The center will function as the central focal point for expert resources and for systems that are equipped with ABB technology. It will leverage ABB’s extensive pulp and paper expertise to provide true data-driven solutions for its customers by providing remote connectivity, secure access to process performance information, and technical support. The new center will be part of ABB ’ s Global Collaborative Operations Center network.

• ABB Ability ^TM Collaborative Operations Center opens in Helsinki, Finland
• Expands the global network of ABB industry experts, digital technologies and knowledge base to improve customers profitability and efficiency
• Delivers the true benefits of today’s digital technologies, by the latest analytics and cloud technologies from ABB's partners, such as Microsoft and IBM
• Real-time remote monitoring and technical support with the objectives of optimizing production, improving quality and minimizing costs

Countless sensors and operation-critical systems transmit data on the health and performance of paper machines to the centers, where sophisticated software performs advanced data analytics on a 24/7 basis. The insights gained will allow engineers to quickly diagnose potential issues, advise on preventive maintenance or suggest measures to improve performance. ABB experts and customers work in close collaboration, taking data-driven decisions in real time that increase operational performance and business profitability.

ABB Collaborative Operations Center expands the global network of ABB industry experts, digital technologies and knowledge base to improve customer’s profitability and efficiency.

"The new center demonstrates our leadership in delivering the real benefits of big data to our customers, changing insights into actions to improve their processes," says Jim Fisher, Global Product Group Manager for Pulp and Paper. "ABB remotely monitors and provides real-time support to close to 150 mills worldwide today, and we are expecting that number to rise with this new offering.”

Earlier this year ABB opened a Collaborative Operations Center in Westerville (Ohio) focusing on the pulp and paper industry. Later this year one more center will be opened in Singapore, leveraging the “follow the sun” principle to support customers anywhere in the world.

"The Collaborative Operations Center raises our functions to a whole new digital level. There has never been a software, system and hardware spectrum as broad as this in the Nordic countries, and the cooperation with the centers in other parts of the world is intense," says ABB’s business director, Jukka Auranen.

ABB Collaborative Operations is a true Internet-of-Things application and is part of the company's portfolio of ABB Ability with industry-leading digital solutions. Collaborative Operations provides performance management, remote monitoring and preventive analysis technologies to ensure security, and improve efficiency and productivity in various industries. ABB Collaborative Operations Centers connects people in enterprise-wide production facilities and headquarters to ABB’s technology and expertise.

ABB (ABBN: SIX Swiss Ex) is a pioneering technology leader in electrification products, robotics and motion, industrial automation and power grids, serving customers in utilities, industry, and transport and infrastructure globally. Continuing history of innovation more than 125 years long, ABB today is writing the future of industrial digitalization and driving the Energy and Fourth Industrial Revolutions. ABB operates in more than 100 countries and has about 136,000 employees. www.abb.com

Valmet will supply a vast grade conversion rebuild with a wide scope of automation for Sappi Lanaken Mill in Belgium. In the project, the mill's paper machine 8 (PM8) currently producing lightweight coated (LWC) paper grades will be rebuilt to also produce lightweight and high-quality woodfree coated paper grades, which the mill will gradually start producing. The start-up of the rebuilt machine is scheduled for 2019. The project is an EPC delivery (engineering, procurement and construction) with an extensive site operation scope.

The order was included in Valmet's third quarter of 2017 orders received. The value of the order will not be disclosed. The value of an order of this type is typically around EUR 60-80 million.

"Sappi has been relying solidly on Valmet in the past years, and the excellent collaboration and results from the previous projects were certainly an asset in the negotiations. In addition to this new, extensive rebuild for Lanaken, five other major ongoing or already started-up projects for Sappi are Valmet-supplied (Sappi Maastricht 2018, Sappi Sommerset 2018, Sappi Kirkniemi 2016, Sappi Gratkorn 2014 and Sappi Alfeld 2013). These projects have led into a true partnership between Sappi and Valmet. Valmet has been able to offer just the right solutions to fulfil the customer needs. To ensure the selected concept, pilot trials were run at Valmet Paper Technology Centers," says Robert Mohr, Vice President of Central Europe Sales, Valmet.

