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Cedar River Paper, the joint-venture of Weyerhaeuser Midwest and Midwest Recycle Company, is a maxi mill built with mini mill concepts as guidelines. The Iowa-based mill is a maxi mill in that it has a corrugating medium machine producing 750 tpd. However, it is using mini mill strategies such as single-sourcing. The new mill stemmed from a study conducted by Weyerhaeuser in 1992 and is intended to complement the parent company's need for more corrugating medium and lineboard capacity., CEDAR RIVER PAPER, THE NEW corrugating medium and linerboard company in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, can best be described as a 'maxi' mill with 'mini' designs. Although the mill does not [...]

Montville, CT-based Rand-Whitney Containerboard LP, the newest US paper mini-mill, operates on the same site as the oldest US paper mill. A partnership between Rand-Whitney and Beloit resulted in the construction of a new recycled linerboard machine that produces 174,000 tons per year. A partnership between Beloit and BE and K Engineering provided equipment and buildings for the new mill., WHEN RAND-WHITNEY CONtainerboard L.P. started up its new 174,000 tpy recycled linerboard machine in January 1995, the oldest and newest continuously operating paper mills in the U.S. were running side [...]

Perry, FL-based Foley Mill won the 1994 North American Maintenance Excellence Award. The firm has focused on reliability since 1983 when a benchmarking study was performed. The mill's maintenance philosophy is comprised of equal parts of reliability, engineering and operations. A high performance work system was implemented in 1986 and total quality management was implemented in 1990., EMPLOYEES AT BUCKEYE FLORIDA L.P.'S FOLEY MILL in Perry, Fla., frequently use the word 'reliability.' At times, it seems they manufacture reliability instead of dissolving and fluff pulps. But the [...]

International Paper's new uncoated free-sheet paper machine is the world's largest. The machine was installed, as part of a $325 million project, at the company's Riverdale mill in Selma, AL. The project also included an office-waste deinking plant, expanded warehousing and shipping capacity, a power plant, and other facilities and equipment. Riverdale can now produce approximately 1,800 tons per day of uncoated printing paper and 400 tons per day of deinked pulp and bleached kraft market pulp., International Paper's most recent investment in uncoated white paper production was capped by the May startup in Selma, Ala., of what is now the world's largest uncoated free-sheet machine. At [...]

Franklin, VA-based Union Camp Corp opened a new deinked pulp facility in Dec 1994. None of the employees had ever worked in a paper mill and none of the managers had ever worked in a deinked pulp facility. The equipment is new, the production process utilizes state-of-the-art technology and the plant cost $90 million to build. The pulp facility utilizes 100% office waste and is currently producing more daily tonnage than expected., The new deinked pulp plant recently started up by Union Camp Corp. at its Franklin, Va., fine papers mill is one of the most modern of its kind, with all [...]

Menominee Paper Co completed modernization of its 100% recycled No. 1 linerboard and tube stock machine in Jul 1994 just as the liner board market was recovering. The machine renovation was part of a $14 million modernization that has been ongoing. Modernization of the old mill began with equipment evaluations in 1991, and employees were retrained to operate new technology machines. Some machinery was rebuilt. The upgrade of the old linerboard machine has resulted in production increases of 25% to 30%., Commitment of major capital is sometimes difficult at small mills, but it is especially hard when product demand is weak. When Menominee Paper Co. made the decision to modernize its [...]

The pulp and paper industry has long used basic sensing technology, but mills and sensor suppliers have sought to use online sensors to monitor all salient product characteristics. A table lists available sensors. Supplier companies are listed alphabetically. Information given for each listed product includes trade name, area of use, and basic features., ALTHOUGH STANDARD SENSORS (FLOW, temperature, level, etc.) have been used extensively in the pulp and paper industry for decades, the desire from mills and suppliers has always been to apply [...]

A total of 24 paper companies in North America had new chief executives installed between Jan 1, 1993 and Dec 31, 1994. These new chief executives are profiled. Information about their education, work history and business goals for their firms are included. Their growth plans, business strategies, management techniques and market plans are in the initial stages of implementation., WITHIN THE PAST TWO YEARS, THE POWER structure of the paper industry's top management has shifted. At some companies, the change has been minute. At others, it has been radical. [...]

