Siemens installs new drives and software at Stora Enso Langerbrugge

Ghent paper manufacturer Stora Enso Langerbrugge is relying on Siemens expertise and solutions to replace the drives and machine control system for one of its paper machines. Siemens will carry out the installation later this year in June.

Stora Enso attaches great importance to recycling material and developing and using renewable energy. So the Ghent company chooses biomass as a source of energy for its production processes, and what’s more continuously invests in its machinery in search of more sustainable solutions. That is why Siemens has now been  engaged to provide one of the paper machines with new drives and to replace the existing machine control system.

Chris De Hollander, Managing Director of Stora Enso Langerbrugge:
“We are opting for Siemens expertise because they provided a great deal of positive input in the project to create the most efficient solution that was within our budget. Siemens came to the table with a small but efficient team that took decisions rapidly during the negotiations and provided support where needed.”

Complex turnkey project
“We are proud that Stora Enso has chosen Siemens to bring this project to a successful conclusion”, says Christian Hacken, execution manager of Siemens’ Fiber Industry department. “It’s a complex order in which a lot is involved. Firstly a very specific new machine guideline must be implemented as regards integrated safety for people and machinery (EN1034). Secondly the upgraded machine, which will now run on our SIMATIC PCS 7 software, will also have to be able to communicate with existing ABB protocols of other devices in the company, including AF100-bus.”

Stora Enso produces no less than 555,000 tonnes of recycled newsprint and magazine paper annually with the help of two paper machines. When a paper machine is brought to a halt, every second counts. So besides the complexity of the system, the short time span in which everything must be completed is of crucial importance. “This is a complex turnkey project”, says Tommy Wagemans, business segment manager of the Fiber Industry department. “To minimize downtime we have to be able, in the space of just one week, to deliver and install the necessary components and then get the paper machine up and running again. Considering the size of the system, this is a challenging order.”