Signing the contract at the Sappi Lanaken Mill. From left Werner Reiter, Bernhard Zottler, Günther Engelen, Wim Devens, Eric Raedts (all from Sappi), Marko Oinonen (Valmet) and Robert Mohr (Valmet).

Technical details about the delivery

Valmet's delivery includes modifications to stock preparation and pulp bale de-wiring system, paper machine, air systems and major changes and improvements in the automation systems. The paper machine modifications include rebuilds in the forming section, press section, dryer section, and coating section, a new sizer, calender and reel. The re-reeler will be relocated. Automation delivery includes quality management system, machine and process control systems, as well as web inspection system. All the equipment will be delivered with installation.

PM 8 will be producing lightweight coated paper grades in the dimensional weight of 115 g/m². The mill has a total capacity of 530,000 tonnes/year.

Information about the customer Sappi Europe

Headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, Sappi Europe is the leading European producer and supplier of coated fine paper, packaging and specialty papers. In Europe, the company has seven mills, 14 sales offices and 5,100 employees. Lanaken Mill in Belgium produces a variety of pulp and high-quality fine coated papers.

Valmet is the leading global developer and supplier of process technologies, automation and services for the pulp, paper and energy industries. We aim to become the global champion in serving our customers.

Valmet's strong technology offering includes pulp mills, tissue, board and paper production lines, as well as power plants for bioenergy production. Our advanced services and automation solutions improve the reliability and performance of our customers' processes and enhance the effective utilization of raw materials and energy.

Valmet's net sales in 2016 were approximately EUR 2.9 billion. Our 12,000 professionals around the world work close to our customers and are committed to moving our customers' performance forward - every day. Valmet's head office is in Espoo, Finland and its shares are listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki.

Mitsubishi HiTec Paper will be increasing prices for the whole THERMOSCRIPT thermal paper range as well as the GIROFORM carbonless paper range on January 1, 2018. The level of increase will vary depending on region and application. This is due to the further increased raw material and logistics costs.

Customers will be contacted directly by the Mitsubishi sales team.

Mitsubishi HiTec Paper Europe GmbH is a German subsidiary of Mitsubishi Paper Mills Ltd., Japan, one of the world's leading manufacturers of specialty paper. The roughly 700 employees at Mitsubishi HiTec Paper produce high-quality direct thermal, inkjet, carbonless, label and barrier papers at two tradition-rich locations in Bielefeld and Flensburg.

Each factory stands out for own base paper production, state-of-the-art production machinery, 6 different coating technologies and innovative coating recipes. Through its dense global sales network, Mitsubishi HiTec Paper supplies a full range of specialty papers featuring a modular system for every application and printing technology – and is a highly capable partner whenever customized coated paper solutions are required.

In the era of Industry 4.0, technology, digitalization, connectivity and integration of systems and people are foundational elements for consistent and growing performance. This type of evolution also closely concerns the Tissue field, where the ability to manage and drive the entire production process of the whole supply chain becomes the true added value. Being able to define and design a complete line to manufacture a finished product means totally understanding customers’ production demands.

Fabio Perini S.p.A. is the only company in the world capable of creating complete lines integrating converting and packaging, hence creating the product and the process together with the Customer in order to optimize the quality of the finished product. An extraordinary value for customers, who find the production solutions for their Business 4.0 in one unique partner.

Fabio Perini S.p.A. has defined this new way of seeing its customers’ factory using a very precise term: Digital Tissue™.

The new way to interpret Factory 4.0 has led Fabio Perini S.p.A. to define new technological solutions to manage the machines, the lines and business processes. All this will aid in having a smart factory capable of collecting, interpreting and sharing data with the purpose of maximizing the production efficiency of the individual machines, of the complete line and the efficiency of the production sites even further. Fabio Perini S.p.A. customers can already count on products and services developed pursuant to this approach and others will follow, keeping the focus on increasing performance and optimizing operational costs.

Fabio Perini S.p.A. is not new to the ability of reading and seizing market and technological trends. In the 1980s, it revolutionized the world of converting with the Sincro technology and has continued along the road to research and development, attaining the highest expression of innovation in 2015 with Constellation, thus projecting itself into the era of Industry 4.0.

