EPTDA was founded as the European Power Transmission Distributors Association in 1998 on the initiative of a group of power transmission and motion control (PT/MC) industrialists who believed in bringing together PT/MC distributors and manufacturers on one unique platform. It has since become the largest organisation of PT/MC distributors and manufacturers in EMEA and is one of the most powerful and respected B2B executive platforms for the industry worldwide.
EPTDA’s mission is to strengthen its members in the industrial distribution channel to be successful, profitable, and competitive in serving customers to the highest standards. The association takes great pride in its values which focus on being a premier community for qualified members through open dialogue and mutual respect; acting with integrity, honesty, and fairness; and ensuring continuous growth and learning.
EPTDA continually strives to develop relevant tools for its members, helping them stay competitive in a constantly evolving marketplace and business environment. As part of the development of tools and resources for members, this document is designed to add value to their commercial understanding of specific markets and production line processes. This document, on the Pulp and Paper industry, follows reports on the Soft Drinks industry, Confectionery, the Automotive industry, Material Handling, Recycling, Aggregates, Forestry, and most recently, Bakery.
Purpose of this document
The purpose of this document is to provide distribution management and their sales forces with market and production line intelligence on the Pulp and Paper industry. This document explores trends, identifies products used in the production of pulp and paper products, clarifies key challenges, and considers the opportunities for distributors and how these can be capitalised, commercially.
This document has been divided into three parts:
1. Industry Overview
Pages 4-11
This first section provides an introduction and overview to the Pulp and Paper industry and gives key background information, market intelligence, and major players within the industry. It has been organised as follows:
a. Definition, segments within the industry, and market share
b. Market size and coverage
c. European sales data and evolution
d. Current and future market trends
e. Overview of challenges
f. Key producers
g. Major machine & system builders
2. Production Line Intelligence
Pages 12-25
This section illustrates the production and processing of pulp and paper, with a fully detailed production line schematic, so as to provide an understanding of what is involved and where the opportunities lie. Key customer challenges, major product groups, typical maintenance, and improvement projects are identified throughout the line, as well as highlighting potential areas of commercial opportunity for the distributor. This production process, whilst being typical, does not represent how all types of paper are produced. This is because actual plant processes may vary according to the production method of pulp - such as mechanical or chemical pulping - the type of paper produced - for example, high-quality print paper or cardboard - as well as whether the pulp for the production of paper or board is produced on site or recycled pulp is brought in from elsewhere.
3. Use of this Document
Pages 26-27
The opportunities within Pulp and Paper, both for MRO and OEM distribution, are significant – a minimum combined ‘scale of opportunity value’ (SOV) of 280M€ has been estimated as available for distribution of Power Transmission products in the pulp and paper aftermarket. The final section proposes how the document could be used and provides open-ended questions that can be asked of prospective customers in order to reinforce the knowledge gained in parts one and two and to maximise the available opportunities.
PART ONE
Pulp and paper industry overview
Definition, segments within the industry and market share
Paper has been in existence for over 2,000 years and continues to compete successfully with digitalisation, advanced plastic and composite packaging materials with paper or paper-based products being an everyday reality for many in developed societies. Pulp, traditionally, and still primarily, used for papermaking can be produced from virgin fibres – through chemical or mechanical processes, or through the repulping of paper for recycling.
In Europe, wood is the primary source of raw material with paper for recycling accounting for around 50% of the fibres used. In some cases, straw, hemp, grass and other cellulose-bearing materials are also used.2
The pulp and paper industry can be segmented in a few ways –by pulp type, pulp production method and by output. Often, the fibres used to produce certain types of pulp will influence the output. For example, the use of softwoods such as pine, cedar or spruce, contain long strong fibres that are best-suited for packaging due to its strength. Whilst hardwoods like oak, birches and beeches contain shorter fibres and are more appropriate for writing, printing and tissue paper.
fibres for writing, printing and tissue paper
There are two main ways in which pulp is produced – mechanically or chemically. Mechanical pulping creates weaker paper products such as newsprint paper, towelling and tissue etc. as the fibres are substantially damaged in the pulping process, although, because both lignin and cellulose fibres remain intact, the yield of paper to volume of wood is greater than that of chemical pulping.4 Mechanical pulping can be separated into refiner mechanical pulping (RMP) and thermomechanical process (TMP). Both involve counter-revolving discs grinds wood chips into smaller chunks and individual fibres. The main difference between the two processes is that the rotating disks in RMP operate under a stream of water whilst in TMP, the wood chips are first steamed under pressure for several minutes before being passing through the rotating discs.
On the other hand, chemical pulping breaks down the chemical structure of the lignin from the cellulose fibres using chemicals. The wood chips are placed in a pressure cooker, a “digester”, and the lignin and hemicellulose are removed – separating and cleaning the fibres. Due to this, fibres have greater flexibility making chemical pulping particularly suitable for stronger paper products such as paper board.
There are also two major techniques in chemical pulping: kraft pulping, which is most popular and accounts for most of the pulp produced using this method, and sulphite pulping. In kraft pulping, wood chips are treated with a sodium sulphide and sodium hydroxide solution and are then “digested” for a few hours at an elevated temperature and pressure. Sulphite pulping involves treating wood chips with sulphite or bisulphite salts of sodium, calcium, potassium, magnesium or ammonium. This process is not well suited to woods with low extractive contents such as pine trees and produces less yields than the kraft process.