Paper mills have been plagued by mysterious corrosion-related recovery boiler floor tube failures. The possible explanations for the corrosion include the combination of several corrosive chemicals that have been increased by recent mill operating changes. Low-sulphur air emissions rules have caused higher sulphur content in boilers, and mills have been using higher chlorine dioxide solution. No one is sure exactly what the problem is, but mill operators agree that a regular thorough inspection program and good emergency shutdown procedures are the only answer., ACOMBINATION OF RECENT PROCess changes and mill operating factors are possibly to blame for corrosion-related recovery boiler floor tube wear that has manufacturers, suppliers, and researchers throughout the pulp and [...]

A survey of paper and pulp mill managers reveals that most believe that 1995 will be a strong year for the industry. Most mill managers are males in their 40s or 50s. Most managers' days center around people-oriented activities, with meetings comprising the most time. Keeping workers focused is one main challenge, and keeping all managers aware of all mill activities is another. Some managers use company videos or company lunches to keep management informed., IF NORTH AMERICA'S MILL MANAGERS HAVE ANY INsight into the paper industry's future health, 1995 should be a strong year for pulp, paper, and paperboard. Pulp & Paper's exclusive mill [...]

Pulp and paper mills spend a significant amount of money to maintain capital machinery with process support equipment, such as pumps, lubricants, valves and chemicals. Suppliers of process support equipment are listed by various types of equipment. For example, manufacturers of motors are listed and the types of motors they supply are also listed., AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF THOUGHT AND STUDY is spent when a pulp and paper mill prepares to purchase capital equipment. Big ticket items usually require approval at high levels of [...]

Southeast Paper Manufacturing Co selected Jagenberg AG of Germany to provide the machinery to help speed up its production of newsprint. Southeast Paper bought a Vari-Top single-drum, multi-station winder, which allows for the production of wider-diameter rolls and a higher production capacity. The stand-alone winder was installed in Apr 1994 at a cost of $15 million, and it is considered to be one of the most modern on the market. Jagenberg provided intensive operator training for the winder before startup., WHEN SOUTHEAST PAPER'S No. 2 newsprint machine started up in 1989, plans were already on the drawing board to add a third, stand-alone winder. Mill management knew that with its [...]

Oxygen delignification systems are helping the paper industry in North America reduce chemical discharges associated with chemical pulp bleaching. Since 1990 about 40 oxygen delignification systems have been installed at paper mills in the US and Canada. Alabama Pine Pulp Co. uses a Kamyr two-stage oxygen delignification system at its Perdue Hill, AL, mill. Pope & Talbot Inc. uses an Impco oxygen delignification system at its Halsey, OR, mill. A Sunds Defibrator oxygen delignification system is used by Canadian Forest Products Ltd's Prince George, British Columbia, mill., OXYGEN DELIGNIFICATION HAS BECOME THE MOST cost-effective technology in reducing environmental discharge associated with chemical pulp bleaching. Driven by legislative and market forces, U.S. and Canadian mills have installed nearly [...]

Union Camp Corp's Sumter, SC sheeting plant is converting up to 400 tpd of uncoated paper on its four packaging and two sheeting production lines. The facility began operating in 1991, using state-of-the-art equipment and groups of employees organized as work teams. In addition to operating equipment, the 60 employees in operations are cross-trained, and have special roles in quality control, safety, and administration, which speeds their response to customer requests. The plant may add another sheeter and warehouse space., UNION CAMP CORP.'S NEWEST SHEETING facility in Sumter, S.C., is one of the largest in the U.S. and combines highly skilled work teams with advanced equipment to convert and package [...]

U.S. exports of forest products have declined from 1990 to 1993 while imports have increased, according to 1993 U.S. Census Bureau statistics. Exports have declined mainly because of decreased shipping from the Pacific Northwest and weak international demand for wood. Nonetheless, the U.S. exported $10.67 billion worth of wood products, while only importing $3.98 billion. Exports have decreased by 13.5% during 1990-93 to 32.4 million tons. Imports increased 22% in 1993. Japan is the major importer of U.S. wood products, buying 42% of total U.S. exports in 1993., LIMITATIONS ON PACIFIC NORTHWEST WOOD product shipments and weak world markets, especially in Europe, continued to cause a decline in U.S. forest products exports in 1993, while the same factors--with [...]

