Description 
 

Background

Intelligent and resource efficient production technologies” (EffTech)  is the first research program of Forestcluster Ltd. The five year program started in June 2008 and the first two years funding period is ended. The second phase of  the  EffTech program will continue as two separate but strongly interlinked programs, “Efficient Networking Towards Novel Products and Processes” (EffNet) and “Value Through Intensive and Efficient Fibre supply” (EffFibre).  The division into two separate programs is done in order to sharpen the focus of work and to be able to add new participants in a flexible manner.

Objectives

The goal of the program ” Efficient Networking Towards Novel Products and Processes” (EffNet) is to improve the competitiveness on the whole forest cluster by developing radically new energy and resource efficient production technologies and by finding means to reduce the capital intensiveness. The target is to improve the entire cluster's efficiency, flexibility and sustainability.

Structure

 The EffNet research program consists of 10 Work Packages (WP). The focus of WPs 1-4 is on development of new products and processes based on nanocellulose. Focus WPs 5-9 is on design of lean, environmentally sound and radically new production concepts and products for commodity markets of printing and packaging applications and end use. The most attractive production concepts will be demonstrated at pilot or full scale (WP10).  

• WP1 - Efficient production technologies for new furnishes (Thad Maloney, Aalto)

• WP2 - Expanded properties for paper and board products (Petri Jetsu, VTT)

• WP3 - Fiber-based products for new applications (Erkki Hellén, VTT)

• WP4 - Sustainability and feasibility assessment (Catharina Hohenthal, VTT)

• WP5 - Production system concepts management (Seppo Virtanen, UPM)

• WP6 - Novel web production modules with new components, materials and processing methods (Juha Salmela, VTT)

• WP7 - Management of web uniformity based on imaging measurements (Risto Ritala, TUT)

• WP8 - Expanded operating window for heat set web-offset printing process enabling efficient use of newly engineered fiber-web substrates (Markku Parola, VTT)

• WP9 - Optimizing structures and operation of entire production systems (Risto Ritala, TUT)

• WP10 - Pilot and full-scale demonstrations of production system concepts (Seppo Virtanen, UPM)

Governance

Management group

Members

• Lars Gadda, Forestcluster
• Erkki Hellen, VTT
• Jyrki Huovila, Metso
• Mika Hyrylä, UPM
• Raino Kauppinen, Stora Enso
• Ari Kiviranta, M-real

• Ari Pelkiö,  Andritz
• Erkki Peltonen, Myllykoski
• Marjatta Piironen, Kemira
• Risto Ritala, TUT
• Hannu Saarnilehto, Sanomapaino
• Seppo Virtanen, UPM

Program manager

• Pauliina Tukiainen, pauliina.tukiainen@vtt.fi,
  +358 (0) 40 5028 147

Content

The EffNet program focuses, on one hand, on developing radically new energy and resource efficient web production technologies and, on the other hand, reengineering the product concept of fiber based products with nanocellulose. The program develops and demonstrates new types of products, which can be produced from wood based fiber material and which expand the current product portfolio offered by forest cluster companies. This will pave the way for completely new products (e.g. high stretch packaging applications, transparent barrier films, thermally stable and smooth substrates for electronic applications) that can partly replace less sustainable materials, thus creating significant business opportunities for the forest sector. In the future, extensive use of nanoparticles, especially nano fibrillar cellulose, in paper structures will allow end-products with the desired characteristics to be produced with much lower consumption of raw materials, water and energy. At the same time it will be possible to develop completely new paper and packaging products with characteristics that cannot be achieved with present-day raw materials.  The target of the EffNet program is also to assure the leading position of the Finnish forest cluster in large-scale production technology of fiber-based printed and packaging products by reducing radically the total cost of ownership while maintaining and developing further sustainability as a factor providing competitive edge towards competing technologies. Novel production system concepts are divided into two categories: those that can be implemented as rebuilds at present production systems, and those which are implemented as totally new production systems.  Special attention will be paid to the specific energy and raw material consumption and to the sustainability of processes and products.

Main results

Publications

• Articles in scientific journals
• Conference presentations and posters
• Seminar Materials
• Thesis
• Articles in magazines