What do most mill managers and operators want? The knowledge, experience and skills necessary to help improve process efficiencies and mill effectiveness. But, where do they get it and how do they know they’re getting it from professionals with the necessary bona fides?

For all things connected to Pulping, Engineering, Environmental, Recycling, and Sustainability, savvy mill personnel turn to the PEERS 2017 Conference, November 5-8, in Norfolk, Va., USA. In addition to its industry-focused technical program, PEERS also offers four need-to-know workshops that can bring all areas of your mill teams up to speed on:

• Operating and design principles
• Project effectiveness
• Best practices
• Process efficiencies.

All four workshops will be held Sunday, November 5. Three will run from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., while the fourth will be held from 9:00 a.m. until 2:00. Registration and a separate fee is required to attend each:

• Bleach Plant Operations: Gain comprehensive understanding of modern pulp bleaching equipment, design and operations, and how pulp bleaching technology impacts pulp properties and environmental management.
• Brown Stock Washing: Basic operating and design principles. The fundamental applications of displacement, extraction, and dilution washing will be described. Vacuum drum washers are used to review all three types of washing.
• Best Practices for Small Projects: Designed to provide participants with best practices and learnings to improve capital project effectiveness.
• Lime Kiln & Recaust: Process and Mechanical Overview: Process overview of burners, cyclones, flash dryers, feed end equipment, and upgrades. Guidance on inspections for routine maintenance, outage/non-outage issues and handling misalignment, component cracking and loss of refractory near supports.

As an added bonus, all PEERS attendees have the opportunity to also attend the co-located International Bioenergy & Bioproducts Conference (IBBC), adding "biofuel" to the informational fire already kindled at PEERS. For a flat fee of only $2,950, pulp and paper mills can bring up to 10 employees from a single mill or corporate location. To qualify for this special rate, employees must work together at the same location and register through one TAPPI member using the Mill Registration Form.

Want to learn more? Visit tappipeers.org.