Pulp & Paper Canada November/December 2013

Pulp& Paper Canada

• Biofuels update • PaperWeek preview • Creative safety systems

Over 100 years of serving the industry

November/december 2013

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Western diversification

Alberta launches a new source of cellulose nanocrystals

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Pulp& Paper

November/December 2013 Vol. 114, No. 6 A Business Information Group Publication Print edition ISSN 0316-4004 On-line edition ISSN 1923-3515

Canada

Over 100 years of serving the industry

Cover story

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34 Cellulose Nanocrystal Production

Begins in Alberta

Read about Western Canada’s CNC pilot plant, plus other news about bioproducts and biochemicals

FEATURES

12 PaperWeek Canada Preview

A quick look at the schedule and speakers for the 100th anniversary edition of Canada’s largest industry gathering.

14 Innovative Ways to Make it Safe

The pilot paper machine at Innofibre is a concrete application of creative health and safety concepts.

19 Can Biofuels be a Drop-in Solution?

Although economics do not favor wood-based biofuels, their green credentials may be enough to pave the way.

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Effective and Useful Audits of Pulp and Paper Machine Processes The value of audits is influenced by engagement of personnel, preparation, and execution of the key findings.

PAPTAC TECHNICAL PAPER

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Evaluation of Collimated Chipping Technology for Reducing Energy Consumption in Mechanical Pulping This paper reports the differences in properties of TMP refined from wood chips produced at two different spout angles, and with/without the addition of sodium bisulphite to the dilution water. L.M. Hellström, T. Carlberg, P. Engstrand, P.A. Gradin, Mid Sweden University, and O.W. Gregersen, Norwegian University of Science and Technology

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IN EVERY ISSUE

4 Editorial 6 News 11 Opinion: FPInnovations 11 Opinion: FPAC 31 Technology News 33 Classified Ads 34 Bio-Economy MISSION STATEMENT: To promote the pulp and paper industry in Canada by publishing news of its people and their innovations in research, technology, management and financing, as well as forecasts of future trends.

Serving the industry since 1903.

For breaking news, visit www.pulpandpapercanada.com Cover image: courtesy of Alberta Innovates-Technology Futures.

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November/December 2013 Pulp & Paper Canada

3

Editorial

We’re better than before I

have spent a lot of time viewing web sites of pulp and paper companies in the last few weeks (working on the Annual Mill Directory). What an improvement compared with the web presence only a few years ago. Clearly, most companies have taken action to ensure they are competitive in this sphere.

I especially enjoyed the newsletter I found on the Daishowa-Marubeni Peace River Pulp web site.

It really showed a human side of the workers there.

Some of the blogs of the interns hired through the TheGreenestWorkforce.ca initiative were also enjoyable. Mark Pipher, an intern at Slave Lake Pulp, put together a great blog about the biomethanation project at the mill. It had a detailed explanation and graphics, plus a glossary. Kyle Waterman Cindy Macdonald put together a slide show of some of his daily tasks Editor as a woodland forestry assistant at Millar Western, supplemented with some of the fun weekend activities he experienced while out west. Read a few of the blogs at http://thegreenestworkforce.ca/index.php/blog. They’ll remind you of all the things you like about your job.

Switching from kudos to complaints, I’m tired of people recalling the glory days of PaperWeek, when it had international stature, when it filled the Palais des Congrès, when Pulp & Paper Canada wrote, printed and distributed a special conference newspaper each day of the week, when expense accounts could wine and dine a crowd of 20.

Times have changed. The industry has contracted, suppliers have consolidated, and the Internet upset the way everyone does business. We can’t expect to replicate the success of the past. What we have with PaperWeek now is an event tailored to the current size and needs of the industry.

For those of you who haven’t been at PaperWeek since those years when its glory was fading, it’s time to come back.

This year’s event is shaping up to be a vibrant, multi-faceted affair, with expert speakers from many different fields and many social occasions.

Join the party as PaperWeek Canada, or more correctly, the annual meeting of this country’s pulp and paper association, celebrates its centennial in 2014.

I encourage mills and suppliers to send a few people to Montreal this year. With the conference presentations grouped by topic (i.e., packaging, reliability, biorefining, human resources), it’s possible to spend just one night in Montreal and still take in a substantial portion of the event.

This is the industry’s 100th annual meeting – let’s make it great.

Editor CINDY MACDONALD 416-510-6755 cindy@pulpandpapercanada.com Publisher Jim Bussiere 416-442-5600 ext. 3606 jim@pulpandpapercanada.com President, Business Information Group BRUCE CREIGHTON Vice President, Publishing ALEX PAPANOU Executive Publisher, Manufacturing Tim Dimopoulos

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Pulp & Paper Canada November/December 2013

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Industry News Kruger Products honored for sustainability efforts

A plaque was unveiled Sept. 5 to commemorate 100 years of papermaking at Resolute Forest Products’ Thorold, Ont., newsprint mill, formerly known as Ontario Paper.

Thorold celebrates 100 years of newsprint

A

t many times in its long history, the mill at Thorold, Ont., has implemented cutting edge technology and ideas, morphing to meet the needs of its market and the demands of its fibre supply, but for 100 years, it has remained a newsprint mill. Almost 200 people gathered Sept.

5 to celebrate that fact, and to mark the occasion with the unveiling of an outdoor plaque that will explain to tourists the historical significance of this enterprise.

The mill is currently owned by Resolute Forest Products, and produces newsprint from 100% recycled newsprint. It is the only one in Canada to do so, and one of only a few in North America.

The Thorold paper mill began life as a subsidiary of the Chicago Tribune newspaper, intended to produce newsprint solely for its parent company. Through its various incarnations and ownership changes, it was first and most widely known as Ontario Paper Co. The mill currently produces 202,000 tonnes of newsprint annually on one paper machine (dating from 1982).

Mill manager Gordon Cole says one of the challenges the mill now faces is the declining quality and quantity of old newsprint available as a feedstock. High energy costs as well are a concern to him. Balancing those negative factors are the mill’s advantageous location (easily accessible to a large “fibre basket” of old newsprint), proximity to end-users, and its diversified and experienced workforce, says Cole.

“One thing that has remained constant is the dedication of our people, be it 100 years ago, or today,” Cole told the gathering.

The Thorold mill is credited with pio6

neering modern manufacturing methods in the industry, including the sale of valuable chemical by-products of the pulp and papermaking process – ethyl alcohol, vanillin (for which it held the patent), oxalic acid and saltcake. It is generally said to be the first integrated pulp and paper mill in Canada. At its peak, the mill employed 1500 people. Now, it employs 130.

Some early employees formed Local 101, International Brotherhood of Paper Makers, the first papermakers union in Canada.

Cole and the mill’s technical guru Henry Peters recall that in the late ’80s, the mill installed the largest flotation deinking system in use at that time. “We designed a process that was more simple and more cost effective than what was in use in Europe at the time,” says Peters.

He says Thorold was also the first North American mill to move to 50% recycled/50% TMP furnish. The conversion to 100% recycled furnish happened in about 2002.

One enduring legacy of the early years of the Ontario Paper Co. is the Ontario Paper Thorold Foundation. When the mill was sold to Donohue in 1996, the Foundation was spun off. Years later, the Foundation is sill funding activities, including opportunities for technology education at nearby Niagara College.

The Ontario Paper Co. “strove to support institutions in the mill towns of Thorld and Baie-Comeau, and at forest operations in smaller northern towns. The Ontario Paper Thorold Foundation proudly continues this tradition today,” says Ross MacDonald, a trustee of the Foundation.

Pulp & Paper Canada November/December 2013

Tissue manufacturer Kruger Products has earned the 2013 Greening of the Supply Chain Award from the Canadian Association of Importers and Exporters. Specifically, the company won this award because of its updated supplier policies, FSC certification, work in reducing logistics and transportation inefficiencies, and installation of innovative technologies to improve its sustainable performance, among other initiatives.

Resolute planning permanent shutdown of Iroquois Falls’ PM1 A hundred-year-old paper machine that makes specialty and construction grades at Resolute Forest Products’ Iroquois Falls mill will be permanently shut down within six months. About 70 employees will be affected by the closure.

The northern Ontario mill will continue to make newsprint on PM8.

A statement from Resolute explains that PM1 was operating at less than 60% of its annual production capacity. In 2012, it produced approximately 30,000 tonness of specialty and construction grade papers.

The markets for these construction grades are limited. Demand has been declining over the past few years and is expected to continue to decrease, says Resolute.

As a single-machine operation, according to Resolute, Iroquois Falls will enhance operating efficiency, drive down costs and ensure its competitive position. This action will also support job security for the workforce tied to the operation of newsprint machine #8.

The Iroquois Falls mill currently employs close to 240. By the time PM#1 closes, approximately 60-70 impacted workers will be eligible for or close to retirement.

Iroquois Falls has a population of about 4700. Resolute is one of the town’s largest employers.

Thurso returns to its NBHK roots Fortress Paper Ltd. will operate the Fortress Specialty Cellulose Mill at Thurso, Que., as a “swing mill”, capable of switching production from dissolving pulp to northern bleached hardwood kraft (NBHK) pulp. The change can be accomplished with minor modifications and no www.pulpandpapercanada.com

Industry News capital expenditure, says Fortress.

Yvon Pelletier, president of Fortress Specialty Cellulose Inc., commented: “We will now be capable of quickly shifting production at the FSC Mill between different products to maximize margins in response to changing market conditions.”

Given current market conditions for dissolving pulp, the company has determined that the FSC mill can improve margins by redirecting its production capacity to lower-cost NBHK pulp production.

Relative to dissolving pulp, NBHK is simpler to produce and has a higher yield derived from the same fibre source, says Fortress. In addition, when producing NBHK, the mill will have 25% higher production capacity, when compared with dissolving pulp.

The Thurso mill will produce, among other products, specialty maple NBHK pulp, which Fortress says is ideally suited for premium packaging, tissues and toweling, and other technical and specialty papers, due to its superior smoothness, opacity, bulk and cleanliness.

Fortress Specialty Cellulose has also successfully completed the final testing of its cogeneration facility. The plant is now delivering power to the Hydro Quebec grid.

Newfoundland government will lend Kruger $110 million Premier Kathy Dunderdale said the government of Newfoundland and Labrador will lend Kruger’s Corner Brook Pulp and Paper $110 million.

It had been revealed months ago that the provincial government had allotted $90 million in this year’s budget for a loan to the province’s only remaining pulp and paper mill. More recently, provincial officials have stated the loan was always planned to be $110 million.

Premier Dunderdale said a formal announcement about the loan is forthcoming, but the government wanted to wait until Kruger, the parent company of Corner Brook Pulp & Paper, had completed negotiations with the Corner Brook unions.

The Telegram reports Dunderdale as saying: “It’s a great plan. It’s not a giveaway.

