SWEDEN – Finnish pulp and paper maker Stora Enso has contracted ABB to upgrade two of its mills in Sweden to ABB Ability™ Manufacturing Execution System (MES) for pulp and paper to manage and streamline end-to-end production and improve overall mill efficiency.
Stora says migrating to ABB’s MES will offer new functionalities and customized features that meet its specific site requirements.
Most importantly, the system will interface with the mill’s ERP, DCS, QCS, WIS, laboratory devices and more for true integration and greater visibility over systems and processes across the entire manufacturing chain.
The delivery from ABB will include its production planning, production management; quality data management, overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), diary and operative reporting modules.
These are intended to allow teams at the plant to gain insights to act and optimize, increasing productivity and product quality while reducing waste.
ABB Ability business development manager MES Jyrki Juvonen said: “Stora Enso’s upgrade to ABB’s MES has been carefully planned to meet their requirements and ultimately improve production efficiency and quality management at their mills.
“ABB’s MES provides the key elements that will give Stora Enso a competitive advantage by enabling higher plant efficiency and productivity, as well as greater flexibility throughout the production processes.”
Stora Enso’s Skoghall mill manufactures bleached and unbleached kraft pulp using a single fiber line with continuous cooking and Chemi-ThermoMechanical Pulp (CTMP).
The company claims that around one in six liquid packaging board cartons in the world is produced at the Skoghall mill.
Located 30km north of Skoghall, Stora Enso’s Forshaga barrier-coating site manufactures a wide range of barrier solutions and laminates needed in certain packaging to keep food fresh and extend its shelf life.
Earlier this month, Stora Enso reported €11.68 billion (US$12.74bn) in full-year sales for fiscal 2022, up by 14.9% from fiscal 2021.
In January, the company also completed the sale of its Nymölla paper production site in Sweden and all associated assets to the US-based uncoated paper producer Sylvamo.
Stora says that the move will allow it to narrow its focus to expanding its renewable packaging portfolios, biomaterial innovations, and building solutions.
With a capacity of 485,000 metric tonnes of woodfree uncoated office papers, the Nymölla site provides for Enso’s leading brand Multicopy.
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