Ian Melin-Jones

Ian Melin-Jones

WestRock Company (NYSE: WRK), a leading provider of differentiated paper and packaging solutions, today provided an estimate of the impact of Hurricane Dorian on its fiscal fourth quarter financial results.

2015 10 18 094836The Company idled three of its containerboard mills in the southeastern United States that were located in areas of mandatory evacuation in the projected path of Hurricane Dorian. All three mills resumed production as the evacuation orders were lifted in their respective areas.

The pre-tax impact from the hurricane on the Company’s financial results for the quarter ending September 30, 2019 is expected to be approximately $9 million. This impact is related to incremental costs to idle and restore the mills to operation, and the supply chain impacts of adapting our operations to meet our system requirements.

The Company will provide additional details during its fiscal fourth quarter earnings conference call.

About WestRock

WestRock (NYSE: WRK) partners with our customers to provide differentiated paper and packaging solutions that help them win in the marketplace. WestRock’s team members support customers around the world from locations spanning North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Learn more at www.westrock.com

Source: WestRock Company

AMETEK Surface Vision has delivered a reliable, comprehensive state-of-the-art solution for early defect detection and classification on a major paper manufacturer’s premium paper coating line, increasing productivity and winder throughput.

Mitsubishi HiTec Paper Europe GmbH is a paper manufacturer based in Bielefeld, Germany. Known for high-quality products, it is part of the Japanese company Mitsubishi Paper Mills Ltd, and produces coated inkjet, thermal, carbonless, label and barrier papers.

The Bielefeld site operates two paper machines, three coating machines, and seven winders. The premium coating machine, designated SM3, is the most productive coating line at the plant, used for the coating of thermal paper for different applications, so defects need to be detected as early as possible.

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The coated paper produced by the SM3 line has to meet the quality standards demanded by customers. The existing web inspection system was aging and no longer able to meet Mitsubishi’s increased requirements, and so had to be replaced with a state-of-the-art web inspection solution that delivered the best available results.

Marco Saitta, Sales Account Manager at AMETEK Surface Vision, said: “Over the years, Mitsubishi assessed the best service and support to be delivered by AMETEK Surface Vision directly. They also found our inspection systems were the easiest to use and provided the most accurate results in terms of defect detection and classification.”

The AMETEK Surface Vision solution

To provide the highest-quality solution for SM3, AMETEK Surface Vision supplied the company’s SmartView and SmartAdvisor® inspection systems, which offers a complete and integrated set of web inspection and web monitoring tools on the same machine.

SmartView is AMETEK Surface Vision’s versatile, modular system for the detection, monitoring and reporting of surface defects on a range of products. It combines powerful software, linescan camera technology, high-intensity lighting and industry-leading engineering to deliver a trusted, automatic solution.

SmartAdvisor is an easy-to-use, reliable video monitoring and process analysis solution for continuous production lines. Using high-speed video and camera synchronization technology, it boosts machine efficiency, finds defects and detects process upsets from startup.

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These products can also be coupled together in a comprehensive Smart System configuration. This allows synchronization of the final quality camera images with the over-the-line, distributed process monitoring cameras, so final defects can be traced through the line, identifying the root cause of the defect.

The Smart System is supported by the Advanced Winder Advisor (AWA), a precision marking solution developed specifically for SmartView systems operating in the paper industry.

Axel Kümper, Mitsubishi’s Production Manager for SM3, said: “We have found the AWA to be a very impressive tool, because it stops within a maximum of 10 centimetres from the defect. While there are other solutions available, this has proven to be the most effective one for identifying defect locations for easy removal or patching.”

Meeting customer requirements

Mitsubishi HiTec Paper Europe Gmbh reported excellent results from using the new system on SM3.

Axel Kümper said: “With this new system, we are able to meet the highly demanding quality requirements of the thermal paper market, delivering defect-free material to our customers.”

About AMETEK Surface Vision

AMETEK Surface Vision is a world leader in automated online surface inspection solutions with a broad product portfolio optimized for web and surface inspection and monitoring and process surveillance applications.

Its product portfolio includes two distinct product lines: SmartView® systems and SmartAdvisor® systems. Each product line uniquely enables customers to inspect the surfaces of materials processed in a continuous fashion across the metals, paper, plastics, nonwovens and glass industries. Learn more by visiting ameteksurfacevision.com.

