Automation for Tissue

Process instability can weaken tissue machine runnability and increase costs. Opportunities are often missed as operators focus on individual machines or raw materials. Siloed adjustments can introduce even more variability, leading to off-target production. 

Valmet’s automation system measures and controls variability across the entire production line. Teams work together from the same data towards plant-wide goals, improving asset reliability and performance to drive optimization. 

Global pressures are driving tissue production towards entirely new levels of efficiency and predictability. Digitalization can lead to complexity, creating both challenges and opportunities. Valmet’s automation solutions remove technical barriers, unifying data so it can be securely and easily leveraged to reach target quality at much reduced costs. 

Giving people the tools to get the best performance out of assets output is central to Valmet’s tissue offerings. Valmet DNAe is the most flexible, user-friendly distributed control system (DCS) on the market. 

The DCS is the core of automated operations, including critical process and drive controls of the tissue machine line. It provides a consistent, web-based user experience for monitoring process controls, optimizing targets, assessing equipment condition, generating detailed reports and more. Essential information is accessible from any device regardless of physical location. 

Information is easily shared between shifts and among teams, ensuring complete situational awareness for everyone. Analytics and simulators, part of Valmet DNAe, further help users to get the most out of their data. Overall performance improves as teams can focus on the most impactful actions and preempt potential issues. 

Valmet’s automation system is highly scalable and suites operations both big and small. You can start with the most critical components and expand the automation scope later as needed.  Valmet provides a wide range of sensors, measurements, analyzers, profilers, monitoring & inspection tools, and scanners that are integrated into the DCS. 

Valmet IQ Quality Control System (QCS), for example, automatically adjusts stock feed, drying, machine speed, crepe ratio, profiles, and grade changes. Thanks to the online scanner measurement specially designed for tissue, you can measure the most critical quality properties of the tissue, as well as closely monitor the success of the creping process. Utilizing these measurements in a condition monitoring system, you can also identify factors affecting Yankee performance in advance, such as chattering issues. 

With our advanced process controls (APCs) and digital jumbo reel, you can achieve even broader optimization of the tissue making process for precise quality control and enhanced overall equipment effectiveness (OEE). These solutions include automating refining, pulp mixing, chemical dosing and data sharing between tissue machine and converting lines. 

An automation system is much more than just a tool for process control and optimization. It also enables extensive condition monitoring of your tissue machine and converting line assets, an essential ingredient in avoiding unplanned shutdowns.  

Valmet’s works with the tissue production line as a whole. Stock preparation and tissue machine stability are crucial to manage so that the machine can operate efficiently and produce quality with minimal variation. This also enables smooth running of tissue converting lines and maximizes OEE.

Our automation system significantly improves the overall effectiveness of existing equipment, while even larger gains can be made with targeted investments in new process technology. 

Decades of experience, along with a proven track record of successful tissue projects, put Valmet in a unique position to help tissue makers modernize and optimize operations to maximize performance. Our worldwide team of experts is always available to ensure you can optimize your processes and reach the most optimum equipment efficiency. 

From a greenfield startup to a brownfield upgrade, Valmet is there to help you at every step in your journey towards fully optimized, autonomous operations. We provide comprehensive services close to your operations, as well as through an extensive remote support network.  

You can be certain that you are making the right, data-driven choices through predictive diagnostics and real-time information from system applications and tissue production equipment. Our expert advice and automation solutions deliver tangible benefits now and over the long term.