Supporting customers’ product performance and cost optimization
Research and development are crucial for producing high-quality materials and perfecting both processes and products. UPM’s state-of-the-art R&D centers not only support UPM’s pulp production but also support our customers’ product development and production processes. With four dedicated R&D centers worldwide, UPM ensures its products meet the highest standards while providing customers with expert research support. Among UPM’s research facilities, NERC (Northern Europe Research Center) in Lappeenranta, Finland, stands out due to its extensive fibre database and focus on analytics.
As UPM’s largest R&D center, NERC is an industry leader in pulp analytics. It boasts the most comprehensive service offering and supports customers worldwide. The group uses data and advanced analytical methods to understand, monitor and optimize pulp properties and production processes. Customers can collaborate with the R&D team, combining data and laboratory testing to optimize end-products and gain insight into improving quality or cost-efficiency. Besides traditional laboratory studies, UPM has also developed advanced custom techniques and tests to evaluate pulp and paper properties to unlock deeper insights into material performance and quality.
“We help our customers succeed by providing different pulp types, that combined, can fulfill the customer’s specific needs. Thanks to our work on data and analytics, we can consistently and reliably deliver premium pulp.” Senior Manager, Technical Marketing & Services, Tom Hultholm says.
Using multi-fibre data to find the right material solutions
NERC has advanced machinery, including a cutting-edge low consistency refiner which better simulates industrial refining results. This equipment enables thorough analysis of furnishes and the impact refining parameters have on fiber morphology and paper making properties. As various pulps are tested, the information obtained is compiled into UPM’s extensive database.
Softwood and hardwood pulps have different characteristics. As the world’s largest multi-fibre pulp producer, UPM has in-depth expertise and amassed a vast database of many species of pulp. Understanding how each fiber should be treated in refining is crucial for optimization. Our R&D centers have worked to understand the interactions that different furnish mixtures have to meet specific process or product needs.
“Understanding how different fibres behave and how they can be treated in the most optimal way is crucial for delivering pulp that best meets customer needs. This optimization enables us to provide high-quality material solutions consistently and reliably,” Hultholm explains.
Perfecting processes through simulations
As our Technical Marketing and Services group interacts with customers globally, they can utilize simulation software which harnesses the extensive library of pulp data to identify ways to optimize a customer’s furnish ratio and/or refining levels. The customer’s furnish, process, quality and cost parameters can be modeled in the simulation software to create a tailored strategy for optimization. Utilizing the customer’s priorities, the simulation predicts how adjustments to the refining process or furnish will affect the end product’s properties and the pulp’s performance in production. The in-depth understanding of fibres and furnishes, combined with the advanced equipment and extensive database at NERC allows us to offer this valuable service to our customers.
“The more detailed information we have, the better we can predict how adjustments impact the end result or the customer’s process. Information, such as a sample of the water they use, can lead to more accurate answers,” Hultholm explains.
Comprehensive data and timely analytics are essential in optimizing pulps and processes, helping save both time and money. Through innovation and data-driven approach, UPM continues to redefine the standards of pulp production and continues to provide high-quality material solutions.