The Ilim Group in Russia had been planning for a long time to upgrade the PM 4 at its plant in Koryazhma by adding a new MasterJet Pro headbox. However, due to pandemic-related travel bans the installation team from Heidenheim was not able to get to the site by the scheduled date. Nevertheless, a clever solution was found: Using the remote video support tool OnCall.Video, the Russian team on site was able to access Voith expertise in Heidenheim in real time. Thanks to the use of the audio-visual communication system, the rebuild was completed on schedule despite the travel restrictions and implemented in a very short period of time. The result is a significant increase in paper production efficiency and a highly satisfied customer.
The Ilim Group is Russia’s largest manufacturer of paper and pulp with a production capacity of three million metric tons per year. To reduce operating costs, improve paper quality and minimize maintenance, the company planned to replace the existing headbox on the PM 4 at its plant in Koryazhma, in the north-west of Russia, with a new MasterJet Pro headbox. However, the retrofit scheduled for April had to be deferred because the German installation team was not able to travel due to official restrictions. Thanks to Papermaking 4.0, however, an alternative solution was found: Using the remote video support tool OnCall.Video, the experts from Heidenheim were able to provide support to the Russian team in St. Petersburg. “Thanks to our web-based video collaboration platform, our highly specialized expertise is available immediately worldwide at all times, without the need for anyone to travel,” explains Werner Goebel, Director Project Management at Voith Paper.
A worthwhile rebuild that immediately produced marketable paper
The new MasterJet Pro headbox ensures optimum paper quality, low operating costs and cost-effective maintenance. For minimal maintenance shutdowns, for example, system components like lower and upper lips and separating wedge can be replaced quickly and easily. In addition, the system is designed for uncomplicated grade changes. This offers Ilim Group a high degree of flexibility in production. Thanks to OnCall.Video, the entire installation went according to plan. The PM 4 was able to operate again immediately after the retrofit, and since then has been producing high-quality, marketable paper in a range of grades and grammages. The customer is impressed not only by the smooth installation process but also by the excellent result. “The performance of the upgraded paper machine has actually surpassed the project objective,” says Alexander Pozdnyakov, SVP Operations at Ilim Group.