COMPETENCE IN PAPER

Newsletter

February 2025

From the board

Join us in celebrating and looking forward!

In 2025, ZELLCHEMING - the Association of Pulp and Paper Chemists and Engineers - will look back on 120 years of association history. At the same time, the ZELLCHEMING-Expo will celebrate its 75th anniversary next year. We have decided to combine the two anniversaries - and celebrate 195 years in style!

This impressive number is the result of a unique success story that is due to the commitment and work of our members in the professional and technical committees and the association's management. These committees and their initiatives have been and continue to be instrumental in shaping the economic development and political framework conditions of our industry - in Germany, Europe and worldwide. The ZELLCHEMING-Expo, a trade fair that attracts several thousand visitors every year, is an expression and proof of this close and fruitful interaction.

With this in mind, and as a sign of special appreciation, the Association invites all ZELLCHEMING members to attend Expo 2025 free of charge! You will receive an email in the next few days with a personal voucher code to be redeemed at our ticket shop.

Save the Date

Mark your calendars for the General Assembly 2025: It will be held on July 2 from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the RMCC.

As the crowning event of the 195th anniversary celebrations, we are planning the so-called ZELLCHEMING Celebration Gala under the motto "Shaping the future together" - a kind of premium summer evening. The Terrace Hall of the RheinMain Congress Center will provide the perfect, elegant setting for this unique event: the gala evening will highlight the various aspects and milestones of the association's development with an individual touch.

My ZELLCHEMING moment

We would like to celebrate the many experiences that ZELLCHEMING has already given us and at the same time look into the future and present a generation-spanning idea for the future of the ZELLCHEMING association! We are counting on you to make this gala evening a unique event for the association and our industry! Please send us a short video until March 21^st with the following topic My ZELLCHEMING Moment!

The content can be anything you like. It can be a personal experience, a description of a milestone for the association, or simply an experience in a role such as chairman of a technical committee - or even a wish or expectation for the association and its members.

The length can also vary, from 30 seconds to 3 minutes. The format should be as simple as possible, such as YouTube shorts or Instagram reels, or simply a cell phone video (preferably vertically oriented, with a 16:9 aspect ratio and a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels). Of course, we also welcome professional shots. Please email your video to tobias.hoenig@hoenig-messemanagement.com. If the file size is too large to send by email (max. 10 MB), please use services such as WeTransfer (free, no registration required).

We are already looking forward to the recordings and are sure that the contributions will be an important enrichment for the event!

Tickets for the ZELLCHEMING Celebration Gala are now available at the ticket shop. Please order your tickets for this special event as soon as possible, as they are limited!

Kick-off meeting of the main committee

The main committee of the ZELLCHEMING association met on January 16. The meeting took place at the TU Darmstadt. Participation was possible on-site and online.  On the agenda were the mission statement of the association, which was extended by the topic of sustainability, and the role descriptions for the different positions in the committees.

Participants ZELLCHEMING main committee meeting on January 16, 2025 at the TU Darmstadt

There was constructive input for minor adjustments to the mission statement, which were taken up by the board. The updated Mission Statement can be downloaded here.

Some aspects have also been added to the role descriptions in order to standardize the tasks and rules across the committees. To the final versions (in German language):

• Role description Fachausschuss-Leiter (Technical Committee Chairman)
• Role description stellvertretender Fachausschuss-Leiter(Technical Committee Deputy Chairman)
• Role description Fachausschuss-Schriftführer ((Technical Committee Secretary)
• Role description Regionalgruppenleiter (Regional Group Chairman)
• Role description Beiratsmitglied (Member Advisory Board)
• Role description Mitglied Ehrungskommission (Member Honours Committee)

We currently have open board positions in the North and West Regional Groups. We welcome nominations from all areas of our association. We were able to appoint a new board member for the Regional Group South: Daniel Wätzig, BTG, will take over this important task together with Thomas Villforth, Villforth Siebtechnik! For the Regional Group East a cooperation with the VPM East is being examined.

ZELLCHEMING Conference and Fiber Symposium

The Main Committee also looked back at the events of the fall, such as the International Paper Physics Symposium (IPPS) in Wuppertal, which was outstanding with 100 participants from 4 continents. Presentation topics ranged from fiber chemistry/physics to paper in new applications. The Fiber Symposium held in Dresden in December in cooperation with PTS for the first time was also very well received. An online follow-up event is already being planned.

