Big savings of starch with the help of Voith’s Papermaking 4.0 solutions – successful digitalization project with Saica

The results are clear: Just a few months after Voith’s comprehensive digitalization solutions were commissioned at PM 9 in El Burgo, Saica Group’s investment in the Papermaking 4.0 package has already paid off. The Spanish paper manufacturer produces around 430,000 tons of paper per year at the facility, located around 25 kilometers from Zaragoza. At the end of 2020, the company decided to digitalize production. After a thoroughly positive experience with the digitalization of PM 4 in Venizel, France, Voith was awarded the contract to implement the project for PM 9, which includes OnCumulus applications and the two solution packages OnView.MassBalance and OnEfficiency.Strength.
“Voith has been a great partner along the digitalization journey in our mills,” says Fernando Carroquino, Industrial Director at Saica Group. “Our perception of Voith Paper as one of the main digital solutions provider is reaffirmed every day, and we are very glad with the cooperation with Voith over the last years. We have the full commitment of both companies, which makes us look forward to the next successful cases.”
The main goal of OnEfficiency.Strength on a paper machine for container board is to reduce the consumption of starch without negatively affecting the strength properties of the paper. The solution uses virtual sensors as a basis on which innovative advanced process control is built. OnEfficiency.Strength has already proven a high benefit in several references and significantly reduced the product cost. At PM 9, too, the high potential of digitalization became apparent shortly after commissioning.