Over the Wire

The latest U.S. tissue tracker shows shipping and production are up by about 2%. Operating rates also increased. The tissue market can handle new capacity in moderation.

 

While gross profit margins for iron-ore, beef, and soybean producers dropped an average of 4.6% to 18% in the first quarter, margins for pulp makers Suzano Papel & Celulose SA and Fibria Celulose SA rose 9.9% to 36%, on average, data compiled by Bloomberg show.

 

The non-label application segment of the synthetic paper market is expected to increase from 156 million pounds in 2015 to 214 million pounds in 2020, with a CAGR of 6.5% from 2015 to 2020. The global synthetic paper market for label/tag applications is expected to increase from 111 million pounds in 2015 to 156 million pounds in 2020, with a CAGR of 7% from 2015 to 2020.

 

Brazil’s export of bleached eucalyptus kraft (BEK) pulp declined 19% y/y and 10% m/m through May, according to SECEX—Foreign Trade Secretariat, Brazil. This is the lowest monthly total since March 2014.

 

Following Abris’ investment, in combination with a contribution of Romanian State aid, a fourth production facility will be opened by the end of this year, increasing the total group production capacity of tissue paper jumbo rolls to approximately 100,000 metric tpy. The company currently exports most of its production to customers in Central and Southeastern Europe.

 

Under the terms of the proposed agreement, Imerys will purchase the global PHK business including a production site for milling in Wilkinson County, Ga., USA. Overall, 190 positions will be affected globally. BASF says it will work with affected employees to help locate other employment opportunities within the company or to provide the appropriate transition support.

 

This year, Catalyst was one of 153 companies considered by Corporate Knights for its Best 50 list, and evaluated across 12 key performance indicators covering resource, employee, and financial management, and from information that was disclosed voluntarily in Catalyst's public reports, financial filings, and sustainability reports.

 

This equipment comes with latest-generation hoods specially designed by A.Celli’s technical staff to enhance technical performance as well as the aesthetic features of this important component of tissue machines. These new hoods, characterized by a modern design and by their aerodynamic shape, are designed to improve the performance of the entire production cycle.

 

Under the terms of the agreement, Mohawk (Cohoes, N.Y., USA) will have exclusive rights to manufacture Arjowiggins Creative Papers’ (Boulogne-Billancourt, France) luxury packaging products, Delos and Butterfly, as well as rights to license, market, and distribute these and other select Arjowiggins luxury packaging products to design, packaging, and print professionals in North America.

 

Capacity closures of more than 3.0 million metric tons in Europe and North America in 2014 and 2015, in Norske Skog's product segments, contribute to a better market balance, but do not improve the economic fundament of Walsum, the company pointed out, adding that Norske Skog has therefore decided to end the support of the cash negative operations.

 

Using recycled paper as its primary raw material, Orient Paper (Baoding, China) produces and distributes three categories of paper products: corrugating medium paper, offset printing paper, and other paper products, including digital photo paper and tissue paper.

 

The company will transfer production from Saint-Cyr-en-Val to other SCA mills in France. Paper production is to be transferred to Gien and converting operations to Le-Theil-sur-Huisne, according to SCA. The company is said to be looking for a "successor" to take over the mill and keep it operating.

 

Dr. Daniel Model, CEO of Model Group, noted that "we are very excited and proud to be the first beta customer for this revolutionary press. We firmly believe that the technology this Bobst solution brings will permanently transform the corrugated packaging industry." The Model AG plant is in Weinfelden, Switzerland, which is also the production and management hub of the Model Group.

 

PaperWorks Industries Inc., Bala Cynwyd, Pa., USA, a paperboard packaging supplier, has agreed to acquire CanAmPac, Napanee, Ont., Canada. The acquisition includes coated recycled board producer Strathcona Paper, folding carton manufacturer Boehmer Box, and LYFT Visual graphic services.

 

At this new site in Wichita, Kan., USA, the company handles recycled paper and corrugated paper, such as boxes, as well as some plastics, before it is shipped out to a processing plant in Valparaiso, Ind.

 

"With the new machines we are cutting six-plus inches of material at a time and have boosted our production by 75%. It took our daily production to the levels I really need," said LeClair, who manages 37 full-time employees and a team of temporary workers at the nearly 80-year-old, family-owned rigid set-up box and custom packaging manufacturer in Grand Rapids, Mich., USA.

 

Clinical trial details released by the Johnson & Johnson (New Brunswick, N.J, USA) subsidiary demonstrate that the material performed better in studies than various synthetics, offering the full advantages of the current medicinal practice of grafting animal collagen tissue – a practice that works effectively but still worries doctor’s about potential disease contamination.

 

University of Madison-Wisconsin (USA) professor Zhenqiang "Jack" Ma and his team recently published a paper proposing a surprising material from which to manufacture semiconductor chips: cellulose nanofibril (CNF), a polymer ingredient used to create wood. To buttress CNF’s element-resistance the team added epoxy coating, a water-resistant, acid-resistant, and solvent-resistant solution to the small semiconductor chip.