While chemical pulping does produce higher strength paper, there are many disadvantages such as its increased costs and lower yield. Over the recent years, an especially big concern has been the troublesome waste products that are produced during the chemical pulping process. Since sulphur compounds are used to break down the woodchips, often compounds such as hydrogen sulphide and dimethyl sulphide are emitted into the atmosphere.6
More recently, as technology in the industry has advanced over the last 50 – 60 years, chemi-mechanical (or semi-chemical) pulping has also increased in popularity. This is where the raw material e.g. wood, is
Softwoods Long strong fibres for packaging paper
Hardwoods
Short
Birches Spruce Beeches
A comparison of mechanical and chemical pulp:5
Production of pulp, by type (2021)8
Production
(2022)9
Aside from graphic paper, there are many uses of pulp:
- Newsprint
- Uncoated paper
- Coated paper
- Tissues and napkins
- Paper towel
- Toilet paper
- Medical papers
- Diapers and baby wipes
- Filters
- Containerboard (cardboard)
- Food wrapping
- Paper bags
- Paper cups
Hygiene and household paper Other
- Car filters
- Shoes and handbags
- Binding agents in food and pharmaceuticals
- Labels and stickers
Pulp can also be segmented according to the fibrous materials used to manufacture pulp:
1. Wood fibres e.g., pulpwood, wood chips or residues
2. Non-wood and other fibres e.g., straw, bamboo, grasses, cotton fibres, rags and other textile wastes
3. Paper for recycling e.g., recycled paper, paperboard and fibreboard Graphic paper Packaging
Did you know?
a quarter of global production.10
The energy and raw materials required for the pulp and paper industry is intensive with high capital costs, but the industry does have a reputation in resource efficiency and innovation. It is a pioneer in making the EU low-carbon bioeconomy an industrial reality. This is because paper is the most sustainable and recyclable packaging material available in the world today.11 As a result, this PLI report will explore the pulp and paper industry with a focus on mechanical or chemi-mechanical pulping and its application of recycled pulp and paper-based goods.
Even though graphic papers have continued to decline, there has been a shift over to packaging and tissue segments especially during the pandemic, which have caused the pulp and paper production to continue to grow. The pulp and paper industry’s global market size reached 351.5 billion USD in 2021 and is expected to reach 380 billion USD by 2023, growing at a CAGR of 4% from 2022 to 2030.13 The US, Brazil and China are the top three producers of pulp in the world, with Europe representing nearly a quarter of global pulp production. The increase can be attributed to consumer trends for example the demand for convenience and concerns over plastic packaging waste and its implications on the planet and overall sustainability.14 Transport and industrial packaging also exhibit room for growth where there is a need to close the gap between a sustainability choice of a fibre-based package versus lightweight plastic packaging.
In Europe, the pulp industry was estimated at a value of 95 billion euros – an increase of nearly 15% from the previous year (2020). In 2022, the European production of pulp decreased by 3.7% with a total output of nearly 36 million tonnes. This was largely influenced by strikes at the beginning of 2022, increased worldwide inflation, high energy costs forcing many mills to temporarily close and the impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Despite overall decline in the production of pulp, consumption and demand for pulp-based products continues to show resilience with production of paper reaching 84.8 million tonnes in 2022.16
The rise of e-commerce, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic helped boost the paper and packaging market, while it also benefited from becoming a solution for other industries
and towel products, with consumers placing a newfound premium on personal hygiene. The recycling of paper has also significantly improved in Europe, exceeding 50 million tonnes in 2021 for the first time. In fact, among the European industries, “the pulp and paper sector remains in the leading position for its recycling performance, use of renewable energy, energy efficiency and sustainable sourcing”.17
Europe is the second largest consumer and producer of paper in the global market, with recycling paper-based products to help achieve sustainable goals a key trend in the market.19
The global average consumption of paper is 55kg per person per year; however, when looking at a region-by-region basis, there are quite a few differences. For example, North America consumes four times higher than the world’s average at 215kg, and in Western European countries almost double at 147kg, while in Africa, per capita consumption is about 7kg.20
In 2020 the pulp and paper industry accounted for 23% of global paper and board production in 2020, making it the second-largest
paper-producing industry worldwide. The two largest paper and paperboard producers in Europe are Germany and Sweden. This is due to Finland, Sweden and Germany having the largest forestry coverage in Europe, and as a result, pulp and paper industries in Europe. Approximately 65% of Sweden and Finland’s land is covered in forest, while Germany is one-third forest-covered.21
The consumption of paper and board strongly recovered after the lifting of many pandemic-related restrictions. It reached a level higher than in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.22
Current and future market trends
Recycling
Rising environmental concerns are seeing consumers and manufacturer shift their preferences to more ecological paper packaging solutions. Cosmetic, food and Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) companies are continuously engaging with paper manufacturers to develop advanced paper packaging solutions to meet their commitments towards sustainability. For instance, in 2019, L’Oréal group, in association with Albea Group, launched paper-based cosmetic tubes. In 2019, Nestle S.A. started to launch its products in recyclable paper packaging as a part of the company’s commitment to make 100% of its packaging products recyclable by the end of 2025. This is expected to bolster the pulp and paper market growth.25
Helping to propel the industry with its commitment to recycling is the European Paper Recycling Council (EPRC) which has the “twofold aim of improving recycling and increasing efforts to remove obstacles hampering paper recycling in Europe”. The EPRC is committed to reaching a 76% paper recycling rate by 2030.26
In 2021, 71.4% of all paper and board consumed in Europe was recycled (57.1 million tonnes).27 Furthermore, helping to create a circular bioeconomy, recycled paper is often used as the pulp for newsprint, facial tissue, toilet tissues and cardboard. The paper products, after being checked for contaminants, are shredded down into scraps and then mixed with water and chemicals to further break down the paper scraps into fibres – leaving you with pulp that is used to make recycled paper.
