Paper Technology International 2024 - Journal - Page 81
PAPERTECHNOLOGYINTERNATIONAL
a lead in pulp and paper as
TTaking
technologies and trends converge
Stefano Cinquina, Business Line Manager for Pulp and Paper, ABB Process Industries
INTRODUCTION:
There is a group of industries often referred to as process industries. These include mining, steelmaking, battery, cement, and food
and beverage to name a few. Pulp and paper is considered part of this grouping by wider industry and indeed at ABB. But, to the layperson,
their perception is that these industries happen in the background even though their materials or manufactured products touch our lives in
every moment. ABB understands how important strong leadership of this industry is. As the technologies of today converge with trends and
landmark moments, the evolution of the pulp and paper industry is occurring right before our eyes.
Figure 1: Technologies and expertise combine to ensure ABB enables customers to meet end demands at scale.
Papermaking and the use of pulped materials have a long
history. Paper can be produced from a range of 昀椀brous materials
such as wood, fruit and vegetable waste, cotton, 昀氀ax, wool and other
animal products. During the world wars, Europe returned to using
grass and straw to produce paper because more exotic materials
were unavailable, which harks back to the very 昀椀rst papers that used
昀椀bers and cellulose from reeds. The word paper comes from one of
these reed plants, papyrus, widely used for writing materials by the
ancient Egyptians. Such was the quality of this paper that examples
still exist today, 4,000 years later. Paper production processes can
also be traced back to Imperial China, when it was produced from
strong, cellulosic natural 昀椀bers and plant waste, gradually spreading
west through Asia and Europe.
Step forward in time to the beginning of the Industrial
Revolution. Guidance and methods for manufacturing paper from
wood pulp were documented in a bid to lower dependency on
materials like cotton and other plant 昀椀bers. This was a time in the
1800s and 1900s when levels of literacy rose in line with much
higher levels of publishing, leading to mass production of a range
of more modern papers for print. Often unexpectedly, human
development and trends arise, but industry must always be prepared
for change.
This brings us to today, a time when print paper, including for
newsprint, has decreased by more than 50% for some grades over
the last 10 years, in line with paperless approaches to working and
falling demand for traditional newspapers. While papermaking may
appear to have taken a backseat, it remains essential to life. It is a
key part of global manufacturing, providing essential products for
packaging, publishing, hygiene and construction.
This article will explore the factors that a technology leader
must understand and navigate to best advise an industry that
stands at an in昀氀ection point where the internet age is paving the
way for a digital revolution. Transformation must consider three
areas: technological advancement in automation and quality control,
including measurement and monitoring; environmental concerns
around sustainable operations, such as energy and water usage;
and effective leadership of people as generations change and skill
sets shift.
81