The concept of Digital Tissue™ is the guiding principle behind the most recent innovations, too, such as Constellation, Catalyst, All In One and Weareable: product already used by Fabio Perini customers worldwide as concrete answers to the demands of converting, packaging and service. And this is just the beginning of the process of innovations that are clearly visible in the eyes of the final consumers.

COMPANY PROFILE

Fabio Perini S.p.A. was born in 1966 in Lucca, Italian hub and world tissue production and converting technology center. Today, with its 5 production facilities in Italy, the United States, Brazil and China, it helps its customers stay competitive and grow thanks to complete production solutions for converting and packaging. Technology, globalization and ongoing, continuous investments in research have led the company to stand out internationally and to be acknowledged as a true excellence in the world of tissue.

www.fabioperini.com

DIGITAL TISSUE™

Digital Tissue™ is Fabio Perini’s interpretation for the offer of predictive and self-learning systems with a view towards Industry 4.0 in Tissue. It is the instrument that helps Fabio Perini customers build ecosystems characterized by continuous improvement in skills, methods and information. A vision that aspires to be global, where every ecosystem can exist on its own but at the same time contribute to the global growth of the Tissue industry by creating a sturdy and reliable system where errors, loss of time and variability in product quality are overcome.

The BoosTEK™ Performance Pack has been successfully employed in the Laval Sur Vologne Mill and, as a results of that, Lucart has decided to apply this new and disruptive technology and awarded Kadant Lamort with 5 new additional units to Boost the performance of his Screening systems installed in all the other mills of the group.

BoosTEK™ utilizes inherent system pressure to amplify the breakdown of the stock mats that form on, and ultimately block, the screen cylinder. This proprietary technology dramatically improves the performance of the screen - increasing capacity, contaminant collection, and the yield of clean pulp fibre.

Alain Lascar, director of technology and marketing at Kadant Lamort, noted: “Significant savings make this a cost-effective upgrade with a compelling return on investment. We have achieved up to a 40% reduction in energy consumption or up to a 65% gain in fiber yield depending on the operational focus”.

“We are pleased to announce our collaboration with Kadant. The technological developments and ideas which we have created together are in line with Lucart’s philosophy, in particular regarding energy saving and the reduction of industrial waste collection, whilst respecting the highest quality standards which is the ultimate aim of Lucart’s recycled products” said Franco Pasquini, Engineering Director of Lucart.

Installed on either the accept or the reject line of your screen, the gains can be both qualitative and quantitative. BoosTEK’s adaptive intelligent technology reacts to the needs of the upstream screen, optimizing the running conditions of the stock flow to maximize performance and output.

About Lucart
Lucart, a multinational Italian industrial group founded in the province of Lucca in 1953, is one of the main producers in Europe of mono-glazed paper and tissue products (paper articles intended for daily consumption, such as toilet paper, kitchen paper, napkins, tablecloths, handkerchiefs, etc.) and Airlaid products. For further information, please visit the website www.lucartgroup.com

About Kadant Lamort
Kadant Lamort SAS, a subsidiary of Kadant Inc. (NYSE: KAI), is a leading fiber processing and recycling equipment supplier that designs, manufactures, and services equipment used in virgin and recycled paper stock preparation and paper machine approach-flow applications.

Toscotec identified in London Stock Exchange Group’s ‘1000 Companies to Inspire Europe’ report.

Toscotec recognised in second edition of London Stock Exchange Group’s 1000 Companies to Inspire Europe report

Report demonstrates critical importance of high-growth private small and medium sized companies (SMEs) to future European economic growth, innovation and job creation

As one of the most advanced industries in the manufacturing and engineering sector, Toscotec talks about its history, its mission and the new challenges of its competitive market.

https://www.lseg.com/resources/1000-companies-inspire/2017-report-1000-companies-europe/manufacturing-engineering/toscotec

Toscotec has been identified as one of London Stock Exchange Group’s 1000 Companies to Inspire Europe. The report is a celebration of high-growth and most dynamic small and medium sized businesses across Europe.

To be included in the list, companies needed to show consistent revenue growth over a minimum of three years, significantly outperforming their country peers. More detail on the methodology can be found in the report online at www.1000companies.com.