It’s a loan that’s guaranteed by the generation asset that’s of value to the people of the province, so it’s a good piece of work and we’re happy to talk about it finally.” www.pulpandpapercanada.com

Print buyer report indicates print budgets still growing Margie Dana, widely known as the founder of Print Buyers International, has teamed up with industry consultant and researcher John Zarwan to develop a profile of today’s new print buyers. Having surveyed hundreds of professional print buyers across the country, they released the results in a 40-page report titled “The New Print Buyers: Who They Are, What They Want and What You Should Do.” According to the report, many companies and agencies are not only continuing to purchase printing, but they are also increasing their annual budgets.

The report also identified several growing needs that in large part are still unmet.

“An overwhelming percentage of print buyers want their print provider to offer more than ‘just print’. Printers need to realize that 20% of print buyers today have less than 10 years of experience in that role and are seeking faster, cheaper, and better ways to communicate with their client bases. Print, though still valuable, is just one tool in the communications arsenal.”

The role of print – and the print buyer – is changing. Print buyers now may have other, sometimes more important, responsibilities.

Dana and Zarwan’s report may be purchased at http://margiedana.com/store/ reports/.

Pepite contributes to energy optimization project The Canadian branch of Pepite Technologies has been involved with an awardwinning energy optimization project with Prayon Engis in Belgium. The project received the Belgian Energy and Environment Award. Some 60 plant workers joined forces to pinpoint areas for improvement based on a detailed analysis of data recorded in collaboration with Pepite. Sebastien Lafourcade, managing director of Pepite Technologies, congratulates the plant operators, supervisors, managers and all the departments involved. “They own this great success.”

Metso given approval to split off pulp, paper, power business Metso Corporation’s Extraordinary General Meeting held in Helsinki October 1, approved the proposed plan for partial

Supplier news……

• Archroma is the newly formed global color and specialty chemicals company made up of the former Textile Specialties, Paper Solutions and Emulsion Products businesses of Clariant. The three businesses were acquired by SK Capital Partners.

Archroma’s Paper Solutions Business provides expertise in the management of whiteness, coloration, special coatings and strength for all kind of papers.

• DuPont has announced the separation of its Performance Chemicals segment to enhance shareholder value. This business unit includes the titanium technologies business, which makes titanium dioxide.

• AkzoNobel has again been ranked number one on the influential Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI), heading the Materials industry group. AkzoNobel CEO Ton Büchner noted that the company’s employees deserve huge credit for helping to make sustainability an integral part of AkzoNobel’s business activities and company culture. demerger and decided to divide Metso into two companies. Metso’s Pulp, Paper and Power business will be transferred to a new company, Valmet Corporation, while the Mining and Construction and Automation business will remain part of Metso.

Under the demerger plan, all of Metso’s assets, debts, and liabilities relating to Metso’s Pulp, Paper and Power business will be transferred to Valmet. Following the demerger, Valmet will be a separate and independent public listed company. The planned registration date for the completion of the demerger is December 31, 2013.

Kemira acquires Vancouver-based specialty chemicals supplier Kemira has signed an agreement to acquire Soto Industries Inc, a privately-owned supplier of specialty chemicals and services to the pulp and paper industry.

Soto’s product range includes digester scale control, silicone and oil-based

November/December 2013 Pulp & Paper Canada

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Industry News

The team at Atlantic Packaging’s Whitby mill, marking the successful restart of the paper machine.

Voith rebuilds newsprint machine for liner and corrugated medium After a rebuild of its Whitby, Ontario, paper machine with Voith-supplied equipment, Atlantic Packaging Products Limited (APPL) put the machine back into operation on May 24, 2013.

The Whitby machine previously produced newsprint and was shut down indefinitely in March 2010. It has a 6,553 mm (258”) reel trim. The goal of the rebuild was to convert the machine defoamers, and polymers used in green liquor clarification and effluent treatment for pulp and papermaking.

“In addition to the strong strategic fit, the transaction is expected to result in synergies through raw material, logistics and fixed cost savings,” says Billy Ford, senior vicepresident, paper segment, North America.

The transaction does not have material impact on Kemira’s financial figures and the transaction price was not disclosed. Soto Industries is based in Vancouver.

Tolko’s PM upgrade will produce stronger kraft paper Tolko’s strong drive for innovation and the market demand for stronger paper has led the company’s paper mill in The Pas, Man., to concentrate on further enhancements to its kraft papers.

Known internationally for its SPK and 8

to produce top-quality liner and corrugating medium.

“This rebuild was a success thanks to Atlantic Packaging’s extensive experience in containerboard production, Voith’s machine and process technologies expertise, and excellent cooperation between the two parties,” said Sammy Di Re, regional sales manager, Voith Paper.

The rebuild concept was based on

state-of-the-art technology and included modifications of the main dryer section, including steam and condensate system, and hood modifications. New tail threading equipment and UTM pulper were also included, along with the relocation of an existing calender and reel.

Rebuilding the stock preparation line from ONP use to OCC use was also part of the project.

SPX brands in the sack manufacturing markets, Tolko’s Manitoba Kraft Paper Division is focusing on increasing the cross direction and machine direction strength of all its paper grades, providing the advantage of a higher balanced tensile energy absorption (TEA) to customers worldwide.

“Many of our customers around the world have very modern operations with ever increasing demands and we need to make sure we meet and exceed their requirements,” said Blair Rydberg, Tolko’s site manager, Manitoba operations. “Thanks to the efforts of our team of specialists, led by production manager Juha Jarvinen, the natural strength of our slow-growing fibre in Manitoba and the use of the only airborne drying process in North America, we already have a strong reputation in the market, providing excellent sack conversion performance and end user satisfaction.”

Rydberg continued, “We have committed further capital for the installation of a Voith DuoShake™ during the fall of 2013 to achieve additional improvements in strength for our products. The Voith DuoShake™ works on the principle of creating cross directional turbulence pulses on the forming section by physically oscillating the breast roll or forming fabric thereby allowing for mechanical control of fibre alignment during the paper sheet forming process.”

Jarvinen added, “The final product specifications will be published after installation of the unit. We also expect to have the ability to increase the operating speed of the paper machine, as there are secondary benefits in improved drainage, associated with this equipment once installed.”

The upgrade is expected to be complete by year-end.

Pulp & Paper Canada November/December 2013

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A new company is born At the turn of the year Metso’s Pulp, Paper and Power businesses will become an independent, listed company – Valmet Corporation.

Valmet will focus on delivering competitive technologies and services globally, especially to industries that use bio-based raw materials. The new company is strongly committed to moving its customers’ performance forward.

Metso will continue to provide leading process automation and flow control solutions and services for the pulp, paper and power generation industries.

Metso and Valmet will work closely together to offer winning automation solutions and services boosting their customers’ production efficiency.

Discover more at www.valmet.com and www.metso.com

Industry News emissions from raw materials, fossil fuel combustion, purchased energy, and transportation. It also provides carbon-neutral biomass emission data.

Resolute presents Baie Comeau workers with a choice of job losses

Global recognition for Canadian research and innovation Dr. Gray received the Marcus Wallenberg Prize from His Majesty, King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, on Sept. 23, in recognition of his cutting-edge research on nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) fibre during his career with McGill University and FPInnovations. (NCC is also referred to as cellulose nanocrystals.) A symposium on the award-winning theme and its importance to the forest industry and society took place the next day.

Fisher International releases paper industry carbon emissions database The pulp and paper industry now has a comprehensive way to benchmark its carbon emissions. A new model, developed by the paper industry consulting firm Fisher International, can now show the carbon footprint of every pulp and paper mill in the world.

The benchmarking tool has already revealed some startling comparisons across the industry, according to Stanley Okoro, general manager at Fisher International.

“We are very excited about this breakthrough because neither the paper industry – nor any other industry that I know of for that matter – has a standardized global database that can analyze carbon emissions both at micro and macro levels worldwide.”

Since the new data is integrated with Fisher’s mill asset and cost databases, it’s possible to conduct rich analysis of asset comparisons by type of equipment, grade, company, region, and hundreds of other factors as they relate to carbon emissions.

The system uses FisherSolve’s powerful benchmarking software, commonlyaccepted carbon emissions methodology, and Fisher’s mathematical modeling of each mill’s mass-energy balance to follow CO2 10

Workers at the Resolute Forest Product’s Baie Comeau newsprint mill were presented with two scenarios by the parent company: either reduce the workforce by 90 workers and lengthen the work day to 12 hours from eight, or shut down one of the mill’s three newsprint machines and reduce the workforce by 150 workers, according to a report from the Canadian Press.

Company spokesman Pierre Choquette told Canadian Press the company is trying to make the mill more competitive, and unionized workers had one week to choose an option.

Later reports said the workers voted to reopen their collective agreement to maintain three paper machines operating. The workforce will be reduced by 70-90 people.

Catalyst mill sells wastewater treatment facility to city The City of Alberni’s purchase of the wastewater treatment facility and additional lands from Catalyst Paper’s Port Alberni mill site was finalized on September 30. An initial payment of $5 million will be followed by payment of the remaining $750,000 next year on the first anniversary of the closing date. As well, the city will provide tax certainty to Catalyst at 2012 levels for five years.

PAPTAC to assist recovery boiler group PAPTAC will assume the secretariat role for the Eastern Canadian Black Liquor Recovery Boiler Advisory Committee (ECBLRBAC). The pulp and paper industry association will be working with the committee by helping with the communications, marketing and logistics, and providing some of its tools and resources to support the structure and organization of ECBLRBAC. The BLRBAC is a committee of industry representatives that exists for the purpose of generating safety procedures and guidelines that govern the operation of black liquor recovery boilers.

CKF adds more renewable packaging options Canadian molded pulp producer CKF Inc. has acquired Vancouver-based Earthcycle Packaging Ltd. The company says the acquisition will further strengthen its product offering while providing opportunities to access new markets with an expanded portfolio of sustainable packaging products.

Earthcycle develops packaging made from palm fibre, a renewable resource formerly considered an agricultural waste. The food packaging products are certified compostable, recyclable and renewable.

Cascades expands tissue capacity on the U.S. West Coast

Industry curling championship set for Quesnel

Cascades plans to install a second paper machine at its plant in St. Helens, Oregon. The project involves acquiring and reconfiguring a specialty paper machine previously operated by Boise which is located adjacent to Cascades’ existing tissue machine. This machine will be reconfigured to produce 55,000 tons of tissue paper annually, bringing the total tissue paper capacity of the St. Helens’ site to 120,000 tons per year. Total cost of the project is estimated to be $35 million and start-up is planned for the fourth quarter of 2014.

The machine will manufacture hand towels and napkins for the away-fromhome market.

The pulp and paper industry’s curling bonspiel moves to Quesnel, B.C. this year. Pulpspiel will be held from February 26 to March 2.

