Episodes

  • #39 Can product uniformity be maintained in the production of nonwovens by automating the process?

    #39 Can product uniformity be maintained in the production of nonwovens by automating the process?
    Dec 2 2025
    One of the toughest challenges in the production of nonwovens is maintaining product uniformity at high speeds. Issues like the 'smile effect,' where fiber accumulates on the edges of the mat, lead to quality losses and wasted material. Producers are also under pressure to cut costs, save fiber, and reduce manual interventions, all while meeting sustainability goals such as lowering energy usage and emissions." The actual process of producing nonwovens can be described as similar to baking bread - but at industrial speed. Fiber mats have to be laid evenly, layer after layer, without clumping at the edges or thinning in the middle. Even a small imbalance can create wasted material, downtime, and product inconsistency. Traditionally, operators had to constantly adjust settings to avoid this, but that is all changing with autonomous control. ANDRITZ has developed ProWin™, an autonomous web profiling solution that combines the strengths of its ProDyn™ and ProWid™ technologies, together with Advanced Process Controls systems. The results? Up to 15% faster production speeds, 10% fiber savings, more even fabric weight, and dramatically reduced operator workload. In this podcast we talk to Guillaume Julien, Global Sales Director, Nonwoven, ANDRITZ about addressing the challenges of maintaining product uniformity at high speeds through a smart combination of technologies and automated regulation. For more information on ProWin please visit our website: https://www.andritz.com/nonwoven-textile-en/technologies/needlepunch/web-profiling-pro-win
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    9 mins
  • #38 What advantages does the acquisition of Diamond Power International bring to ANDRITZ customers?

    #38 What advantages does the acquisition of Diamond Power International bring to ANDRITZ customers?
    Nov 11 2025
    ANDRITZ recently acquired Diamond Power International, a global company which brings a large range of complimentary cleaning products and services to boiler operators in the pulp, paper and power industries. The company has been supplying specialist boiler cleaning services for over 100 years, and has a comprehensive portfolio covering boiler cleaning systems and process optimization tools including sootblowers, replacement parts, and upgrades, boiler cleaning controls, cameras and monitoring, port rodders and dampers gauges and level indicators. Diamond Power’s products have been developed to assist customers in solving challenges, improving efficiencies as well as enabling them to respond to changing markets, new fuels, and increasing environmental regulations. In this podcast we talk to Henrik Wikstedt, Senior Vice President, Division Manager Recovery & Power Service, ANDRITZ, and Michael Michael, President of Diamond Power International, now a member of ANDRITZ Group.Find out how ANDRITZ customers will benefit from the expanded product and service range, global reach and access to a worldwide service network, financial stability, and lifecycle support for efficient and reliable boiler performance. For more information, visit our website: https://www.andritz.com/products-en/pulp-and-paper/diamond-power
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    17 mins
  • #37 How can tissue manufactures realize hidden production potential with digitalization?

    #37 How can tissue manufactures realize hidden production potential with digitalization?
    Oct 15 2025
    The tissue industry is driven by high-speed production, fast grade changes, and constant pressure to reduce waste and energy use. However, many mills struggle with visibility and knowing exactly where and why losses happen. From sheet breaks and quality deviations to energy and fiber overuse, hidden inefficiencies cause losses everyday. ANDRITZ addresses this challenge with an integrated portfolio of digital solutions. Central to this offering is Metris Insights, a data platform tailored for tissue production. Enhanced by Optimization of Process Performance (OPP) and Metris Advanced Process Control (APC), it enables real-time optimization, automation, and efficiency improvements across production operations. Metris Insights integrates data from all mill systems into a single, user-friendly platform, providing real-time dashboards, statistical process control, machine learning tools, cost and energy tracking, soft sensors for key process variables, and automated reporting and alerts. In short, the combination of Metris Insights, OPP and APC gives operators and decision-makers the visibility they need to move from guessing to knowing and from reacting to optimizing. In this podcast we speak to John Schroeder, Director Packaging and Tissue Digital Solutions from ANDRITZ about the immediate positive improvements digitization brings to tissue production processes. For more information on Metris Insights and OPP in tissue production visit our website: https://www.andritz.com/pulp-and-paper-en/pulp-production/automation-and-digitalization-pulp-en/automation-digitalization-solutions-fiberline/metris-plant-insights
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    20 mins
  • #36 How to increase revenues by lifting the quality of the wood chip side stream in sawmills?

    #36 How to increase revenues by lifting the quality of the wood chip side stream in sawmills?
    Sep 17 2025
    As demand for quality wood chips increases at pulp mills across the globe and the sourcing of logs in some regions becomes more difficult, the wood chip side stream at sawmills can often be a significant revenue source. This means sawmill operators have a genuine opportunity to fill the gap by supplying wood chips to pulp mills. However, top quality chips are key. To ensure the production of quality chips at sawmills located across the globe, ANDRITZ mission in the supply of chipping technology is to always work to improve chip quality, reduce operational costs, increase uptime and maintain consistency of output – all in the safest of environments. ANDRITZ sawmill products include debarking and chipping equipment, including its PowerHead canter and the well-known TurnKnife system. This equipment is in use in sawmills all around the world – operating on various wood species in a variety of climates. In this podcast we talk to two ANDRITZ experts, Andreas Henning, Global Product Group Manager, and Adrian Yeoman, Customer Service Manager for Australia and New Zealand, about how sawmills can open up new revenue streams by utilizing the very best in chipping technology. For more information, visit our website: https://www.andritz.com/products-en/pulp-and-paper/service-solutions/sawmill-chipping
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    16 mins
  • #35 What difference can digitalization and AI really make to pulp mill operational performance?

