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There are many tools in the modern digital age capable of increasing the efficiency of businesses operations, personalizing the communication with workers and customers and ensuring an advanced and streamlined interaction between humans and machines. Two of the most recent tools to be adopted by the manufacturing industry are chatbots and augmented reality (AR).

How Chatbots and Augmented Reality work

Industry 4.0 Chatbot and augmented reality are the future present of industrial maintenanceIndustry 4.0 Chatbot and augmented reality are the future present of industrial maintenanceChatbots are communication softwares that allow the interaction between man and machine by using natural language thanks to a so-called conversational interface, eliminating the need of interaction through programming languages. These softwares are therefore able to understand users’ questions and respond accordingly.

Augmented reality is a technology that allows workers, thanks to the so-called overlay, to “enhance” the real world field of view by superimposing data, information, and diagrams onto it by using smartphone and tablet displays or wearable devices such as head-mounted displays (HMD).

The role of Chatbots and Augmented Reality

The chatbot market is expected to reach a staggering $1.25 billion worldwide by 2025. Chatbots have been used until now usually for customer support, allowing companies to connect more easily with clients 24/7, but they can also be used by the manufacturing sector to:

  • manage supplies and inventory;
  • aid with order fulfilment and delivery;
  • simplify supply chain communications;
  • enable maintenance crews to check the conditions of machinery and equipment in the workplace;
  • facilitate maintenance crews operations.

The augmented reality market is also booming and is expected to grow to nearly $19 billion worldwide by 2024. This technology is being used to:

  • train plant workers;
  • improve worker productivity during machine installation, monitoring, and troubleshooting by providing them with real-time information so they can make adjustments/changes as they work;
  • improve the product design process by providing a visualization of the product in context and collaboration between parties that are separated geographically;
  • facilitate inspection and maintenance.

As we can see the many uses of chatbots and augmented reality can help a company significantly improve overall operations, product quality and, ultimately, profits.

Chatbots and AR in Industrial Maintenance: the main benefits

These two technologies allow workers to gather information quickly and test maintenance scenarios, all while working directly with the machine. The benefits of using chatbots and augmented reality in industrial maintenance are many, including:

  • fewer human errors;
  • faster execution of maintenance and repairs;
  • fewer machine breakdowns;
  • less machine downtime;
  • reduced maintenance costs;
  • improved operational speed and productivity;
  • better regulatory compliance;
  • higher profits.

With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at how chatbots and augmented reality can achieve these goals.

Chatbots and AR for Tissue and Nonwovens Production Line Maintenance

Like we said in previous articles[1], thanks to Industry 4.0 the machines on the tissue and nonwovens production lines can be outfitted with dozens, even hundreds of sensors that are constantly transmitting operational data in real-time.

When wearing or using augmented reality devices, maintenance workers can have the data coming in from the machinery overlaid on their field of view. These can be environmental data, such as temperature and pressure, and machine-specific data, such as speed. Thanks to this interactive information, workers can identify operational errors and faulty parts and plan a predictive maintenance schedule that will help minimize machine breakdown while keeping them operating at optimal efficiency. They can also spot problems on the production line that need to be dealt with immediately, before they cause a disruption to production.

Read more: 4 Tools for Tissue and Nonwovens Machines to Reduce and Optimize Idle Times

Chatbots support augmented reality by allowing workers to ask for information for a specific machine, such as the availability of a required spare part or access to the operating manual to determine the best course of action for repair. The information requested will be displayed via augmented reality.

Integration is the Key

The integration of data is a key element to ensure a fully operational system of industrial maintenance is in place. To achieve this, the company needs a machine-and software-independent solution capable of gathering the data from every machine on the production line. These data will be integrated, analyzed and then displayed on a computer, mobile device, or augmented reality device, allowing the remote operation of a production line and an efficient maintenance process.

Read more: Cloud Computing and Integration with Machine and Corporate Applications

Chatbots and AR are here to help you boost productivity

Companies within the manufacturing sector need to bring their technological presence to the next level to survive in today’s competitive climate. Ultimately, Industry 4.0 technology, combined with chatbots and augmented reality, will help tissue and nonwovens companies remain competitive by obtaining high quality products while reducing costs.

