Technical Theme

By Subhash Deodhar Globally, tissue and towel production emits more carbon per tonne of paper than any other paper grade. For a product so close to the end-consumer, the carbon footprint of...

By Pirkko Petäjä In the German markets catering for certain environmental attributes is a ticket to play, while in many emerging markets their importance is still low. Environmental issues continue to gain importance...

Södra启动Värö扩建项目以满足卫生纸制造商的需求 ——《世界卫生纸》报道。 2014年2月24日，Södra董事会通过了一项40亿瑞典克朗的投资，用于其瑞典 Värö纸浆厂的重大扩建。该项目是十年来全球最大的针叶浆产能扩建项目，旨在满足卫生纸制造商的需求。 虽然南美洲的阔叶浆产能激增，但针叶浆却是另一番光景。卫生纸行业中，越来越多的针叶浆被阔叶浆取代，这也是阔叶浆产能迅速增加的部分原因。 但是，由于针叶浆对成品的强度至关重要，它所占的比例越小，质量要求越高。针叶浆厂的产能利用率稳步上升，而阔叶浆的产能利用率却在朝着相反方向发展，在可以预见的未来，卫生纸需求量将稳步增长。这些都意味着，作为卫生纸生产理想的原材料，针叶浆产能的扩大非常及时。 为了使Värö的纸浆产能从目前的42.5万吨/年上升至70万吨/年，供应商的选择工作目前已经展开。Värö将成为全球最大的针叶硫酸盐纸浆生产商之一。 通过对纸浆历史的简要介绍，Värö在卫生纸制造行业的重要性可见一斑。随着销售目的地向亚洲转移，加拿大针叶牛皮浆从20世纪90年代中期开始大量退出，不再作为欧洲卫生纸制造商的选择。欧洲卫生纸制造商使用加拿大纸浆打造了以优质水平和加固特性著称的品牌。Södra旗下以云杉梳伐为基础的Black Z，柔软度和强度兼顾，正好满足了他们对满足特定性能的纸浆的需求。为此，Värö采取必要的生产和市场措施，将面向卫生纸厂的产量比重从原先的10-15%提高至约70%，从约3万吨/年增至30万吨/年，吨数为原来的10倍。 虽然断言增产部分用于卫生纸行业的比重为时尚早，但卫生纸市场仍然具有举足轻重的作用，这将在造纸厂需要提供的纸浆特性中得以反映。针叶浆纤维是卫生纸强度的保证，当用量相对较小，特别是对卫生纸柔软度又有一定要求时，卫生纸制造商无法通过“任何陈旧的针叶浆”提高卫生纸强度。Södra发现57种采用Black Z的Värö卫生纸纸浆被广泛用于各类产品组合，这代表了卫生纸制造上对纤维的需求。 位于瑞典南部（Södra在瑞典语中意为南方）的Värö成立于1972年，员工约330人，良好的地理位置为其提供了性质独特的森林资源。北欧北部地区的温暖天气持续时间很短，经过短暂而急速的生长期后，纤维壁更薄，也更适合用于柔软的卫生纸。以辐射松为主的南欧地区则恰恰相反，全年的生长期相对恒定，纤维壁较厚，柔软度方面的表现并不出色。 在Värö附近，森林的生长特性介于两个极端之间，能够满足柔软度的要求。Södra通过森林疏伐选择树龄较短、纤维壁较薄的木材，用于生产柔软的卫生纸产品。