 

Following an active Archroma (Reinach, Switzerland) research program, new food compliant grades were developed to comply with new European regulations setting extremely low limitations for DEA and TEA contents in paper and board intended for food contact applications. Potentially these dyes could be no longer considered suitable for food contact applications such as deep dyed napkins.

 

The space-saving layout and limited requirement for operator intervention sets new standards for the industry, according to Futura (Lucca, Italy). These features also have major positive implications for finished product quality, the company adds.

 

Relyco, Dover, N.H., USA, this week announced the addition of TriDura durable, water-tolerant, tear-resistant paper to its line of durable papers. TriDura is designed for applications that require greater durability than what is available with traditional paper, but do not need all the advantages of Revlar, a synthetic, waterproof paper.

 

The new Voith (Heidenheim, Germany) fabrics are part of the CleanWeave family of dryer fabrics and were especially designed for dryer sections with moderately high temperatures. Pyrox fabrics are made from a blend of hydrolysis resistant PPS and abrasion resistant PET materials. Like the entire CleanWeave product family, Pyrox and PyroxHigh are produced from SynStron yarn.

 

This price movement is unavoidable to offset rising manufacturing costs, particularly for raw materials, the company noted. Lecta sales teams report they will be at customers’ disposal to provide specific information on how the price increase will be applied on a country by country basis. The price increase is effective July 1.

 

APP, Jakarta, Indonesia, reports that it will be able to offer customers a greater range of Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) certified products. The 306,400 hectares of IFCC-PEFC certified plantations are operated by two of APP’s suppliers in Riau province, Indonesia. In addition, more than 1,000,000 hectares of plantation area are in the final stages of IFCC-PEFC certification.

 

PlantBottle packaging is The Coca-Cola Co.'s (Atlanta, Ga., USA) vision to develop a more responsible plant-based alternative to packaging traditionally made from fossil fuels and other non-renewable materials. PlantBottle packaging uses technology that converts natural sugars found in plants into the ingredients for making PET plastic bottles.

 

Tree planters working on the Wabigoon Forest (Ontario, Canada) made a huge contribution at the end of May towards achieving a Guinness World Record for the most trees planted in one hour. The team of 25 tree planters safely planted just over 10,000 trees in 60 minutes.

 

The Center for Lignocellulose Structure and Formation headquartered at Penn State (USA) looks at the problem from the perspective of how cell walls are made in the first place. The idea is that understanding how cell walls are made will make it easier to take them apart to produce liquid fuels (along with their natural sugars). Currently the structural parts of plants are usually discarded because there is not yet a way to convert them into fuel.

 

According to a Clemson University (USA) forestry professor, while some environmentalists see pellet mills as leading to forest devastation, others see a new market for what was waste wood and non-merchantable small trees. Forest owners who are discouraged by poor timber markets do not tend to regenerate forests. Vibrant timber markets throughout the state will lead forest owners to actively invest in sustainable forest management.

 

Gary McGann, who's resigning as CEO of Smurfit Kappa (Dublin, Ireland) in August has agreed to remain on the packaging giant's board as a non-executive director.

 

The Introduction to Kraft Pulping and Bleaching course, taught by Dr. Michael Kocurek, will take place August 4-5 at TAPPI’s Headquarters. Seats will sell out at 25. Registration is now open.

 

Believing strongly that today’s students are tomorrow’s leaders, the TAPPI Foundation endowed the William L. Cullison Scholarship fund in honor of TAPPI's fifth Executive Director. The application deadline has been extended to August 1.

 

2015 PEERS is an excellent opportunity to meet current customers and discover new clients in an exhibit area designed for interaction. You’ll be part of a brand new Passport Program designed to get conference attendees into the exhibit area. Plus find new leads at several networking opportunities, an awards recognition reception, a conference dinner, multiple early morning breakfasts and lunch breaks.

 

For a limited time, nonmembers of TAPPI can download a sample of the high quality research published in TAPPI Journal.

 

The Papermaking Science and Technology book series covers the entire paper manufacturing process from wood raw material to end product, providing a basis for university-level education, for updating training courses and as handbooks for the industry. The book series has been updated and second editions are now available. Members receive 10% discount.

 

Screens are used in every area of a mill for contaminant removal. This June 17 webinar will cover the basics of screening including barrier screening vs. probability screening, key components of a pressure screen, housing, baskets (holes vs. slots) rotors, and basic mode of operation / controls.

 

TAPPI’s Corrugated Packaging Division is seeking nominations to fill two elected positions on the Corrugated Packaging Council (CPC). Nominations are being accepted for two industry members for a three year term. The due date for accepting nominations is August 14.

 

Coming off a record breaking year in 2014, including a 40% growth in attendance, Specialty Papers 2015 will bring together experts from across the specialty papers supply chain on the most topical content relevant to this sector of the industry. Sponsored by TAPPI and Smithers Pira, this year's conference will return to "The Brew City" (Milwaukee, Wis., USA) this September 15-17.

 

From general safety orientations to mill-specific classes, our direct eLEARNING courses are designed with both student and our industry's employers in mind. Select courses are now available and can also be customized.

 

This glossary defines hundreds of terms commonly used in flexographic printing and pre-press operations. It will be a valuable reference for everyone involved in converting and printing. TAPPI members have a chance to purchase this useful text for less than $30.00.