Over the Wire

Attis Innovations, LLC 3 min. video (attached with summary) released this past month (Nov. 2018) provides a recent introductory preview of what's on the horizon in this fast-developing R&D sector. A potentially historic new trend of tech innovation in the P&P industry apparent during 2018, advanced bio-product lignin conversion is a game changer. Attis notes possibilities such as lignin-to-gasoline, a truly revolutionary scenario for the wood pulping / lignin producing market.

 

View an outline of mill engineering and recovery notes related to optimal and efficient black, white, and green "liquor" chemical processing of pulp during the production of Kraft paper products as explained by excerpts from FITNIR Analyzers, Inc. 2009 product guide (original copyright or trademark references still apply; sponsored by ResearchGate; access made available Sept. 2018 for educational use).

 

By Ken Chrisman, president of Product Care Division, Sealed Air, for Charlotte BizJournal (Nov. 2018) explaining how the company is looking at ways to present their products in packaging that is as good for the environment as it is for the customer experience.

 

Presenting a Top 20 List of market related facts related to the current market climate in paper-based packaging. Improved pricing structures within the industry will continue to help revenues grow. Corrugated box industry has been rapidly consolidating since 2007. Current U.S. market value est. at $66 billion.

 

Multiple market research firm data-driven projections and insight summaries relevant to the paper for packaging markets (all packaging paperboard and corrugated, fluting liner grades of weight >224g/m2) for new report summaries and newly expanded summaries for existing reports relevant to the current period. Projected CAGR 4.8% for 2017-2026. E-commerce powers growth along with food & bev. and cosmetic packaging. Asia Pacific, bolstered by personal care packaging demand, growing fastest heading into 2020s.

 

76% of respondents between the ages of 18-49 who read the news - rather than watch or listen - prefer to find that news online. Of those 50 and older, 43% preferred the web as opposed to print. In addition, three times as many 18-49-year olds who watch and listen to the news are now preferring to gather it from the web.

 

Natural Resources Canada public release of a graph on Dec. 4 plotted based on data permission with pulp specialists Brian McClay & Assoc. sampling price stats of NBSK pulp in the U.S., Europe, and in China and also featuring trajectory of China's bleached chemithermomechanical pulp during the 12 month period Oct. 2017- Oct. 2018. Demonstrates stagnant or falling Chinese pulp prices during Q4 2017 - Q3 2018 while European and U.S. prices steadily increased during same period.

 

The Waste and Resources Action Program (WRAP) of the U.K. tracked and plotted a graph based on statistics from Sept. 2017-Sept. 2018 showing a significant rise in price per ton of NBSK pulp in the nation over the 12 month period from EUR 650.00-950.00+ with rate of increase becoming steeper starting in May.

 

Environment Media Group (U.K.) has so far (as of this past month's update) provided its Lets Recycle public website with 2018's PRN Price statistics on recovered commodities in the nation from Jan. through the end of Oct. 2018. This year's tracking of the Paper PRN Price to date shows a relatively steep month-to-month increase early in the year and a slower increase in Summer followed by a significant jump in Oct.

 

Promotional summary released Nov. 30 contains a brief informative overview of present day market. In Japan, Copy Paper now represents ~35% of the P&P market. 2018's top global players in Copy Paper production are noted. Largest companies producing Copy Paper likely seeking consolidation; IP sought Smurfit Kappa merger in March and continues focusing on other competitive players. FMI's full assessment and analysis is scheduled for delivery in Feb. 2019.

 

84 mills operating in the nation (260k workers) make it 9th largest pulp producer and now 6th largest paper producer. Like India, Indonesian growth includes P&W / graphic papers for non-packaging use. $2.2 billion in pulp exports, $3.6 billion in paper exports primarily to Japan, U.S., China, Vietnam, and Malaysia. Govt. currently seeks further development of the industry with new green standards.

 

Measure is reportedly due to sudden weakness in Asian markets. High natural gas cost also factored into decision that affects up to 140 employees at the company's Powell River mill in B.C., Canada. Management is trying to balance labor and production times to mitigate possible layoffs. Curtailment won't disturb existing customer orders or affect pulp production.

 

AKD wax is a renewable sizing chemical used in board and paper manufacturing to create resistance against liquid absorption. Kemira is a global leader in sizing chemicals. New venture in China will provide a high-quality AKD wax and will be the largest global AKD wax manufacturing unit, thus significantly improving Kemira's AKD wax capacity.

 

Company fired up AHEAD-2.0S tissue machine and TT WIND-H slitter rewinder from Toscotec at its Porcari mill in Luccart, Italy. TM's paper width is 2,850 mm with operating speed of 2,000 m/min and production at 125 tpd. Features a shoe press TT NextPress, a Gen. 2 TT SYD Steel Yankee Dryer, gas-fired TT Milltech-DYH hoods, and a new pope reel, preserving sheet bulk via accurate control of jumbo roll winding pressure.

