Electricity and Control July 2021

CONTROL SYSTEMS + AUTOMATION : PRODUCTS + SERVICES

MES selected for Sappi’s digital transformation globally

Sappi Limited has selected ABB by to support a major digital transformation project across its global manufacturing footprint in Europe, North America and South Africa. The rollout of ABB’s Ability™ Manufacturing Execution System (MES) for pulp and paper will be a key focus in the digital transformation of Sappi’s entire production fleet. The project has begun and will extend over several years. The implementation of ABB Ability™ MES, specifically designed for pulp and paper process optimisation, will enable the improvement of Sappi’s overall equipment effi- ciency (OEE) through optimised production planning and execution. Project goals also include making better use of materials and inventory, reducing costs of production and ownership, and reducing the group’s environmental impact by increasing its sustainability performance. Sappi’s own IT teams will deploy the solutions either collaboratively with ABB or independently in some cas- es. This approach is aimed at maximising user accept- ance and support. It will also enable Sappi to contribute to the continuing innovation of its MES platform. “For Sappi this is a key global IT initiative that will drive alignment with our Thrive25 Vision, putting in place state- of-the-art systems which will allow Sappi to thrive as the future unfolds,” said Jeff Wright, Project Director and North American CIO for Sappi. “We have partnered with ABB because of its demonstrated commitment to the pulp and paper industry, its proven technical solutions

[Source: Sappi Limited]

Sappi’s Ngodwana Mill in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. and worldwide team, as well as its clear strategies for future investment and improvement in its MES solutions. “ABB’s commitment to a collaborative partnership with Sappi, which supports our aim to innovate for op- erational performance not only through this multi-year implementation but thereafter as well, was also key in our decision to choose ABB.” Steve St Jarre, Global Business Development Manag- er at ABB said, “We are pleased to be supporting Sappi on its digital transformation journey which will help the group realise its operational goals. Our MES will provide transparency across the value chain, and includes op- timisation of material flow within the pulp mills. We are proud to be Sappi’s chosen partner and provide the traceability needed to enable the group to produce the right quantity and quality of any product at the lowest cost, for optimised operations.” The purely software-based 360-degree mover rotation extends the familiar, highly flexible XPlanar movement range by a full degree of freedom. The XPlanar movers can rotate endlessly around their own axes while levitating at selected positions on the system. The rotation can be executed dynamically with a frequency of up to 10 Hz and makes several ground-breaking applications possible. For instance, the mixing of liquids or the 360-degree inspection of objects can be achieved with this addi- tional degree of freedom. Furthermore, the movers can leave the rotation positions with an orientation changed in 90-degree steps, so that the transported workpieces are correctly aligned for the remaining processing steps. The 360-degree mover rotation is made possible by the integration of the XPlanar system into the PC-based control technology from Beckhoff. A simple software update is all that is needed to implement the new rotation function in ex- isting systems. Special hardware products are not required. For more information visit: https://new.abb.com

360° rotation for product transfer in production

The XPlanar planar motor system from Beckhoff enables contactless, parallel and individual transport of products. The XPlanar movers can fly freely in two dimensions over XPlanar tiles and execute lifting movements with a stroke of up to 5 mm. These system properties have been en- hanced with new software-based 360-degree mover ro- tation functionality.

For more information contact Beckhoff Automation. Tel: +27 (0)11 795 2898

The XPlanar movers can rotate through 360 degrees around their own axes and move onward after re-orientation in 90-degree steps.

Email: danep@beckhoff.co.za Visit: www.beckhoff.com/en-za

8 Electricity + Control JULY 2021