Sappi plans to use an online wet-end pulp-quality measurement system at its Maastricht paper mill in the Netherlands to monitor fiber morphology and freeness continuously and adjust stock preparation, control, and refining to produce on-specification output for paper and paperboard grades, according to ABB.
The industrial hardware system will provide accurate, continuous measurements at the wet end of the paper production process and will be used to stabilize pulp quality in stock preparation during controlling and refining.
The mill plans to use the measurements to improve runnability on paper, board, or tissue machines by keeping the pulp mix and fibers within required specifications through the wet end of the paper machine.
Operators will use the online monitoring to follow the batch process for producing microfibrillated cellulose and to control properties requested by end customers, including using the data to predict how the material behaves when running online in the machine.
The Maastricht mill recently switched to producing luxury packaging cardboard and now supplies customers that include high-end retailers, magazine publishers, and packaging converters.
Sappi Maastricht employs nearly 500 employees and produces about 260 thousand tons of coated woodfree paper and paperboard per year.