 

Through emails with the Chillicothe Gazette, Pixelle Specialty Solutions Pres. Tim Hess and Chairman Steve Klinger offered insights into plans for the mill after Pixelle obtained the property and others from Glatfelter on Oct. 31 (as Lindsay Goldberg). The $35 million plan, detailed this week in five key points by management, will follow $25 million invested here in 2017.

 

"One GLV" brand promise became driving force behind GLV’s new image, as well as its slogan: "Our Team. Your Performance." All products designed for P&P industry's use with papermaking mill integration in mind for all possible needs as opposed to offering "generic" industrial stand-alone systems that may not be designed for this industry to the extent of GLV. Offers an expansive range of needs all P&P specific from those related to handling of cooking chemical cycles to water treatment sub-systems, as well as sensor & analyzer networking and logic control, ever higher-accuracy for successful sheet forming, and more!

 

The purpose of the expansion in Laakirchen is to be able to assemble rolls (as part of roll cover assembly or renewal) with as little effort and waiting times as possible and thus significantly accelerate the entire process. Following the expansion, this will be achieved by systematic cycle timing, separation of production lines, and a realigned machining tool.

 

"We are very much looking forward to continuing paper production at this historic industrial site. Zanders will carry on to optimize its cost structures," said the head of the investor group that purchased the company Dec 1. "As a lean and healthy company, it will be well positioned to succeed in the highly competitive paper market. Zanders will continue to service its customers with the full existing product portfolio with a focus on meeting market demands."

 

With over 25 years of experience in the packaging industry, Canadian Corrugated Solutions has developed expertise in automation within the corrugated and graphic industries. The group will now represent and support customers of SUN Automation in Canada.

 

Esko's ArtiosCAD increases productivity throughout the packaging operation. Automation Engine workflow server automates prepress tasks, speeds up the process & reduces the error rate and the need for operator intervention. WebCenter QuickStart for Corrugated is a design workflow management solution for converters preloaded with proven workflows that increase converter capacity for greater number of design requests with the same head count. With just 5 days to get running, companies reap benefits of efficient project management immediately.

 

The partnership expands Welch's service area in Kentucky with operations located in six Midwestern states. Acquisition reinforces Welch's commitment to growth. Providing emphasis on a local approach to business, Welch companies invest back into their communities, the company provides corrugated designs for boxes made for either industrial packaging, retail ready packaging, plus offers special run assembly fulfillment services for large order ground-up individual client customization.

 

Recently adopted by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, rule would allow certain investment companies to use electronic delivery as the default delivery method for annual and semiannual reports, putting many Americans at a disadvantage. Rule could have disproportionate impact on populations without access to broadband internet connections.

 

European institutions have agreed on the Renewable Energy Directive REDII for the 2020s after the European Council adopted the agreement made earlier this summer. UPM (Finland) welcomes the agreement that will increase the use of renewable energy to 32% in 2030 and requires 14% bioenergy to be used in transport. UPM has invested in diversifying their uses of processing wood for pulp for paper to making wood-based biofuels.

 

Discovery of formulation further suggests nano-cellulosic structure types react (or fail to react) in fully unique ways to a similar chem. preparation; here "cellulosic nano-hair", a newly discovered nano-cellulosic particle configuration, is required to work effectively. Only minimal amounts of useful anti-calcium scaling end-product could be created using traditionally textured fibrils and/or crystals (two most common est. cellulosic nano-structures presently used for chemical engineering R&D).

 

Design focuses on a simple folding box in which an ordinary threaded screw can rotate without changing vertical position or damaging the box. Allows the common screw to serve as a secure base for any knob. The screw effect uses innovative stairs thread technology allowing a tight, concentric yet smooth and free rotation while still holding strong for pulling open.

 

ESD-treated trays for shock sensitive products are treated to avoid static but discharges through a current path if contact isn't avoided. 5-wave foldable export is a great improvement of current folding modes, since it's formed by an exclusive folding system forming a single piece making pallet, bottom & body at the same time, and is designed to be assembled with a single movement, which also saves on manufacturing costs.

 

Marbach, a die cutter, tools, and machinery supplier, also offers packaging design services to help clients developing a product's unique need for custom or matching-to-product characteristics tailored them into custom, fully engineered-to-work designs ready for a successful large batch first order without risking disappointing set-backs or misjudgment that can be costly when DIY or even when consulting 'experts' who do not have the same type of comprehensive connection to the industry like Marbach.

 

The increases, effective Jan. 1, 2019, are being driven by rising raw materials, constraints from supply chain tightness and growing challenges associated with freight costs. Coagulants: 10- 15%, Flocculants: 10-20%, Defoamers: 5-15%, Biocides: 5-15%, Alkaline cleaners: 10-20%.

