The Billerud Gävle mill in Sweden, a leader in producing high-quality liquid packaging board and white top liners, has always prioritized continuous quality and process improvements. This commitment is deeply embedded in the mill’s DNA. However, the complexity of their operations, which include three continuous fiberlines, a bleaching plant, and two board machines, poses challenges in data analysis and process optimization.
With a total capacity of 740,000 tonnes a year, the Billerud Gävle mill can produce materials equivalent to approximately 200 million single-portion packages daily. Additionally, the mill’s operations contribute to sustainability by using residual heat for district heating in the cities of Gävle and Sandviken. This multifaceted business environment underscores the importance of innovative data analysis and understanding.
New approach to process data
Enter Trimble Wedge, a tool that has enhanced how Billerud Gävle approaches data extraction and analysis. Mattias Johansson, Section Manager Process Development Pulp Mill at Billerud, shares, “Wedge allows us to quickly visualize process parameters, filter data to focus on specific grades, and highlight when parameters exceed their set limits—all directly in the graph. This capability saves us a lot of time.”
One of Wedge’s standout features is its delay model, which has proven valuable in tracking process changes. “With the delay model, we can easily predict when pulp of a certain quality will reach the board machine and identify correlations between early process changes and the final product properties,” Johansson explains. This tool has become important for identifying root causes of unexpected deviations.”
Wedge enables complex calculations without the need for programming skills
Wedge also simplifies the creation of calculated measurements using simple mathematical formulas.
“We can perform straightforward calculations and even build complex formulas without needing specific programming skills,” says Johansson.
These are used for extracting information from process data, such as availability on specific process equipment, how often we are outside specified limits etc. “This has been particularly useful for tracking grade changes and analyzing process data around specific events, enhancing our understanding of the manufacturing process.”
The benefits of Wedge extend to product development as well. During trial runs on the board machines, Wedge’s functionality allows the team to analyze results effectively. “It’s easy to include a reference period, filter data to include only relevant grades, and summarize results in a table,” Johansson notes.
Wedge has given Billerud Gävle greater operational insight
In summary, Trimble Wedge has significantly facilitated data extraction and analysis at Billerud Gävle, supporting both troubleshooting and process and product development applications.
“Wedge is a very useful tool for us,” concludes Johansson.
“It has not only improved our efficiency but also provided us with deeper insights into our operations, which is crucial given the scale and versatility of our business.”
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