This fun but competitive event has a 40-year history in the industry. It is open to players who have curled in the event previously, worked in a pulp or paper mill for at least four months, are related to current or former employees within the industry, are retired from the industry, or are affiliated with a sponsor.

Visit www.pulpspiel.com for more detail, and start planning your team.

Pulp & Paper Canada November/December 2013

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Opinion

Trade with Europe: Back to the Future

By Isabelle Des Chênes, vice-president market relations and international trade, FPAC

T

he news about an agreement in principle for a Comprehensive European Trade Agreement (CETA) reminded me about the historic roots of the Canadian forest sector as an export-driven industry.

Back in 1806, the emperor of France, Napoleon Bonaparte, brought in the Continental Blockade to punish his arch enemy Great Britain. This cut Britain off from its traditional lumber supply from northern Europe and forced Britain to turn to its North American colonies to supply its naval shipyards. The square lumber trade across the Atlantic was born.

Fast forward to the 21st century and there is now another historic opportunity to send increasing numbers of shiploads full of Canadian forest products to Europe, thanks to the new trade agreement. It will eliminate tariffs of up to 10% on Canadian plywood, veneered panels, fibre board, particle board and prefabricated buildings.

Last year, Canada exported just over $1 billion of wood, pulp and paper products to member states of the European Union (EU).

Europe accounts for only 4% of total exports of Canadian forest products, lagging well behind the United States, China and Japan.

However, the full elimination of tariffs could help grow the modest trade between Canada and Europe. And the comprehensive nature of the trade deal could help the Canadian industry in other ways. For example, there could be enhanced environmental acceptance of Canadian forest products because the EU has agreed to a bilateral dialogue to identify areas of cooperation on sustainability standards for green government procurement policies specifically related to forest products. Canada and the EU have agreed to try to improve their co-ordination of regulatory codes and standards – something that could be valuable as the industry rolls out new bio-based products. And a new joint committee is aimed at ensuring that sanitary and phytosanitary measures to protect human, animal and plant life do not unnecessarily harm trade.

Canada’s forest products industry originally grew on exports to Europe and the sector continues to rely on global exports.

Under Vision2020, FPAC is aiming to generate an additional $20 billion dollars in economic activity through new markets and new products by the end of the decade. FPAC welcomes this new trade deal with Europe and will continue to push for more open markets elsewhere in the world.

Benchmarking for success: FPInnovations’ report on kraft pulps

By Jennifer Ellson, senior communications specialist, fpinnovations

O

ne of the most significant barriers to growth is the inability to adapt to changing markets, environments and competition. Understanding your competitive position is highly important and failure to evaluate and adapt can make a company insignificant in the global arena. It is therefore critical to benchmark – to compare your performance against a practice standard established by a respectable organization.

In the pulp sector, major changes have been occurring in the past decade in kraft market pulp production and applications. In particular, production is moving to South America and Southeast Asia, while markets are shifting to Asia.Northern bleached softwood kraft is increasingly used in specialty tissue and towel products, which are gradually replacing the more traditional printing and writing grades.

Embracing the benchmarking process should be an essential part of any busiwww.pulpandpapercanada.com

ness, especially because benchmarking is an embedded management practice used extensively among the world’s best firms.

Therefore, to assist Canadian pulp manufacturers in competing more effectively in global markets, FPInnovations conducts benchmarking programs every five years to assess the quality of bleached kraft market pulps from major pulp-producing countries worldwide.

FPInnovations’ goal is to develop comprehensive databases of mechanical, surface, and optical properties that provide relevant information about the typical ranges of fibre and pulp attributes in order to allow the participants in these studies to benchmark their products against competitors’ pulps.

Results of the 2013 benchmarking report have already been sent to participating companies and a report on the results of two previous benchmarking programs has now been released to the public. A total of 84 pulps – 50 softwood and 34 hardwood – from major pulp-producing

nations were included in these programs.

The two-part report provides access to a wide databank of information, from an independent ISO-accredited laboratory, not available otherwise. Simply put, FPInnovations’ benchmarking report will help pulp producers evaluate, test and adjust their products and businesses. Market pulp manufacturers will find it to be particularly valuable as ammunition for defending the quality of their pulps to prospective customers, and for positioning their products against competitors’ pulps with respect to papermaking potential.

For market pulp customers, the report can be used as a decision-making tool and for assessing the quality of purchased pulp for a particular end-use application.

The report is available in PDF and XLS format and includes the data for all pulps and illustrates the relationships between several property pairs. For more information, contact Wayne Bichard at wayne. bichard@fpinnovations.ca or 514-7824640.

November/December 2013 Pulp & Paper Canada

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Conference Preview

100

PaperWeek Canada 2014 P

aperWeek Canada keeps getting bigger and better. The 2014 event is packed with activities and learning opportunities. The conference program achieves a balance of technical topics and business insights from industry leaders. This year is also a milestone. It is the 100th edition of the PAPTAC annual meeting, now known as PaperWeek Canada. PAPTAC is planning a banquet to celebrate the centennial.

PaperWeek Canada runs from Feb. 3-6, 2014, in Montreal. For the most upto-date schedule and event details, visit www.paperweek.ca.

The keynote speaker list for PaperWeek is impressive. Richard Garneau, president and CEO of Resolute Forest Products and Brian McClay, principal, Brian McClay & Associates Pulp Market will provides insights on the pulp and paper market in the medium-term. Sten B. Nilsson, CEO,

Forest Sector Insights AB, will speak on the subject of the transformation of the Canadian forest industry. John D. Williams, president & CEO of Domtar, a company well-versed in innovation and transformation, is also confirmed as a speaker for PaperWeek.

To facilitate attendance for the many disparate sectors of our industry, the conference sessions have been organized into tracks, grouping sessions on the same topic within a condensed time frame.

Highlights of the packaging track will be Norampac’s presentation on the recent start-up of the Greenpac state-of-the-art linerboard mill, KSH’s discussion of the restructuring of the North American containerboard industry, and a presentation from the Paper and Paperboard Packaging Environmental Council on sustainability.

Technology-oriented presentations are expected from Voith, Kadant, Albany, Kemira, StoweWeavexx, Metso, Buckman, GL&V and AstenJohnson. On the reliability topic, speakers include SKF, GP

Allied, R. Coulombe Group and IDCON. Among the returning attractions are the career fair (supported by Cascades, Domtar, FPInnovations, Kruger, Resolute, Tembec), the trade show with networking events on the show floor and end-of-theday receptions, and FIBRE Day, featuring the work of the research networks that make up FIBRE. In addition, the International Forest Biorefinery Symposium returns to PaperWeek Canada for the fourth year. This is the most important forest biorefinery program in Canada. It will have sessions on forest biomass resources; biorefining technologies; bioproducts; markets; and building links between the forest and the chemical industry. There is also a special session on BioFuelNet Canada, a Network of Centres of Excellence that brings together the Canadian biofuels research community.

The host hotel for PaperWeek Canada is once again the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth, and events generally take place on site. Plan to be in Montreal to take part in the centennial of the pulp and paper industry’s annual gathering.

PPC

PaperWeek at a glance

Monday, Feb. 3

Tuesday, Feb. 4

Wednesday, Feb. 5

Thursday, Feb. 6

FIBRE day Biorefining symposium Welcome and awards reception Trade show Career fair Networking reception Packaging track Reliability track Mill managers breakfast roundtable Human Resources track 100th anniversary banquet Tissue track Bioenergy track Dissolving pulp track Technical track 12

Pulp & Paper Canada November/December 2013

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Case Study

Innovative ways to make it safe

Innofibre’s pilot paper machine is a concrete application of creative health and safety concepts, and demonstrates their connection to reliability and productivity.

By Jean Paradis, Eng., paper machine specialist

I

nstalling a pilot machine represents an immense amount of work, especially when every single aspect of worker safety is closely examined. This task is particularly critical given that the primary goal of a pilot machine is to develop new products or processes by pushing operating conditions to the limit.

In addition to serving as a test bench for new products, the pilot machine is also being used as a teaching tool to train new workers. This means paying even more attention to monitoring inexperienced personnel who may be working on industrial-size equipment for the first time and may not be fully aware of the risks involved. Ensuring their safety is of the utmost importance.

This article shows how the Innofibre team succeeded in carrying out this challenging task. It demonstrates how they were innovative in terms of the type of equipment they chose as well as the way 14

they used the equipment to ensure the entire community would benefit, thereby making them a health and safety leader in the process.

Innofibre is a research centre dedicated to cellulosic materials, affiliated with the CEGEP de Trois-Rivières in Quebec.

A massive machine that meets industry requirements Mechanically speaking, Innofibre’s pilot paper machine, despite its width, is very similar to the industrial equipment found in pulp and paper mills. It produces paper and paperboard between 25 and 300 g/m2 at speeds ranging from 200 to 1000 m/min.

With a sheet width of 40.6 cm (16 in.), the machine can produce paper suitable for commercial printers. It has all the parts of a conventional machine from the headbox to the reel.With 28 dryer cylinders, each 1.5 m (5 ft.) in diameter, the dryer section is one of the most surprising aspects of the

Pulp & Paper Canada November/December 2013

machine. Few equally fast pilot machines have the capacity to dry the sheets produced on line. Since sheet produced by the Innofibre machine is not rolled wet, it will be under the same drying constraints as sheets produced in standard paper mills.

Innofibre paper is therefore very representative of paper produced in conventional paper mills. The sheet can also be run through tandem soft-nip calendars.

Innofibre’s jumbo rolls, with a maximum diameter of 2 m, can be used to produce smaller rolls on paper cores. These rolls can be sent to a printer for evaluation, or to a converter. It is also possible to produce a few tonnes for clients who require smaller production runs.

A Honeywell Da Vinci™ scanner measures basis weight, moisture, calliper, %ash, brightness, opacity, colour and gloss sensors. It continuously inspects the sheet and automatically adjusts basis weight and moisture. This scanner is the most comprewww.pulpandpapercanada.com

All photos courtesy of Innofibre.

Partial view of the formation table.

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Case Study

Dyer section with open doors

Dyer section with closed doors

hensive quality control system in America.

A high-performance control system is an integral part of any research operation. The Innofibre system includes more than 350 control loops and a data recording system (OSIsoft PI system) for real-time tracking of variables, thereby providing a comprehensive reference of the production process. Clients typically leave with a copy of all the data recorded during the test run.

ity was actually observed. The reason for this was that under the old system when only the faulty section was shut down, often a few minutes later paper wraps would be found in other sections.

Shutting down the other sections would then take more time than if all the cylinders had been shut down at the outset. Furthermore, it takes the same amount of time to start up one section as it does to start up the entire dryer section.