About Toscotec

Since 1948 Toscotec specializes in the design and manufacturing of machines, systems and components for the Tissue and Paper & Board industries. Headquartered in Lucca, at the centre of the Italian paper district, we are a leading player on the international markets, with a strong focus on customer partnership and project customization. Building on more than 60 years of experience, we offer state-of-the-art technology and customized solutions, such as turnkey projects, complete production lines and plant retrofits, to leading paper producers around the world. Every day we work hard to gain and maintain the trust of our customers. Our R&D team strives to tackle the most challenging problems of paper mills and develop their needs into newly improved technology. Our Technical Department works out the best possible applications for their specific production conditions, with focus on energy efficiency. Our Service team works to satisfy their demands, offering remote and on-site assistance for all maintenance needs and for the good operation of their plants. Overall, we provide our customers with high standards of efficiency and a real competitive edge in the marketplace. Expertise, production excellence, respect for people and ongoing research on the best solutions, in order to anticipate needs and achieve customer satisfaction: these are our key values. Maximum production efficiency, reduced consumptions and operating costs, finished products of the highest quality and respect for the environment: these are our results. And our new point of departure.

Alessandro Mennucci, Toscotec’s CEO stated: “know-how, production excellence, respect for people, and ongoing research into the best solutions to achieve customer satisfaction by anticipating needs.”

Toscotec’s Group CFO Davide Raviola said: “Europe is not a place for low-cost production. Its quality and innovative solutions are widely recognised, particularly in our sector.”

Xavier Rolet, Chief Executive, London Stock Exchange Group said: “If Europe is to have a sustainable economic future, it must back its engines of economic growth and only real source of potential job-creation: its 23million SMEs. It is critical that we continue improving access and cutting the cost of finance for fast growing companies, giving them access to long-term patient equity capital to fund their enormous potential. This is an ambition we share with the EU Commission and applaud its initiative to develop deeper and more connected capital markets across the continent through the Capital Markets Union project.

“LSEG has long been committed to supporting high growth companies. Together our 1000 Companies to Inspire Europe reports, international growth market, AIM, and business support and capital raising programme, ELITE, shine a light on the fastest growing companies across the continent and their critical importance to innovation, job creation and Europe’s future economic resilience.”

Valdis Dombrovskis, Vice-President for the Euro and Social Dialogue, also in charge of Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union:

"Europe needs more fast-growing and innovative companies as they are the backbone of our future economic development and job creation. This is why improving the ability of dynamic SMEs to access finance is one of my priorities. We need to make sure that our rules are proportionate and fit for purpose. We should remove barriers to cross-border provision of financing and ensure that SMEs can tap capital markets across Europe."

A full searchable database of all of the companies along with a downloadable pdf of the publication can be found online at www.1000companies.com

ABB recently won an order to supply comprehensive ABB Ability ^TM digital systems and solutions for SCA’s Östrand pulp mill expansion. The mill expansion is one of the largest investments in Swedish industrial history.

SCA is a leading forest products group, with headquarters in Sundsvall, Sweden. SCA started reconstructing the pulp mill in 2015, and the goal is for construction to be finished by June 2018. Upon completion, production capacity will double, and the production line for bleached softwood kraft pulp will be the largest in the world.

In 2016, ABB Ability System 800xA was selected as the digital automation platform for the mill. This includes a fully integrated control and monitoring center that provides a complete process overview and the possibility to personalize ergonomics and work environments for each operator.

One automation system for the entire process

In 2016, ABB Ability System 800x was selected as the digital automation platform for the mill. This includes a fully integrated control and monitoring center that provides a complete process overview and the possibility to personalize ergonomics and work environments for each operator. In addition to integrated process control and power monitoring, ABB’s delivery to the Östrand project consists of transformers, motors, frequency converters and drive systems for large areas of the mill.

Further fine-tuning with Advanced Process Control

ABB will now also install ABB OPT800, Advanced Process Controls for pulp mills, which enables control of production against key ratios such as reduced raw material and energy costs, emission restrictions and others.

ABB's Advanced Process Control will enable maximum productivity and maximize flow throughout the entire mill to ensure the right quality and minimal energy consumption. The functionalities are integrated into the single operator environment to provide operators with real-time decision support to help them run the mill in the most optimal way.