For more information about the various tools capable of boosting productivity on your tissue and nonwovens production line, please take a look at our eBook “5 Industry 4.0 Tools that Boost Productivity in the Tissue Paper and Nonwovens Industry”!

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In today’s world consumers want to know if the companies they do business with are acting in a sustainable manner. In addition, the environment is teetering dangerously close to the point of no return when it comes to carbon emissions, and manufacturers are increasingly expected to reduce waste and energy usage, while making the highest quality products possible.

This is a tall order, but it is one that every company within the manufacturing sector must meet, including the tissue and nonwovens ones.

One of the issues that has to be addressed to achieve our objective is the loss of productivity on a production line, and one of the top reasons for this is machine idle times.

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What is Idle Time

Idle times occur when a machine is unproductive for reasons that are outside of the control of workers or management. During this idle time, workers are generally waiting while a machine is being serviced or it is offline, and the production can continue only if the idle machine can be bypassed.

Impact of machine Idle Times

When machinery on the production line is idle, the cost for a factory is between 5% and 20% of its productivity capacity. Not only that but an estimated 80% of industrial facilities are not able to accurately estimate the scope of their machine idle times.

It is common for facilities to underestimate the cost of these machine idle times by as much as 200% to 300%, and when it comes to meeting production targets and profit margins this is unacceptable. The starting point for a tissue and nonwovens plant is to gain an understanding of their machinery and what causes idle times to occur.

Causes of Idle Times

Idle times can be either planned or unplanned. The former are generally for regular machine maintenance, software and hardware upgrades, inspections, and anything else required for the upkeep of the machine, while the latter are are generally due to machine breakage or malfunction, software or hardware errors, or overall poor performance. It goes without saying that unplanned idle times are costly and obviously more disruptive because they can cause significant interruption to productivity. 

According to the American Productivity and Quality Center (APQC) unplanned idle times are responsible for a loss of between $0.40 and $1.20 for every $20, and it is therefore vitally important for every manufacturing company to avoid these phenomena.

Reducing and Optimizing Machine Idle Times: 4 key tools

The Industry 4.0 technology is the answer to these problems.

Industry 4.0 has brought machine communication and automation to a point at which data can be collected from every machine of the production line in real-time and subsequently analyze these data in isolation or in relation to those coming from every other machine.

Read more: How to measure tissue and nonwovens mill machinery performance with real time analytics

To accomplish this, there are a number of tools that tissue and nonwovens companies need to have in place.

1. Machine Sensors

Each machine on the production line will be equipped with numerous sensors in order to collect data in real-time during operation. These data will reveal, for example, the operating state of the machine, its speed, vibrations and other environmental factors, such as temperature and humidity, that the human senses cannot detect.

2. The Cloud

Thanks to Cloud computing, the various machines will be connected wirelessly to each other, as well as to computers and mobile devices used by workers on the production line and in head office. This will allow for the remote collection and analysis of data from any production line in any plant.

Read more: Cloud Computing and Integration with Machine and Corporate Applications

3. Software/Platform

The data that are sent across the cloud will need to be integrated into a single platform capable of analysing them and to allow both a bird’s eye view of the production line and a closeup view of the operation of any individual machine.

This data integration is incredibly important in light of the fact that the machines on production lines tend to have their own unique software, isolating their data from those of the other machines and from every other data related to business operations. 

4. AI/Machine Learning

Finally, artificial intelligence and machine learning will be capable of analyzing the data coming in, recognize anomalous ones and act accordingly. Machine learning will use algorithms to understand anomalous readings and to schedule predictive maintenance. These tools are key in improving machine performance and reducing unplanned idle times or avoiding it altogether.

Reduce Idle Time and Boost Productivity with Industry 4.0

We have seen that, despite the pressures to which companies are subjected, there is nowadays a technology capable of minimizing or eliminating machine idle times.

