Pulp & Paper Industry Case Studies
ExperTune products have been effectively applied to solve Pulp & Paper
problems for nearly 20 years. A few examples of these solutions are
listed below. Complete copies of the case studies are available for
free using the links below.
Kruger Paper also saves $1 million annually
Smurfit-Stone saves $280,000 per year!
Smurfit-Stone Container
Corporation produces paperboard/packaging products including
virgin and recycled container-board, coated and uncoated recycled
box-board and solid bleached sulfate and recycled cylinder-board, and
consumer packaging.
The Challenge: Steam Dryers
The humidity on the dry end of a paper machine was cycling
and causing high variability in the end product. The steam
supply was also cycling. On the steam dryers there are 3-10 drums
per section. Temperature is controlled by maintaining the pressure.
Each subsequent drum has higher temperature and pressure to dry the
paper further. If moisture in a section is high then you increase
drum temperature to bring it back. The steam from the previous drum
is re-used in the next drum to save energy.
The Solution:
ExperTune hysteresis and stiction test revealed bad response from the
positioner because of hysteresis and stiction. Using ExperTune
software, TOP analyzed and diagnosed each valve, checked sizing, gain
and stiction. Smurfit repaired the valve problems pinpointed by
ExperTune and TOP. TOP then tuned the loops using ExperTune software.
The Result:
Smurfit Stone's profit increase was $280,000/year.
Profit and loss matrix:
| Customer |
Industry Type |
Problem |
Solution |
Cost Savings |
| Smurfit-Stone |
Paper Mill |
Dry end valves, tuning |
ExperTune software and TOP service |
$280,000/yr |
|