Metsä Board, part of Metsä Group, has started a new paperboard sheeting line at its Äänekoski mill in Finland. The investment was earlier announced in a press release on 15 November 2018. The new line will increase the annual capacity of the sheeting plant by 35,000 tonnes to a total of 120,000 tonnes. The value of the investment was EUR 11 million. The new sheeting line will enable quicker deliveries to Metsä Board customers.

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In addition to the new sheet cutter, the investment included additional automation to the existing sheet cutters, as well as equipment for cutter reel handling and storage. The new sheeting line is located in the existing sheeting plant.

Metsä Board Äänekoski mill produces premium coated folding boxboard for demanding end-uses where lightweight and excellent printing properties bring benefits to the customers globally. MetsäBoard Pro FBB Bright folding boxboard is recommended for packaging of chocolate and confectionery, food, healthcare and beautycare and for graphic applications.

Thursday, 19 September 2019 11:14

Can Södra make the most sustainable pulp?

Södra has taken on the challenge of making the world´s most sustainable pulp. From the seedlings in our nurseries to the way we package our finished bales, we’ve been examining every step of the process in a bid to take sustainability even further.

A sustainable future requires everyday heroes – and new ways of thinking. It can be as simple as actively choosing products from sustainably-managed forests, but we also need to maximize our part.

Maria Staxhammar, Sales director and Project Leader: “We can see that for our customers, sustainability remains a top priority and an ongoing concern. We would like to help them add value by embarking on the journey to a more sustainable future together. Through Pulp+ services, customers are invited to engage with us and see what aspects of the process we could tailor to offer them the most sustainable pulp possible.” 

“At the same time, we want to build on the Hero campaign and continue to educate and raise awareness of how sustainable pulp and paper products can be,” explains Communication Manager, Linda Ottosson. “for our customers, but to a much wider audience too. With this in mind a series of videos launches today which follows the journey of our pulp from seedling to customer and is aimed to paper users everywhere.”

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Episode one which just launched . Follow the journey to a more sustainable future as we travel from London to the heart of Södra’s operations in southern Sweden. We begin in one of Södra’s nurseries with Site Manager Tord Barone and Growing Manager Falkenberg, Johan Henriksson. 
Forest regeneration and regrowth are the key to sustainable forestry and to strengthening the profitability of forest estates.  Our integrated seed orchards use the latest techniques to breed trees that will ensure optimal forest regeneration and regrowth for the future. We also have a unique focus on greenhouse spruce orchards to provide customers with faster access to selectively-bred seedlings.

Södra’s nurseries are now completely free of fossil fuels. To heat the facilities, natural gas has been replaced by wood pellets from our sawmills and green energy from our pulp mills, while biodiesel fuels our machinery and vehicles. 

Södra has invested some SEK 10 million in environmental improvements with the result that all our nurseries, greenhouses and staff premises are now run entirely on renewables. 

We have employed a program of integrated pest management for the last 15 years where chemicals are viewed as a last resort – the result is that chemical pesticides have been halved in a decade and we are working to reduce this number further still.

These are just a few examples of sustainability at the first stage of our process. If we were to maximise the most sustainable aspects of every part of the pulp production process, from paper straps to fossil-free nurseries and transport, would the result be the world’s most sustainable pulp?

And if we could show everyone how sustainable we already are, could we help change the perception of this highly underrated industry?

Tune in to find out: Customers can start the conversation right now via Pulp+ and everyone can visit www.sodra.com/theJourney, look out for the videos on social media and share them. 
 

Founded in 1938, Södra is Sweden’s largest forest-owner association, with nearly 52,000 forest owners as its members. We conduct modern and responsible forestry, and operate state-of-the-art mills in which we process our raw material. In 2018, sales amounted to SEK 24 billion and employees totalled 3,100. Through value-generating relationships and a long-term approach, Södra shows the way for the next generation of forestry.

2019 09 19 111127In 2018, South Africa recovered 1.285 million tonnes of recyclable paper products, putting the country’s paper recovery rate at 71.7%. This is according to Anele Sololo, general manager of the country’s paper recycling association, RecyclePaperZA, who adds that this rate is well above the global average of 59.3%.

If baled, 1.285 million tonnes of paper and paper packaging would:

  • Cover 166 rugby fields
  • Fill 1 542 Olympic swimming pools
  • Weigh the equivalent of 214 208 adult African elephants.

“More importantly, the paper recovered in 2018 saved 3.855 million cubic metres of landfill space and ensured that the recovered fibre was made into new products that we use every day,” says Sololo. More than 90% of this recovered paper is used for the local beneficiation of new paper packaging and tissue.

South Africa’s paper recycling success is thanks to the efforts of citizens who separate their waste at home, work and school, industry initiatives and our informal waste sector. “Recycling requires a collective effort – from retailers to the consumer. We can all play a small part in making sure that recyclable paper gets where it should: to the paper recycling mills across the country,” says Sololo.

Get into a recycling rhythm

With National Recycling Day taking place on Friday, September 20th, RecyclePaperZA wants to help you get into recycling rhythm.

Keep it clean and dry

  • Empty paper-based packaging such as beverage cartons and paper cups of the dregs. (Replace the cap on beverage cartons – these are recycled to make wheelie bins! Lids from paper cups can be recycled with your plastics – they are made from high density polystyrene)
  • Remove any remaining food and non-paper items from your paper packaging. This includes the inner plastic bag from your cereal box.

Keep it separate

  • Have a separate container for your paper recycling – in your kitchen, bathroom and office. Make it easy for yourself and the family!

Keep in the system

Your used paper products will go into the making of new items such as newspaper, various types of cardboard packaging, paper bags and egg boxes. Help it get to a paper mill by finding out what you can do with your paper recycling.

  • Look out for recycling points at local shopping centres and garden refuse sites.
  • Check if your area is serviced by a collection programme.
  • Support a local recycling collector – they earn money for clean recyclables. Find out what else he or she collects, such as plastic or cans.
  • Support a school or community centre if they have a recycling initiative for fundraising.
  • Contact one of RecyclePaperZA’s members

Mitsubishi HiTec Paper is at Fachpack 2019 in Nuremberg for the first time and is presenting the brand new barricote BAG WGOM - a fully recyclable barrier paper for flexible food packaging, with multi-barriers against water vapour, grease and oil, oxygen and aroma as well as mineral oil migration.

Fully recyclable paper with multi-barrier for flexible food packaging: barricote BAG WGOMFully recyclable paper with multi-barrier for flexible food packaging: barricote BAG WGOMWith the new barricote BAG WGOM (89 g), Mitsubishi is launching a particularly sustainable barrier paper for flexible food packaging, which has an impressive universal multi-barrier. It protects food and consumers not only from water vapour, grease or oil and oxygen or aroma, but also from mineral oil migration (MOSH / MOAH), thus offering a particularly wide barrier protection.

The paper, produced from virgin fibres, consists of a particularly high proportion of renewable raw materials, and is

100% free of plastic films, aluminium and fluorocarbons. Of course, BAG WGOM is approved for direct food contact as well as being FSC® or PEFC ™ certified.

"Furthermore, BAG WGOM is fully recyclable" says Michael Kater, sales manager for barrier papers at Mitsubishi. "Due to its very good heat-sealability, it is particularly suitable for heat-sealed bag packaging of dry and greasy foods, and it is the intelligent alternative to film packaging made of PE, PP or BOPP film. This fits in perfectly with the theme of Fachpack 2019: Environmentally friendly packaging. "

Samples and further information of the complete barricote range are available at Fachpack 2019 in Nuremberg (Booth 7A641), and also at the Mitsubishi booth at Labelexpo Europe 2019 in Brussels (Booth 6A09) - or at barricotThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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 750 employees at Mitsubishi HiTec Paper Europe 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 and innovative coating technologies. Through its dense global sales network, Mitsubishi HiTec Paper Europe supplies a full range of specialty papers for many applications and printing technologies – and is a highly capable partner whenever customized coated paper solutions are required.

Consumers and brands around the world are looking for more sustainable alternatives to plastic packaging, with easy recyclability being key. To meet these needs Metsä Board, part of Metsä Group, is introducing a new plastic-free eco-barrier paperboard that can be recycled in paper or paperboard waste streams according to local recycling schemes.

New MetsäBoard Prime FBB EB has a medium barrier against moisture and grease, which makes it especially suitable for food and food service packaging. Furthermore, since the eco-barrier board is plastic-free, it does not require a plastic separation process making it easy and cost-efficient to recycle.

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“Packaging is a necessity – for food distribution and safety – as well as avoiding food waste. Paperboard packaging made from renewable materials is a sustainable choice, and with further development of the barrier properties of the paperboard we are now able to cater for a greater number of applications. Our new plastic-free eco-barrier paperboard provides many interesting opportunities for food and food service packaging as well as other end uses where barrier properties are needed,” says Katja Tuomola, Business Development Director, Metsä Board.

MetsäBoard Prime FBB EB is made of pure fresh fibres sourced from sustainably managed Northern European forests. It is safe for direct food contact and is free from optical brighteners (OBA free) and fluorochemicals. It is available both with PEFC™ or with FSC© certification. As well as being easy to recycle, MetsäBoard Prime FBB EB is lightweight, contributing to the reduction of carbon footprint throughout the whole chain.

Metsä Board
www.metsaboard.com

Metsä Board is a leading European producer of premium fresh fibre paperboards including folding boxboards, food service boards and white kraftliners. Our lightweight paperboards are developed to provide better, safer and more sustainable solutions for consumer goods as well as retail-ready and food service applications. We work together with our customers on a global scale to innovate solutions for better consumer experiences with less environmental impact. The pure fresh fibres Metsä Board uses are a renewable resource, traceable to origin in sustainably managed northern forests.
 

The global sales network of Metsä Board supports customers worldwide, including brand owners, retailers, converters and merchants. In 2018, the company’s sales totalled EUR 1.9 billion, and it has approximately 2,400 employees. Metsä Board, part of Metsä Group, is listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki.

James Cropper is poised to present its expertise in the art of colour at Luxe Pack 2019. The specialist papermaker will bring its acclaimed colour lab experience to Monaco from its home in Kendal, in the English Lake District.  

The company’s master colour blender, Mark Starrs, and resident colour trend expert, Alison Rodwell, will showcase the incredible detail involved in the bespoke colour matching process via demonstrations exploring the process through which James Cropper has become the world’s foremost makers of coloured paper.   

James Cropper will also launch its Progressive Palettes report at the event. The report is the result of collaboration with designers from across a range of sectors and takes a deep dive into what’s driving colour trends now and in the future. Anyone who is interested can register for the report here ahead of time and pick up a hard copy at booth DB09.  

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Initial excerpts released from report findings indicate that in just a decade, the biggest driver of colour selection for branding and packaging has moved from fashion to social media, with technology predicted to become the biggest influence by 2030.    

Aligning with the theme for Luxe Pack 2019, the research also charts the rising role sustainability credentials will play in years to come, from the departure of using colours such as browns and greens in favour of broader palettes, to the intrinsic place sustainability agendas hold in packaging design briefs today.  

Stefan Pryor, packaging specialist says: “Our offering for Luxe Pack 2019 demonstrates two fundamental areas of our business; our expert colour capabilities and our game-changing work in the sustainability arena, which offers brands the opportunity to use high quality papers and plastic-free packaging incorporating circular design without compromising on beauty. 

“By picking up our Progressive Palettes report, those attending will gain a unique insight into the modern context of colour, while learning what is influencing design for brands from all categories now and in the future. It has been developed specifically for those striving to stay one step ahead, as the landscape we navigate and consumer expectations become more and more complex. 

“We’ve also chosen this year to unveil a brand new COLOURFORM™ demonstrator, further showcasing the extent to which plastic-free packaging can deliver. COLOURFORM is a unique combination of colour accuracy, 3D design possibilities and high-quality sustainable materials, all working together in harmony, to deliver a bespoke and premium brand experience.”  

James Cropper is a world-class advanced materials and paper products group, with an operational reach in over 50 countries.  Specialists in luxury papers, packaging and bespoke colour, the company provides a series of innovative plastic-free paper and packaging solutions which include its world-first CupCycling™ technology and COLOURFORM innovation, underpinned by an impressive colour lab holding around 4,000 live shade recipes and an archive of some 200,000 colours.   

The business is renowned globally for its dedicated responses to custom projects and its award-winning commitment to the highest standards of sustainability. 

About the campaign  

Research commissioned by James Cropper and conducted by Censuswide in March 2019 amongst 500 designers from a range of disciplines.  

Censuswide abide by and employ members of the Market Research Society which is based on the ESOMAR principles.  

About James Cropper   

James Cropper is a prestige paper innovator based in the English Lake District, supplying distinct, custom-made paper products to many of the world’s leading luxury brands, art galleries and designers.    

Throughout 173 years of high-quality paper production, the business has been carefully stewarded and nurtured by six generations of the Cropper family and is renowned globally for individual expertise in colour, dedicated responses to the most challenging custom projects and award-winning commitment to the highest standards of sustainability.     

James Cropper is a member of the Paper Cup Recovery & Recycling Group (PCRRG), a cross-industry group that exists to develop collection and recycling opportunities for paper cups and identify and support solutions that sustainably transform used paper cups into a valuable resource. For more information, visit www.pcrrg.uk

Efficiency and quality of wrapping with the new A.Celli Pope Reel

The Italian company, part of Burgo Group, a well-known producer of graphic and special papers, based in Lugo di Vicenza, has accepted the reconstruction of the pope reel section of the multi-cylinder PM#5 machine made by A.Celli Paper.

The start-up, which took place successfully and entirely within the agreed times, and the good quality of the product supplied by A.Celli have allowed the customer to obtain excellent results for the past year with all types of special papers produced by the plant.

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Mosaico Group specifically requested A.Celli Paper to optimise the PM#5 Paper Machine by replacing the end-of-line section with a new pope reel, with center wind technology, equipped with automatic NIP, tension and torque controls and that uses HMI software to interface with the machine's DCS.

The design peculiarities, both hardware and software, and the manufacture of the new section permit optimal management at a production speed up to 900 mpm, with a width of 2830 mm, for special papers.

A.Celli’s experts are available for consultancy, for any equipment inspections and for detailed control planning, as well as for updating and improving the efficiency of pre-existing machinery and software, in order to optimize its performance in terms of productivity, safety and automation.

Willamette Falls Paper Company, Inc. has achieved Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) Chain-of-Custody certification through SCS Global Services.
 
FSC Chain-of-Custody certification assures consumers that the products they are purchasing have been responsibly managed and harvested. FSC-certified products are tracked throughout their life cycle, from forest to end product. For a final product to be certified, all companies along the supply chain (in this case from forest to paper mill) need to be FSC certified. All certification audits and assessments are done by third-party companies. Certification for Willamette Falls Paper Company (FSC-C151152) was performed by SCS Global Services.
 
2019 09 19 105309By becoming FSC certified, Willamette Falls Paper Company is one step closer to achieving its sustainability goals.
 
“We are dedicated to offering environmentally sound options to our customers,” says Brian Konen, President of Willamette Falls Paper Company. “Our long-term focus is sustainable papermaking, and FSC certification is just the first stage.”
 
Looking to the future, Willamette Falls Paper Company will explore the use of non-traditional fiber sources such as wheat straw and hemp in the papermaking process. The company also plans to work with local waste management companies to find better solutions for paper recycling in the West Linn region.
 
ABOUT WILLAMETTE FALLS PAPER COMPANY, INC.
Willamette Falls Paper Company is a newly formed company which owns and operates the machinery and equipment at the paper mill in West Linn, Oregon. The company is a non-integrated mill, capable of making coated and uncoated grades with an annual capacity of 260,000 tons. The Willamette Falls Paper Company looks to be an innovative leader in environmental paper production. www.wfpaperco.com.

ABOUT SCS GLOBAL SERVICES
SCS Global Services is a leader in environmental and sustainability certification. A founding member and one of the first certification bodies accredited by the Forest Stewardship Council in 1996, SCS is one of the world’s leading FSC certifiers with more than 35 million acres of responsibly managed forests and 4000 companies in the FSC supply chain worldwide. SCS programs span a cross-section of industries, recognizing achievements in green building, manufacturing, food and agriculture, forestry, and more. SCS is a Certified B Corporation™, reflecting its commitment to socially and environmentally responsible business practices. Learn more at www.scsglobalservices.com.
 
ABOUT FSC
FSC is the most rigorous international standard for responsible forestry. FSC certified forests conserve biological diversity, water resources and crucial ecosystems. The FSC standard also upholds worker rights and supports economic prosperity in surrounding communities. The FSC Chain of Custody certification ensures that certified wood products are tracked from forest to final product (and if applicable, that qualified recycled materials are used), adding legitimacy to the FSC claim throughout the supply chain.