The door management interlocking mechanisms result in other constraints. To thread the sheet at the start of production, the dryer section doors have to be closed. At Innofibre, the rope threading system in the dryer section is very carefully fine-tuned because manual air lances are never required to thread the sheet into the different sections of the dryer. The sheet is transferred from the press section to the first dryer cylinder with a stationary air lance that is carefully positioned to push the sheet between two threading ropes. The lance is activated remotely by simply turning a conventional manual valve. The sheet is pushed between two ropes and threaded through the entire dryer section without any further intervention.

Dryer section door management strategy As is the case for a majority of Quebec mills, safety in the dryer section is a major challenge. At Innofibre, dryer-related safety issues posed problems since the dryer hood was half-open and the walkway was not far enough away to minimize the risks. On the basis of approaches taken in other mills, Innofibre started investigating the feasibility of installing safety barriers when a solution involving the installation of lifting doors came to mind.

Closing off the dryer section from the walkway turned out to be the best way of making the dryer section safe. In addition to providing complete protection, the doors helped keep the heat inside the hood, which made the pilot machine resemble conventional paper machines that much more. A special strategy ensures the doors end up being protective. Two interlocking systems require the doors to be closed for the dryer section to operate and the dryer cylinders to be shut down for the doors to open.

The common practice in mills is that when a sheet breaks the dryer doors open automatically so that operators can inspect the sheet and correct problems on dryer cylinders. At such mills however, protective screens are often added behind the doors so that these tasks can be carried out without having to shut down the machine. At the Innofibre facility, there was not enough space to install protective screens. When a sheet break is observed at the Innofibre facility, the sheet is immediately cut after the couch roll. To open the doors, the technicians first have to shut down all 28 dryer cylinders in the dryer section.

At first, this may seem to be a rather unproductive approach.

But once the procedure was in practice, an increase in productiv16 

Pulp & Paper Canada  November/December 2013

Safety and productivity go hand in hand Applying safety enhancing measures is often perceived as being an activity that is incompatible with paper machine productivity. Yet that is not necessarily so, as in the case of the following example involving felt stretchers.

As happens with all pilot paper machines, production trials can be separated by a few days. During periods of inactivity, dryer felts have to be left loose because they shrink as they dry and could damage the support roll. Before the next run, the felts are moistened and will gradually stretch to their initial length.

This very delicate process can result in serious problems if proper care is not taken. An overly loose felt could slip on the guide roll, which will then not be able to move the felt appropriately, in that the felt could shift forward or backwards and be damaged. To avoid this, Innofibre personnel are required to check felt tension using a tensiometer. The tension is readjusted www.pulpandpapercanada.com

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Handling a World of Materials

Case Study

Fully enclosed reel section

using a ratchet key and requires considerable physical effort. Using a tensiometer is a high-risk operation that requires manually taking the measurement on a moving felt. Given that Innofibre has three presses, each of which has two felts, special care is needed for every startup.

In response to this, Innofibre acquired new felt stretchers a few months ago. This system uses load cells that continuously measure felt tension and adjust the positioning of the stretching roll to maintain proper tension. This system, sold by Erhardt+Leimer, helps maintain constant felt tension, which maximizes press performance while freeing personnel from having to perform this high-risk task.

Since 2007, Innofibre has invested considerable sums in its pilot paper machine. Many of the upgrades have had an impact on the machine’s reliability, productivity and ease of operation, but especially on ensuring the safety of machine operators.

Innofibre is proud to report that there have been no accidents involving bodily harm during machine operation or maintenance procedures. Despite this track record, Innofibre has continued to 18

Pulp & Paper Canada November/December 2013

Bottom felt stretcher systems

forge ahead testing original control strategies and new equipment.

The results of these tests are distributed to the entire industry through Innofibre’s direct contacts with clients or its participation in health and safety related meetings organized by the Association de la santé et de la sécurité des pâtes et papiers du Québec.

Innofibre’s pilot paper machine is not risk free, but efforts made in recent years have improved the situation.

PPC www.pulpandpapercanada.com

Market Trends

Can biofuels be a drop-in solution?

Although economics do not favor wood-based biofuels when compared to fossil fuels, their green credentials may pave the way for biomass-to-liquid applications, as well as biochemicals and biomaterials.

By Shaun Leslie Turriff

T

here was a strong sense at the 2013 BIO World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology, held in Montreal this past June, that the future of biofuels is looking bright. Stephen Gatto, then CEO of Myriant, told attendees, “The era of commercially viable renewable fuels, chemicals and energy is here now.” Jim Lane, editor of Biofuels Digest, went further, suggesting that biofuels and other renewable energy sources would be an absolute necessity in the future; at current usage, he said, by 2050, we’ll need five times the energy that we use today. Steve Hartig, general manager of POET-DSM Advanced Biofuels, further said that there is only 50-100 years left of fossil-fuel economy.

Apparently the oil industry has taken note as well. Jean-Michel Gauthier, a petroleum industry analyst, comments that research spending by petroleum companies into alternative fuel and energy sources is at an unprecedented level.

But in the shorter term, where does the biofuel industry stand in Canada and in North America?

A key concern with biofuels has been the food vs. fuel issue, where first generation ethanol made from corn competed directly with food crops and arable land use. Second generation, or advanced biofuels, made from non-food sources of cellulose largely circumvent these concerns. Advanced biofuels are seeing a rise in popularity, with several North American facilities beginning commercial operation this year. Despite increasing presence and some policy support, it remains to be seen whether or not North American second generation biofuels can compete economically with global sources, or even with first generation corn-based ethanol. This is especially pertinent to advanced biofuels made partially or wholly from woody biomass.

Renewable fuels policies provide a boost Both Canada and the U.S. have energy policies that support the biofuel industry. The Canadian government has the Renewable Fuels Regulations, which requires that all fuel produced in, or imported to, Canada contain a certain percentage of renewable fuel. The U.S. government has the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), which requires that a certain volume of renewable fuels be blended into gasoline. Jack Saddler, professor of forest products biotechnology/bioenergy at UBC, noted that in the current hydrocarbon market, it would be tough for biofuels to compete with petrochemicals without “initiator” policies like the RFS and Canada’s Renewable Fuel Regulations.

Recently, however, both policies have been subject to potential amendments and revisions that could weaken the biofuel induswww.pulpandpapercanada.com

try in each country. An early draft of the 2014 RFS has biofuel requirement numbers cut by significant amounts. A proposed amendment to the Canadian policy suggests lowering the percentage of renewable fuel required for heating fuels, which constitute a substantial portion of the market.

Nevertheless, U.S. policy does support the industry. Dr. Robert Graham, CEO of Ensyn, stated that the RFS program is critical in promoting growth and development in the industry. He noted that Canadian policy is less effective, and that the industry in Canada and in general would benefit from a Canadian policy aligned to that of the U.S. Ensyn’s primary product, Renewable Fuel Oil™ (RFO™), does not require RFS or similar incentives to be profitable, but regulatory incentives like RFS create demand, drive innovation, and help level the playing field, according to Graham.

Jamie Stephen, managing director TorchLight Bioresources, cautions that long-term business sustainability should not be based entirely on policy incentives due to the uncertainty of regulations.

It’s hard to beat ethanol The nature of the ethanol commodity market makes competition against first-generation ethanol difficult. Only a handful of North American companies have reached, or will reach, commercial levels of production of second-generation ethanol from woody biomass in the near future. According to the Advanced Ethanol Council, a group that promotes advanced ethanol fuels and technologies, these are: BlueFire Renewables, Mascoma, Zeachem, and INEOS Bio. BlueFire and Mascoma follow a traditional enzyme fermentation route to ethanol, Zeachem uses a proprietary combination of fermentation and gasification, while INEOS Bio gasifies biomass and ferments the resulting syngas. Another company, Kior, uses woody biomass, but produces cellulosic gasoline and diesel, not ethanol, using a system similar to fluid catalytic cracking (FCC).

According to Jamie Stephen, the production cost of cellulosic ethanol produced from woody feedstocks can be two-and-a-half to three times higher than first-generation ethanol. This is related to capital costs, feedstock costs, feedstock recalcitrance, intertree variability, and feedstock shipping distances in Canada, among other things. In the Canadian context, companies would have to achieve economies-of-scale, and count on policy support for domestic production to compete with lower-cost imports and first generation ethanol. These issues affect pathways dependent on sugar fermentation and the production of ethanol; a thermochemical pathway such as Ensyn’s, producing a cellulosic fuel, avoids some of these problems.

November/December 2013 Pulp & Paper Canada

19

Market Trends Ensyn’s RFO™ can be used directly as heating fuel or for power generation, and can also be processed into a variety of other products, including “drop-in” transportation fuels, which are economically competitive with petroleum-based products. With strong partnerships in the oil and gas industry, Ensyn sees conversion to liquid fuels as the best option in the biomass-energy space. One of Ensyn’s key initiatives is an innovative process in which Ensyn’s RFO™ is converted to undifferentiated transportation fuels (gasoline, diesel) by feeding RFO™ into commercial oil refineries, leveraging on existing refinery infrastructure. Graham says this process would convert biomass to dropin transportation fuels in a cost effective manner, and avoids the blending challenges associated with ethanol. Liquid fuels, for Graham, have great advantages over solids and gas fuels, and can take advantage of the infrastructure already in place, both in terms of transportation to market, existing refineries, and vehicles that run on them.

20

From biofuels will come biochemicals Jamie Stephen raises the issue of regional competition for forest feedstocks as a concern for biofuel project developers. Once the biofuel infrastructure and production is in place, however, Saddler suggests that, in the same way the chemical industry evolved out of the oil sector, the forest products-based biorefinery will evolve out of the bioenergy/biofuels sector.

Like the petrochemical industry – where chemicals, plastics and polymers are worth more than energy and fuels – the forestbased biorefinery will likely find that a large part of its value will come from a smaller percentage of the products, such as biomaterials and biochemicals. The consensus opinion is that the future of forest biorefining overall is certainly in these value-added co-products, and biofuels are likely to be one of them.

Several North American producers are making progress on bio-based chemicals.

Renmatix hopes to drive down the cost

Pulp & Paper Canada November/December 2013

of producing sugars from woody biomass with a new process, and has recently partnered with the Finnish pulp and paper company UPM. GEVO now produces commercial levels of isobutanol, which can be a fuel additive and is a component of jet fuel. Myriant and BioAmber also focus on the chemical industry, producing succinic acid, and not biofuels. Neither currently use woody biomass.

These issues all bring to mind the forest products industry’s recent discussions of how best to integrate biorefineries into the existing spectrum of forest products.

It is likely that the various bioenergy options, such as combustion, combined heat and power (CHP), gasification and pyrolysis, will first be integrated and used within mills. Witness the Nexterra gasifiers used by Kruger Products and Tolko in British Columbia. Pyrolysis companies such as Ensyn claim that their processes are well suited for integration into current wood processing sites while using low value or “waste fiber” streams without

www.pulpandpapercanada.com

Market Trends competing for primary fiber use.