Getting more value from existing data

The system will monitor and optimize the processes for pulp washing management, oxygen delignification, bleach control, causticizing and evaporation. By utilizing the information already available in ABB Ability System 800xA, the system can customize multi-function control with a variety of variables based on advanced analytics to help manage these process areas optimally.

In order to minimize conversion times and ensure the correct quality when changing parameters for a new product run, the system also includes recipe management and pulp follow-up functions to monitor the pulp status throughout the process.

The overall process control will provide operators with increased security and insights, as they can foresee how the system will control the mill. The operator thus gets a full overview of what is happening and can run the facility in a controlled and safe manner.

The future of productivity is digital

By using ABB Ability System 800xA as a digital platform for the entire application and integrating it into one system, SCA Östrand will get a highly advanced solution that will drive efficient production. This leading-edge technology will help make SCA Östrand one of the most integrated digital pulp mills in the world, with the ability to continuously leverage latest technology to ensure ongoing competitiveness.

ABB (ABBN: SIX Swiss Ex) is a pioneering technology leader in electrification products, robotics and motion, industrial automation and power grids, serving customers in utilities, industry and transport & infrastructure globally. Continuing more than a 125-year history of innovation, ABB today is writing the future of industrial digitalization and driving the Energy and Fourth Industrial Revolutions. ABB operates in more than 100 countries with about 136,000 employees. www.abb.com

Albany International Corp. (NYSE:AIN) has just announced that its subsidiary, Albany International France S.A.S. (“Albany France”), has initiated discussions with the employee Works Council regarding a proposal to restructure operations at the Company’s Machine Clothing production facilities in Sélestat, France. The proposed restructuring would reduce employment by approximately 54 positions.

Machine Clothing market conditions in Europe have continued to decline since an earlier restructuring in 2013. That restructuring, which resulted in reduced employment in the Sélestat location, was intended to improve the viability of both the Sélestat and St. Junien operations. Unfortunately, despite the best efforts and good faith of all parties, conditions globally, and especially in the European market supported by these locations, have continued to decline even further since 2012, leading to the current proposal. Global Machine Clothing sales were $582 million in 2016, compared to $693 million in 2012, a decline of 16%.

President and CEO Joseph Morone said, “As we have long reported, the market for Machine Clothing in the publication grades, particularly in Europe, has been deteriorating for over a decade, and continues to do so. As we described at the time, the 2013 restructuring was part of a deliberate but painful process of aligning our global capacity to the long-term structure of the machine clothing industry. This restructuring process has to date resulted in the closing of 13 plants across the globe, including eight in North America and four in Europe, and significant downsizing at other European plants, along with investment in new capacity in Asia and South America. While we had hoped that the 2013 actions would represent the last step in this global restructuring process, continued deterioration in the market for publication paper grades has driven the need for further restructuring in order to maintain Albany’s ability to compete in the markets we continue to serve.”

Consultations with the Works Council will be completed in accordance with applicable French legislation.

About Albany International Corp.

Albany International is a global advanced textiles and materials processing company, with two core businesses. Machine Clothing is the world’s leading producer of custom-designed fabrics and belts essential to production in the paper, nonwovens, and other process industries. Albany Engineered Composites is a rapidly growing supplier of highly engineered composite parts for the aerospace industry. Albany International is headquartered in Rochester, New Hampshire, operates 22 plants in 10 countries, employs 4,400 people worldwide, and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (Symbol AIN). Additional information about the Company and its products and services can be found at www.albint.com

Mr. Pawan Agarwal, Managing Director of the Naini Group and Chairman of the Indian Pulp and Paper Technical Association (IPPTA) has once again chosen Pasaban sheeters to meet his objective of providing a quality finish to the paper produced in the company’s two plants; Naini Tissues and Naini Papers.

Naini Group belongs to the medium-size pulp and paper manufacturing sector. Four years ago it hired Pasaban to design and manufacture a paper sheeting equipment in order to provide a higher quality finish to the paper it produces. The good results achieved were key to the manufacture and commissioning of two more high output sheeters.

To the 8 unwind stand KB 2400 sheeter, another KB 1900 was added. Including an automatic pallet change at maximum speed and a 6 unwind stand Compact CX145 sheeter with low speed pallet change without sheet reject. Those machines are to be the perfect complement to the first KB.

