More Paper with Less Energy and Waste

Interview from Fluids Processing, by Jaap van Ede

At the Van Houtum paper mill in Swalmen, multidisciplinary teams are continuously improving the production process step by step. However, energy savings and waste reduction are also key priorities. Most ideas in these areas come directly from the operators themselves. To keep everything manageable, increasing amounts of production data are needed. That’s why, with the help of the HAI software, Van Houtum is implementing a central production database that brings together all data from process control systems, manually collected information, and quality control results. This integrated data allows for further optimization and helps uncover key correlations—because every step in the production process, from pulp preparation to jumbo roll production and conversion into final products, influences the others. Van

Houtum develops innovative and environmentally friendly hygiene paper solutions. Its core business is the production of toilet paper, paper towels, and industrial rolls, often in combination with dispensers. Bas Gehlen, Director of Operations, joins the conversation, accompanied by Hans van Houts, Training Coordinator responsible for operator training. One key principle is operator flexibility, based on the 1:3 and 3:1 concept: each operator must be able to work in at least three different areas, and each team must have at least three operators available for every workstation.

Cradle to Cradle

Van Houtum’s products are high quality and made with the greatest possible care for the environment. According to the company, it is the only manufacturer in the world to offer Cradle to Cradle certified toilet and towel paper: Satino Black. This means that only biodegradable and non-toxic additives are used in the production process. “Complaints about our product quality are rare. That’s why our process improvement efforts focus primarily on increasing production capacity while reducing energy consumption and waste generation,” says Gehlen.

But that’s no simple task, since every step in the production process affects the others—from recycled paper to pulp, from pulp to jumbo rolls, and from jumbo rolls to final products.

Insight

“For example, if a paper roll is just slightly thicker, it can be harder to process further down the line. Variations in raw materials—recycled paper that can range from newspapers to office waste and labels—also play a significant role. To gain insight into all these interactions, we are currently implementing the HAI software. This software consolidates production data from all our process control systems, including manually measured data like the weight and thickness of the jumbo rolls. Once this is in place, we can better visualize what’s happening, trace problems, and uncover cross-process relationships.”

One example of a critical quality parameter is so-called wet strength. “Paper towels mustn’t tear too easily. That’s why we add polymers, for instance. But in terms of cost and environmental impact, you don’t want to use more additives than necessary. To fully understand all the factors influencing wet strength, you need all process data in one database. That’s what we hope to achieve with HAI.”

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Small Group Activities

Process improvement is always a combination of the 4 M’s: Man, Machine, Material, and Method. You can measure as much as you like, but if there’s no culture of using that data, it won’t help you much. Fortunately, that’s not a concern at Van Houtum, as the company has been working with Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) for years. Here, multidisciplinary teams work to improve the performance of “their” machines, among other things by measuring OEE—Overall Equipment Effectiveness. At Van Houtum, these improvement initiatives are called Small Group Activities or SGAs,

a name that dates back to the original implementation of TPM under the guidance of Blom Consultancy. “Most SGA ideas come from our operators—they know their processes best. To keep that flow of ideas going, it’s crucial to always provide feedback on suggestions. If something isn’t feasible, explain why.” Another important tip for process improvement: make sure the process is structured. “Most people tend to go straight to the first solution they think of. Our eight-step SGA plan avoids that. Measuring and analysis always come first, only then comes action.”

SGAs are often associated with solving recurring machine failures. “But they can also be assignment-driven. For example, even if a machine is running well, you might challenge the team to reduce its energy consumption.”

Software As a Service

The gas hood operator team is already using the HAI system. It was the first to be connected to the Distributed Control System (DCS) that manages paper production. “This ABB DCS is designed to reliably control all loops. The downside is that it’s hard to modify or add data acquisition capabilities. That’s why we’re transferring process data to HAI. This also gives us better visualization and analysis capabilities.”

Later, HAI will also be connected to DeltaV, the DCS that controls pulp production. “That way, we’re gradually working toward the holy grail: one production database covering the entire process, from waste paper to final products.”

ABB also offers manufacturing execution solutions that can do similar things. “But the idea to use HAI came from a consultant from Vapro. For us, this turned out to be the most practical and economical solution—even compared to expanding SAP, our ERP system.” One major advantage of HAI is that it can be used as Software as a Service (SaaS). This means relatively low costs, combined with a system that is quick to implement and easy to test.

Gas Hood

A good example of an effective SGA is the optimization of the gas hood settings. The paper is dried by passing it over a cylinder heated from the inside with steam. From above, hot, dry air is blown over the paper via a gas hood. “Although this air is recirculated, this part of the process consumes the most energy. One SGA team managed to reduce the air temperature by 20°C to 30°C, resulting in annual energy savings worth €200,000.”

A new gas hood has since been installed, yielding another 7% energy saving, while throughput increased by 7%. This improvement is mainly due to the new hood enclosing the paper more effectively. “The process runs so well because the operators know it inside and out. It’s like owning a Ferrari—if you can’t drive it, it’s useless.” The operator team continues to optimize the process, partly through trial and error—varying settings and observing the effects.

This raises the question: could this not be done more systematically using Design of Experiments (DOE), a Six Sigma method for reducing quality variation? DOE systematically investigates the influence of environmental factors and process settings using as few experiments as possible. “Applying DOE would indeed be a great idea—but to do that, we need the aforementioned database with all historical data. So we’ll have to wait until HAI is fully operational.”

Software as a Service

Get inspired

Get inspired by the success of others in the field of digital transformation, data-driven working and smart use of data (science) in the factory. Also consider applications in the areas of OEE, quality, release, golden batch, CIP cleaning, operator support, trending, Statistical Process Control, in-line measurements, production and technology dashboards, monitoring utilities and sustainability, and much more.

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“A thicker jumbo paper roll or variation in raw materials – from newspapers to office waste – can disrupt the process. With HAI, we combine all data and measurements, giving us instant insight, faster problem-solving, and the ability to discover new correlations.”

Hans van Houts, Van Houtum Papier (production of hygiene paper)

Topic	Highlights
Sustainability	Focus on energy savings, waste reduction, and Cradle to Cradle products.
Operator-Driven Improvement	Operators contribute ideas through SGAs and improve their own processes.
Data via HAI	One central source for all process, measurement, and quality data.
Insight & Analysis	HAI reveals key correlations, enabling targeted process optimization.
Why HAI	Fast deployability, low SaaS cost, clear visualization. Alternative options were SAP and ABB.

“The new gas hood reduced energy use by 7% and increased output by the same margin—thanks to operators who know the process inside out. With HAI giving us clear insights into how settings and environmental factors interact, we can start thinking more systematically about further optimization.”

Bas Gehlen, Director of Operations at Van Houtum Papier