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N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 4 Pulp & Paper International (PPI)

By WIM SCHAUVLIEGE

Embracing wireless networks and mobile worker technology has helped Stora Enso

Langerbrugge improve operator productivity

WITH INCREASING competition in the pulp

and paper industry, manufacturers are con-

tinually looking to make efficiency and pro-

ductivity improvements – including making the most

of a workforce that is often smaller than in the past.

Over the past 10 years, wireless technology has

become well established within the process industries,

helping to reduce the cost of installing additional

monitoring points within plants and mills, speed up

such installations, and enable data to be recovered

from remote and stranded locations. This additional

data has helped companies to improve safety, reduce

environmental impact and optimize performance.

Now, with the availability of mobile worker technology,

wireless technology is empowering workers with real-

time process and equipment data -- no matter where

they are located within the mill.

Access to this real-time data presents an opportu-

nity to make a real sea change to workers’ day-to-day

practices. Within process industries such as pulp and

paper, the traditional approach has been to have a

centrally located control room that oversees specific

processes or indeed the entire mill. An operator, or

team of operators, is stationed in front of operator

screens and performs a range of monitoring and

control tasks, reacting to alerts and alarms, running

tests and doing routine procedures. Control room

operators are supported by staff stationed on the mill

floor. These workers perform tasks including cleaning

and maintaining equipment, making adjustments,

handling jams and supporting tests and production

starts/stops.

In general, this ‘dual’ operation works well as there

is constant monitoring of the process whilst these

routine mill floor tasks are performed.

However, the limitations of this approach become

apparent when there is only one operator available to

handle both elements. If a single operator is posi-

tioned in the control room, perhaps during a night

shift, that person is unable to leave the control room to

perform the tasks on the mill floor, because doing so

would risk missing an alert or be unable to respond to

an important incident. Operators become tied to the

control room, which doesn’t maximize their capabili-

ties, is inefficient and doesn’t present workers with a

high degree of job satisfaction.

MOBILE WORKER TECHNOLOGY Mobile worker solutions can dramatically improve

productivity and efficiency by using wireless technol-

ogy to give operators instant access to data from the

control/automation system, maintenance data, and

operation procedures – wherever they are in the mill.

Mobile worker technology brings the control room

to a handheld device such as a laptop or tablet. It

provides the opportunity for operators previously tied

to the control room to have the flexibility to go into the

field and perform required tasks, while maintaining

full access to the functionality of the control system.

The Stora Enso plant in Ghent, Belgium, pro-

duces more than 500,000 tonnes/yr of newsprint

and magazine paper from 100% recycled paper. The

facility is monitored and controlled from a central

control room by operators who also have other tasks

to perform. These tasks include cleaning equipment,

ON THE MOVE

Reproduced with permission of Pulp & Paper International

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inputting data to the SAP manufacturing execution

system when specific things happen in the process,

and writing a daily report. These additional tasks will

vary depending on how the processes have run during

that working day.

During the night, operators are required to

perform fixed rounds in the field. Their tasks include

visually inspecting the installation, checking the valves

for emissions, checking pumps and motors for exces-

sive noise caused by vibration that might indicate a

problem, and monitoring and recording tank levels.

During these rounds the operators need to have con-

tinuous access to process alarms and alerts so they can

investigate problems and take action -- for example, by

stopping a sequence or shutting a valve.

PUTT ING WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY TO WORKStora Enso is continually seeking opportunities

to operate more efficiently, reduce costs and stay

competitive. As the company was in the process of

upgrading the DeltaV™ distributed control system for

the deinking section of the mill, it turned to Emerson

to see how the latest wireless technologies could help

improve operator efficiencies.

Emerson recommended a wireless network and

mobile worker technology. This would enable opera-

tors to carry out their rounds while using a hand-held

With real-time information available from the control system, operators can now resolve problems much faster

Reproduced with permission of Pulp & Paper International

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N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 4 Pulp & Paper International (PPI)

device to monitor mill status information sent from

the control room. This remote access to process infor-

mation means they can deal with alarms and alerts as

they occur while they move around the mill carrying

out their regular duties.

Stora Enso put the technology to work in the

deinking section, where Emerson installed a Wi-Fi

network to provide “hot spot” access. Operators

access the network using `ruggedized’ Apple iPad4

tablets with Emerson’s DeltaV Remote Operator Sta-

tion application. The mill chose iPads because they

were easy to handle and quick to replace should they

be damaged. The wireless network is secured using

AES 128-bit encryption and its integrity is continu-

ously monitored. Alerts are sent to the administrators

if degradation of the wireless signal is detected.

The wireless network consists of 10 industrial

access points, a wireless LAN controller and a network

management application to provide indoor and

outdoor coverage for the two floors of the deinking

section. A managed switch connects the wireless

network with the existing wired network. A wireless

LAN controller handles network-wide wireless func-

tions such as security policies, quality of service and

mobility.

With real-time information available from the

control system, operators can now resolve problems

much faster. The mobile worker application also

allows the mill to record observations directly into

the system and avoid transcription errors. It can also

independently perform process procedures and initi-

ate or execute work orders while in the actual process

area. Being able to perform multiple jobs in one

operator round and saving trips between the control

room and our process units has helped to improve the

productivity of the operators.

Wireless technology powering mobile workers is

enabling operators to carry out tasks that would nor-

mally require two people. Operators can move freely

about the mill to perform a range of tasks while main-

taining full access to features and functionality they

would have if they were sitting in the control room

itself. Should an alert take place whilst the operator

is on the mill floor they would be able to respond

immediately. Should an adjustment be needed it can

be performed using the iPad and Remote Operator

Station application right on the spot. There’s no need

to go back into the control room or relay instructions

to a second person. By multi-tasking, it is possible

to increase the efficiency and productivity of each

operator.

EXTENDING PRODUCT IV ITY GAINSThe increased operational efficiency has helped to

reduce operational expenditure, and the return on in-

vestment has taken less than six months. The wireless

network makes it easy for Langerbrugge to add new

mobile worker devices and other wireless applications

as and when they are required.

Mobile worker technology has enabled mill

operators to combine tasks and react much faster to

potential problems. Workers have the ability to move

freely around the mill and perform multiple tasks,

providing much more variety to their work schedules.

This helps to motivate workers resulting in further

gains in productivity.

Wim Schauvliege is project engineer, Stora Enso Langerbrugge, Ghent, Belgium. PPI

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Operators can move freely around the mill to perform a range of tasks while keeping a close eye on overall performance

Reproduced with permission of Pulp & Paper International