Aviation fuels show promise for woody biomass. Speaking at BIO, Geoffrey Tauvette, director of fuel and environment at WestJet, notes that his company has reached the limit of current technology to achieve reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. “Biofuels are the option that allows us to continue to grow,” he says.

For airlines, biofuels reduce reliance on fossil fuels and may reduce price volatility.

Tauvette claims that Canada has the tools to succeed – biomass, research and university network, and proximity to markets of U.S and E.U. – but that the aviation industry needs to communicate with government to get their help.

In addition to use in biofuels, woody biomass could play an increased role in the overall energy industry by increasing electricity production. Ensyn has a strategic partnership with a global leader in diesel engine technology and an engine is being commercialized that can run on Ensyn’s RFO to produce electricity. Turboden pro-

www.pulpandpapercanada.com

duces CHP plants that use the organic Rankine cycle with biomass, woody or otherwise, as a fuel source, burned directly. GE Jenbacher gensets can generate electricity from syngas produced by the gasification of woody biomass. Pulp mills in Canada already produce green energy for sale back to the grid (albeit with steam turbines), a low risk strategy, according to Stephen.

Fighting fossil fuels The likely low price of fossil fuels due to fracking, shale gas, oil sands extraction, etc., will all make the development of biofuels and the biorefinery concept a difficult challenge for the forest products sector. Policy changes, volatile fossil fuel prices, the commodity pricing of ethanol, and feedstock issues are all key variables.

Although UBC’s Saddler agrees that the outlook is not as optimistic as some technology providers might like, he thinks the need for more environmentally acceptable and sustainable biorefinery-derived products will ensure the long term suc-

cess of biofuels. The development of strategic partnerships between the chemical or oil companies that know the markets and the forest-based companies who know how to sustainably grow, collect and process the feedstock would appear to be a key strategy for the evolving forest-based biorefinery industry.

As predicted by reputable bodies such as the International Energy Agency (IEA), biofuels and bioenergy will play an increasing role in the world’s energy mix, as carbon emissions and their effects on climate change become increasingly apparent. The IEA and the U.S. Dept. of Energy predict that second-generation ethanol and cellulosic fuels will continue to increase in the market. Advanced biofuels and the range of products that can be derived from a biorefinery approach to wood/forest residue will continue to be an attractive opportunity for the Canadian forest product industry, making good use of its advantages of access to fiber, research, industrial knowledge and existing infrastructure. PPC

November/December 2013 Pulp & Paper Canada

21

The Annual Conference of the Canadian Pulp and Paper Industry

2014

FEBRUARY 3 - 6 Montréal, QC, Canada

100

TH

Featured Preliminary Program Highlights:

ANNUAL MEETING

Tracks: Business / Packaging / Tissue / Reliability Dissolving Pulp / HR / Bioenergy / Technical

Innovation in Motion

PaperWeek Canada's 100th Anniversary Banquet Tradeshow / Career Fair / Keynote Luncheons ... and much more

Innovation in Motion As we prepare to celebrate the 100th edition of the PAPTAC Annual Meeting (PaperWeek Canada), we invite you to join us and celebrate this impressive milestone, which is a true testimonial of our industry's rich past and exciting future.

The Program Committee is already actively planning one of the most impressive and relevant programs ever, which you can expect will also feature special activities around PaperWeek's 100th Anniversary.

John D. Williams President and Chief Executive Officer DOMTAR CORPORATION

Keynote Speakers

Richard Garneau President and Chief Executive Officer RESOLUTE FOREST PRODUCTS

Please be sure to visit www.paperweekcanada.ca regularly and stay abreast of the program announcements and updates which will be posted in the course of the coming weeks.

We look forward to welcoming you in Montreal!

Greg Hay, Executive Director PAPTAC

Program Committee www.paperweekcanada.ca

Yvon Pelletier Program Chairman President Fortress Paper Dissolving Pulp

Hosted by:

Patrick Corriveau Co-Chair Vice President Operations Resolute Forest Products

Stéphane Lamoureux Co-Chair Corporate VP Manufacturing Kruger Products

Benoit Painchaud Co-Chair Mill Manager Kruger Place Turcot

BUILDING FOR THE NEW P&P COMMUNITY

My Industry. My Commitment. Our Future.

Operations Sponsored Technical Paper

Effective and Useful Audits of Pulp and Paper Machine Processes

By Doug Sweet, P.E.

Abstract: Paper machine audits are essential to the papermaking process. These audits can include weekly felt moisture scans, fabric audits during shutdowns, reviews of specific subsystems (stock approach, chemistry, vacuum, the reel, etc.), or they can include study of the largest systems in the paper, board or pulp mill. These system studies can be performed by a company-led team, fabric suppliers, paper machine manufacturers, or just one person specializing in a particular process. The value of the audit is influenced as much by preparation by, and engagement of, mill personnel as it is by the capability of the auditing team or individual auditor. This discussion will include essential concepts for preparation and planning for an audit, what to expect during the audit, and ideas on execution of key findings of the audit.

The key influence for a successful audit is preparation Audits which provide the mill with valuable information to increase efficiencies, minimize fiber loss, improve sheet quality, etc., are influenced by preparation, planning, scheduling, execution, follow-up and follow-through. Hundreds of manhours can be consumed in the fact-finding efforts and many valuable opportunities may be uncovered during an audit. However, many factors will determine the impact and results of the audit on mill performance and each is emphasized in this presentation.

Preparation: Someone in the mill has likely asked one of these questions: • “There is a problem that we can’t resolve, so do we need to audit a specific process?”

• “Does the entire paper machine (or pulp dryer) need to be examined?”

• “Our vendor has offered an audit at no charge, so how do we get the most from this effort?”

• “Can a team audit of our pulp/paper/ board machine help to resolve our problems?”

These are all valid questions. A good, thorough process audit is time consuming and can be expensive (for the vendor, corporate team, or consultant), so how do www.pulpandpapercanada.com

you maximize the benefit to the mill?

Several essential steps are necessary to plan an audit. Depending on the scope of the audit and number of specialists coming into the mill, this planning could begin 2-3 months in advance. A Mill Audit Contact needs to be in charge of coordinating the effort and to “own” the audit. This person needs both accountability and authority. Without authority, decisions can get bogged down during approval of every detail. Also, the audit needs to have full support from mill management. Many excellent audits are accomplished, only to result in a report being stored on a shelf or lost among thousands of electronic files.

Mill culture is vital to the success of any process study, of any size. Some mills have evolved with little outside support and developed a mindset that all problems can be solved internally, and that outside help is not needed or even appreciated. Other mills include management and supervisors who have encouraged relationships with suppliers, vendors and consultants, and welcome advice (free or paid for) to allow continuous process improvement. Then there are those mills that have a culture which contains a mixture of these examples and although they may support suggestions for improvement and optimization, there is a lack of willingness to try anything new.

Once the Mill Audit Contact responsible for

planning and organizing the audit has been selected, their job will include necessary management and coordination to maintain support which can lead to successful execution of findings made during these system reviews.

An immediate next step is determining who performs the audit. Depending on the scope, this can require a single person for three days, or a team of 10, 20, 30 or more people to be on site for a week.

Someone needs to determine where specialists are required, and how generalists can also contribute. When corporate-driven, audit planners may have already made these selections, which can include audit teams from clothing suppliers and machine builders. Sometimes, a few specialists are included with either approach to review areas including stock cleaning or screening, vacuum systems, or the reel and winder.

Small audits of a specific process are made to resolve particular problems and these usually require an experienced specialist. The person may be a consultant, work for an equipment supplier, or may be with one of the fabric or chemical vendors who is already associated with the mill. If a specialist is identified as preferred above anyone else, then begin the effort early to be able to secure their time. These experts, if they are really good, will keep their schedule full for 2 to 3 months in advance. Since

November/December 2013 Pulp & Paper Canada

23

Operations Sponsored Technical Paper

the effort necessary by mill personnel will A good scheduling plan which has been cess moving all day with minimal interrupchange little depending on who is com- observed, is to set up a kick-off meeting tion. Discussions by participants during ing to the mill, it makes sense to look for for a Monday, early in the afternoon. This meals usually continue through lunch and the preferred specialist or team; one with a allows travel to occur or be completed ear- everyone can stay on track. backlog of projects. As one client told me, lier that morning. In some cases, Sunday the mill management needed to decide if travel will be required. Well-organized Getting the audit started they wanted the first person available or if team audits can complete assessments and Safety indoctrination: Plan to have an they could wait for quality. mill presentations by the end of the day indoctrination for the whole team as one Whoever the team or individual may on Thursday, allowing everyone to travel of the first items to accomplish. Often, the be, it will be important to let them know home on Friday. mill’s safety manager will get involved and that one goal is to separate problems from The Mill Audit Contact needs to find personally address the team. Discuss if it is symptoms. Solutions can be presented as and reserve a place for everyone to work recommended for the team to offer safetyshort- and long-term efforts. If suppliers are during the audit. Consideration for suit- related suggestions as part of the assessproviding these services, be sure that the able working locations for many visiting ment. New sets of eyes from visitors often outcome of the audit is much more than people can include: tables, chairs, power can identify potential safety issues which a proposal for a piece of everything they supplies, printing capability and Internet have been overlooked by mill personnel. sell. There is a difference between what the audit may cost, comKick-off meeting: This should include all It is important to include pared to what it is worth. key players, including all mill participants. participation from inside the mill.

Besides evaluating and deterThe purpose is to review the audit scope, Members of the audit effort should mining who will provide the expectations, schedules and goals. These assessment from outside the are typically upbeat presentations. They can include key operators, foremen, mill, it is important to include include brief mill histories including specifplanners and E&I techs. participation from inside the ic milestones for paper production, major mill. Members of the audit effort projects, and rebuilds. Adequate time needs should include key operators, foremen, access. With all of these extra people on to be allowed for introductions of everyone planners, E&I techs, etc. All will add to site, planning for meals is another task to including experience and responsibilities. the knowledge base of the team and those be considered.

During the kick-off meeting, or at any who participate will personally gain from other time, do not add unreasonable, last the experience. Remember that an audit is Working location: Although the person or minute requests to expand the scope of only a snapshot of a few days of a process, team will be spending a majority of time in the audit. A casual request which begins, unless a mill has extensive process trend- the machine room or control room, some “While you are here…”, and ends with an ing capability. Therefore, these hourly invitation to add significant items employees can greatly contribute because or processes to study needs to be Do not add unreasonable, last they see problems which may only arise avoided. minute requests to expand the occasionally. Often, senior operators will scope of the audit. have many more years of experience at a Documents required by the mill, and even if they may not thoroughly auditor or team: Requests are understand why an event happened, they made for specific data to be gathcan at least explain what happened. This office space will be helpful for everyone. ered ahead of time, and to have this availcan be valuable information.

