Environmental Trends, Diverging Product Performance Drive Tissue Making Processes

Smithers Pira, U.K., has published a new report providing in-depth, long-term assessments of the rapidly evolving tissue manufacturing processes. According to the report, operating environment trends and diverging product performance levels will push alternative manufacturing technologies. 

Tissue manufacturers occupying economy segments compete primarily on price, the report continues. This requires increased focus on productivity and cost control. Premium level product performance will drive increased adoption of structured sheet technologies supported by chemicals and fibers.

Changes are well underway as the standardization of crescent former configurations and sizes have allowed machines to be built in auto assembly line fashion in workshops at much lower costs than the traditional engineered custom machines. Steel yankee assembly is rapidly joining this disruptive approach to machinery sourcing.

Bruce W. Janda, author of the report, points out that product focus is moving toward a two-level strategy with economy and premium performance products. Middle of the road products will increasingly be left behind.

Recycled fiber for tissue making will see shortages as tissue demand grows and the supply of recyclable papers decreases in the electronic media conversion. This will have a disruptive effect, particularly in North America over the period to 2021. Tree-free tissue products are poised to take off in North America and this period will show if consumers will respond with interest. Sustainable pulping where fiber is a by-product of non-fossil energy or feedstock production is moving forward in Northern Europe.

Tissue manufacturing is growing in all regions, albeit at distinctly different rates. The two undeveloped tissue markets remain Africa (excluding South Africa) and India. These are unlikely to change the market balance in the next five years. Improved hot air hand dryers will continue to take business away from paper hand towels with substitution rates above 30% expected in Western Europe and North America by the end of this period.

The operating environment for tissue manufacturers will increasingly be constrained by uncertain water and energy access and costs. Sustainability measures will become a greater factor as consumer and government requirements increase. The growth of non-wood fiber sources has opened up new possibilities for simplified and sustainable pulping processes. New approaches to dry strength additives show potential to increase tissue softness and productivity. Enzyme applications for fiber modification and process management will offer potential sustainable improvements to tissue manufacturing.

The Future of Tissue Manufacturing to 2021 focuses on the market and manufacturing processes for hygienic tissue and towel products made from natural cellulosic fiber, along with packaging and other applications of tissue paper. Trends in manufacturing processes, cutting-edge machinery developments, fiber technologies, and tissue end-use are examined both on a global and regional basis. Additionally, new product trends, the current operating environment, and technology developments are assessed for potential disruptive changes to tissue manufacturing.

More information about this report is available online.