WESTERVILLE, OH, Dec. 8, 2020 (Press Release) -ABB has been chosen by Norske Skog Skogn to supply a comprehensive new digital platform for the company’s newsprint mill in Norway. The ABB Ability Manufacturing Execution System (MES) for pulp and paper will be operational by April 2021, with ABB providing five years of support as the mill undertakes its journey towards digitalization and smart operations.
With three paper machines and an annual capacity of 520,000 tons, Norske Skog Skogn is one of Europe’s largest newsprint manufacturers. As newsprint production capacity declines across Europe with several newsprint machine closures, Norske Skog Skogn targets to serve the printing industry by utilizing digitalization to optimize production, increase quality yield and to provide better customer service.
The delivery includes layering Process Data Management, part of ABB Ability Plant and Enterprise level applications for pulp and paper, with the MES and then seamlessly integrating to the customer’s automation and enterprise resource management levels. This will provide full end-to-end data management both horizontally and vertically, enabling deployment of other digital applications and helping to create a state-of-the-art, modern mill. The full scope of supply comprises Production Planning, Quality Data Management, Production Management, Warehouse Management, Decision Support, Diary, and Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) modules.
When complete, the digital platform will provide better visibility, and improved planning and management of quality and production. The platform’s ability to be the catalyst for continuous improvement initiatives is of particular importance to Norske Skog Skogn. ABB’s Diary module provides powerful data collection, structuring and analysis tools that help manufacturers manage workflows and share information across shifts. When paired with the OEE module, to identify ways to increase productivity, mills can leverage the detailed information to find areas for improvement and prioritize actions based on improvement potential analysis.
All product modules are operated via an easy-to-use, web-based user interface that can be accessed from anywhere and enable information sharing across traditional operative silos, eventually removing them.
“We chose ABB due to their expertise, rigor and professionalism throughout the tendering process, together with the easy-to-use, configurable nature of their Manufacturing Execution System. These factors were crucial in minimizing our commercial and operational risk and reducing the time required for training,” said Peder Lutdal, Project Manager at Norske Skog Skogn. “We concluded that ABB offered the best solution across the board for ensuring high quality and efficiency across the production process. In particular, the way the system interacts with the operators and the OEE and diary modules’ ability to deliver a firm knowledge base for optimization and continuous improvement. Our new digital platform will give us the necessary tools to further improve our product quality—both during production and when receiving feedback from our own customers.”
“The new digital platform offered by ABB represents an important strategic step for our operation at Skogn not at least when considering the flexibility the new system represents in terms of our future strategic approach for the mill,” said Bjørn Einar Ugedal, Mill Manager at Norske Skog Skogn. “We are confident that ABB will deliver according to our expectations, and we have so far only a positive experience from working with them in the ongoing execution phase.”
“Taking the first step in digitalization requires deep sector expertise and extensive support from a hands-on digital enabler,” said Mikko Jalava, Sales Director, Digital Solutions, ABB. “We are looking forward to partnering with Norske Skog Skogn on their digital journey, starting with a robust platform upon which the company can in time deploy additional digital services, such as those available from our ABB Ability Genix portfolio.”
ABB Ability Genix is an AI and industrial analytics driven platform that collates data from diverse sources across the enterprise and translates this data, using our deep domain expertise, into actionable insights. Users at all levels across the enterprise can engage with the platform using a suite of pre-built applications, with the additional capability of self-service analytics.
Norske Skog is a world leading producer of publication paper with strong market positions and customer relations in Europe and Australasia. The Norske Skog Group operates four mills in Europe of which two will produce recycled containerboard following planned conversion projects. In addition, the Group operates two publication paper mills and a pellets facility in Australasia. Norske Skog aims to further diversify its operations and continue its transformation into a growing and high-margin business through a range of exciting fiber projects. The Group has approximately 2,300 employees in five countries, headquartered in Norway and listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange under the ticker NSKOG.
ABB is a trusted partner and leading supplier to the pulp and paper industry, offering deep expertise and a comprehensive portfolio of integrated digital solutions, automation and electrification systems, industry-focused products and comprehensive services to help our customers optimize all phases of the papermaking process. We are committed to serving packaging, paper, tissue and pulp producers to help drive availability, performance, cost and quality improvements. Active worldwide, ABB has over 1000 pulp and paper professionals who serve customers in over 50 countries.
ABB is a leading global technology company that energizes the transformation of society and industry to achieve a more productive, sustainable future. By connecting software to its electrification, robotics, automation and motion portfolio, ABB pushes the boundaries of technology to drive performance to new levels. With a history of excellence stretching back more than 130 years, ABB’s success is driven by about 110,000 talented employees in over 100 countries.
