Company

North American Board Producer

Challenge: Inefficient Chemistry Dosage Scheme for Wet-Strength Chemistry

A North American board producer wanted to reduce raw material consumption while optimizing wet tensile quality. The mill employed an inefficient dosage scheme for wet-strength chemistry. The dynamically changing nature of continuous manufacturing and the periodic reel-to-reel quality measurement environment of tissue-making presented operators with a challenge for manual optimization.

Solution: Fine-Tuning Chemistry Dosage With AI

The board producer implemented Solenis OPTIX™ Applied Intelligence, powered by ProcessMiner. A machine-learning, predictive analytics platform with autonomous control capabilities, OPTIX delivers a virtual measure of wet tensile quality in real-time and uses machine-learning capabilities to remain robust and accurate in the face of changing machine conditions. Using artificial intelligence (AI) to make data-driven process adjustments, the wet strength chemistry dosage is finely tuned to drive wet tensile quality to the target.

Results: Achieving Immediate Cost Savings

Over a two-month period of using OPTIX’s autonomous control, the mill realized a 14% reduction in wet strength chemistry usage across all grades. The autonomous control algorithms adjusted the wet strength chemistry dosage up or down to ensure target adherence of the wet tensile quality parameter. This unprecedented, AI-driven autonomous control optimized wet tensile quality by reducing variation by 15%, all while avoiding off-quality production. This improvement in target adherence allowed the mill to then lower wet tensile targets to drive further optimization.

Disclaimer: This case study highlights the strategic partnership between ProcessMiner and Solenis in pulp and paper manufacturing. ProcessMiner’s AI-driven solutions also extend beyond the pulp and paper industry, offering optimization across multiple industries.

Company

Board Mill

Challenge: Reactive Control Leads to Kymene Overdose 

A board mill was interested in optimizing Kymene consumption while maintaining wet tear quality. The dynamically changing nature of paper manufacturing presented operators with a challenge for Kymene optimization. Additionally, delayed or erroneous quality tests caused mill operators to reactively control and, at times, overdose Kymene. Frequent turnover or inexperienced operators presented additional challenges for mill operations.

Solution: Getting Kymene Dosage Under Control With ProcessMiner

The board mill implemented Solenis OPTIX™ Applied Intelligence, powered by ProcessMiner. The platform generates real-time, virtual measures of wet tears for pulp and paper manufacturers and incorporates an AI-driven control loop to optimize the associated chemistry program. Machine learning is also used to ensure the quality measure remains accurate.

Results: Achieving Immediate Cost Savings

Complete autonomous chemistry control: OPTIX continuously optimizes the control of wet strength chemistry for all Wet Tear grades. AI-autonomous control reduced dry-end test variation and improved target adherence at lower overall chemical spend.

Optimized chemistry dosage: Machine learning enables OPTIX to drive Kymene to the dose required to maintain wet strength quality, even during process changes. Mill operators no longer need to make knee-jerk reactions to quality tests, while management takes comfort in knowing OPTIX is administering the correct amount of Kymene for the process. By allowing the platfrom to make decisions about Kymene dosage, the mill optimized dosage and reduced lab variation for each grade.

Figure 1 highlights the variation reduction and mean shift OPTIX was able to drive. For the grade highlighted, OPTIX improved target adherence by 38% and reduced variation by over 28%. This improved control allowed for a 15% optimization in chemistry, as seen in Figure 2.

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Focus on quality: Customized algorithms allow OPTIX autonomous control to drive quality to the target. Since its installation, the platform has improved or maintained wet strength target adherence while producing no additional rejects. Allowing OPTIX to reduce variation in your chemistry systems yields benefits much past chemistry optimization.  The improved wet tear quality has reduced variation in dry tears and improved basis weight control. As variation reduces across the asset, system noise is eliminated, and overall machine efficiency improves.

Disclaimer: This case study highlights the strategic partnership between ProcessMiner and Solenis in pulp and paper continuous manufacturing as strategic partners. ProcessMiner’s AI-driven solutions also extend beyond the pulp and paper industry, offering optimization in various sectors.

