FOREST project meeting presents live demonstration

How do virtual images of paper machines best contribute to optimizing energy consumption and reducing CO₂ emissions? Answers are being found in the FOREST research project. The third meeting of research and industry partners with shareholders of Modellfabrik Papier presented live insights into a first demonstrator.

The software framework for the development of a digital twin of a paper machine allows for the first time to map the entire system of the paper manufacturing process: from paper properties in stock preparation through the thermal and mechanical processes up to the provision of energy. “With the help of a system simulation like this, we can predict the process behaviour and the interaction of individual process stages without having to intervene in the real paper machine itself,” explains Philip Kayser, Project Manager at Modellfabrik Papier, the advantages of the technology development.

The third FOREST project meeting of the research and industry partners with shareholders of Modellfabrik Papier provided insights into the possibilities and special features of the innovation. The level of detail with which the production process is modelled in the individual process stages was presented. A live demonstration of the first demonstrator and the presentation of various use cases showed different functionalities. These included the hourly recording and analysis of CO₂ emissions and the options for balancing the actual CO₂ emissions generated per fully wound parent roll of paper produced. It was also shown how different system configurations affect CO₂ emissions in the simulation.

How the application can be used to optimize the provision of heat, for example, met with particular interest from the shareholders. “We simulated different heating methods in the dryer section and were able to show how a certain electricity mix affects CO₂ emissions and costs. The simulation can be used to calculate how the drying cylinders can be operated in regard of CO₂ -emission and cost optimisation,” says Kayser.

The ensuing discussion showed further benefits to use digital twins in the industry: for example, to evaluate changes in the production process, in the way the plant is operated or in the recipe more quickly and in greater detail. The participants also expressed interest in more in-depth analyses of the CO₂ balance per plant section or per parent roll of paper produced.

The participants emphasised that the framework’s efficient scalability and modular design are crucial to the successful application of the technology in industry. On the one hand, the integration of new systems and data management is still very resource-intensive. Therefore, the necessary models should come from manufacturers and service providers and require as little customisation as possible. On the other hand, standardisation is lacking.

“Not only the amount of data points in paper production is challenging, but also the highly heterogeneous semantics, which impede the automatic addressing and use of data content difficult,” explains Kayser. Paper manufacturers hope that standardization will make things easier. “That’s why we are working with core technologies such as the Asset Administration Shell (AAS), which allows the creation of standardized data models.” This will accelerate the future use of digital twins in the paper industry.

The project meeting ended with positive momentum. “The feedback from the shareholders showed that we are on the right track”, Kayser is pleased to report. The exchange and discussion of the interim results in the project confirm that digital twins can deliver great added value for the industry and contribute significantly to overcoming current challenges. “With this input, we can further refine the use cases and developments in the project.” The next steps for the project partners are to calibrate the models for a real tissue machine and to validate the models and the framework with real process data.