We are looking forward to a festive and eventful year!

The ZELLCHEMING Board

Women4Paper advisory board meeting

The Women4Paper Advisory Board held an online meeting in January to prepare for this year's activities. Monika Kopra-Schäfer, one of the first members of the advisory board, passed the baton to her successor, Donata Kollmar. In a statement, Donata said: "What is particularly impressive about Women4Paper is the cross-industry networking: from suppliers to machine manufacturers to production. The diversity of the structures represented offers a broad perspective. This encourages an open exchange about common challenges and problems, a real added value for all involved".

Donata Kollmar

We are happy to welcome new members again this month!

We welcome to the ZELLCHEMING association:

• Luca Billi, A.Celli Paper (IT)
• Martin Büchel, MM Gernsbach GmbH
• Yaqing Duan, AustroCel Hallein GmbH (AT)
• Stefan Ebert-Schulz, R.D.M. Arnsberg GmbH
• Danny Eckhardt, Halle Karton GmbH
• Dr. Andreas Haas, Papierfabrik Palm GmbH & Co. KG
• Andrea Hoppe, ORGLMEISTER Infrarot-Systeme GmbH & Co. KG
• Maximilian Kox, Lebbing automation & drives GmbH
• Guido Lebbing, Lebbing automation & drives GmbH
• Hendrik Lehmann, Papier- und Kartonfabrik Varel GmbH & Co. KG
• Simone Morgatini, A.Celli Paper (IT)
• Mark Müller, ORGLMEISTER Infrarot-Systeme GmbH & Co. KG
• Laila Nazari, Petrofer Chemie H.R. Fischer GmbH
• Gottfried Scheipl, Schulverein der österreichischen Papierindustrie e.V. (AT)
• Peter Schwarz, Sappi Alfeld GmbH

Good reasons to join ZELLCHEMING

Stefanie Gross Belduma, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna (AT)

• What role does the pulp, paper and fiber industry play for you/your company?

  It is important for me to discuss current issues and gain insight into which topics are particularly relevant in the industry and why.
  My concerns and interests include the careful use of resources and the industry's ability to innovate.

• What made you become a member of ZELLCHEMING?

  Curiosity about the possibilities offered by a platform for professional exchange.

• In what way would you like to get involved in ZELLCHEMING?
  As a PhD student I would like to exchange ideas.

Dates

• 6 March2025
  Meeting Technical Committee Data Management (DATA)
• 1 April 2025
  Sitzung Fachausschuss Recycling Paper Utilization (RECO)
  Sitzung Fachausschuss Paper Making (PMAK)
• 10 April 2025
  Sitzung Fachausschuss Plant Engineering and Energy (ENEN)
• 23 April 2025
  Sitzung Fachausschuss Finishing of Paper and Paperboard (FPPB)
• 21 May 2025
  Meeting Technical Committee Environmental Issues (ENVI)
• 2 July 2025
  Meeting Technical Committee Microbiology (MBIO)
• 3 July 2025
  Meeting Technical Committee Paperboard Technology (PBTC)

From the technical committees

Meeting ZELLCHEMING Technical Committee Plant Engineering and Energy (ENEN)

The fall meeting of the ZELLCHEMING technical committee Plant Engineering & Energy (ENEN) took place at the end of September at KANZAN Spezialpapiere GmbH in Düren. The participation of 24 members and guests once again demonstrated the importance of this event. The program included presentations on spare parts management by SPARETECH and on accidents and occupational illnesses in our industry by the Berufsgenossenschaft Rohstoffe und chemische Industrie (BG RCI). As always, there was a lively exchange of professional experiences and an interesting social program. During a factory tour, KANZAN gave the participants an insight into the production of innovative and customized thermal papers.

Many thanks to Birgit Lersch and Volker Krug for the excellent preparation and organization! The Technical Committee is already looking forward to the next meeting in spring 2025.

Meeting ZELLCHEMING Technical Committee Paperboard Technology (PBTC)

The Paperboard Technology (PBTC) Technical Committee met on November 13^th at the Mayr-Melnhof Količevo d.o.o. board mill in Domžale, Slovenia, with 11 participants. The guests were warmly welcomed at a dinner the evening before. The organization by Mr. Michael Petchacher and his team was excellent.