The industry initiative 4evergreen is a cross-industry alliance perfecting the circularity of fibre-based packaging to contribute to a climate-neutral and sustainable society. In comparison to the EPRC, the 4evergreen alliance has a goal to raise the overall recycling rate of fibre-based packaging to 90% by 2030. To do this, 4evergreen helps provide design recommendations for more easily recyclable packaging, guidance on improved collecting and sorting of fibre-based packaging for recycling, and the evaluation of packaging’s recyclability in mills.28
paper production to maintain the strength and quality of the fibre. This means that the production of recycled pulp and paperbased products is reliant on the continued production of virgin pulp and paper-based goods. Without the input of virgin fibre, the production of paper would cease after roughly 6 – 18 months, meaning a continual input of 35 – 65% fresh wood fibre is needed depending on the type or grade of paper manufactured.30
Environmental sustainability
In addition to recycling, the industry is looking at how it can reduce the amount of water consumed in it’s production of pulp and paper-based goods. To manufacture A4 size paper sheets, for example, manufacturers need around 20 liters of water31 making it the single largest industrial coonsumer of water in western countries.32 Beyond just the production of pulp and in turn paper-based goods is also the initial planting and management of trees used for supplying the raw material to make the pulp. To help with efficiency, suppliers of timber and wood will often choose the quickest growing species which has the by-product of requiring vast amounts of water.33
Awareness of this huge consumption has led to advancements in technology behind the production of pulp and paper-based goods to ensure 91% of water used is returned to the environment, cleanly and safely.34 Although paper can be made from (wood) fibres without the use of water, as demonstrated in a prototype by Seiko Epson Corporation with their papermaking system called PaperLab, the scalability of this new technology has not yet been realised.35
Trade barriers and supply of raw material
There is an increasing share of exports outside of the EU but tariff barriers and protectionist subsidies for rival goods create an uneven playing field. Taxes and export duties imposed by non-EU countries on wood exports raise concerns. For example, fibre raw material represents the highest share of production costs, and so its availability at affordable prices is crucial for the sector.
One of the challenges facing the paper manufacturing industry is contamination. If a paper is contaminated with other materials such as food or plastic waste it can make it difficult to recycle and can reduce the quality of the recycled product. This contamination can occur at any point in the recycling process, from collection to processing and can result in additional costs for the industry. In order to improve recycling rates and reduce contamination this may involve investing in new equipment and processes to improve the quality of recycled materials.29
As with recycling, another challenge is the lifespan of recycled paper and how often it can be repulped (it has been estimated that paper can be recycled on average 4 to 6 times). Over time, the fibres weaken and shorten as a result of the recycling and repulping process, and more virgin pulp must be introduced into
The pulp and paper industry already uses between 33-40% of all industrial wood traded globally,36 but in addition demand for domestic EU wood supplies by end-users such as bioenergy firms is also rising. This means there is competing demand for wood from these industries, ultimately affecting supply and demand. Often manufacturers of pulp and paper-based goods rely on their own ‘managed forests’ to supply the wood and other fibres used in their products. This works towards a sustainable supply where as trees are cut down, several are planted or naturally regrow in its place, at a rate to keep the environment stable.37
An alternative to traditional wood fibres is also providing the pulp and paper industry opportunity to mitigate cost and availability of raw materials. Fibres from more renewable sources such as straw, corn stalks, grasses and fast-growing crops like bamboo and hemp are becoming more popular alternatives, as well as other non-fibre materials such as polypropylene and cellulose fibres. Using these alternative fibres also provides high-quality, environmentally friendly pulp and paper products that meets the increasing consumer demand for sustainable products.38
Digitalisation
Although the digital revolution has not left the pulp and paper industry obsolete, with the demand for online sales growing, there was a transition from using paper for printing to using materials for packaging.
As a result of this many mills have adopted digital technologies to improve their communication with customers and suppliers. Critical to optimising the performance of plant operations and reducing quality variations in pulp and paper manufacturing is proactive and accurate process control. Smart technology is being adopted by the pulp, paper, and packaging industries; this digital
transformation in manufacturing reduces the consumption of raw materials, and process variability, drives down costs, increases throughput, and gains a competitive edge with customers.
