The second annual TAPPI/RISI Tissue Conference will be held October 2-5 in Appleton, Wisconsin, in the heart of North America’s tissue industry near corporate offices for Kimberly-Clark, Georgia-Pacific and Essity, and a large concentration of mills producing at home and away from home products. The conference will take place at the new Fox Cities Convention Center in downtown Appleton, adjacent to the newly renovated Red Lion Paper Valley Hotel.   

 

The program includes a mix of business insights and TAPPI peer-reviewed technical sessions, all free of commercialism and sales speak. 

 

Katja Lerner, VP, Research & Engineering at Kimberly-Clark, will speak during the executive panel on October 3. Katja leads the North America Research & Engineering organization for Kimberly-Clark’s $3.3 billion Consumer Tissue sector and is responsible for product, material, process, and equipment development.

 

Market and Economic Conditions will be highlighted on October 4, featuring insights from Global Fiber Outlook for Tissue: Patrick Cavanagh, Economist, RISI, and Forecasting Future Tissue Consumption: Esko Uutela, Principal Economist, Tissue, RISI.

 

With the ceremonial opening of Sofidel’s new Circleville, OH, mill on October 3, Luigi Lazzereschi, CEO of Sofidel, has agreed to speak at Tissue 2018. He will address delegates during the plenary session on Friday morning, October 5.

 

Lazzareschi is being inducted into the Paper Industry Hall of Fame in Appleton at its annual dinner on October 4. 

 

Business Insights from Fisher International will be presented on October 5.  

 

TECHNICAL CONTENT

TAPPI has curated some peer-reviewed papers covering a multitude of technical topics important to tissue makers:  

• Fiber/furnish innovations: Increasing recycle yield, alternative fibers to reduce cost and improve performance.
• Energy saving solutions: Proven ideas to reduce energy costs on the tissue machine and in converting.  
• Safety opportunities for the Yankee and other areas: Stay up to date on best practices for keeping employees and visitors safe in the mill, especially around the Yankee. 
• Operating efficiency: Tips for press section air and water balance and vacuum pump performance. 
• New technology forum and posters: Latest technology and products in the development pipeline including sensors, controls and print quality improvements.
• Industry 4.0: Automating the tissue process – Leveraging the vast amounts of production data we are collecting will revolutionize tissue making. Learn how experiences from other industries can be applied to tissue making, from the power house through converting.    

OTHER AMAZING EXPERIENCES AVAILABLE 

• Suppliers’ Exhibit:  Again this year, there will be a suppliers’ exhibit, featuring more than 30 companies displaying their latest innovations. 
• New in 2018 will be tours of local suppliers: Pulsar, CR Meyer, Fabio Perini (nominal charge). Delegates will be able to see a construction yard and fab shop designed to make shutdowns more efficient, a fully integrated pilot converting line featuring big data analytics and a new automated inspection technology which eliminates human error. 
  
• There are evening networking receptions sponsored by Voith and Fabio Perini, including a craft beer tasting. 
• Tissue Testing Workshop (extra charge) – Gain a basic understanding of the methods for testing properties like strength, absorbency, softness and flushability. A classroom session will be followed by a lab tour of SGS-IPS Testing where the common test methods will be demonstrated. 

For more program information, visit Tissue2018.com.