    #35 What difference can digitalization and AI really make to pulp mill operational performance?
    Aug 26 2025
    Today’s pulp mills are operating under intense pressure to be more sustainable, more efficient, and more reliable. One of the biggest challenges is dealing with process variability. These include fluctuations in raw material quality, changing production demands, and complex chemical dosing requirements. These issues not only affect the stability of the operation but also drive up costs and reduce efficiency. ANDRITZ has developed a combination of optimization and artificial intelligence tools to assist pulp mills in reducing chemical usage, minimize failures and achieve greater stability in operations – with some remarkable results. Metris Optimization of Process Performance (OPP) and Metris Copilot integrate advanced analytics with AI to enhance mill operations. Metris OPP leverages plant data to detect inefficiencies and define optimal conditions, while Metris Copilot delivers real-time, AI-driven recommendations, enabling continuous performance improvement and informed, data-based decision-making. In this podcast we talk to André Demuner, Global Automation and Digitalization Business Manager at ANDRITZ about how these new technologies allow pulp mills to move from simply managing problems to preventing them entirely. For more information, visit our website: https://www.andritz.com/pulp-and-paper-en/pulp-production/automation-and-digitalization-pulp-en
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    10 mins
  • #34 What benefits will ANDRITZ’s acquisition of A.Celli Paper bring to tissue, paper, and board customers?

    #34 What benefits will ANDRITZ’s acquisition of A.Celli Paper bring to tissue, paper, and board customers?
    Aug 5 2025
    ANDRITZ recently acquired A.Celli Paper, an Italian company with extensive experience in tissue, paper and board machinery and services. The company offers turnkey tissue plants and tissue machines including key components and services, as well as winders, unwinders, and rewinders, and packaging solutions for all kinds of tissue, paper, and board production. The company operates in more than 60 countries, with the A.Celli Paper brand being well-known globally with around 1,000 installations. Its installed technology includes over 100 tissue machines, 400 rewinders for tissue and paper and 100 roll handling systems. The acquisition now enables ANDRITZ to be a full line supplier to the tissue paper and board industries, from stock preparation to finished reel. In this podcast, we welcome experts from the former A.Celli Paper, Luca Billi Sales Director and Chiara Allegrini Operations Manager and Alexander Wassermann, Executive Vice President, ANDRITZ Paper & Tissue to discuss the extra benefits now available for tissue, paper and board producers. For more information, visit our website:
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    22 mins
  • #33 What difference can digital solutions make to the stock preparation process?

    #33 What difference can digital solutions make to the stock preparation process?
    Jul 23 2025
    With rising pressures to reduce costs and increase productivity, paper manufacturers are constantly looking for ways to improve all aspects production. Inefficiencies in the stock preparation stage can lead to high costs, poor fiber yield, and inconsistent quality in the paper making process. The challenges are compounded by raw material variations, unexpected breakdowns, and a lack of real-time data on operational performance. So, what can manufacturers do to tackle these issues? That's where Metris OPP (Optimization of Paper Production) and ACEs (Advanced Control and Expert Systems) come in. These digital solutions are designed to bring more control, efficiency, and predictability to the stock preparation process. By integrating digital solutions like Metris OPP and ACEs, paper manufacturers can make real strides in optimizing operations and achieving both cost savings and sustainability goals. The future of paper production is smart, connected, and efficient. In this podcast we take a deep dive with ANDRITZ expert John Schröder, Director, Packaging & Tissue Digital Solutions to find out how the combination of OPP and ACE can vastly improve the stock preparation process. For more information, visit our website: https://www.andritz.com/products-en/pulp-and-paper/automation-and-digitalization-paper-en/automation-digitalization-solutions-stock-preparation
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    16 mins
  • #32 Can existing OCC mills really be transformed into 21Century powerhouses?

    #32 Can existing OCC mills really be transformed into 21Century powerhouses?
    Jun 2 2025
    Yes they can! With the ANDRITZ OCCasion program, existing mill operators can benefit from customized solutions tailored exactly to their own mills’ needs with the goal of improving efficiency and maximizing profitability. The program includes access to the very latest innovations and advanced products to optimize production processes. ANDRITZ OCC experts work with customers on improving fiber yield, increasing capacity, material and water system balances, stickies and digital transformation. The program is designed as a holistic solution covering multiple process areas across mills. In this podcast we speak to ANDRITZ OCCasion experts George Emery, Process Director and Al Zumpano, Process Expert from ANDRITZ about how existing mills can begin the transfomation ready for the future. Learn more about the program: https://www.andritz.com/pulp-and-paper-en/innovation/andritz-occasion
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    16 mins