Riverwood International Corp acquired Georgia Kraft's Macon, GA-based mill in 1992 for $220 million. A modernization of the mill cost $250 million and will be completed in Aug 1994. The mill originally produced linerboard and will now produce coated carrier board. This modernization will improve the quality of the product, provide enhanced community relations and improve the local environment. The new boiler will reduce emissions., RIVERWOOD INTERNATIONAL CORP.'S 1992 PUR-chase of the former Georgia Kraft mill in Macon, Ga., was a strategic move for the company, but it has meant much more for the mill, [...]

Westvaco Corp.'s installation of a bleached paperboard machine at its Covington, VA, paperboard mill ends a three-phase, $750 million, 10-year expansion project. The latest bleached paperboard machine is the second such machine in the facility and began operating on Sep 30, 1993. The expansion project included the addition of two paper machines, a new recovery boiler, coating formulation area, pulp mill upgrades, woodyard and waste treatment modernizations and a converting facility. The company is predicting it will produce 750,000 tons of bleached paperboard in 1994, a 22% increase over 1993 production., WESTVACO CORP.'S LATEST pulp mill expansion and new paper machine at its Covington, Va., mill is a $400-million culmination of an almost 10-year project. The three-step expansion--which totaled $750 million--included [...]

The paper industry is paying more attention to quality control programs because of current emphasis on product quality and standardizaton in most industries. The most important driving force for the trend is a desire for a competitive edge against other companies. Ninety-percent of paper mills surveyed said that they had ongoing quality programs. Total quality management was the favored system for mills, with 44% of respondents saying that they used it alone or in combination with other systems., Pulp & Paper survey shows that top management, supervisors, and operators are becoming more committed to mill quality initiatives QUALITY MANAGEMENT IN THE PAPER INDUSTRY is about in the middle [...]

As Previously Mentioned, Advances in pulping and bleaching have been largely responsible for declining water consumption in bleached pulp mills. Such extended delignification technologies as Ahlstrom/Kamyr's Extended Modified Continuous Cooking [...]

The various processes that offer the greatest promise for mill closure - particularly extended delignification and new bleaching methods - also place the greatest burden on the recovery area. Together, [...]

Most Pulp And Paper Industry experts agree that effluent closure is an attainable goal in the not-too-distant future. The industry's first real attempt at closing a bleached kraft pulp mill [...]

The pulp and paper industry is seriously trying to close up effluent streams as a way of protecting the environment. Many pulp and paper mills have successfully tried methods to reduce water consumption. The most promising technologies available include oxygen delignification, advanced washing and total chlorine-free and elemental chlorine-free operations. The most promising technologies for chemical recovery are concentration-evaporation systems for black liquor and bleaching filtrates and modifications of recovery operations., Pulp and paper mills have moved closer to effluent closure in recent years, and technology now exists to make the final environmental leap DURING THE PAST DECADE, THE PULP AND [...]

The median salary of the pulp and paper industry has declined to $58,000 in 1993 due to attrition of older employees and small pay increases. The economic slump in the paper industry has further contributed to the deterioration in job morale so that many older and higher-paid employees are leaving the industry. Pulp and Paper's annual survey reveals that the 401 (k) plans, profit-sharing and the use of company cars are the only benefits which have increased its respondents. Respondents are mostly concerned about company management and the state of the industry., Pulp & Paper annual survey shows median industry salary at $58,000, with smaller pay increases and job morale still deteriorating THE ATTRITION OF OLDER EMPLOYees, combined with a decline in [...]

Weyerhaeuser Co's paper mill in Longview, WA, will shut down its 12 old batch digesters, three bleach plants and three washing lines in fall of 1995. By that time, a new 1,200-tpd continuous kraft fiberline will be fully operational, alternating between hardwood and softwood elemental chlorine-free pulp. Installation of the fiberline cost $400 million and is part of Weyerhaeuser's modernization projects at its three pulp and paper mills in North America., New 1,200-tpd kraft fiberline at Washington State mill will swing production between hardwood and softwood pulp Editor's Note: This is the second part of a two-part series describing Weyerhaeuser Co.'s [...]

Weyerhaeuser Co is spending $1B in upgrading three of its mills but is allocating $500M specifically for its Plymouth, NC, mill. The move is primarily to modernize the mills' facilities by installing the latest in process technology in accordance with new environmental and global demands. The Plymouth project will replace four pulp mills and three bleaching plants wiht two modern fiberlines., North Carolina mill replaces old batch systems with dual continuous fiberlines as part of a three-mill, $1-billion corporate investment Unlike many of its paper industry counterparts that have dramatically cut [...]

