Tissue World Magazine
Alexandra Stuthridge, Technical Business Manager, BioProducts Institute (BPI)

TWM goes beyond the fourth industrial revolution in this edition. Our contributors focus on the many advances which are already well established in tissue production and, to use a phrase by one of them, look at the predictable benefits which ‘early adapters’ of the latest technology are likely to reap in the era of the fifth industrial revolution.

What emerges clearly under the all-embracing description ‘Smart’ is that no area of the production process will be spared examination. From raw material source through to delivery of a month’s supply of scented bathroom tissue to an individual customer’s front door – ‘the logistics of the last mile’ as another contributor puts it – the search for best practice and maximum benefit has never been more intense.

That search is through VR, automation, data crunching, the digital economy, interprocess feasibility studies, ROI calculations, engineering layouts, drones, partnering efforts, equipment proposals, 3D printing, collaborative automation ‘Landscape Assessments’ and more… the terminology is expanding.

Our contributors include Paul W. Hill, business development manager at Reko Automation Division, and Vittorio Cavirani, general manager of Elettric80, for this issue’s Distribution: Special Feature, where Pirkko Petäjä, principal of Pöyry Management Consulting, also makes a wide-ranging assessment of delivery trends which must respond to customer needs and preferences.

‘Smart’ production also gets a targeted focus in our Technical Theme on Converting, as we talk with Fabio Perini, Futura, Gambini, ICM, Maflex, MTorres and PCMC.

French customers are turning to green products
There are several words for ‘Smart’ in French … the ones we prefer are élégant, or intelligent.

Our Country Report on France finds that élégant tissue production is well underway, with
the added element of style which would be expected.
In a mature, saturated market struggling for organic growth, encouraging green shoots are appearing as more consumers are getting behind environmentally-friendly products.

The emphasis is on niche tissue categories, independence, recycled paper, rapid response, flexibility, personalised and increasingly sustainable products.

We spoke to Christophe Dorin, WEPA France country manager, and French manufacturer Papeco director general Emmanuel Coulon… who explained his concept of the élégant ‘circular economy’ at his Normandy mill.

Fisher International also looks at one looming decision facing the whole country. With the government committed to eliminating nuclear plant produced electricity long-term, how will the mills of the future cover energy sources and costs?

Welcome to the new look TWM
Our new TWM design looks… well, smart, I’m sure you’ll agree. It will be making its debut at our Tissue World Milan 2019 trade show and conference – the flagship show of Tissue World.

With over 200 exhibiting companies, more than 3,000 tissue industry professionals, and our Smart and Sustainable – Strategies to Stay Sharp as a New Decade Dawns conference, we at Tissue World look forward to seeing you there.