Many of the world’s paper mills rely on infrastructure designed and built early in the 20th or even late in the 19th century, and still operate using decades-old technology. Modifications and upgrades have helped these older mills survive but not adapt to support future growth.
Many paper mills are running at or near capacity, escalating the risk of costly downtime. Without modern infrastructure, paper producers have limited ability to respond to challenges such as changing consumer demand, regulatory requirements, cybersecurity threats and workforce shortages. Even newer mills are under pressure to digitally transform operations for improved efficiency, sustainability, and profitability.
Transforming from legacy systems to a modern connected mill first requires development of a holistic enterprise-wide strategy accompanied by a detailed plan. Performance gains can be achieved at every phase of the production value chain, from the woodyard to the warehouse. Upfront strategic planning and applied engineering leads to the development of a thoughtful, long-term digital transformation plan while helping to identify and execute near-term solutions to optimize existing systems.
Digital Transformation Brings Multiple Gains
Digital transformation is more than upgrading graphics on a human-machine interface (HMI). Digital transformation enables access to and utilization of business and control systems data to achieve business outcomes not possible with most legacy systems. An effective digitization plan will not only modernize the mill but future proof it as well, lowering risk and bringing significant improvements across the value chain.
Consider the following four key areas where digital transformation can improve productivity:
1. Performance
Modern process automation solutions can boost operational performance parameters such as throughput and efficiency Implementing a digital thread strategy reveals data insights that enables process optimization, resulting in significant gains in production and across the entire value chain.
Tighter and more data-driven process control optimizes new assets, as well as any remaining legacy systems. New process knowledge can facilitate the integration of disparate systems and adjust for differences in system tolerances and accuracies. The digital stream of targeted process data maximizes productivity and improves overall equipment effectiveness (OEE). A modern connected mill operates at higher performance levels and delivers increased productivity and profitability.
2. People
A modern digital work environment empowers the workforce to excel at their jobs. It requires not only offering training courses on new systems but providing contextualized data to the right people enterprise wide. The digital thread delivers this information and includes actionable data insights, enabling people to make knowledge-driven decisions regarding operations.
Automating tasks that do not require human labor frees people to contribute at a higher, more dynamic level, enhancing job satisfaction. A modern mill may also incorporate new safety and ergonomic features to improve worker comfort, ease, and personal safety. Leveraging modern productivity-enabling solutions improves labor utilization and resource allocation, leading to increased efficiency and profitability. An effective modernization strategy should include a comprehensive change management plan to help employees adjust to and thrive in this new, digital environment.
3. Resilience
Risk is the bane of manufacturers and exists despite all best efforts. For legacy mills, the risk is compounded by aging infrastructure and a lack of flexibility or resilience. Digital transformation brings the mill leading-edge technology designed to reduce operating risks and add resiliency to the entire enterprise. Modern programming and patching techniques help quell, for example, the threat of cyberattacks, and predictive maintenance programs can lower the risk of unplanned downtime.
For safer and more efficient mill operations, artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced analytics enhance reliability and offer the flexibility to solve production challenges more easily. In doing so, the business can meet production targets and respond to market demands.
This enhanced resilience allows the business to be more agile, seamlessly adjusting to changing business conditions, fulfilling new orders, adapting to product changes, ensuring compliance, and championing sustainability initiatives. With built-in scalability, the modern mill is also ready for any future expansion.
4. Sustainability
Paper manufacturers are under pressure to be more sustainable by reducing energy consumption and waste. Energy-intensive processes are costly, so varying energy costs may impact profitability. The modern connected mill, utilizing the benefits of the digital thread and shared data, optimizes energy consumption and operates more efficiently – using only the energy required for production and minimizing both manufacturing and consumer waste. Better quality control algorithms reduce product variability and minimize waste, perhaps even optimizing the process of re-processing scrap through the pulp mill or recycling waste.
Streamlined operations further aid sustainability by reducing the environmental impact of water and chemical shedding processes. The digital thread’s contextualized reporting strongly supports timely and accurate regulatory compliance, further reducing risk to the business and personnel.
Now and Next: Improving Operational Performance
Time is money, and developing the right digital transformation strategy and operational solution for the mill cannot be, nor should it be, done overnight. Cost-effective, short-term gains may result from implementing certain modifications in a legacy facility, while preparations for major upgrades or total modernization are underway. For example:
Web Handling
Paper machine drive systems can be difficult to maintain, operating at centerline and identifying the root cause when a system is down. Updating to a modern paper web handling drive system means a faster time to production and more machine reliability.
Batch Digesters
Optimizing batch digesters can provide improvements in batch quality and yield. Implementing solutions to reduce variability among operators involves bringing the right data to the operator interface. Automatic adjustments for each cook can help increase fiber yields and optimize scheduling.
Burner Management
Burner management systems (BMS) or combustion control systems (CCS) can help mills stay current with fired equipment safety regulations and increase worker safety. The right solution can be installed during scheduled tight downtime windows and will help systems conform with NFPA regulations and enable the mill to operate at a higher performance level.
Making modifications such as these can help make improvements that will affect the performance of the mill almost immediately. Moving from legacy equipment to a modern connected mill with the right technology for each site is the longer-term vision.
Start your journey toward digital transformation and a modern connected mill with these three steps:
1. Identify internal stakeholders.
Gather internal stakeholders to start discussions on modernization. Engage people from all aspects of the enterprise to ensure diverse expertise and insights are part of a comprehensive discussion. Develop a list of desired business outcomes, as well as current challenges, to solve with the new connected mill.
2. Select the right modernization solutions partner.
Digital transformation is not an everyday occurrence, so most personnel have never been through major mill upgrades much less a complete redesign of the facility. It is important to select a well-established third-party automation solutions partner, one that successfully completes modernization projects every day.
An effective partner must be well-versed in the paper industry with deep domain knowledge of the processes and intricacies in pulp and paper. The right partner provides key team members to collaborate with internal stakeholders to develop a digital transformation plan that will provide the company’s desired outcomes.
A solutions partner can apply industry best practices that supplement the knowledge base of the internal team. The partner company should enable access to their own wide range of technologies and solutions and be well-connected with supplemental leading-edge technology providers. They can also help determine what modifications to consider in the near term to increase productivity, while planning for complete modernization is underway.
3. Working together, make full use of upfront planning.
Planning is the secret to success in digitally transforming to reach new levels of productivity, profitability, and resilience. Working together, a team of internal and third-party stakeholders should take a holistic approach to creating a customized modernization plan. A typical approach will entail a front-end loading (FEL) process to start dialing in potential budget numbers, developing capital expenditure (CapEx) justification. This upfront planning along with advance engineering help avoid pitfalls and allow smoother, swifter startup and commissioning. The new facility should be designed for scalability, ease of maintenance, and continuous improvement to maximize return on investment (ROI).
Revolutionize Production
Bringing a mill into the 21st century can seem overwhelming, but with a qualified experienced automation partner, it is easier to develop and then implement a modernization plan. The right strategy can revolutionize production capabilities and deliver powerful business outcomes. Performance gains, workforce enhancements, resilience, and sustainability provide the mill with a new competitive advantage – now and in the future.
Don’t trust your mill to just anybody.
About Rockwell Automation:
We collaborate closely with you to not only help you achieve but also sustain productivity and profitability gains.
- We know your industry.
2500 pulp/paper mill projects - We have resources.
10,000 years of collective experience - We are where you are.
750 qualified resources
We are Rockwell Automation. Talk to us.
To find out how we can help you with modifications or digital transformation, contact us.