The current worldwide recession and the passage of logging restrictions continue to hamper the forest products industry's development. The regions of the Pacific Northwest and Alaska are heavily affected by the decreased export activity, which are threatened by a federal plan to impose greater restrictions. However, Southeast exports have maintained stable growth rates. Rate increases for US export products signify economic recovery., Pacific Northwest continues to be a gateway for much of the U.S. forest products exports, but southern ports experience increasing traffic A prolonged worldwide recession continues to cause a decline [...]

Interest in mini-mills in the paper industry used to be limited to small producers. However, more major paper producers are realizing the economic advantages of establishing small mills near a fiber source. Most mini-mills are situated in urban industrial parks with easy access to the power source, wastewater treatment facilities and truck docking. Although these mills are appropriate for linerboard and corrugated medium, the production of other paper grades is very feasible., Economical, efficient, and green, mini-mills expand containerboard iche; aim for tissue, newsprint, fine paper grades The mini-mill concept is not new. The steel industry experienced a similar shift in the [...]

Global competition and international standards have prompted North American pulp and paper industry to prioritize quality management. A 1993 survey reveals that 59% of mills prefer total quality management as their primary quality program, up from 25% during 1992. About 42% favor the use of quality-improvement teams while others choose methods or tools such as quality circles, traditional inspection systems and guidelines based on the ISO 9000 standards., Pulp & Paper survey shows mills combining quality management methods with process and product analysis tools to be more competitive and consistent Driven by global competition and international standards, North [...]

Forming specialists at formation/drainage equipment and cleaning systems for paper machine clothing manufacturer Johnson Foils gave their views on the transition from the forming zone to the low- and high-vacuum sections of the forming table. They provided certain facts regarding design goals in the low-vacuum section, the implementation of formation enhancing units such as top-wire formers, the handling of frequency and drainage using a secondary headbox and other issues pertaining to the high-vacuum section., Top-wire formers, secondary headboxes, and multiple fourdriniers can greatly improve sheet quality, but must be carefully integrated into the forming table This is the third of a three-article series on [...]

Hourly employees at Riverwood International Corp's Paperboard Div in West Monroe, LA, are committed to quality customer service. The mill has the distinction of being the first US pulp and paper mill to receive the ISO 9001 certification. Most of its employees are actively involved in the routine handling of the operations. The mill's quality management initiatives are characterized by quality improvement and product uniformity, with the help of innovative and modern facilities., Recent certification to ISO 9001 is just the next step for Louisiana containerboard mill's change in management and operating methods Rarely in the past few decades have hourly employees of [...]

Forming specialists at formation/drainage equipment and cleaning system manufacturer, Johnson Foil, gave their views and opinions about forming table technology. The issues which were discussed include cross-direction control, consistency as related to formation, fiber orientation, fiber furnishes, retention problems in the wet end, use of non-wood fiber and recycling and other innovations in the papermaking process., Better control over all segments of the forming board is becoming necessary as furnish streams change and mills add formation-enhancing units This is the second of a three-article series on [...]

Weyerhaueser Paper Co has alloted $105 million for the expansion of its Valliant, OK-based Containerboard Packaging Div. The investment is expected to increase the mill's use of recycled fiber and promote better linerboard quality. The expansion involves a new 500-tpd old corrugated container recycling line, a reworked and bigger stock preparation system and a paper machine rebuilding., Oklahoma facility increases production with new 500-tpd OCC recycling line, reworked stock preparation system, and rebuilt No. 1 linerboard machine Weyerhaeuser Paper Co. recently started up a $105-million expansion at [...]

The economic recession has hampered major capital ventures and reduced pulp, paper and board prices. These bleak developments led to relatively flat paper industry salaries and lower job morale and satisfaction. The median salary in the industry for 1992 posted a modest increase of 2% in contrast to 8% between 1990 and 1991. Bonuses are still pegged at approximately $5,000 like in 1991. Salaries at supplier firms in 1992 was lower by 9% as compared to 1991 while those for engineering firms rose by 9% during the same period., Salaries plateau and industry personnel begin to feel effects of capital spending cutbacks, product price declines, employee reductions The current economic slump that has put major capital projects on hold [...]