For example, the ProcessMiner AI-enabled platform delivers process improvement recommendations and optimal control parameters in real-time to your pulp and paper production line. Through predictive machine learning and artificial intelligence systems, online recommendations are sent for autonomous proactive control. The platform ensures reductions in cost, scrap, and defects commonly encountered in pulp and paper manufacturing processes.
As seen in the bakery industry, mills can be ‘market’ producers, supplying pulp to industries for further application, or can be produced ‘in-house’ or integrated into the entire production line of pulp or paper-based goods.
*Confederation of European Paper Industries (Cepi)
Over the last two decades the number of pulp and paperboard mills has steadily declined, despite resilience in demand for pulp-based products. High energy costs and an intense and resource-intensive production process has led to mills closing frequently.
Major machine & system builders
ABB | Switzerland | global.abb.com42
With over 100 years’ experience in machinery for the pulp and paper industry, ABB manufacturers complete end-to-end solutions required for pulp, paper, board and tissue manufacturing.
ANDRITZ | Austria www.andritz.com43
ANDRTIZ operates across a number of industries, including hydropower, metal working and steel, and pulp and paper, supplying complete systems, equipment and services. Other supporting areas of expertise include power generation, environmental technology and equipment for the production of nonwovens, dissolving pulp, panelboard and recycling plants.
Bellmer | Germany | www.bellmer.com44
Bellmer designs, customises and manufactures equipment and complete production lines for the production of paper, board and specialty fibre products. Nearly all machines are manufactured in Germany, whilst headboxes, pulpers and formers are produced in Finland.
Valmet | Finland | www.valmet.com45
Providing technology solutions for pulp and energy production, Valmet delivers complete production lines, machine rebuilds and process components for board, tissue and paper production.
Voith Paper | Germany | www.voith.com46
A full-line supplier, Voith builds machinery for new lines, rebuilds and entire machine sections for the production of all paper grades. Machinery is offered through the XcelLine range, while Voith’s AquaLine helps papermakers reduce fresh water consumption throughout the production line. Voith has also developed a complete range of ventilation and digital solutions to increase efficiency and management throughout the entire
Types of mills used in the pulp and paper industry40
Production of pulp and paper
PART TWO Pulp and paper production line market intelligence
Infeed and preparation
1. Collection of timber Timber or pulpwood logs used for the production of paper will typically come from forests managed for this specific production process. More trees will be planted than harvested to ensure sustainable growth.
2. Debarking
The logs then go through de-barking drums where bark is stripped by knife, drum abrasion or a hydraulic barker.
3. Chipping
Once the logs have been debarked they enter a wood chipper where rapidly rotating disc plates containing knives cut the logs into small woodchips to exact measurements.
4. Sorting
The chips are passed through vibrating screens to ensure only correctly sized chips pass through. Dust, undersized and oversized chips are rejected.
5. Storage
Once the chips are screened to ensure they are the same size they are sent to storage silos, until ready to be sent for pulping. They are stored with an agitator to keep the chips in suspension.
12. Screening
11. Refining
Two giant metal grinding plates, one static and one rotor with intricate grooved patterns are rotating at approximately 1500 RPM. These shred the chips into papermaking fibres while the pattern ensures the fibres are separated in a lengthwise direction. The water in the chips vaporises due to the heat and high pressure and fed into another screw feeder for further refining into pulp fibre.
10. Infeed
The uniform, heated chips are fed into the Thermo-mechanical Pulping (TMP) refiner using a high-pressure screw feeder.
9. Digester
The chips are heated again with gas to soften the ligned (the glue which holds the wood fibres together), making it easier to separate the wood chips.
8. Washing
The chips are exposed to hot steam to even out the moisture content before being passed through a washer to ensure stone and twig nuts are removed. The high-quality chips float to the top where a paddle pushes them over to a water pump used to push the chips up to de-watering screws. Here, the chips are separated from the water.
7. Infeed of recycled pulp [or recycled paper] It is at this stage that any pulp produced from recycled paper/ waste is brought in as part of an 'in-line' process. Did you know? More and more paper mills are relying on recycled pulp brought in from elsewhere. Sometimes this recycled pulp is used on it's own or combined with virgin pulp for added fibre strength.
Mechanical Pulping (TMP)
6. Transportation From the storage silos, the chips are transported on conveyor belts.
Production of pulp and paper
PART TWO Pulp and paper production line market intelligence
Bleaching
13. De-watering press
The pulp fibre is transported to the bleaching plant where water is removed by cylinders with blankets.
14. Bleaching chemical added
The dry pulp is transported via a screw conveyor to a small refiner where bleaching chemicals are added.
15. Chemical reaction
The mix of chemicals and pulp is pumped to a bleaching tower where the chemicals and pulp react for a designated period of time.
23. Winder
The paper is wound on the jumbo reel or tambour.
This is then cut into smaller reels and customer specifications (diameter, width of reel and number of reels or tons), ready for transportation to the customer.
22. Quality scanning
Using a Quality Compliance System (QCS) monitor which travels back and forth across the sheet, key paper properties (weight, brightness/whiteness, thickness or calliper, and mineral fillers) are assessed.