Thanks to these tools you will be able to gather all the data sent by disparate machines in any production line, integrate them, analyze them, interpret those analyses, and implement automated measures to ensure machines are always running at peak efficiency.

For more information on how to keep your tissue and nonwovens production line operating at peak efficiency, download our free eBook “5 Industry 4.0 Tools that Boost Productivity in the Tissue Paper and Nonwovens Industry”!

Published in European News
Friday, 29 November 2019 09:32

A.Celli - 24/7 Assistance

A.Celli Group has always guaranteed continuous and immediate assistance to its customers with a free of charge 24/7 service

The A.Celli Group provides its customers with various access channels to request assistance: in the first instance, in case of emergencies, contact can be made by telephone, using a dedicated H24 number, for real time solutions; there is also a dedicated e-mail address, accessible directly or via website and, finally, the chatbot, on the A.Celli website too.

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If the problem is solved by phone, the technician who took charge of the request will trace the event, indexing it with various references, so that it remains memorized and usable for the data entered, both for use by the supplier company and by the customer.

If, on other hand, the problem cannot be solved immediately, the customer is asked to open a "ticket" on A.Celli website. This procedure generates an email that is automatically sent to the Customer Care team in charge of assistance. Also in this case, from taking charge of the request, up to the solution of the problem, the intervention is traced: in this way an archive of cases is created with relative operations and resolution times, which can be consulted afterwards and which provides important data for the development of predictive maintenance (in the field of Industry 4.0).

Every A.Celli machine is connected to the web via VPN: this connection allows remote access to the machine data (remote assistance). Using the VPN, the dedicated team verifies the solvability of the problem: generally it is possible to take action on software anomalies or regulation, solving the same and restoring the optimal activity of the machine.

If, instead, it is deduced that the problem is of mechanical or process type, a technical on site intervention by our specialists becomes necessary.

Recently the A.Celli site has been implemented with a chatbot which, once activated, allows the identified customer to request the Customer Care service, specifying which of the two companies he wishes to interface with (A.Celli Paper or A.Celli Nonwovens) and choosing the way in which to be contacted by the assistance team. Also in this case a "ticket", which will trace the whole solution path, will be opened.

Summarizing, A.Celli customers can always count on Customer Care services, managed by skilled and experienced technicians:

  • Telephone assistance and emergencies 24/7
  • Chatbot
  • Ticket opening (assistance request)
  • Teleservice VPN
  • On-site technical interventions
  • Process supervision
  • Training programs
  • Safety analysis of the machine
  • Technical documentation
  • Worldwide local assistance
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In every type of manufacturing, the goal is to produce a superior product as quickly as possible, while producing minimal waste and keeping energy usage to a minimum. The tissue and nonwovens industry is no exception.

Companies in this industry need to produce certain products with specific characteristics on a consistent basis. The processes behind this goal have always been data driven, and for most of the industrial age, those data have come from human observation.

Fortunately, the technological advancements of today make data collection and analysis much easier and more comprehensive, which makes it easier to improve production processes. It is these production processes that define the output of the production line, and whether the final product is successful or there are problems with it, they are the data collected along the production line that hold the answers as to why. Once these data are analyzed, successes can easily be repeated, and failures can be avoided in the future.

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Where Data Comes From

The data in a tissues and nonwovens mill come from a myriad of sensors and cameras that are constantly gathering information from each machine during operation. The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) makes this possible. The IIoT is a part of Industry 4.0, which has taken computers and automation to a new level, making it easier for humans to interact with and gather and analyze data from machines.

There can be dozens, or even hundreds, of sensors on each machine in the production line. They are all connected to a network, along with other equipment and devices, and they are constantly transmitting data via the cloud in real-time. These data can be stored for future use and/or analyzed and acted on immediately, giving workers insight into what is happening at each stage along the production line.

What Data Reveals

The data that are captured on the production line are analyzed by machine learning programs that have the ability to:

  • detect anomalous readings;
  • see patterns in the data;
  • determine where improvements can be in production processes.