由于植被到达一定的生长阶段后，森林需要借助疏伐来获得繁茂成长的空间，而疏伐获得的木材无法用于建筑行业，因此形成了Södra和森林双赢的局面。正是基于以上原因，Värö可以获得理想的原材料并进行增值性加工，而这些原材料几乎是良好森林管理的副产品。 除了Värö卫生纸产量的提高外，新近宣布的投资项目还意味着造纸厂能效的提升。Värö在日常运营中已不再使用石化燃料，新项目的启动会进一步提高绿色能源的供应。项目管理团队坚信该项目将满足所有环境要求，他们正与当局合作，打消当局对环境影响的担忧。在可持续性发展方面，Värö 目前可以向所有有需求的采购者提供FSC认证的纸浆，这一情况仍将持续。 过去十年，随着全新回收锅炉、蒸发装置和苛性化装置的配备，Värö的环保表现迎来了转变。2011年，Värö新近投资添置了两台分别由Andritz和GL&V提供的筛选装置，用于改进污垢含量。随后企业又进行了由内部设计和实施的流程控制升级，以提高亮度水平的一致性。2014年安装完成的全新石灰窑是流程回收部分全面更新的最后一步，整个过程耗时仅仅十年。上述所有投资都已考虑到未来的扩展，并将为新增产能提供空间。从这个意义上来说，它们代表着令人振奋的全新阶段的开始。临近的锯木厂也已整装待发，应对木屑需求的增长。   卫生纸纸浆的发展 通过Värö的扩展，Södra不仅能够实现其在卫生纸行业地位的扩大，也能继续对卫生纸生产所需的针叶浆进行优化。Värö的产能扩至70万吨/年后，Södra的整体市场纸浆产能将提高20%。为此，企业需要投资配备最先进的技术，为Södra卫生纸纸浆未来的发展铺平道路。 对于Värö增产的重要作用，Södra卫生纸业务区域经理Marcus Hellberg表示：“造纸厂位置优越，能够利用卫生纸纸浆生产所需的理想原材料。除了原材料，工艺最为重要。这项大型投资将巩固我们在关键市场的领导地位，增加市场份额。” 工艺流程从锯木厂就已开始，如今，企业对适用于卫生纸生产的原材料的选择投入了前所未有的关注。随后的去皮削片流程已经升级，能够提供更为平均的木屑尺寸用于蒸煮。如果造纸厂需要处理大小不一的木屑，那蒸煮作用的程度更具随机性。Värö流程经理 Knut Omholt表示：“对所有纸品制造商而言，一致性非常重要，但卫生纸消费者对一致性的需求更大。”通过对木屑尺寸的管理以及其他专有改进，蒸煮流程在过去十年间不断优化，从而在更大程度上实现原材料的潜能，尤其是强度方面的表现。 Omholt继续说道：“如果卫生纸制造商使用品质不一的纸浆，他们需要对流程做出更多调整，如匀浆的程度，这将对走纸性产生影响。”这也会对最终产品的特性产生影响。 “我们的目标是在流程中使强度得以最大化，尽量减少制浆后期的匀浆工序。获得强度所需的匀浆工序越少，制浆所产卫生纸的柔软度越高。通过新的扩建，我们将继续对流程进行优化。”随着回收流程的到位，新近产能扩建项目的关键技术问题是对现有纸浆生产线进行全面重建的程度。 特定技术将在相应进程中宣布，但目标非常明确。Hellberg表示：“我们对所有纸浆等级的品质深感自豪，但这并不意味着停滞不前。对柔软度和强度的市场预期不断增加，我们需要为此做好准备。客户关注的是最佳产品的选择，因此任何扩建项目都必须以质量改善为前提。” 在可预见的未来，Södra可以通过上述项目在卫生纸纸浆行业发挥带头作用。Södra首席执行官兼集团总裁Lars Idermark表示：“这一扩建是企业战略的关键部分，也是业务发展的必经之路。我们的目标是成为客户的第一选择。” 除了纸浆产量的提高外，这一投资项目还意味着Värö能效的提升。

