The global tissue community gathered at Tissue World Miami 2022 (TWM) to explore, share, and celebrate advancements in the tissue industry. This year’s TWM represented the first major tissue event in North America since the pandemic forced changes, and it did not disappoint.
In keeping with the event’s “Tissue Today & Forever” theme, three days of thought-provoking presentations, innovative product showcases, and change-driving technologies gave attendees a glimpse into the sustainable future of the tissue industry.
The expanded Körber ecosystem was previewed at the Körber booth, and supported by reps from several Körber business areas and countries. The fully integrated Körber solutions demonstrated the need for and importance of strategic supplier partnerships that truly help tissue manufacturers put their businesses in the best position to respond to three areas of emphasis that emerged at TWM:
1. Sustainability
The tissue industry has inherent sustainability challenges that, according to TWM presenter and Sofidel CEO Luigi Lazzareschi, must continue to be addressed throughout the industry as a whole.
To that end, tissue manufacturers are proactively identifying ways to eliminate unnecessary waste and energy, lower fuel consumption and carbon emissions, incorporate alternative fiber sources, and reduce the use of plastics for packaging.
Seeking solutions to sustainability challenges reaches beyond production facilities into the investment community. Environmental, Social, and Governance standards (ESG) are increasingly used by socially conscious investors as a measure of a company’s operations and investment worthiness.
Aligning investor values with eco-friendly equipment and technology choices such as Körber Aquabond and Biopack fosters eco-friendliness and a distinct competitive advantage for tissue manufacturers. The Casmatic Zephyrus gives tissue manufacturers throughout the world a flexible, modular choice in addressing sustainable and e-commerce ready packaging solutions.
2. Profitability
Higher costs for services, labor, and raw materials — particularly pulp — is fueling inflation levels that are disproportionate to profit margins. Add ongoing supply chain disruptions that impede delivery of parts, machinery, materials, etc. and drive up shipping costs and, internationally, non-integrated and/or independent tissue manufacturers are struggling to meet profitability targets.
Warmup Contactless is a Körber embossing innovation that is a practical solution for driving down fiber costs while also providing opportunities for product differentiation — both wins for profitability. Further, Körber pay per use and pay for performance business models allow tissue manufacturers to manage risk and capital expenditures that may otherwise strain business operations and profitability.
3. Productivity
Safety, productivity, and quality are non-negotiables for tissue manufacturers. Exceptionally high standards must be maintained to ensure goals in each area are consistently met, including close machinery monitoring and precision adjustments. Less experienced operators can struggle with these difficult tasks, and the ongoing skilled labor crisis in manufacturing only puts efficiency, quality, and profitability at greater risk.
The tissue industry continues to innovate around converting line equipment automation and technologies. Production lines of the future must include self-regulated processes to improve production and operational efficiencies, prompting Körber to develop Sam Operational Solution.
Sam acts as a virtual production supervisor, performing real-time measurements of “mission-critical” properties of both raw material and finished product. The data is completely reliable and independent of the level of skill operators possess. The “active” function allows Sam to automatically adjust production parameters in-line — improving overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), reducing waste, and extending the life cycle of production assets.
The global landscape is complicated, and today’s tissue manufacturers are already feeling the effects of future developments. It’s more important now than ever before to align with a fully integrated, strategic partner. Contact the Körber team to discuss your goals and how we can help you achieve them.
Written by Claudio Muñoz