Washing
16. Washing
The bleached pulp is transported from the bottom of the bleaching tower along a screw conveyor to a vat where water is added to wash away the bleaching chemicals.
17. De-watering
The chemicals and water are removed by cylinders with blankets. The pulp is soaked and de-watered again to ensure all chemicals are completely removed.
18. Rejection/storage
Ejected chemicals (black liquor) are harvested for re-use, while the bleached pulp is sent to storage silos.
21. Calendaring
A hard heated metal surface presses the paper against a softer backing roll to help make the paper smooth and glossy and to keep a consistent sheet thickness. Some rolls may be thermorolls which can be heated up to 260°C by steam-heated oil.
20. Head-box, wire, pressing, shoe press and drying
The pulp is pumped between two forming fabrics woven in a special pattern from thin polyester threads. Jets ensure that the pulp is spread evenly over the forming fabrics.
A bottom and top wire help drain the water from the pulp, forming a fibre web.
The fibre web still contains around 80% water, so the fibre web is compressed between two felts. When released, the felt sucks the water from the web like a sponge.
The fibre web is pressed several times before undergoing a final round in the shoe press. Here, the pressure time is extended to increase the dryness so that the fibre web now only contains 50% water.
Supported by drying fabrics, steam-heated cylinders slowly dry the fibre web to its final moisture content to 7% water and 93% fibre (depending on desired water-fibre ratio) at a temperature of 135°C.
19. Dilution
The pulp is diluted with water and pumped into a de-airater to remove any air bubbles. The pulp will consist of roughly 1% pulp and 99% water.
Paper-making
Production of pulp and paper
Explaining the opportunities and projects
Key critical projects within the pulp and paper industry have been highlighted along the schematic to make it easy to identify which areas of the process have the most opportunity.
1. Collection of timber
Bearings
Belts
Chain – bush conveyor chain and drive chain
Couplings
Roller chain, sprockets + conveyor replacement –250–300 euros per mill, every year.
Papermakers usually only use the parts of trees other commercial industries won’t e.g., sawmill waste and forest thinning.
Operating in a harsh external environment, subject to weather.
Replacement of drive/ bush chain every 2–4 years.
2. Debarking
Bearings – cylindrical roller B earings bearings, filament bearings, spherical roller bearings, split bearings and housing units
Belts – synchronous belts, B elts rubber conveyor belts, v-belts and belt drives
Conveyor chain and melting C onveyor conveyors
Couplings – fluid couplings
Fans
Gear drives
Grease
Hose assemblies – fittings H ose and tubes
Hydraulics
Knives
Locking assemblies Power packs
Pumps
Solid steel units
Operating in a harsh external environment (outside O perating weather, debris, shocks, water) means spike chain/ toothing will wear more frequently and need to be replaced every 2-3 years.
Kicker drives see heavy shock load and this can K icker lead to shaft failures. Replacing gearboxes with a belt box can improve reliability and lifetime.
Before the loading drums, logs are run through B efore melting conveyors where they are rinsed with water so that sand and other debris is sorted.
Logs tend to be transported by chain, and then when softer/lighter may move over to belt.
Some drives are chain-based and can be replaced S ome with synchronous belts to give a more efficient, lower maintenance and longer lifetime option.
This is heavy duty application, that if goes down, the entire plant must stop. Requires high-quality, reliable products to ensure uninterrupted performance.
Bark removed from logs can be used at the mill or B ark sold to other power-generating companies for burning as a biofuel.
3. Chipping
4. Sorting
Thermo Mechanical Pulping (TMP)
Production of pulp and paper
product groups
Bearings – spherical and roller bearings B earings
Belts – synchronous, friction and v-belt drives B elts
Chain – special stainless steel conveyor chain
Couplings – sleeve couplings C ouplings – sleeve couplings
Hoses, fittings and tubes for hydraulic systems H oses,
Locking devices
Paddle drive and screws
Shrink discs
Well-sealed plummer block housing made of steel
/ challenges
Belts slipping or mis-tracking due to high moisture content in chips can cause B elts spillage in the load zone.
Can be hard to clean. C an
Drives need good resistance to water and chemicals to minimise degradation. D rives
Use of aggressive chemicals – carbon chains cannot be used and seals of bearing houses and units, for example, must be the right type and material for durability.
Vertical installations.
Shrink discs and sleeve couplings are used in pressure diffuser to attach two S hrink coaxial shafts. Customers require high precision and quality.
Annual replacement of locking devices and shrink discs. SOV: 10-20k€ A nnual depending on size, type and volume.
Operating in a wet + dirty environment so nickel-plated pulleys are used to O perating increase durability (from 1-2 years to more than 5 years). SOV: Saving from reduced replacement.
9. Digester
Key product groups Opportunities / challenges
Belts – friction and B elts synchronous belts
Hoses, fittings and H oses, tubes for hydraulic systems
Sensitive to chip thickness S ensitive
The wood chips are usually cooked (in a digester) in an acid solution for up to 8 hours to dissolve out the lignin and expose the plant fibres. This pulp produced is referred to as "wood free".
Use of synchronous belts eliminates maintenance over drive lifetime.
More commonly used by plants M ore using wood chips.
