The tissue industry is facing unprecedented pressures that especially concern pulp price volatility, fierce competition in global markets, and the need for greater product differentiation. A complicated scenario that requires continuous improvements in production efficiency, while also maintaining the quality of the product.
To address these complex challenges, Körber presents Sam Operational Solution, the virtual line supervisor that guarantees consistent quality and performance that can be reproduced over time, regardless of the operator’s skill level.
Luca Frasnetti, Chief Technology Officer at Körber Business Area Tissue, comments: “Innovation is part of Körber’s DNA and one of the challenges for our Research & Development in recent years has been to support customers with solutions that are not only advanced and automated, but that are also easy to use. Sam is designed to continuously and independently adapt the entire manufacturing process, avoiding deviations and slowdowns caused by, for example, wear and tear or different operating conditions. Sam foresees a set of systems that are applicable in the line’s focal points, such as the quality of the perforation, the characteristics of the log and the quality of the package. These systems constantly monitor line performance and product quality automatically, guaranteeing consistency in performance, an indispensable factor when it comes to lines that process organic material such as paper.”
Like a real supervisor, once you have established the result you want to achieve for your final product, Sam identifies in real time any possible deviation from what has been established and, if necessary, makes appropriate decisions within the previously established limits, regardless of the operator’s level of skills.
Sam thus ensures the OEE at the line level and extends the life cycle of production assets.
Frasnetti concludes: “Körber provides different types of Sam according to needs: the Sam Log, already active on our lines, detects in real time variables that are normally checked by the operator on a sample basis through laboratory or visual measurements. The Sam Perf, on the other hand, always guarantees a perfect tear, eliminating the risk of a defective product ending up on the consumer’s table. In the “Active” versions, parameter correction is already provided with the machine running. The next evolution? A line that learns by itself and regulates itself thanks to artificial intelligence.”
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