Company

North American Tissue and Towel Producer

Challenge: Inefficient Chemistry Dosage Scheme

A North American tissue and towel producer was interested in reducing raw material consumption while optimizing wet tensile quality. The mill employed an inefficient dosage scheme for wet-strength chemistry. The dynamically changing nature of continuous manufacturing and the periodic reel-to-reel quality measurement environment of tissue-making presented operators with a challenge for manual optimization. This prompted the mill to search for an autonomous control solution built for the pulp and paper industry.

Solution: Optimizing Chemistry Dosage With Solenis OPTIX™ Applied Intelligence, Powered by ProcessMiner

The mill implemented OPTIX an AI and ML, predictive analytics platform with autonomous control capabilities. OPTIX generates a virtual measure of wet tensile quality in real-time and uses machine learning capabilities to remain robust and accurate in the face of changing machine conditions. Leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to make data-driven process adjustments, the wet strength chemistry dosage is finely tuned to drive wet tensile quality to the target.

Results: Achieving Immediate Cost Savings

Over a six-month period of utilizing OPTIX, the mill achieved a 25% reduction in wet strength chemistry usage through autonomous control.

The autonomous control algorithms adjusted the wet strength chemistry dosage up or down to ensure target adherence of the wet tensile quality parameter. OPTIX optimized wet tensile quality by reducing quality variation by 23% and increasing target adherence by 63% all while avoiding off-quality production.

Disclaimer: This case study highlights the strategic partnership between ProcessMiner and Solenis in pulp and paper continuous manufacturing as strategic partners. ProcessMiner’s AI-driven solutions also extend beyond the pulp and paper industry, offering optimization in various sectors.

Company

North American Virgin Coated Paper Board Mill

Challenge: Inefficient Quality Tests Result in Reactive Control and Chemistry Overdose 

A North American virgin-coated paper board mill was interested in optimizing wet strength resin (WSR) consumption while maintaining wet tear quality. The dynamically changing nature of paper manufacturing presented operators with a challenge for manual WSR optimization. Additionally, delayed or erroneous quality tests caused mill operators to reactively control and overdose WSR, prompting the search for an autonomous chemistry optimization solution designed for the pulp and paper industry.

Solution: Incorporating AI-Driven Control Loop

The mill implemented Solenis OPTIX™ Applied Intelligence, powered by ProcessMiner. It’s a machine-learning, predictive analytics platform with autonomous control capabilities. The solution generated a real-time, virtual measure of wet tears and incorporated an AI-driven control loop to optimize the associated chemistry program. Machine learning was also used to ensure the quality measure remains accurate.

Results: Achieving Immediate Cost Savings

Complete autonomous chemistry control: OPTIX is optimally controlling wet strength chemistry for all the customer’s grades. Mill operators have embraced AI-autonomous control as a new tool to control wet strength chemistry.

Optimized chemistry dosage: Machine learning enables OPTIX to drive the WSR to the dose required to maintain wet strength quality, even during process changes. Mill operators no longer need to make knee-jerk reactions to quality tests while management takes comfort in knowing OPTIX is administering the correct amount of WSR for the process.

By allowing OPTIX to make decisions about WSR dosage, the mill can optimize dosage for each grade. An average dosage reduction of 18% across the heavy-weight grades was achieved by using OPTIX.

Focus on quality: Customized algorithms allow OPTIX autonomous control to drive quality to target specs. Since its installation, OPTIX has improved or maintained wet strength target adherence while producing no additional rejects. During upset conditions on a few light weights, OPTIX proactively increased WSR dosage to ensure wet strength quality persisted. The improved quality compliance has satisfied the quality control department and eliminated petitions from the quality manager.

Disclaimer: This case study highlights the strategic partnership between ProcessMiner and Solenis in pulp and paper continuous manufacturing as strategic partners. ProcessMiner’s AI-driven solutions also extend beyond the pulp and paper industry, offering optimization in various sectors.