Operators don’t need a half dozen visitors able for the audit team on day one. This hanging out in the control room with their can include P & C drawings, DCS screen Scheduling and logistics: After available associated laptops, instrumentation, tools, print samples, manuals, equipment drawdates for the audit have been established jackets, backpacks, etc. Depending on the ings, etc. All of this can be printed ahead by the outside auditor, check the calendar size of the team, a location should be set of time. Where electronic data is available, for conflicts with holidays and production up specifically for the audit team. Consider it can be presented on memory sticks and schedules. Bringing people into a mill the having coolers with water and soft drinks can be copied to laptops as needed. This week after school is out for the summer, or and a coffee maker, especially when a large sends a positive message immediately to following a major holiday can be difficult group is involved. visitors participating in the audit. because it can conflict with vacations. Air travel can also be a problem around holi- Meals: It is highly recommended to have Encourage interaction: Include mill perdays. Also, avoid audits just prior to major lunches brought in for the audit team and sonnel who are participating in the assessshutdowns because key mill personnel will mill personnel who are participating. This ment. They may feel they do not have be tied up in planning meetings. saves the time for travel and keeps the pro- the experience to contribute, but they are 24

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Operations Sponsored Technical Paper

essential to add valuable information. These people deal regularly with issues and problems which may not be present during the time of the assessment.

Daily follow-up meetings: These meetings can be very useful and often are 15- to 30-minute sessions at the end of lunch, end of the day, or at the beginning of each day. The purpose is to review the status of the assessments and inquire if there is missing information or additional data required. Progress and schedules can also be reviewed to be sure the overall effort remains on track. This can also be a good time to include a safety-related discussion which keeps mill safety on everyone’s mind.

Presentation of findings and the exit meeting Schedule: It is important to hold to the initial schedule. Two to 2-1/2 hours of presentation time is about the maximum to maintain attention and accomplish this important task. Don’t try to move up this meeting time by several hours, or shorten the length of the meeting. Allow adequate time for presentations, but minimize small details which can be covered in a written report.

Presentations: PowerPoint is the typical mode for presentations. Use common sense when preparing these presentations to minimize extensive text in each page.

Include photos where necessary as this adds greatly to explanations. Details can be included in written reports. The meeting room should be equipped with a white board and/or chart pad with an assortment of colored markers to allow sketches or help to clarify and enhance the presentation. Spreading the task of presenting among the team keeps the meeting interactive and shares the effort. These should be rehearsed as everyone is not an experienced public speaker.

Questions should be encouraged throughout the presentations. Avoid trying to get into problem solving or engineering solutions during this meeting because of time constraints. Be sure to create lists of items which can be acted on immediately, www.pulpandpapercanada.com

New eyes can often identify safety issues which have been overlooked by mill personnel.

audit team members from the mill. Usually, enthusiasm created during the audit will continue as mill personnel experience positive results during the weeks and months afterward.

or can be easily accomplished during the next shutdown. Don’t wait for a full written report to be received before acting on a good suggestion. Do it while ideas are fresh.

Results are the expected outcome Follow-through makes the difference between a good and great audit. Advance planning and acquiring the best participants are almost worthless if findings are not evaluated and acted upon. Also, lack of execution leaves a negative message to

Critiques: Audits should be critiqued because any process can be improved.

Many mills evaluate or critique every shutdown to encourage continuous improvement.

Create project lists that include responsibilities, schedules and timelines. Determine which items need to be accomplished first and the criteria for making these choices. This should include a combination of: • cost; • time to make modifications; • impact of expected outcome.

Measure and track progress following the audit. Some positive results can be expected even before any physical changes are made as a result of the intensity of the audit process and increased awareness made upon operators.

Audits are not just a large event with

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Operations Sponsored Technical Paper

visitors studying every portion of the mill. Review the audit process and determine how to include the most important items into daily and weekly rounds by operators and maintenance personnel.

Additional simple instruments may be added to the tools used during daily rounds. For example, an infrared thermometer is useful to inspect bearing temperature, sheet temperature into and out of the press, and verifying adequate seal water flow to vacuum pumps. Adding a few IR guns in the control room, and encouraging their use, can result in better understanding of cause and effect through enhanced process understanding by operators.

Other positive outcomes: • Mill acquires a list of people who can be helpful for future problem solving efforts.

• Mill operators get exposed to talented technical specialists and will usually take away positive ideas and techniques.

• Everyone usually experiences a good networking event.

Cautions All recommendations can be considered: Avoid responding to a suggestion by saying, “We tried that before and it didn’t work.”

An earlier recommendation may have failed for many reasons, including poor and inaccurate data collection or erroneous interpretation of results. Process variables may have changed since the earlier trial, so a good opportunity may have been discovered.

Doug Sweet

& Associates, Inc.

QUICK! What pressure do you need?

Rely on our “Smart” Vacuum & Pressure Gauges – just keep it in the Green!

Vacuum System and Dewatering Optimization Audits • Boost Productivity • Save Energy • 38 Years Experience - 300 mills

Schedule your audit today! www.dougsweet.net • 205.991.0488

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Pulp & Paper Canada November/December 2013

Be aware of agendas: Although successful audit involvement by more than one supplier of similar products (fabrics or chemicals) is possible, be aware of competitive issues and even withholding of suggestions due to fear that the other supplier may benefit. Generally, this is not a problem. Most supplier representatives know each other and have even worked together, so their combined efforts should be beneficial.

Evaluate audit schedule and compare to corporate schedule for submission of capital projects: Planning of the audit should also consider these corporate budgeting schedules. Do not compromise the quality of the audit and execution of ideas to meet rushed schedules required for annual budget preparation.

Has another audit been performed recently (within the past few years), but no action has been taken? This has been observed occasionally. It may happen because the mill changed ownership, and/or management, or was involved in financial issues which restricted execution. Be sure to understand the circumstances fully and proceed as necessary. It can be demoralizing to mill personnel to repeat the audit effort again unless they understand why nothing was accomplished before. Recall Einstein’s quote about doing the same activity over and over, but expecting different results.

Conclusion

Successful audits = Successful audits are a result of adequate (energy and cost savings) planning and execu+ (improved efficiencies) tion of action items + (safety awareness) which were recom+ (new knowledge and mended during the process assessments. employee engagement) The quality and experience of the audit team are only responsible for discovering opportunities and cannot directly contribute after they have left the mill. Follow-through and action should begin immediately where suggested items are included to be acted upon during the next shutdown. A positive outcome is an increased level of awareness by mill personnel, especially with hourly employees who participated.

Another consideration is the development of improved daily, weekly and monthly audits to be incorporated into routine procedures and practiced by mill operators, maintenance, E&I and even management personnel. Again, this sends a positive message to mill personnel about the value and appreciation placed on audit participation.

Successful audits equal thriving…not just surviving. PPC Doug Sweet is co-founder Doug Sweet & Asso­ciates, Inc., a con­sult­ing firm spe­cial­izing in vac­uum sys­tem opti­miza­tion, design, and process trou­bleshoot­ing. Doug has visited more than 300 mills in 11 countries.

This paper was originally presented at PacWest 2013. Reprinted with permission.

www.pulpandpapercanada.com

Featured J-FOR Paper Published in:

EVALUATION OF COLLIMATED CHIPPING TECHNOLOGY FOR REDUCING ENERGY CONSUMPTION IN MECHANICAL PULPING

www.paptac.ca

ABSTRACT

LISBETH M. HELLSTRÖM*, TORBJÖRN CARLBERG, PER ENGSTRAND, PER A. GRADIN, ØYVIND WEIBY GREGERSEN It has recently been shown that the energy efficiency during first-stage TMP (thermo-mechanical pulp) refining can be improved using a modified chipping method (collimated chipping), where the angle between the fibre direction of the wood specimen and the cutting plane is increased. This paper reports the differences in properties of TMP refined from wood chips produced at two different spout angles, 30° and 50°, with and without the addition of sodium bisulphite (NaHSO3) to the dilution water. It was found that the specific energy input for a certain CSF (Canadian Standard Freeness) value was lower for chips produced at spout 50°, but that the addition of chemicals to the dilution water had no influence on the specific energy value for a given CSF value. However, the tensile index and specific light-scattering coefficient were substantially higher for handsheets made from the pulp refined from chips produced at spout angle 50° and with NaHSO3 added compared to handsheets from pulp made from 30° and 50° chips without chemicals added.

INTRODUCTION The interest in mechanical chip pretreatment processes for TMP (thermomechanical pulp) has increased in recent years. The main driving force for this interest is the wish to reduce the energy consumption during refining while maintaining or improving strength and optical properties. To induce damage in a wood chip, axial pre-compression has been shown to be the most efficient method [1].

It has also been shown to be possible to achieve a reduction in refining energy of axially pre-compressed western hemlock

LISBETH M. HELLSTRÖM

TORBJÖRN CARLBERG

blocks by 9% for TMP and 40% for CTMP (chemi-thermo-mechanical pulp).

Pre-compression of wood chips opens up the wood structure, which increases the specific surface area [1,2] and facilitates the penetration of chemicals and water.

A number of kinds of equipment are used in mechanical and chemi-mechanical pulping which can be claimed to provide compressive mechanical pre-treatment.

The most well-known of these are: the Impressafiner [3], [4], the plug screw feeder [5], the PREX impregnator [6], and the

Mid Sweden University, Mid Sweden University, FSCN, SE – FSCN, SE – 851 70 Sundsvall, 851 70 Sundsvall, Sweden Sweden *Contact: lisbeth.hellstrom@miun.se

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PER ENGSTRAND

Mid Sweden University, FSCN, SE – 851 70 Sundsvall, Sweden

Bi-Vis Extruder [7]. The compressive action of some of these devices also makes it possible to press out substantial amounts of water and thus to reduce the load of extractives entering the chip refiner [3,4].

Drawbacks of these devices are that the pre-treatment is not oriented solely in the axial direction of the wood fibre, that they are expensive, that they require space for installation, and that they often become bottlenecks for production.

The basic idea behind the concepts presented in this paper is the observation

PER A. GRADIN

Mid Sweden University, FSCN, SE – 851 70 Sundsvall, Sweden

ØYVIND WEIBY GREGERSEN

Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Department for Chemical Engineering, N-7491,Trondheim, Norway

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TRADITIONAL AREA CONTRIBUTIONS

that when wood is loaded in compression parallel to the fibres, cracks running along the fibres are initiated. These cracks are known to be beneficial for energy efficiency during chip refining because they serve as growth sites for cracks during the subsequent refining process. Numerical simulations have shown that chips produced at a large spout angle experience extensive plastic deformation [8]. A theoretical model [9] has indicated that large compressive stresses might occur during chipping.

