OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE DEVELOPMENT BRINGS RESULTS

Markko Salo
Dr. Tech, Manager, Valmet Finland

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Objective of this paper is to present that, even in today’s fast changing world, it is possible to improve productivity and profitability of a company or a mill in the pulp and paper industry. As a method several cases studies have been used to verify and validate this statement.

Nowadays more and more disruptions emerge in addition to digitalization. Financial crisis in 2008 and the COVID-19 pandemic during last year have accelerated this development. The pulp and paper industry has also faced big changes. Consumption of printing and writing papers continue to decrease whilst demand of board, tissue, and pulp increase. In the future there will be more and more fiber-based products to substitute, for instance plastics.

Digitalization affects the whole supply chain in the pulp and paper industry. However, in this paper we concentrate on increasing operation and maintenance efficiency of the mills.

Since 1984 Dr. Markku Salo has been involved in developing workshop/metal industries, pulp and paper industries and power plants’ operation and maintenance strategies and operations. He has also experience in creating new business strategies, new information systems and Industrial Internet. Dr. Salo also holds MBA and M.Sc. (Eng.).