10. Infeed
Key product groups Opportunities / challenges
Bearings – spherical roller B earings bearings and cylindrical bearings
Belts – friction and B elts synchronous belts to drive high pressure screw feeder due to high loads
Couplings – gear couplings C ouplings
Drum
Fluid couplings
Gear box + wheel G ear
Hoses, fittings and tubes H oses, for hydraulic systems.
Pillow blocks
Use of synchronous or friction belts eliminates maintenance over drive lifetime.
Usually gear couplings between gear box and screw feeder.
Gear wheel (36 module) replaced every G ear year (4 wheels with 2 pillow blocks each). SOV: 15k€ replacement per wheel and 25k€ replacement of pillow blocks.
SOV: 10k€ per coupling (safety) to ensure motor doesn’t break.
Not standard size roller bearings. N ot SOV: 3-4k€ per bearing.
Gearbox replacement. SOV: 50k€. G earbox
11. Refining
Key product groups Opportunities / challenges
Couplings – gear (steel) C ouplings
Belts – friction and synchronous belts to drive B elts shredder due to high loads
Hoses, fittings and tubes for hydraulic systems H oses,
It's important to maintain a consistent supply of pulp stock to the paper machines t's as pulp vessels represent a level measurement challenge due to thick and sticky material, high temperatures, steam in the vapour space, agitation and corrosive and abrasive effects of the slurry.
This process generates high-temperature and high-pressure steam which can be recovered as energy.
Gear couplings are used because of the needed axial stroke. Some refiners G ear nowadays are upgraded to take the stroke with splines inside refiners, therefore no stroke on couplings needed and steel laminae couplings can be used to upgrade.
High axial movement of shafts. H igh
12. Screening
Key product groups Opportunities / challenges
Belts – friction and B elts synchronous belts to drive screen
Hoses, fittings and tubes for hydraulic systems
TMP/Kraft fibres are much stiffer than many other grades of pulp, which give key benefits to the paper sheet. (e.g., they provide paper for books with high bulk and stiffness properties).
Production of pulp and paper
Key products and opportunities Key products and opportunities
13. De-watering press
Key product groups Opportunities / challenges
Bearings – special sealed B earings spherical roller bearings with special coating
Couplings – gear couplings, C ouplings elongated couplings
Electrical motors
Belts – friction and synchronous B elts belts to drive screws
Hoses, fittings and tubes for H oses, hydraulic systems
Mix of water and chemicals – seals must be the M ix right type and material for durability.
Vertical mounting of bearings/shaft with sorters
Change from gear couplings (which requires grease to lubricate steel on steel, although quality of grease has improved and could last up to 5 years) to laminate couplings (which doesn’t requires greasing). SOV: 3k€ replacement per coupling.
Motors sit outside of the machine so have to M otors compensate for the couplings being inside (incl. temperature difference).
14. Bleaching chemical added
Key product groups
Bearings – taper and spherical roller bearings B earings
Belts – friction and synchronous belts to drive B elts screws
Hoses, fittings and tubes for hydraulic systems
Washer drums
15. Chemical reaction
Key product groups Opportunities / challenges
Belts – friction and B elts synchronous belts
Locking devices
Annual replacement of locking devices. A nnual SOV: 2–10k€ depending on size, type and volume
Locking devices are used to attach pulper rotors. This requires high precision and must meet technical needs of speed and torque transmission. Occasionally they will require special plating or customised options.
16. Washing
Key product groups Opportunities / challenges
Couplings – gear and C ouplings elastic couplings
Belts – friction and synchronous B elts belts for conveyors
Typically gear couplings or elastic couplings, sometimes combined with torque limiters
Hoses, fittings and tubes for H oses, hydraulic systems
Torque limiters
17. De-watering
Key product groups
Belts – friction and synchronous belts to B elts drive screws
Hoses, fittings and tubes for hydraulic systems H oses,
18. Rejection/storage
Key product groups Opportunities / challenges
Belts – friction and synchronous B elts belts to drive conveyors
Black liquor is recovered to produce high-pressure steam used throughout the production line.
19.
Production of pulp and paper
Key products and opportunities
20. Head-box, wire, pressing, shoe press and drying Key product groups
Head-box
Belts – friction and synchronous belts to drive conveyors B elts
Hoses, fittings and tubes for hydraulic systems in head box and rolls H oses,
Pressing and shoe press
Bearings – spherical roller bearings: for press and suction rolls, particularly B earings narrow tolerance for the running accuracy of the inner and outer ring
Belts – friction and synchronous belts B elts
Couplings – gear with steel laminae C ouplings
Hoses, fittings and tubes for hydraulic systems and for actuating the shoe and H oses, the nip
Dryer
Bearings – carb bearings, flange bearings and housing, ceramic ball bearings B earings and spherical roller bearings (specially coated and sealed)
Belts – dampening, friction and synchronous belts B elts
Drying fans and pillow blocks D rying
Hoses, fittings and tubes for hydraulic systems H oses,
Motors
Pillow block bearing units
Opportunities / challenges
Head-box
Key products and opportunities
Runs at speeds of 100 km/h (2000 litres/second)
About 3,300 tons of water is removed every hour A bout
Pressing
Here, depending on the pressing method, a distinction is made between simple H ere, presses, suction presses, shoe presses and multiple presses.
