chemical impregnation and reduced shives leading to a much more efficient process. The PrimeMSD Impressafiner delivers superior impregnation and optimized chip maceration which leads to reduced energy consumption and smoother refining. It also provides improved fiber strength, lower refining challenges, and consistent pulp quality. With sustainability at its core, lower energy use and reduced waste generation align with environmental and operational goals. In this podcast we talk to Ernst Kubr, Product Manager, ANDRITZ Refiners about the pretreatment of chips utilizing the PrimeMSD Impressafiner which has been designed for maximum efficiency and sustainability. For more information, visit our website: https://www.andritz.com/products-en/pulp-and-paper/pulp-production/chip-pretreatment

An average lime kiln at a pulp mill will use up to 75 m3 of heavy oil to produce 450 t/d of burnt lime. This adds up to around 25,550 m3 of fossil fuel use per year. Some mills produce much more burnt lime, up to 1,000 t/d, which represents a significant cost in heavy oil use as well as adding to the mill’s CO2 emission penalties. It is now possible to completely replace fossil fuel burning in the lime kiln by using the LimeBio-Powder biofuel plant from ANDRITZ which powderizes various types of biomass. The powderized biomass is then fed into the lime kiln and is burnt in exactly the same way as heavy oil. The LimeBio-Powder biofuel plant can operate with various types of biomass including forest residues and pellets as well as waste wood and bark. Easy to install, and with a small footprint, the fully automated system can be integrated into a mill’s existing DCS’s or ANDRITZ automation and digitalization solutions. In this podcast we talk to ANDRITZ white liquor plant experts Jari Vuorela, Product Manager and Ville Seppänen Sales Manager about the simplicity of installation and operation, and the major cost and emission benefits of the LimeBio-Powder biofuel plant. To find out more, visit our website: andritz.com/biomass-powder-burning

The mill is set to produce up to 2.1 million tons per year of high-quality eucalyptus pulp. It is deeply impressive that such a large production site operates unobtrusively and almost silently in the middle of Uruguayan cattle ranching country. Clearly, sustainability and protection of the environment at the mill is a No. 1 priority for UPM. The Paso de los Toros mill is the second of UPM’s pulp mills to be built in Uruguay, the first one, Fray Bentos, was started up 15 years ago. Due to the enormous success with the Fray Bentos mill, ANDRITZ was chosen once again as a turnkey supplier for UPM's second mill. Our podcast features insights from key figures at UPM’s Paso de los Toros mill including Marcos Battegazzore, VP of Pulp & Forestry operations, Uruguay; Federico Mantiñan, General Mill Manager; Daner Perez, Fiberline Manager; Santiago Tucci, Electrical Engineer. It also includes perspectives from ANDRITZ’s Eduardo Roubaud, Site Manager at the mill. To find out more about the project please visit: https://www.andritz.com/spectrum-en/upm-giant-pulp-mill-uruguay-passage-of-the-bulls

The request from Royal Golden Eagle (RGE) owner of Bracell in Brazil was a tough one; to build the world’s largest and greenest pulp mill in the world, and then further, to build a tissue mill right next to the pulp mill located at Lençóis Paulista, São Paulo state, Brazil. And there was more; The pulp mill, Project STAR, would need to switch quickly between kraft and dissolving pulp as the markets demanded. ANDRITZ took on the challenge and delivered the complete scope of supply including a complete wood processing plant, the world’s largest HERB recovery boiler, two hardwood fiberlines, two pulp drying lines and the world’s largest non-condensable gas treatment system, focusing on the use of side streams in the recovery cycle. For Project Tissue ANDRITZ delivered the complete scope of supply on an EPCC basis including four PrimeLine Tissue Machines. Project Tissue represents one of the largest of its kind in the world and is the largest order ANDRITZ has received for its tissue technology. Listen to our podcast where we talk to Marcelo Montanhese de Lima, Tissue Project Senior Manager, Bracell, Rafael Sirtoli, Director of Operations from ANDRITZ in Brazil, and Klaus Blechinger, Vice President of Tissue, ANDRITZ to tell us about these two impressive and world leading projects. To find out more visit our website: https://www.andritz.com/spectrum-en/bracell-star?utm_source=podigee&utm_medium=episode-28&utm_campaign=spectrum-podcast-season-3

Due to the use of older technology at existing thermo mechanical (TMP) mills, production can significantly suffer with a lack of efficiency and quality in a highly competitive marketplace. Also on the horizon is the rapid decline in the availability of skilled operators. There is no-doubt that these older TMP mills have big challenges going forward. ANDRITZ has been quick to react to these challenges with the introduction of its “topTMP” initiative which has brought together its vast experience in service and maintenance at TMP mills, along with its offering of the latest in cutting-edge technology. Starting from the woodyard and covering the complete TMP process to the final pulp, the topTMP approach from ANDRITZ actively offers customers the opportunity to review and analyze plants and receive a detailed and comprehensive investment proposal. In our podcast we welcome two ANDRITZ experts, Georg Hadl, Director Business Development Paper Engineered Services and Markus Pichler, Vice President, Sales & Application, Fiber. The discussion takes a deep dive into how TMP operators can transform their production efficiencies at older mills into powerful 21 Century production processes, complete with the latest in state-of-the art technology. To find out more visit our website: https://www.andritz.com/products-en/group/pulp-and-paper/service-solutions/refining-system-service/andritz-toptmp