Melitta Europa paper mill to get Valmet’s automation solution

Installation will take place in the summer of 2023

By
IPP Desk
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Melitta
Melitta Europa's paper production plant in Minden, Germany. Photo Valmet

Valmet – a global developer and supplier of process technologies, automation, and services for the pulp, paper, and energy industries – will supply a complete automation solution to Melitta Europa for its paper production plant in Minden, Germany.

The order includes Valmet’s distributed control system (Valmet DNA DCS/MCS), a Valmet IQ Quality Control System, and a Valmet IQ Web Inspection System. The solution will replace the aging automation system currently in use in the plant. The fully integrated solution with Valmet’s latest automation technology will enable Melitta to efficiently optimize production and ensure optimal quality.

The order was included in Valmet’s orders received in the third quarter of 2022. The installation will take place in the summer of 2023.

“We selected Valmet’s solution because having a complete package for the DCS, QCS, and web inspection was a key factor when considering our upgrade project. Valmet’s automation solution is well known throughout the pulp and paper industry, and Valmet has a lot of experience in paper processes,” says Eduard Pertsch, technical manager, Melitta Minden.

“This is a very exciting opportunity for us to work with Melitta. The group was looking for an integrated solution, and our latest technology, quality control solutions in particular, made the difference,” says Martin Grundmann, area sales manager, Automation Systems, Valmet, Germany.

The delivery includes a Valmet DNA control system with around 3.500 I/O, new drive controls, a Valmet IQ Quality Control System, and a Valmet IQ Web Inspection solution with a target stop application.

The Valmet IQ Quality Control System (QCS) will be supplied including scanners, related measurements, and state-of-the-art multivariable MD (machine direction) and CD (cross direction) controls to provide accurate and stable sheet quality in demanding machine conditions, improving paper quality and efficiency while reducing costs. Valmet IQ Web Inspection System improves web quality thanks to accurate and reliable defect detection and proactive quality management.

Melitta Europa GmbH is the operating division of the Melitta Group, a German family-owned company that was created in 1908 based on the invention of Melitta Bentz, who developed the world’s first coffee filter. Today, Melitta is a group of companies with operations all over the world, with numerous brands and products covering a wide variety of needs.

2023 promises an interesting ride for print in India

Indian Printer and Publisher founded in 1979 is the oldest B2B trade publication in the multi-platform and multi-channel IPPGroup. While the print and packaging industries have been resilient in the past 33 months since the pandemic lockdown of 25 March 2020, the commercial printing and newspaper industries have yet to recover their pre-Covid trajectory.

The fragmented commercial printing industry faces substantial challenges as does the newspaper industry. While digital short-run printing and the signage industry seem to be recovering a bit faster, ultimately their growth will also be moderated by the progress of the overall economy. On the other hand book printing exports are doing well but they too face several supply-chain and logistics challenges.

The price of publication papers including newsprint has been high in the past year while availability is diminished by several mills shutting down their publication paper and newsprint machines in the past four years. Indian paper mills are also exporting many types of paper and have raised prices for Indian printers. To some extent, this has helped in the recovery of the digital printing industry with its on-demand short-run and low-wastage paradigm.

Ultimately digital print and other digital channels will help print grow in a country where we are still far behind in our paper and print consumption and where digital is a leapfrog technology that will only increase the demand for print in the foreseeable future. For instance, there is no alternative to a rise in textbook consumption but this segment will only reach normality in the next financial year beginning on 1 April 2023.

Thus while the new normal is a moving target and many commercial printers look to diversification, we believe that our target audiences may shift and change. Like them, we will also have to adapt with agility to keep up with their business and technical information needs.

Our 2023 media kit is ready, and it is the right time to take stock and reconnect with your potential markets and customers. Print is the glue for the growth of liberal education, new industry, and an emerging economy. We seek your participation in what promises to be an interesting ride.

– Naresh Khanna

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