There is a trend to replace installed gear couplings with steel laminae because of maintenance.
Shoe press
In the shoe press, the paper is pressed against a hydraulically moved metal I n shoe by a soft rotating roller. This prevssure forces the water out of the paper and then transports it away with the aid of the dampening belts.
Drying
The paper runs over numerous heated drying cylinders, guided by endless dryer fabrics (formerly drying felts). The drying cylinders are steam-heated (steam temperature depends on paper type, thickness, speed and number of drying cylinders).
Spherical roller bearings with a case-hardened inner ring and larger radial S pherical internal clearance are usually used due to the extreme temperature fluctuations, especially in the heating phase.
The high temperatures of the heated steam are transmitted to the bearing seats and place correspondingly high stresses on the rolling bearings. In order to keep bearing temperatures as low as possible, the cylinder journals through which steam flows are insulated.
The drives (several within the machine) must synchronise. Historically gear couplings were used but due to increased speeds, backlash and maintenance issues there is a trend to use laminae couplings between motor and cylinders.
The dryer is the longest part of the paper production line - consisting of 31 steam-heated cylinders (may repurpose steam created earlier in the refiners)
The drying process is completed so that the paper web has a moisture content of 5 to 10% at the end.
The paper web can run through the paper machine at a speed of up to 1400 meter/minute.
Every 9 months, ceramic bearings are checked and replaced. SOV: 1.5k€ per bearing.
Calendaring
Belts
elts Couplings – gear or disc with steel laminae C ouplings
friction, synchronous and toothed belts
Gearbox
Hoses, fittings and tubes for hydraulic systems H oses,
Rollers
/ challenges
Rollers are often driven by toothed belts (V-belts) which serves as a connection between the gearbox and the roller.
Coating: depending on the type of paper and requirements, base papers, for C oating: example, are further refined. In this process, the two-dimensional fibre structure of the base paper with its irregular surface structure is covered by the uniform application of a pigment layer.
There is a trend to replace installed gear couplings with steel laminae or disc couplings because of maintenance.
Opportunity for refurbishment of big bearings. O pportunity
Washing
22. Quality scanning
Key product groups
Belts – friction and synchronous
23. Winder
Key product groups
Belt – synchronous belts for winding machines B elt
Chain – plate belt chain and floor conveyor chain
Couplings – precision couplings C ouplings
Floor conveyor outfeed
Locking devices
Shrink discs
Winders
Opportunities / challenges
Up to 100,000 metres of paper can be wound (weighing about 40 tons). Up
Plate conveyor chains consist of one conveyor chain on the left and one on the right and they are connected with a trough metal plate, this can be several hundred meters long from the paper machine to the paper roll storage.
Servo drives (precision couplings) to better respond to the paper tensioner S ervo feedback are also a trend in winders.
Large heavy duty locking devices are used to mount winder rollers. Customers require high quality, precisely made items with tight tolerances. Annual replacement of locking devices and shrink discs. SOV: 20k€.
Production of pulp and paper
‘Putting it all together’
The approximate value of PT aftermarket sales in the European pulp and paper industry
*In addition there will be significant spend on motors and gearboxes, although this may be directly supplied by manufacturers.
PART THREE
Using this document to develop business
The following provides the reader of this document, particularly focused on Sales Team members, with some questions to help to generate revenue from this Production Line Intelligence overview and so develop your business within the Pulp and Paper industry. For many of these questions you may already know the answers. Others might be used on a regular basis when you visit customers and prospects in other industry sectors. It is meant as a resource to act as a prompt and reminder allowing your business to fully capitalise on this market intelligence and production line information.
There are three parts that deal with:
1. The preparation – this provides questions to consider before going to the site, in two sections:-
a. Detail of the company – is it part of a chain, or is it an independent?
b. W ho are the people to be seen – technical, engineering, maintenance?
2. The meeting itself – what to ask during the meeting to understand the concerns, needs, requirements and potentials.
3. The follow up – questions to ask or to reflect on, at the end of the meeting or afterwards
Preparing – before the visit
The producing company – makers of the ‘pulp and paper’ (End user / Brand manufacturer)
• What type of plant are you visiting ?
– Is it a full production facility – that is, from pulping wood to finished paper? – or:
– Is it a limited production facility - that is, buying in the pulp – either from wood or from recycled cardboard –then using that to manufacture the end product?
• What do you already know about:
– Its size in terms of capacity, output etc.?
– The types of pulp or paper it produces – virgin pulp, recycled pulp, paper, board?
– The paper production process it uses – refiner mechanical (RMP), thermomechanical (TMP) or chemical pulping?
– The production system they use and the manufacturers of those systems?
• How old is the plant?
• How many people do they employ?
• Do they have their own maintenance engineers?
• Who makes the purchasing decisions – locally or at Group level?
• Does this company have other facilities in the region you service?
The people you might meet
• Who are you going to see?
• What is their role or speciality (production/maintenance/ repair/purchasing)?
• What do you know about them already?
(hint: search LinkedIn)
• What are your initial thoughts about the main challenges they are likely to face?