Södra’s expansion at Värö has the needs of tissue makers at heart. A TW report. On 24 February 2014, Södra’s board of directors gave the green light to invest SEK 4 billion...

By Paul Watson, director of Canfor Pulp Innovation and Wlad Janssen, specialist on tissue for Canfor Pulp Fibre is the highest single cost element of a finished tissue product, typically more than...

Exporting finished product to 25 companies and with annual turnover of €60 million the Dutch niche player is looking to grow through value-increase “We’re a small niche player,” Van Houtum general manager...

Tissue World interviews the world’s main tissue machinery manufacturers to get the latest on their technical and commercial know-how TW: What have been the most important technical developments at your company during...

Tissue World asked the world’s leading converting machinery manufacturers to comment on where their R&D efforts are heading in our annual converting technical theme. MTorres and Maflex responded. A TW report   TW:...

Tissue World interviews the world’s main tissue machinery manufacturers to get the latest on their technical and commercial know-how TW/1: WHAT HAVE BEEN THE MOST IMPORTANT TECHNICAL DEVELOPMENTS AT YOUR COMPANY DURING...

Fis Impianti managing director Fabio Malnati talks to TW about the critical importance of good plastic film protection on jumbo rolls Today, issues such as CRM responses, efficiency of choices and higher...

A TW report by Steve Hoefs, senior industry development manager, Nalco, an Ecolab company. Reliable Yankee dryer performance is a key contributor to the smooth operation and finished product quality of every...

Kemira’s Vladimir Grigoriev, Mikko Mäkinen and Roberto Zulian review the new developments in strength technologies and discuss the economic benefits found from industrial case studies. The tissue market is one of the...

With consumer demand for sustainable tissue products increasing, tissue producers need to demonstrate to existing and potential clients a firm commitment to sustainability. Here SCA – the EU’s largest private forest...

Södra Cell Värö has transformed itself into a tissue-focussed mill with pioneering environmental credentials. A TW report With hindsight, would you have re- orientated a softwood pulp mill towards the tissue market...

With demand for hygiene products forever on the increase, pulp producer Sappi tells TW how sugar cane waste residue has enabled it to develop its Triple GreenTM hygiene range. Hygiene products form...

Cascades Tissue Group has extended its Cascades Moka line with the launch of what it claims is the first-ever unbleached, 100% recycled beige facial tissue. The company said the single-use paper product...

A TW report TW: What technical developments can we expect in converting for 2013 and beyond? PCMC’s operations director Luca Tagliasacchi: “One of the sections on which the work of our R&D department...

Voith has targeted the tissue market with the launch of its MajorSoft and MegaSoft rubber roll covers. The products “ensure especially long-lasting and efficient operation” according to the manufacturing giant, while an improved...

Gambini has said its FlexLess Technology enables businesses to use rubber embossing rolls that do not bend when working under pressure changes, resulting in the NIP remaining even. The FlexLess technology is...

World’s first Advantage NTT tissue line to be started up Mexican-based Fabrica De Papel San Francisco is to start up the world’s first tissue line based on Metso’s Advantage NTT concept. The new...

PMP Group has signed a contract with Chinese producer Henan Hulijia Industrial CO to install an Intelli-Tissue® 900 EcoEc line. The Intelli-Tissue® 900 EcoEc machine has a double-press configuration, a design speed...

Retailers and tissue makers focus on sustainability at Tissue World conference in Barcelona: best ever gathering of distinguished speakers A world-class lineup of speakers, including numerous major global retailers, top tissue making...

1. What have been the most important technical developments at your company during 2012? Emmanuel Allibe, ABK Group managing director: “ABK Group has taken a decisive step in 2011 with the acquisition of...

Tissue giant Kimberly-Clark (K-C) has teamed up with biotechnology company Booshoot to support the production of tissue products made with bamboo fibre. K-C said the partnership “marks a significant breakthrough” for the...

Kemira has launched KemFlite to reduce paper and board machine problems caused by deposits from the agglomeration of hydrophobic particles. The particles originate from wood pitch, stickies or binders in coated broke. Chris...

Voith has launched NipVision, a real time system that makes nip measurements possible while the paper machine is running. The online and real-time measurement tool uses the latest roll cover technology, where...

Tissue operations with mature machinery are looking for renewed life from their existing equipment, and determining whether to purchase capital equipment or retrofit existing equipment can be a difficult task. Edson...

1. What have been the most important technical developments at your company during 2012? Emmanuel Allibe, ABK Group managing director: “ABK Group has taken a decisive step in 2011 with the acquisition of...

Desired product properties primarily determine the tissue fibre furnishes, but there is space to optimise the fibre selection HIGH FIBRE COST Fibre costs account for some 60% of the tissue base paper costs...