It has been observed that mechanical refining of axially compressed chips results in TMP pulps with significantly improved strength properties and lower shive content [3]. It has also been observed that chemical treatment of pre-treated (axially compressed) chips improves the pulp quality considerably more compared to the corresponding chemical treatment of non-pretreated chips [4]. In a previous investigation [10], it has been shown that chipping in such a way that the compressive damage induced to the chips is maximized will reduce the specific energy to achieve a certain CSF (Canadian Standard Freeness) value at the same mean fibre length. A patent application regarding the modification of the chipping process as presented in [10] has been filed and is pending.

Fig. 1 - Relevant cutting angles.

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The main goal of this study is to investigate whether it is possible to achieve an improvement of some of the main properties used to define the quality of printing grades, i.e., tensile index and specific light-scattering coefficient, by combining refining of chips produced using a spout angle of 50° (more prone to induce directed cracks) with addition of bisulphite solution (NaHSO3) to the dilution water during chip refining. It was shown earlier that by using somewhat acidic conditions in CTMP production, it is possible to improve strength properties at constant energy consumption without reducing the light-scattering coefficient [11], which is important for printing paper.

EXPERIMENTAL Materials

To produce the amounts of chips needed for the refining trials, a specially developed laboratory chipper was used to chip fresh Norway spruce (Picea Abies) in the form of planks with a cross section of 50 mm x 100 mm. The chipper is described in detail in [12]. The chips were produced using two different values of the spout angle,  (30° and 50°) (see Fig. 1), keeping all other parameters constant. To be more specific, the spout angle is the angle between the cutting direction (indicated by an arrow in Fig. 1) and the wood fibre direction. The cutting rate, , was 20 m/s, and the nominal chip length was 25 mm.

The other angles in Fig. 1 are the clearance angle , the sharpness angle , and the complementary angle  , defined simply by  = 90° – ( +  + ).

For each value of the spout angle (i.e., for each refining trial), approximately 80 kg of chips was produced. For chip dimensions, i.e., chip thicknesses for the two spout angles, and for details regarding the knife geometry, chip dimensions, etc., see [10].

Mechanical first-stage refining of chips produced as described above was performed using a pilot single-disc refiner (OVP-MEC) with technical data as given in Table 1. Before first stage refining, the chips were pre-steamed for 15 minutes in an open bin at atmospheric

pressure, and to produce a pulp adapted for printing-paper quality, bisulphite was used, in this case, approximately 30 kg NaHSO3 for each ton of dry pulp. The chemical was added to the dilution water direct into the inlet of the refiner in the first stage. Refiner type, size, refiner plates, etc. for second-stage refining was the same as in the first stage. The second-stage refining was performed at atmospheric pressure (ROP-20). Canadian Standard Freeness (CSF) measurements were carried out in accordance with the ISO 52672001 TAPPI test method. The PQM (Pulp Quality Monitor) technology [13] was used to determine the average fibre length.

It was concluded that the pulp from chips produced at spout angle 50° had roughly the same average fibre length as the fibres from the other type of chips.

TABLE 1

Technical data for pilot trials.

Equipment Refiner type Refiner size Refiner plates Disc speed Production rate Pre-heating temp Pre-heating time

Conditions Single disc 20” Standard, 5811 1500 rpm 1-2 kg/min 125°C ~ 2 min

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Figures 2–4 show the outcome of the refining trials. The circles denote chips produced at spout angle 30°, and triangles those produced at 50° (collimated chipping). The unfilled markers denote pulp production without sodium bisulphite (NaHSO3), and the filled markers denote the situation where sodium bisulphite was added. The term “B” represents bisulphite in the legend. Figure 2 presents a plot of freeness vs. specific energy. The results show that there is a reduction in refining energy on the order of 15% for pulp produced by refining chips created by collimated chipping, i.e., with a spout angle of 50°. Moreover, it is obvious from Fig. 2 that the addition of NaHSO3 had no noticeable effect of the refining energy for a given CSF value.

For printing grades, the tensile index is an important parameter. Figure 3 shows a

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Fig. 2 - Freeness vs. specific energy.

Fig. 3 - Tensile index vs. specific energy.

plot of tensile index vs. specific energy for handsheets made from pulps obtained by refining of chips produced at 30° and 50° spout angles. The lowest and intermediate

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curves correspond to cases without chemicals added, and the highest curve is obtained after addition of NaHSO3. It can be concluded that for tensile index values below

34 Nm/g, the effect of a spout angle of 50° represents an energy saving, while the effect seems to disappear at larger tensile index values. The tensile index is substantially higher for a spout angle of 50° with addition of NaHSO3. The largest standard deviation was 5.4% for a spout angle of 50° without chemicals, 5.5% for a spout angle of 30°, and 5.8% for a spout angle of 50° with chemicals added.

Another important quality parameter for printing grades is the specific lightscattering coefficient, which is shown in Fig. 4. The three curves represent the same three cases as in Fig. 3 and rank in exactly the same way. The specific energy consumption for a light-scattering coefficient of 44 m2/kg is 10%–13% less for a spout angle of 50° with addition of NaHSO3 than for a spout angle of 30° with no chemical added. However, due to a mistake, the tensile index and lightscattering data for a spout angle of 30° and with chemicals added were lost, so nothing can be said about the influence of chemicals on the properties of pulp produced from conventional chips.

The results are in accordance with the hypothesis that an increased amount of compressive damage induced to the wood hips during the chipping process makes it possible to improve quite substantially the energy efficiency of the subsequent refining process. The energy efficiency improvement potential seems to be approximately 200 kWh/t, and the full effect is seen already at very low energy consumption. This can be interpreted as meaning that the initially created surfaces explain most of the energy efficiency improvements. The subsequent refining seems to develop tensile and light scattering in such a way that the same slope as for conventional TMP is followed.

This work also shows that the spout angles normally used in the chipping process are not as well adapted to mechanical pulping as they are to chemical pulping. It was noted that, quite opposite to what one might expect, the bulk density for chips produced at spout angle 50° was greater than for chips produced at spout angle 30°. It should also be pointed out that no

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TRADITIONAL AREA CONTRIBUTIONS

5.

6.

7.

8.

Fig. 4 - Specific light-scattering coefficient vs. specific energy.

attempts have yet been made to maximize the compressive damage by optimizing spout angle and chip length. This can in fact be expressed mathematically as an optimization problem. Finally, it should be pointed out that the chips used in this investigation were cut from planks and not from logs, and it might well be that the impact of an increased spout angle on chips cut from logs is different. Understanding better the differences between pilot-scale chipping on planks and full-scale chipping on whole logs could be a topic for future investigations.

CONCLUSIONS

It has been shown through pilot-scale experiments that chipping in a collimated way, i.e., in such a way that the amount of compressive damage induced to the wood chips is increased, will decrease the specific energy needed to achieve a certain tensile index, specific light-scattering coefficient, and CSF value. This reduction is on the order of 15%. Moreover, adding bisulphite to the dilution water during refining will increase the beneficial effects of collimated chipping on two important

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quality parameters for printing grades, namely the tensile index and the specific light-scattering coefficient.

9.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The European Regional Development fund is acknowledged for financial support, while Anders J. Persson at Metso Paper is greatly acknowledged for carrying out the refining trials.

10.

REFERENCES Frazier, W.C. and Williams, G.J., “Re1. duction of specific energy in mechanical pulping by axial precompression of wood”, Pulp and Paper Canada, 83(6): T162–T167 (1982).

Berg, J.-E. and Gradin, P.A., “Effect 2. of temperature on fracture of spruce in compression, investigated by use of acoustic emission monitoring”, Journal of Pulp and Paper Science, 26(8): 294–299 (2000).

Sabourin, M.J., “Evaluation of a 3. compressive pretreatment process on TMP properties and energy requirements”, Pulp and Paper Canada, 101(2): T54–T60 (2000).

4.

Hill, J., Sabourin, M., Johansson, L.,

11.

12.

13.

and Aichinger, J., “Enhancing fiber development at reduced energy consumption using TMP sub-processes and targeted chemical application and commercial-scale results”, Proceedings, International Mechanical Pulping Conference (2009).

Law, K.-N. and Lanouette, R., “Effect of mechanical conditioning of chips on the quality of softwood TMP”, Pulp and Paper Canada, 101(7): T189–T193 (2000).

Peng, F. and Granfeldt, T., “Changes in the microstructure of spruce wood chips after screw press treatment”, Journal of Pulp and Paper Science, 22(4): J140–J144 (1996). de Choudens, C., Lombardo, G., Michalowicz, G., and Robert, A., “Destructuration of wood chips in a cylinder press”, Paperi ja Puu, 3: 108–116 (1985).

Uhmeier, A. and Persson, K., “Numerical analysis of wood chipping”, Holzforschung, 51(1): 83–90 (1997).

Hellström, L.M., Isaksson, P., Gradin, P.A., and Eriksson K., “An analytical and numerical study of some aspects of the wood chipping process”, Nordic Pulp and Paper Research Journal, 24(2): 225–230 (2009).

Hellström, L.M., Gradin, P.A., Engstrand, P., and Gregersen, Ø., “Properties of wood chips for thermomechanical pulp (TMP) production as a function of spout angle”, Holzforschung, 65(6): 805–809 (2011).

Svensson, E., Engstrand, P., Htun, M., and Svensson, B., “A better balance between shive content and lightscattering properties of TMP/CTMP by sulphur dioxide gas-phase impregnation prior to defibration”, Nordic Pulp and Paper Research Journal, 9(3): 167–171 (1994).

Hellström L.M., Gradin P.A., Gulliksson, M., and Carlberg, T., “A laboratory wood chipper for chipping under realistic conditions”, Experimental Mechanics, 51: 1309–1316 (2010).

Sköld, H. and Nilsson, P., “PQM 1000 fiber and shive classifier based on image analysis”, Proc. Poster Pres. Intl.

Mech. Pulping Conf., Oslo: 54–61 (1993).

Journal of Science & Technology for Forest Products and Processes: VOL.2, NO.3, 2012

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Technology News

Rugged data collector and analyzer The Metso Maintenance Pad is rugged route-based condition monitoring data collector and analyzer with IP65 and MILSTD-810G certification for operation virtually anywhere. Using wireless sensors and measurement modules makes setup quick and safe without cables and minimizes the time spent close to the measured machine.

Metso Maintenance Pad is a fully functional industrial tablet computer with Metso Machine Analyzer software that includes route planning, route and off-route measurements as well as efficient tools for vibration analysis.

With Microsoft Windows, a familiar working environment is provided for the operator.

Collected vibration data is stored directly to the Metso Machine Analyzer database utilizing the built-in 128 GB solid state disk with powerful interface capabilities to digital control systems, hardwired condition monitoring systems and desktop computers.

Metso Automation, www.metso.com

Linear position sensors replace DC-LVDTs

LV-48 linear position sensors from Alliance Sensors Group offer users the ability to monitor structures for creep or expansion, sense roller position in a calender in a paper mill, or indicate process valve position by using a proprietary inductive technology that allows it to replace traditional DC-LVDTs, linear potentiometers, and magnetostrictive sensors in most applications.