Prime Fiber Corp's facility in Appleton, WI, is determined to pursue the development and implementation of two new fiber processing technologies. The company started its mill operations in 1991 and employed a patented sludge recovery process for market pulp production. Prime Fiber has also ventured in the development of high-brightness deinked market pulp from 100% postconsumer, laser-inked office waste. The company also plans to the novel recovery technology to other pulp and paper mills to help them lessen landfil l volume., Appleton, Wis., mill combines its unique sludge recovery process with new deinking chemistry to produce 100% postconsumer deinked market pulp Prime Fiber Corp.'s Appleton, Wis., mill, although small in comparison [...]

Inland Container Corp has started operating its greenfield facility in Maysville, KY. The $176-million project manufactures linerboard and corrugating medium using a 100%-postconsumer old corrugated containers (OCC). The facility, which employs 115 workers, has the distinction of buying steam and electrical power from East Kentucky Power Cooperative's Spurlock generating station. The Maysville facility represents Inland's fourth major 100%-recycled containerboard mill and its third greenfield mill that employs 100%-postconsumer OCC., Company invests $176 million in new 600-tpd linerboard, corrugating medium facility using a 100%-postconsumer OCC furnish Inland Container Corp. recently began operation of one of the few greenfield facilities to [...]

Union Camp Corp. has started using what is known as the OZEoD sequence in bleaching pine. The company invested 15 years and $113 million to create the OZEoD sequence, which is the first ozone-based system of its kind to be manufactured and used in North America. The primary function of the system, which is being used at the company's Franklin, VA, paper and paperboard mill, is to reduce effluent color and volume that is released into a river. Union Camp is offering the process technology to other mills wishing to produce pulps that are totally chlorine-free and to close up their effluent systems., Integrated free paper and paperboard mill approaches total effluent closure with 1,000-tpd OZEoD 'C-Free' softwood bleach plant Six weeks ago, Union Camp Corp. started up one of the most environmentally [...]

Railroads have often been beaten by trucking companies in the competition for pulp and paper mills' transportation needs. Customers prefer trucking because it allows quick delivery, low onsite inventory, small order sizes and short order lead times. Rail lines are also suffering from uncompetitive prices, inefficiency and government regulation. However, the boom in recycling activities within the paper industry is giving a much needed boost to railroads. Companies such as Consolidated Rail Corp are already offering a wide array of improved services to win a big share in the movement of waste paper., Focus on efficiency and competitive rates, as well as recent increases in wastepaper movements, assist in regaining two decades of lost business Truck vs rail. Except for a small amount [...]

Engineering experts agree that almost every aspect of the industry - from raw materials education - must be altered to remain competitive The Industrial Revolution of eighteenth-century England and its [...]

Parsons & Whittemore Inc.'s (P&W) giant pulp and paper complex in Claiborne, Ala., certainly needs tremendous amounts of wood-almost 5 million tons annually now that all three mills are operating [...]

The December 1991 startup of Parsons & Whittemore's (P&W) Alabama Pine Pulp Co. (APP) kraft market pulp mill completes a 13-year, $1.4-billion investment in what is considered one of the [...]

The pulp and paper industry, since the late 1970s and especially throughout the 1980s, has placed tremendous emphasis on 'going global'--selling into the global marketplace. There are numerous hurdles to [...]

More and more North American pulp and paper mills are discovering the benefits of quality control/quality management programs, and even through they lag behind some other industries in full implementation, [...]

Thorough Design Analysis Needed to Equip Future Kraft Pulp Mills Capital costs for a greenfield kraft pulp mill will hinge on technology needed to meet such factors as quality targets, [...]

Wastepaper, Woodchip, Pulp Exports Continue to Boom Despite Downturn North American seaport survey shows a general leveling off in pulp, paper, and allied exports, but expectations are still high for [...]

Transportation Mismanagement Causes Paper Companies to Lose Millions Expert says paper industry is wasting money by giving control of transportation decisions to its customers Customer service has become a key [...]

Customer Directive Is Prime Factor in Industry's Transportation Decisions Costs, quality, and service are secondary considerations when pulp and paper companies select a mode of product transportation Numerous factors affect [...]

Reduced TRS and SO[sub.2] emissions and increased production result from new low-odor boiler, ancillary equipment, and distributed control system Louisiana-Pacific Corp.'s new $70-million recovery island at its Samoa, Calif, market [...]

[TABUALAR DATA OMITTED] The pulp and paper industry downturn, which began in mid-1990, took its toll on market pulp as prices plunged and world production declined. Total market output was [...]

Quality control--as defined by Deming, Juran, Crosby, et al.--seems to be taking hold in North American pulp and paper mills, even though most mills are in the early stages of [...]