 

Sappi (Johannesburg, South Africa) is therefore forced to pass on this cost inflation by increasing its CWF and UWF prices in sheets and reels by 6-8% effective on deliveries from Jan. 1 2019 for all European and Overseas markets. This follows previous announcements made for its LWC and MWC grades.

 

Technology shift required in move to mono-material substrates for easily recycled materials requires significant investment. Cooperation along the value chain is needed to work on end to end solutions. Keeping with this, the company recently forged new partnerships across the industry where BOBST focused resources and upped participation in a number of initiatives.

 

As part of the Social Responsibility aspect of sustainability within the workforce, Resolute is taking part in a unique initiative to promote gender equity in Canada’s forest products sector. VP Isabel Pouliot joined a group of experts representing the public and private spheres, academia, Indigenous communities and not-for-profit organizations in developing a national action plan to engage, attract, retain, and advance women in Canada’s forest products sector.

 

This year, Starbucks sent 25 million old paper coffee cups to a paper mill in Wisconsin, where they were processed into recycled fiber and sent to another company to be made into paperboard for new cups. This was a pilot project Starbucks conducted to prove that old, used coffee cups could indeed be recycled into new cups.

 

Stora Enso signed a joint development agreement with fellow Finnish-based startup Sulapac in May 2018 to license its materials and technology. The development of the demo straw is a joint collaboration between Stora Enso and Sulapac – a cooperation which complements Stora Enso’s extensive biocomposite portfolio. On Dec. 4-5 the resulting product was demonstrated for the first time at a tech exhibition.

 

At the company's Chicago, Ill., USA, site, TAPPI testing standards will be complemented by on-site chemical analysis and state-of-the-art packaging testing capabilities; to assess the construct quality, item safety (including detailed detection of a wide-range of possibly harmful trace chemicals and toxic heavy metals), product performance, and sustainability of sourcing of all paper and paperboard materials Intertek inspects for its clients.

 

Company's new safety audit process focuses on individual accountability, where employees are accountable for working safely at all times so as not to endanger themselves or co-workers. Accountability is achieved through implementation of three components: pre-task risk analysis; proactive near-miss reports; and safety committee meetings. The project led 26 of the company’s operations to finish 2017 without a single recordable injury.

 

Anton Lesscher is known to be a troubleshooting expert and also very good at in-depth demonstrations as well as a well talked-about training program based on the "Three Critical Disciplines" of the corrugator process: Process, Electrical, and Mechanical and the training staff was made up of operational corrugators. The next step was to set up a self-reliant service dept. where Lesscher became VP of Training in the business unit.

 

Leadership changes took place the end of Oct., allowing both new top executives a comfortable month to prepare prior to the widely publicized rebranding period and the subsequent pressures of a busy new year while still getting to enjoy a positive association with coming in at this important time for the company. Drew Humphries has been named President of the new GLV and Paul Henzell was named the rebranded group's VP of Sales and Marketing.

 

Peter Latham continues as chair 3 more years. Genevieve Chua is elected to Vice Chair, joining Natalie Hufnagl-Jovy. Brain Kernohan and Gerald Pfiffinger are also both re-elected. Jin Sook Lee and Suzette Weeding are welcomed to the board as new members. Bin Che Yeom (Dato) Freezailah, serving on the Nominations Committee since 2013, to step down. Call for nominations for his replacement TBA later in Dec.

 

Current CFO, Anna Belfrage, has made a decision to resign on May 31, 2019. "Belfrage has been a competent and ambitious person and during her tenure as CFO, she developed and improved Södra’s accounting, IT and purchasing activities in a professional manner," said President and CEO Lars Idermark. Peter Karlsson has been appointed new CFO as of Mar. 1. IT and digitization specialist Cristian Brolin becomes the new CDO.

 

Sonoco announced a new senior leadership structure for the company’s global consumer- and industrial-related divisions, according to Rob Tiede, president and CEO, with changes effective Jan. 1. SVP of Plastics Vicki Arthur will retire after 34 years service. Howard Coker to begin as SVP of Paper and Rodger Fuller as SVP of Packaging.

 

An active member of the TAPPI Corrugated Division, Marschke was winner of the 2003 Gunnar Nicholson Gold Medal Award and a prominent TAPPI Fellow. He was a successful leader, inventing many machines and growing his business to become one of the top ranked in the world.

 

Submission of a 300-word (or shorter) abstract via TAPPI’s Speaker Management System due before Dec. 17, 2018.Suggested presentation topics include Automotive & Other Manufacturing Processing, Additive Manufacturing, Lignin and Hemicellulose Nanomaterials, Paper and Packaging. Biomedical Applications, Renewable Nanomaterials Production. Don't let your efforts in the field go unnoticed!

 

Learn the technology of what happens and why throughout the paper production process.

 

There's still time to reserve your seat now for the TAPPI Kraft Recovery Course taking place Jan. 7-10. This course often fills a large conference room space with more than a hundred attendees and a huge panel of experts.