Its simple inductive coil design permits the sensor to be shorter and more rugged than other technologies while still operating in high vibration and shock environments. The built-in DC-in / DC-out electronics permits the user to avoid having to deal with external signal conditioning electronics.

The LV 48 Series was designed after discussing the wants and needs of engineers in the industrial world, such as a beefier housing, and connectors or cable terminations that can accommodate heavier gauge wire.

Alliance Sensor Group, www.alliancesensors.com

Voith expands its series of shaking units

Voith Paper is completing its series of shaking units that are free of reaction forces for machine widths of 2–10 m and is now also offering DuoShake with a drive torque of 400 Nm. Shaking units distribute the fiber suspension more uniformly, prevent flakes from developing and thus improve formation, according to Voith.

The result is that better paper quality is www.pulpandpapercanada.com

achieved due to better paper formation using DuoShake. Higher strength values, a reduced tensile ratio and better printability of the paper are also achieved.

In dewatering of the suspension, the fibers frequently tend to form flakes and to distribute unevenly. High-frequency shaking with DuoShake substantially reduces this flake formation.

For this, two imbalance pairs are put into rotation by servomotors in a carriage that is mounted in a hydrostatic fashion.

Due to the special arrangement of the pairs, the vertical forces are compensated and the horizontal forces are transmitted to the breast roll by the shaking rod. The high-frequency motion of the breast

roll without bothersome reaction forces provides for a reinforced crosswise instead of lengthwise orientation of the fibers.

Due to the absence of reaction forces, DuoShake requires only a simple base. The very compactly built shaking unit has an integrated hydraulic system for lubrication and for hydrostatics.

The new design of the DuoShake supplements the range of previous shaking units with drive torques of 150 Nm, 250 Nm and 600 Nm. It is optimally designed for paper machines that are approx. 4-6 m wide, depending on machine speed and weight of the fiber suspension.

Voith Paper, www.voith.com/ca/en/index.html

Quebec firm upgrades bleaching compound technology Hydro Technologies has announced a major $20 million investment primarily aimed at ensuring the long-term uninterrupted supply of its products at competitive prices.

The project involves implementing a proprietary, more efficient technology for the company’s Hy Brite® sodium hydrosulfitebased bleaching compounds.

“Our group has always invested in research and development because we are unstinting in our efforts to develop a unique expertise and continuously improve our products to better serve our clients,” said CEO Michel Crête.

According to the company, Hy Brite® liquors are superior to traditional hydrosulfite solutions due to the special additives used in their manufacture. The synergistic effect of the additives maximizes the bleaching properties of hydrosulfite while other additives significantly extend its stability.

Hydro Technologies states that lab tests and plant trials have repeatedly and consistently shown significantly improved bleaching gains when using Hy Brite® liquors compared to bleaching with hydrosulfite alone.

Hydro Technologies (Canada) Inc. 418-650-9422, www.hydrotechnologies.ca November/December 2013 Pulp & Paper Canada

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Technology News Invensys extends mobile offerings to real-time visualization from any device

Invensys, a focused supplier of state-of-theart industrial software, systems and control equipment, has released its Wonderware InTouch Access Anywhere software solution.

The new solution enables users to access plant-floor data via Wonderware InTouch software, the world’s leading human machine interface software. It runs entirely and securely inside a web browser so users can connect to other InTouch applications at anytime from anywhere, using any mobile device, including Microsoft Surface tablets, iPads, iPhones, Androids and others. The software also supports Macintosh and Linuxbased computer systems, as well as Microsoft Windows PCs and laptops. And because users are not required to install any software on their mobile device, the offering is remarkably easy to deploy, manage and maintain.

“Along with delivering mobile solutions for reporting, decision-support, dashboards, workflow and workforce execution, this new offering also brings HMI visualization capabilities to mobile devices,” says Craig Resnick, vice-president, ARC Advisory Group.

“These capabilities extend the company’s operations management software portfolio by providing plant operators and other key individuals with modern process optimization tools, regardless of their location or the task being performed, and in real time.”

Norm Thorlakson, vice president of HMI and supervisory software products for Invensys, notes: “Providing this level of unprecedented, secure access to real-time plant information – without compromising functionality – empowers the modern workforce to minimize costs, improve operating efficiencies and drive real-time business optimization.”

Invensys, global.wonderware.com

Chip management system helps stabilize digester conditions TEXO Consulting & Controls Inc. of Baie D’Urfé, Québec, introduces its Chip Management System (CMS), which provides online, real-time measurement of many important chip properties on the chip conveyor. TEXO’s COOK-X advanced process controls (APC) use the measurements to manage chip filling and alkali to wood charging, as well as to stabilize digester cooking conditions.

The CMS measures chip mass flow, moisture, volume, dry bulk density and bark content. The measurement system was developed by Centre de Recherche Industrielle du Québec (CRIQ). The patented chip measurements and APC controls have been successfully commissioned at a Canadian kraft pulp mill.

The results are encouraging, as impregnation vessel and continuous hydraulic digester levels have been stabilized, liquor-to-wood ratio is controlled to target and Kappa number variability has been reduced.

The measurements allow flash steam use to be optimized in the pre-steaming operation, while reducing venting to the atmosphere, allowing displaced fresh steam to be used in the mill’s turbine. This provides an extra 2 MW of electricity to be sold on the grid. The ultimate purpose is to control the digester blow line Kappa number and achieve stability in power production.

TEXO Consulting & Controls Inc. 514-791-6622

Dye system for newsprint includes automated dilution Stora Enso has selected Chroma Logic to supply a new color system for PM10 at its mill in Kvarnsveden, Sweden. Paper machine #10 produces improved newsprint paper. Chroma Logic’s state-of-the-art color system will include automated dilution for precision control of ultra-low dye flows. The Chroma Logic system will interact with the DCS already in place on PM10.

Chroma Logic has fully optimized dye dilution, storage and delivery solutions that reduce set-up, maintenance and housekeeping man-hours by 90%, and save machine time through faster color grade changes.

Chroma Logic 814-868-2900, www.chromalogic.com

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November/December 2013 Pulp & Paper Canada

33

Bio-Economy Biofuel pilot plant planned for site of former Bowater Mersey mill A pilot project to convert wood into biofuels is expected to be operational by next February after getting loans from the province of Nova Scotia.

The Chronicle Herald reported Aug. 30 that Cellufuel Inc. is receiving a $1.5-million loan to help build its demonstration project at the site of the former Bowater Mersey mill in Brooklyn, N.S. The $4-million plant is part of a bioenergy and forestry innovation centre.

Cellufuel president Chris Hooper told the newspaper the company has secured the remaining $2.5 million needed for the pilot project from private investors.

The plant will have the capacity to produce about one million litres of fuel annually.

The Herald reports that most of the equipment will be new, although Cellufuel will use some of the former paper mill’s infrastructure. Hooper said the core technology will come from Europe, with other equipment being acquired locally or from Western Canada.

Cellufuel expects to use about 6,000 green tonnes of fibre a year in the demonstration phase.

According to the newspaper, Cellufuel’s goal is to commercialize its licensed technology by launching 10 plants in the next five or six years. Other forest industry vet-

erans involved with the enterprise are Tor Suther, Veselin Milosevic and Ed McKay.

Sounds good: speaker uses magnetic nanoparticles attached to cellulose Researchers in Sweden have demonstrated the first ever magnetic cellulose membrane applied as a loudspeaker device. Richard T. Olsson, assistant professor, KTH, Royal Institute of Technology, explains that the biocomposite membrane is magnetic due to the presence of magnetic nanoparticles attached along native cellulose nanofibers.

The fibers were obtained form commercial wood pulp.

The work was carried out under the Wallenberg Wood Science Center (WWSC) in Stockholm, Sweden, in collaboration with scientists at the Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden.

The prototype speaker and its biocomposite membrane are discussed in the technical article Cellulose Nanofibers Decorated with Magnetic Nanoparticles – Synthesis, Structure and Use in Magnetized High Toughness Membranes for a Prototype Loudspeaker by Sylvain Galland, Richard L. Andersson, Michaela Salajkova, Valter Strom, Richard T. Olsson and Lars A. Berglund (Journal of Materials Chemistry C, published by Royal Society of Chemistry, UK, London).

An article on the Royal Society of Chem-

istry web site explains that the membrane is made by fastening magnetic nanoparticles along cellulose nanofibrils to make a magnetic gel. This gel can be sprayed from a spray gun nozzle to give a membrane with a uniform spread of particles.

National research program targets bioenergy systems The National Research Council of Canada (NRC) has launched its Bioenergy Systems for Viable Stationary Applications research program to help industry capitalize on market opportunities for the production of energy from biomass. NRC has established a multi-year, strategic R&D initiative to help Canadian companies capitalize on this opportunity by overcoming the technical and cost barriers to integrating locallysourced biomass into stationary energy (heat and power) systems.

“By connecting feedstock, technology and equipment suppliers with end-users in a large-scale, collaborative research effort, we can address interdependent biofuel production and utilization challenges,” said Andy Reynolds, general manager of the energy, mining and environment portfolio at NRC. “This will accelerate deployment in markets where bioenergy is cost-competitive, such as remote communities and industry reliant on expensive diesel fuel, and cities facing high municipal solid waste diversion costs.”

Cellulose nanocrystal production begins in Alberta Alberta’s cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) pilot plant, which produces up to 100 kilograms of CNC per week, was commissioned in early September at Alberta Innovates-Technology Futures’ (AITF) Mill Woods facility before a crowd of researchers, industry leaders and government representatives.

The $5.5-million pilot plant, created under the Western Economic Partnership Agreement (WEPA), uses wood and straw pulp from plants such as flax and hemp to create CNC for testing in commercial applications.

CNC has many useful properties, including great strength, optical characteristics and very large surface area at the nano scale. The pilot plant enables researchers to test and validate CNC from a variety of forest and agriculture materials for use in diverse applications such as drilling fluids, paints and industrial coatings, automotive components, building materials, plastics and packaging.

“Alberta Innovates-Technology Futures is proud to host and operate Western Canada’s only CNC pilot plant,” said Stephen Lougheed, AITF’s president and CEO. “We’re able to provide researchers with more CNC than ever before, thereby accelerating the development of commercial applications.”

Members of Western Canada’s growing CNC communities of expertise and interest spent the afternoon exploring potential commercial applications for the cellulose-based material.

The grand opening of the CNC pilot plant is planned for 2014.

34

Pulp & Paper Canada November/December 2013

Stephen Lougheed, president and CEO, Alberta Innovates-Technology Futures (left), Al Ward, president and COO, AlbertaPacific Forest Industries Inc. and Thomas Lukaszuk, Deputy Premier and Minister of Enterprise and Advanced Education. www.pulpandpapercanada.com

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