By Jonathan Roberts
To extract an extra roll of toilet paper or kitchen towel
from a tissue log is the sort of efficiency improvement
of which tissue producers dream. When the application
of technology proves capable of increasing output from
an unchanged input, we all realize why it is worth taking
production issues so seriously.
TECHNOLOGY MAKES THE DIFFERENCE
Papelera
San Andres de Giles, around 100 km from Buenos Aires in
Argentina, has enjoyed just one of those moments when
technology makes all the difference. A new trim cutter
and log saw has proved a very significant element of an
investment program undertaken by this tissue maker and
converter.
Futura, through its Brazilian associate Joinpaper, has
carried out an upgrade on one of the existing converting
lines at Papelera San Andres de Giles in order to improve
toilet roll and kitchen towel cutting quality, improve
efficiency and reduce waste. Two old conventional 2- channel
log saws have been replaced by a Trim Cutter F60.A and
a 4- channel log saw F30.A4. The modification, on top
of improving the quality of the finished product, has
allowed the mill to optimize the number of rolls to be
cut in a log – in simple terms, San Andres de Giles
is getting one extra roll of kitchen towel or toilet paper
per log. This has been possible thanks to the new Futura
cutting system which achieves a very small trim width
as the log is trimmed by the trim cutter before entering
the log saw.
BETTER CUT, BETTER FOR PACKAGING
The
Futura equipment was installed in June last year, and
Papelera San Andres de Giles’ president and founder
Maximo Gagliardi is delighted with the result of the investment
– the machine has had such a positive impact on
his company. Not only does the cutter extract more production,
it also makes a better cut, which allows the rolls to
sit better in their packaging. What’s more it is
faster than the equipment which it replaced, and the combination
of increased speed and efficiency has been a big boost
for the company.
An investment on the mill’s tissue machine means
the log saw could well have proved to be a bottleneck
without the upgrade. Installation of a new hood meant
the tissue machine’s capacity was increased by 20
percent to 1,200 tons/month.
WIDE VARIETY
Established by Maximo Gagliardi in 1981, San Andres de
Giles produces single and double-ply tissues of all varieties,
as suggested by the wide weight range of 14 – 52
gms which it supplies. Output includes jumbo rolls (up
to 2.6-m wide), private label and brands, plain, coloured
and decorated. Export destinations include most countries
in Latin America, as well as some overseas, including
Spain, the Philippines and South Africa. Now that production
has been upgraded, San Andres de Giles plans to make another
investment in quality. The improved cut quality has proved
very welcome, but now the company is going one step further
with the installation of an embosser, which will be retrofitted
on the same converting line as the log saw and trim cutter.
The nested Futura F88, to be supplied by Joinpaper, is
due to be installed imminently.
TIME TO MOVE UP MARKET
The investment in an embosser is an important step, as
it allows San Andres de Giles to develop totally new products
with this added-value feature. It means it can move into
the premium market and take the major players head on.
The installation also marks the conclusion of an investment
program which has seen the mill raise production capacity,
efficiency and quality. It serves to prove what a difference
thoughtful upgrading of existing facilities can achieve.
TW
