More paper from fewer raw materials

To respond to the increasing scarcity of raw materials, paper production must become more efficient and therefore more sustainable. Digitization is one of the answers to this challenge. To do so, you not only need to innovate, but also to extract the full potential from existing solutions. Level and pressure sensors, for example, already contain more intelligence than many suspect.

Paper producers have been striving for years to increase efficiency, including through the use of more streamlined processes. Digitization can take this process to a whole new level. There is huge potential for savings in almost every process step, from the woodchip silo, to the drying cylinder, to wastewater treatment. A deeper understanding of processes leads to more precise planning and less consumption of wood, water and energy. At the same time, this also reduces the need for maintenance, resulting in more uptime and less spare parts inventory. 

Just the data from level and pressure measurements can serve to chart this new course. Even classic analog measuring instruments with a 4...20 mA connection, which are still the most widely distributed in the industry, have a lot more intelligence and digital data on board that is barely used today. Since 2016, VEGA sensors can therefore be equipped or supplied with a Bluetooth LE (Low Energy) wireless display and adjustment module to provide valuable data ter
available. In paper manufacturing, this not only means convenient commissioning, it also shows sensor health and comprehensive diagnostic options. 

Wireless sensors close the gap

All VEGA sensors produced since 2003 can get a quick retrofit with this display. Simply unscrew the sensor cover and plug in the new display and adjustment module. No software updates required, nor adjustments to the settings. The sensors can then be operated wirelessly over distances of 25 to 50 m, depending on transmission quality. 

Direct benefits for users include the significant simplification of their work, especially at hard-to-reach measurement points, to the avoidance of process risks associated with time-consuming and often complicated on-site procedures. The sensor also no longer needs to be cleaned. Monitoring, operation and maintenance of plants becomes so much safer and faster. 

Best practice at DS Smith

When it comes to occasional measurement, VEGA recommends the VEGAPULS Air radar sensors. One of the first applications in paper production can be found at the Dutch company DS Smith De Hoop. The VEGAPULS Air has been reliably monitoring the level of their IBC tanks since 2020. This is done without having to open or modify the plastic container to install the sensor. Wherever the IBCs are and whether they are stacked, the measurement data of the level of each individual container is transmitted wirelessly every six hours to the cloud or via mobile network to the control center or to the VEGA Inventory System. 

DS Smith uses a large number of different chemicals. Thanks to VEGA's sensor solution and software, orders are done automatically and the company always has the right quantities, without the need for time-consuming visual checks. The solution was cheaper, more reliable and simpler than expected.

Smart can also be simple

And what lies ahead for the paper industry? IO-Link sensors from VEGA appear to be optimal solutions. These feature simple wiring, digital communication with simultaneous monitoring, and features that retain all parameters and settings in the event of a sensor change. In the future, for demanding sensor tasks, VEGA will market two-wire sensors based on Ethernet with an APL (advanced physical layer) that allows them to apply digital protocols such as Profinet or Ethernet/IP. This technology puts the digitization of all processes, from simple to highly complex, within reach in the very near future. 

Therefore, more intelligence need not mean more complexity. On the contrary. With digital data and values in the right places, paper production can be monitored, managed and optimized in a simpler, more transparent and understandable way. Because saving resources and lowering maintenance costs are the building blocks of more efficient paper production, level and pressure sensors will play a key role. Therefore, VEGA instruments provide optimal support for the maintenance crew so that they can fully concentrate on their core task: achieving the most efficient production of the best finished products.