The value of this abundance of data and the insights analysis of the data is significant. For example, if a roll of the highest quality comes off the production line with few or no defects, the data that represent the conditions at each point along the production line reveal the ideal conditions that are required to create the ideal roll. Once these conditions are known, production processes can be adjusted to recreate these conditions in the future.

Read more: How to Measure Tissue and Nonwovens Mill Machinery Performance with Real Time Analytics

The flip side of this scenario is when a flawed roll comes off the line. The data from that run can be analyzed to determine at what point along the production line the conditions caused the flaw. Perhaps the temperature was a little too high or low on one part of the production line, or perhaps the machine speed was a little too high, compromising product quality. Once these data have been analyzed and these insights gained, adjustments can be made in production processes to avoid these flaws in the future.

Thanks to artificial intelligence (AI), full automation along the production line means adjustments to the conditions anywhere along the line can be made in real-time wherever they are needed to improve processes. In short, production processes can be tweaked on an ongoing basis, in real-time, without the need to stop production to make it happen. In addition, the data gathered from the sensors along the production line will reveal problems that require immediate attention and make predictive maintenance possible.

Data Driven Production Process: Integration Is Key

One of the biggest issues for many tissue and nonwovens companies today is that, although they have sophisticated systems that collect data from the production line in real-time, these systems are often siloed from one another. In other words, each machine on the production line will have its own software. This means there is a lack of communication between these systems, making it difficult to integrate the data collected by each machine into an organized whole from which workable insights and solutions can be obtained.

It is the integration of these production line machines with each other and with all other company, supplier, and distribution systems will ensure the best possible data driven production processes can be initiated and maintained. When these systems are tied in with each other and can communicate and share data, production processes can be tailored to the specific needs of the company based on:

  • their business and operational goals as an enterprise;
  • the availability of the raw materials required for production;
  • supply, demand and warehouse stock levels.

The answer to this problem is to use a software platform that is machine- and system-independent. A platform such as this will allow for the easy integration of data from every machine on the production line, ensuring the company can fully embrace data driven production processes. A.Celli’s digital solution offer such a platform.

For more information about data and production processes in your tissue and nonwovens mill, please take a look at our eBook The Ultimate Industry 4.0 Guide for the Tissue and Nonwovens Industry.

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Friday, 22 November 2019 10:58

A.Celli Paper at Paperex India 2019

nternational Exhibition & Conference on Pulp, Paper and Allied Industries

A.Celli Paper is pleased to announce its participation at the upcoming edition of Paperex India 2019, taking place in Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, in December 2019, from Tuesday 3 to Friday 6.

paperex

A.Celli Paper will be happy to welcome you at its booth no. F-4124, to show you its system solutions for complete turn-key plants: from iDEAL® Tissue Machines and E-WIND® Tissue & Paper winders to R-WAY® Roll Handling and Packaging solutions, ending up with our integrated and digital solutions for industrial automation.

In the course of the exhibition, there will be several opportunities for exchanging information through debates, technical conferences, seminars and in-depth views on the developments and latest novelties in the field of Paper, Pulp and linked industries.

For further information and/or to fix an appointment at the A.Celli booth, please contact Simon Lorenzetti at the following email address: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Published in Exhibitions
Thursday, 31 October 2019 09:17

A.Celli Nonwovens Academy: Texbond Rovereto

A.Celli Nonwovens delivers Certificates of participation in the “A.Celli Academy – Winding & Maintenance School”

In the first week of October, in Rovereto (TN), a team of specialists from A.Celli Nonwovens held a training course for twenty-one Texbond people, aimed at optimizing the use and the maintenance processes of A.Celli machines.

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The course, specifically designed for line operators, lasted four days, alternating theoretical sessions with practical sessions, and analyzed various topics: from the Slittomatic cutting system, to the fundamentals of winding and rewinding, to general maintenance, with analysis of any critical issues and the application of predictive maintenance.

The A.Celli staff is available to organize training sessions following specific customer requests by contacting our Customer Care service (here).

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Wednesday, 23 October 2019 09:19

E-WIND® P100H – The XXL paper winders

From Monday 11th to Friday 15th November, at A.Celli Paper facilities in Tassignano (Lucca), two E-WIND® P100H winding machines will be shown.