As for the type of paper, the sheet cutting machines are designed for sheeting 70 and 80 g/m² light-weight printing and writing papers.

Mr Agarwal describes his experience with Pasaban with these words in an article for the Papermart magazine:

[…] Naini then shifted its focus to finishing paper. It installed a Synchro Fly Sheeter from Pasaban in 2014 for giving a quality finish to the paper it produced.

“We felt sheeting was not as per the market requirement and there were certain wastages at the end of the end-consumers. All this was because of not so good quality of sheeting. Installation of Pasaban sheeter again was an instant hit and we got very good new customers. So, that was again a turning point for us”.

Pasaban is committed to providing customers with customised products that contribute to positioning their companies as a benchmark for quality and as market leaders.

www.pasaban.com

Valmet will supply a Valmet Brown Stock Quality Analyzer (Valmet Kappa Q1) for CMPC Celulosa in Santa Fe, Chile for its fiber line 1 producing ECF (Elemental Chlorine Free) bleached eucalyptus pulp. To be installed in the blow line of the continuous digester, the Valmet Kappa Q1 will provide rapid and frequent Kappa number information for better digester and subsequent O2 stage control. Two larger multiline Valmet Kappa Analyzers have been successfully operating on the mill's larger fiber line 2 since startup in 2006.

The process sampling device is safely accessible without a process shutdown."Safety was an important factor in our decision and the design of Valmet Kappa Q1 avoids unnecessary exposure to risk when maintenance is required. We have always had good experiences of Valmet products, fast and good support, with both existing Valmet Kappa Analyzers consistently providing better uptime compared with other devices in the mill," says Patricio Montanares, Mill Technician, CMPC Celulosa.

About the Valmet Kappa Q1

The new Valmet Kappa Q1 has been developed as a stage specific analyzer to provide increased measurement frequency of Kappa number in high yield kraft pulping. Using a similar sweep measurement (pat. pending) as Valmet's very successful multi-point kappa analyzer, the advanced technology ensures exceptional accuracy and stability. The analyzer utilizes well proven sampling device technology with a new and innovative sample handling principle to the nearby compact measuring unit where it is washed and pulp Kappa number measured. Unlike single point Kappa measurements mounted directly to process piping, only the process sampling device is connected to the pressurized process, the measurement itself is thus unaffected by vibration and safely accessible without a process shutdown.

"The increased measurement frequency fulfills all pulping process control needs and safely provides the genuine pulp Kappa number in dedicated process stage applications from unbleached brown stock pulp to oxygen delignification," says Risto Rinne, Fiberline Analyzer Business Manager, Valmet.

Self-adjusting process sampling and sample transportation, optimized sample washing and pre-calibration with customer pulp samples all make commissioning exceptionally fast and easy. Two models are available with measurement characteristics optimized for Kappa ranges of 9 to 50 or 35 to 120. User safety is further improved with the built-in laboratory sample collector isolated from the process. The analyzer requires minimal maintenance and features chemical based self-cleaning for trouble free operation. With the built-in touch screen display, all analyzer operating parameters, operating sequences and diagnostics together with operating instruction are all instantly available. Remote configuration and operation as well as Industrial Internet capabilities also provide the possibilities of remote specialist support from Valmet.

About the customer

Santa Fe is the largest Bleached Eucalyptus Kraft pulp mill in Chile with production capacity of 1,425,000 ADt/year. It is located 500 km south of Santiago in Bío Bío region.

This CMPC Pulp mill began operating in 1991. It currently houses two production lines that meet the most stringent environmental standards for the industry in the world.

Valmet is the leading global developer and supplier of process technologies, automation and services for the pulp, paper and energy industries. We aim to become the global champion in serving our customers.

Valmet's strong technology offering includes pulp mills, tissue, board and paper production lines, as well as power plants for bioenergy production. Our advanced services and automation solutions improve the reliability and performance of our customers' processes and enhance the effective utilization of raw materials and energy.

Valmet's net sales in 2016 were approximately EUR 2.9 billion. Our 12,000 professionals around the world work close to our customers and are committed to moving our customers' performance forward - every day. Valmet's head office is in Espoo, Finland and its shares are listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki.