Paper 360
iT’s Tissue is, and always has been, all about technology—experienced in action and close up. The event this year attracted representatives of more than 300 companies from over 70 countries, and there were more than 2,000 open house visits. iT’s Tissue will return to Lucca in 2025, although many activities are planned for the next three years. What follows are some of the highlights visitors experienced when they came to Lucca in June 2022.
A. CELLI
With the acquisition of PMT (formerly Beloit) in 2020, A Celli extended its range of products and services to the specialty paper, graphic paper, and packaging paper industries.
During iT’s Tissue 2022 A.Celli Paper opened the doors of its production plant in Tassignano, Lucca, where visitors experienced first-hand a turnkey tissue production line consisting of the iDEAL® tissue machine. In 2021 A. Celli made a huge step forward with its iDEAL® Evo-Lock, a new Yankee dryer which combines the forged steel shell with an innovative head-to-shell connection system that doesn’t require structural welds or bolts. This solution will ultimately lead to even higher operational safety, efficiency, and a significant reduction of downtime dedicated to inspections.
Other highlights were E-WIND® winders & rewinders, R-WAY® Integrated solutions for automatic product handling and plant logistics, ending with a focus on digital solutions developed to monitor and improve efficiency and effectiveness.
E80
E80 Group showed how its end-to-end solutions perfectly integrate all the processes within a tissue plant.
The group has developed a project in collaboration with Gambini to supply a fully automatic converting line. The two companies will soon introduce a cutting-edge system that brings the parent reel to the rewinder and retrieves the spent core when the operation is finished. All the operations of loading and unloading the jumbo rolls and handling the spent cores inside the unwinder will be automatic, eliminating any hanging paper reels. This fully automated operation will increase line efficiency and operator safety, as it will avoid having reels suspended.
FUTURA
Since the last edition of iT’s Tissue, Futura has acquired Plusline and at this year’s event showed one result of that partnership: Together. This receives logs directly from the rewinder and generates packaged shelf-ready rolls. The compact layout saves up to 65 percent of space for each line and provides an unprecedented level of process continuity.
Camallo from Futura—the first automatic solution for loading, unwinding and exchanging coreboard reels.Another innovation was JOI Hydro-bond Futura, which allows, even at high production speeds, the perfect adhesion of toilet paper plies with water alone, thanks to the exclusive “Zero Deflexion” steel marrying roll, which compresses fibers homogeneously over the entire surface and thus fully exploits the “adhesive power” of water.
Further innovations included: a tail-sealing unit in the rewinder creating a convenient “easy-start” roll; automatic logsaw blade change and grinding; and Camallo—the first automatic solution for loading, unwinding and exchanging coreboard reels. To these add new unwinders, a new gluing system for the rewinder and more.
Along with our single ram models, American Baler now combines an automatic plastic strapping system with our narrow-box two ram baler to create an extremely versatile tissue baling system. We select the finest materials and components, ensuring a lower operating cost per ton.
About American Baler
Established in 1945, American Baler Company is one the most respected baler manufacturers in the world. The company manufactures a complete line of balers that provide solutions to customers in a wide range of industries. These products include manual-tie and auto-tie single-ram horizontal balers and two-ram auto-tie balers for both low-volume and high-volume production applications. American Baler Company specializes in highly efficient balers that are designed to keep energy costs and baling wire consumption to a minimum.
GAMBINI
With 152 years of experience worldwide, Gambini now has 160 employees divided between three factories, with a fourth factory to be completed in 2023. Among them is the TissueHub, an R&D center dedicated to the creation of unique tissue products, designed with customers and partners.
In addition, located in Wisconsin is Gambini America, a commercial office dedicated to assistance and spare parts for the North and South American markets.
G1 was among technologies demonstrated at Gambini.
At iT’s Tissue 2022, a complete line was shown, including packaging, equipped with G1: a rewinder as simple as a mobile phone, and versatile TouchMax embosser.
On the pilot line in TissueHub—the only full-width one in existence—it was also possible to see an AirMill, Gambini’s patented hot roller technology, in operation.
The open house also featured TMC, Pulsar and E80, which have numerous projects in common with Gambini, one of which was unveiled during the event.
KÖRBER GROUP
In the Körber ecosystem all machines making up the production line, from parent reel unwinding to palletization, including those developed by companies external to the Körber Group, are connected to each other and controlled by Sam Flow, a dedicated software that continually monitors the process and self-adjusts the main production parameters to deliver maximum production efficiency.
During iT’s Tissue 2022, it was possible to view examples of this in action. In particular, Körber presented the new Perini Vega S8 lines for converting large diameter rolls typical of away-from-home products; MTC ITF Change for interfolded products featuring an easy cut-off format change, which is possible by simply replacing the cassette; and Casmatic Zephyrus for packaging roll and folded products with recycled cardboard boxes also in mixed format-a sustainable concept dedicated to the e-commerce channel; and the PA15 solution for innovative, fast, and flexible palletizing.
OMET
Among the new technologies OMET presented at iT’s Tissue were the new, high-speed, highly modular automatic interfolding ASV lines. Two lines were shown: one configured for hand towels and interfolded toilet paper, while the other was for facial tissue.
Then there was the revolutionary new MF line that, thanks to its innovative vacuum/mechanical folding head, is suitable for the production of all types of napkins regardless of material, type of fold, or embossing, and including flexo and digital printing.
Another pioneering new technology was the RED Line. Thanks to a new servo-controlled cutting unit, specifically developed by OMET to reduce waste and time, this machine doubles the usual production, reaching up to 10,000 napkins per minute.
A real turning point was the new XV Line, designed to increase the production capacity and efficiency of the entire converting process. This high productivity line can reach up to 25,000 pieces per minute.
PCMC AND STAX
At the airport terminal-themed GATE O.N.E. event, PCMC and STAX, now under the umbrella of BW Converting Solutions, presented numerous innovations. These included PARAGON, a new high-speed rewinder with a winding concept that employs a revolutionary new winding nest with center drives and a winding belt beneath the product. This affords exceptional control and support for the logs from winding start to finish, as well as superb caliper retention of the wound web. It is innovative yet easy to use, thanks to SmartTOUCH, the clean and modern interface that offers enhanced smart features.
Also on show were the OMNIA embosser and laminator and the Xcut Log Saw featuring automatic blade change. Moving down the line was the VALIDA new-generation roll wrapper, FORZA bundler, offering a wide range of bundling configurations and a palletizing system for perfectly-shaped and packed products.
PULSAR
At iT’s Tissue, Pulsar Engineering unveiled Antares, a primary and secondary packaging system designed to change the technology paradigm in the sector. It is based on a sequence of modules, comprising fast, flexible manipulators to create configurations and flexibility not possible with existing conventional systems. The use of robotic systems almost eliminates the time required to manage different formats in the same line.
Pulsar Engineering also presented the latest developments and performance achieved with the PLS DYNAMIC platform, a Digital Twin line’s generator, to virtually anticipate the real line’s performance and behavior.
The Quatis Rolls and Quatis Pack, quality and compliance checking machines for unwrapped and wrapped products, were also demonstrated, including the new Quatis Pocket: its small dimensions allow it to be installed on one line in just 20 minutes and to be easily transported in two wheel cases.
Finally, Pulsar brought visitors up to date with its augmented reality solution for remote support.
RECARD
Welcoming visitors to Palazzo Pfanner, a historic villa within Lucca’s walls, Recard presented a new entry in its product range, the headbox HP, a high-performance headbox specially designed for very low basis weights (8.5-9.5 gsm uncreped).
Recard has also recently introduced a steel-shell Yankee to the market with a great thermal exchange efficiency and relatively low investment cost.
Recard announced that an unconventional shoe press now completes the Recard press section family, which is mainly composed of a single suction press or double press (suction followed by blind-drilled press). This is an application of the shoe press that differs somewhat from other solutions available on the market.
IMA TMC
IMA TMC took the opportunity of iT’s Tissue to present WRAP250 for a wrapping-technology market that demands flexibility in terms of product range and overwrapping in poly or paper. WRAP250 also responds to the need for fast machines (250 ppm—up to a 25 percent increase in production speed), with a single wrapper able to process the production of a full-size rewinder, while maintaining ease of use and the ability to switch batches of production in minimum time.
WRAP250 not only leads to increased production speed, with a smaller footprint, but also offers quick changeover and the never stop concept, to allow the wrapper to automatically check and discharge non-compliant roll configurations. In addition, the PUSH-PULL overhead trolley allows better and easier control of the pack while it moves to a different section of the wrapper.
TOSCOTEC
Toscotec’s major technological breakthroughs at iT’s Tissue included the INGENIA tissue line, a new concept to produce premium quality structured tissue. INGENIA produces quality substantially higher than textured tissue and close to TAD, but uses 35 percent less energy than TAD.
One of the innovations from Toscotec: the TT Induction SYD, which uses electrical induction rather than steam energy.
Also presented was a new generation TADVISION line, which offers substantial increases in energy efficiency for TAD tissue.
Visitors were intrigued by Toscotec’s new TT Induction SYD (Steel Yankee Dryer), which uses electrical induction instead of steam energy to dry the paper, cutting direct greenhouse gas emissions to zero. Also on a visionary theme was the TT Hydrogen Burner, a new generation of 100 percent hydrogen-powered burners for Yankee hoods which can operate in either carbon-free or carbon-reduction mode, depending on the mixture of hydrogen and natural gas.