The two winders are equipped with sophisticated technological innovations and have an attractive design.

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Our new state-of-the-art E-WIND® P100H have been designed to make an efficient winding process, they manage a very large width (8 meters) and they are able to accommodate large reels on the unwinder, with diameters up to 3800 mm and weighing about 65t.

They are ideal for processing high-quality flat-papers and test-liner papers of the lowest basis weights at high speeds (up to 2500 mpm). They are equipped with highly innovative solutions, such as the Slittomatic® dual-motor cutting unit positioning system and the built-in automatic Spool-Parking.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to organize your visit!

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Another new generation Yankee A.Celli was shipped and delivered.

The main and patented construction features of the forged A.Celli iDEAL® Yankee, which distinguish it from others on the market, are the following:

  • forged and grooved shell,
  • bolted and thermally insulated heads.

The shell is made from a single piece of steel, heated to more than 1200 ° C, moulded and processed using forging and hot rolling systems, from which a cylinder of homogeneous material without welds is obtained. The internal processing of the grooves, also patented, has an innovative design that reduces the possibility of deformation of the shell, minimizing the stress on the edges, and ensuring a better heat transmission, with a consequent increase in the drying capacity of the Yankee.

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The peculiarity of the structure, gives a solidity capable of withstanding 2 bar pressure variations, without effecting the paper quality and the machine runability.

The heads, characterized by a patented ceramic insulation that minimizes heat losses, are fixed by means of bolts to the mantle, eliminating even in this case the need for welding, in another area of high stress.

The result is an innovative and unique product on the market, consisting of homogeneous material, seamless and of very high manufacturing quality. In the first twelve years of use, maintenance costs can be reduced by 95%, since the typical safety checks on welds are not necessary, which moreover involve periods of machine downtime and consequent loss of production.

Energy consumption, thanks to the optimization of shell and heads, is reduced compared to the standard.

The A.Celli forged Yankee production range includes diameters from 10.5 ’to 22’.

The new generation Yankee was conceived by our R&D team and developed in collaboration with our Product Manager for Yankee Dryer, Eng. Clive Butler.

Clive has a thirty years experience in the paper industry and is responsible for all the technical and quality aspects of Yankee Dryers. He is an active member and former chair of the TAPPI Yankee Dryer Safety and Reliability Subcommittee.

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The Tissue Machine A.Celli iDEAL® Master of the Mexican customer Blue Tissue S.A.P.I. de C.V., equipped with an A.Celli forged Yankee Dryer, regularly produces excellent tissue paper.

The A.Celli iDEAL® Master Tissue Machine’s start-up, last July, confirmed the good quality of the forged product, highlighting the simplicity of its installation.

The 16’ Yankee A.Celli iDEAL® Forged_YD is in full production and is the only steel shell Yankee in the world running without a weld, therefore does not require routine inspections of seams in the high fatigue stress areas.

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For all technical characteristics and relative advantages, in terms of consumption and safety, we invite you to read our article dated September 25th, by clicking here.

Great satisfaction for the whole A.Celli team: from R&D Department, where the intuition for the new product started, to the Technical Office, from the Sales Managers to the Project Managers, to the Marketing Department, as well as a special thanks to the Extreme Automation Department for the application of the innovative DCS that allows smart process control and constant machine monitoring in Industry 4.0 perspective.

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In August the French customer's technicians validated the Factory Acceptance Test, carried out at A.Celli Paper’s facilities, for the tissue machine, the heart of the complete turnkey plant, entirely supplied by A.Celli Paper.

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The new iDEAL®1800S machine has a 2850 mm format and an operating speed of 1800 mpm. The turn-key project also includes an E-WIND® T100 rewinder and a R-WAY® roll-handling system.

The Yankee supplied is the forged one of the latest A.Celli generation and has a diameter of 15’.

The tests carried out fully satisfied the customer's expectations, authorizing the shipment of the machinery to its headquarters in Charavines, in south-eastern France.

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