• Your opening question …………. tailored to their role? General
• What do you want to achieve from the meeting –your goal?
– E xploratory – trying to understand the pressures/ problems they face – starter question – ‘what are the main issues you face in keeping the plant running?’
– Presentation – trying to suggest how your company’s service can help? – ‘these are the services we provide that might help you with those issues’
– Breadth of service – showing that you are not simply a component provider? – ‘energy saving/efficiency’ – ‘full range of MRO products’ – ‘support of manufacturer/suppliers’
• What will you fall back on, if your intended goal seems impossible?
– Ensure they know that you are interested/could add value?
– Ensure that they have your name, title, services to hand for the future?
– Confirm that they would be willing to meet you again, in the future?
• What is your plan for follow ups to this meeting?
• What kind of support material do you need to take with you – tailor made to the Pulp and Paper Industry rather/ as well as general information?
The actual meeting ‘Producers of the pulp and paper’
Some of the above can be asked during the meeting, but some research beforehand is preferable.
The plant or facility
• What sort of production site is this e.g., pulp mill, paper plant or complete production line?
• How many production lines are there and what types of products are produced?
– What type of seasonal production are there (if applicable)?
– How do you deal with the change in product varieties?
– What method of pulping is used e.g., mechanical or chemical pulping?
• What are the processes used across the various stages of production (infeed and preparation; bleaching; pulping; washing; paper-making and coating)?
• How are the main machines maintained and repaired (internal team, external team, machine builder service engineers)?
Maintenance, planning and issues
• What sort of regular maintenance does the plant undergo?
– Regular shut-down periods or other?
• What is the estimated annual spend on maintenance and repair?
• What are the main issues in relation to maintenance or 'bottlenecks' in the process that affect speed or reliability?
– What are the main issues or concerns in relation to maintenance?
– What are they caused by?
– Are there on-going projects to deal with this?
– Are you using partners – suppliers or distributors –
The follow up
• What were the main points you learned from the visit?
• How and where are you going to store this information – does your company have a CRM system/process?
• How are you going to use this information for future business, either with this potential customer or others – discussing opportunities within the Company at Sales Meetings?
• Who in your business do you need to share this information with?
to assist you in this process?
• Do you have existing projects carried out in relation to maintenance or energy management etc.?
– Are existing partners – suppliers or distributors – assisting?
• What are the key maintenance/industrial supplies objectives for the facility?
The most utilised products
• What parts are used most on an annual basis?
– What are the issues/challenges faced getting those parts?
• What are the main concerns in relation to type of components that are needed to maintain and improve the line e.g., bearings, chain, hydraulics, pneumatics, etc.?
• Where is the process most prone to failure or maintenance problems?
Suppliers
• What do you value most in relation to a supplier/ distributor like us?
• What kind of support do you look for from your service providers in relation to planned maintenance?
• What is your biggest current problem with your aftermarket suppliers?
– How do you like your supplier partners to assist?
• Next steps
– Can we come back with a proposal to help you with some of this?
• What are the next steps you need to take, when and how?
• What other types of follow up will you undertake and why?
– Do you have success stories to describe?
– Do other members of your team have such success stories?
– How can these be replicated?
• How will you ensure that these follow ups are completed?
Acknowledgements
Acknowledgements and a sincere thank you to the following manufacturer members of EPTDA for the generosity of the technical and commercial information and advice that they have supplied and which has given real authority to the document.
Also to our technical experts from distributor members of EPTDA operating in this sector, who have provided the concrete examples included in the text and without whose contribution the document would lack its operational and commercial relevance and power for distributors.
Finally to the individual members of the EPTDA Business Intelligence Task Group, who have freely given their advice, guidance and inputs throughout the process of producing this document.
Authored by:
Declaration on Paper Recycling 2021-2030’
27. Cepi, ‘Press Release: The Paper value Chain Reached a 71.4% Recycling Rate in 2021’
28. 4evergreen Forum, ‘Home’
29. Deskera, ‘Paper Manufacturing: Critical Issues and Challenges’
30. Mondi Group, ‘Why We Need Both Virgin and Recycled Fibre’
31. Fortune Business Insights, ‘Pulp and Paper Market Size, Share & COVID-19 Impact Analysis, by Category and Regional Forecast, 2022-2029’
32. The World Counts, ‘Environmental Impact of Paper’
33. Paper on the Rocks, ‘Paper Making: What Makes Paper Production such a Wasteful Process?’
34. 4evergreen Forum, ‘Home’
35. Futurism, ‘Now we have a way to turn Waste Paper into New Paper without using Water’
36. World Wild Life, ‘Pulp and Paper’
37. TGW International, ‘Dispelling Myths: Three Common Misconceptions in the Paper Industry’
38. ‘Top 10 Pulp and Paper Trends in 2023’, StartUs Insights
39. Greycon, ‘Top 10 Pulp & Paper Manufacturers in 2022’
40. ScienceDirect, ‘Decarbonizing the Pulp and Paper Industry: A Critical and Systematic Review of Sociotechnical Developments and Policy Options’
41. Statista, ‘Number of Cepi Paper and Pulp Mills in Europe 1991-2021, by Type’
