Innovative analytics for mill outages boost success

In recent years of racing, there’s developed a third key to success, invisible to those watching the race. Automotive and digital subject matter experts use a sophisticated array of sensors and data analysis tools to not only help prepare the car for performance but monitor its operating conditions. Making improvements during the race and in future races. These improvements increase performance and success.

Pulp and paper mills, including their wastewater treatment systems may not look like race cars, but they also need to excel in regular operations as well as their version of a pit stop. Cold mill outages provide a chance to improve performance. And just like a race car, increased use of monitoring devices and analytical tools catch problems before they become serious. Providing insights into how to improve results and increase performance.Just as the off-track components of racing – the pit stops, diagnostics and analytics – are becoming more important, efficient cold outs are a big part of successful mill operation.  

One of our team, with 45 years of experience in pulp and paper mills, says that in the 47 mills he’s worked on, some 90% of the environmental violation problems were associated with cold outs. 

One of the biggest concerns in cold outs is an unplanned release of something such as weak black liquor. The discharge may cause an upset that wipes out the ability of the wastewater treatment system to operate within permitted limits, or in its entirety. This may cause a shutdown of the mill until the sensitive wastewater treatment operations is restored.  

If outage upsets and malfunctions put the mill into violation, it may result in fines and increased scrutiny by government entities such as the US-EPA and local authorities. Non-government environmental organizations and local concerned citizens may apply their own kind of pressure. Even if the mill stays in compliance, there may be unexpected expenses for line items such as increased labor and chemicals. 

Environmental violations may also cause concern among customers that are increasingly aware and concerned about environmental and sustainability performance all along the supply chain. This leads to increased scrutiny by these customers and potentially, loss of market share. 

Early warning of potential problems in cold outs, as well as normal operations, give mill operators opportunity to avoid problems or take quicker corrective action, when required. 

Race crews that successfully adapt information technology have an edge in a world where tenths of a second means the difference between taking a victory lap and watching someone else take a victory lap. It’s the same in pulp and paper – in a world of increasing competitive pressures and smaller margins, even tiny improvements in efficiency add up.  

Among the trends impacting pulp and paper mills are the following: 

Less laboratory support: Decades ago, many mills had laboratories fully staffed by well-trained chemistry specialists who would take a steady stream of samples all through the process, analyzing them with on-site equipment. This helped fine-tune operations for optimal efficiency and helped keep mills in compliance with regulations and customer expectations. Now, those analytical supports have been much reduced, but mill operators are still faced with the need to operate within parameters during various and changing conditions. 

Leaner workforce: As well as having less analytical support, many mills need to get by with fewer staff in general. Leaving fewer employees to watch for potential problems. Many of today’s mill workforce lack the experience of previous teams. 

Steeper compliance hill to climb: Environmental, workplace safety and other such regulations have become tighter in recent years. There’s more to watch, beyond strictly operational requirements. Combined with less laboratory support and a tighter workforce, this means there are more potential problems facing the industry. 

But just as advanced sensory devices and analytical software have propelled race cars towards higher performance, a wide array of information technology helps plant operators plan. Operators also receive warning of potential problems and suggest solutions. This applies during cold outs as well as during operations-as-usual. 

More powerful analytic devices: The Internet of Things (IoT) has become a rich source of data helping industrial operations succeed. Many of these devices are attached to existing equipment, especially in the wastewater system. A vibration sensor attached to an asset such as a motor of a critical blower helps warn of potential problems, indicate when servicing is needed, and give an idea of the asset’s life expectancy to plan capital expenditures. Sensory devices, coupled with robust analytical software, support anomaly detection, which is a powerful tool for keeping sensitive processes working as required. 

Analytics over time: Performance data becomes particularly useful when it is used to discover trends. For example, there may be difficulty with an intake water pump, and operations staff may be puzzled about the cause. Good analytics over two or three years may help determine the problem is seasonal, which leads to the conclusion that the temperature of the intake water is the root of the problem – and points to solutions. 

Early warnings of problems make solutions easier: One crucial aspect of wastewater biotreatment is it’s a slow process. It takes time for bacteria to multiply to the extent they can do their job. Likewise, problems may take time to become apparent. Accordingly, if a problem is discovered early, it may be easy and low-cost to take action to modify a process slightly so it stays on-spec. Early warning by analytic devices, coupled with sophisticated analysis to find out the best way to correct the problem, makes a plant operator’s day easier. 

We play a critical role in determining how a plant is operating at present, figuring out what may stand in the way of better performance, and developing a plan. Applying the power of current information technology to making those improvements happen, even during outages. Finding a firm with the right combination of wastewater, digital and analytics expertise is the recommended best practice.