Highlights of the meeting:

• Plant tour and company presentation by Mayr-Melnhof.
• Discussion of membership recruitment measures.
• Preparation of the ZELLCHEMING Expo 2025, including a planned series of lectures on sustainability.
• Presentation by Kappa Star / UMKA on "Dryness improvements after the press section" with practical optimization solutions.

Conclusion:
The event provided valuable insights and productive discussions. Special thanks to Mayr-Melnhof Količevo d.o.o. for their hospitality. The participants are optimistic about ZELLCHEMING-Expo 2025 and future projects.

Data Management and Digitization as Core Topics in the ZELLCHEMING Technical Committee DATA

On November 14th, the ZELLCHEMING technical committee Data Management (DATA) met at SCHOELLERSHAMMER GmbH in Düren. The meeting offered exciting insights into current developments and discussions about the future of data management in the paper industry.

The agenda was varied:

• A review of the results of the survey "Status Quo Digitalization in the Paper Industry" from ZELLCHEMING Expo 2024 showed how crucial the topics of data collection, processing and use are for the progress of the industry.
• The discussion on sustainability and digitization highlighted the importance of a clean database for the digital product passport and sustainability reporting.
• An inspiring presentation on knowledge management in production by Andre Schult of peerox GmbH rounded off the session.

A highlight was the tour of the SCHOELLERSHAMMER plant - many thanks to Christoph Nahrath and his colleagues for their hospitality and insights into their production processes! Especially the student guests were very impressed!

Are you interested in getting involved in these future-oriented topics? Please contact Rosario Othen or Dr. Jörg Padberg!

From the regional groups

Annual Fall Meeting of the Southern Regional Groups of VPM Munich and ZELLCHEMING: Huge Success!

On the previous evening, the participants met for networking at the Restaurant Wilhelmshöhe in Aalen. Nearly 40 industry experts exchanged news and challenges of our industry in a relaxed atmosphere. Special thanks to the sponsors and friends of AGRANA Starch, BM Green Cooling GmbH, Valmet, Villforth Siebtechnik GmbH and wolf heilmann - products for the paper industry.

The conference on November 19th was fully booked with almost 50 members from both associations. With the motto "Innovations in Sustainability - Palm sets new standards at the company headquarters" the organizers hit the nail on the head.

After welcoming speeches by the three board members, new elections were held for both associations. First, however, Siegfried Fuchs, the long-time chairman of the ZELLCHEMING Regional Group South, was bid farewell. Mr. Fuchs will enter the passive part of his partial retirement in April 2025 and was therefore not available for a further term of office. Holger Baumgartner thanked Mr. Fuchs on behalf of both associations for his support with words and a small gift. "A heartfelt thank you, dear Sigi, for your many years of loyalty and solidarity with our two associations!"

The following were unanimously elected

VPM Regional Group South:
1st Chairman: Christian Strohschein (Valmet GmbH)
2nd Chairman: Felix Hiller (Papierfabrik Palm)

ZELLCHEMING Regional Group South:
1st Chairman: Thomas Villforth (Villforth Siebtechnik)
2nd Chairman: Daniel Wätzig (BTG GmbH)

Many thanks to the chairmen for their dedication!

Then the conference began. Stephan Gruber (M.D. & COO Palm Papier) welcomed the participants and conveyed warm greetings from Dr. Wolfgang Palm and Dr. Marina Palm. Stephan Gruber gave an overview of the upcoming presentations and introduced the participants to the topic.
Felix Hiller (Palm) presented the 150 year history of Palm. Axel Gommel (Voith) explained the advantages and special features of the BluePulp and Green Pulping Systems concept. For Valmet, Christian Strohschein presented the layout and the many innovations of the world's largest corrugated base paper machine PM 5 and the world's fastest drum winder. Dr. Hermann Schwarz (Siemens Energy) then took the participants on a tour of the power plant. A world first has also been installed here. The gas turbine is prepared for the use of hydrogen, making it the first of its kind in the world. Finally, Eberhard Knödler (BM Green Cooling) presented the possibilities for energy-efficient cooling of switch rooms and waste water with simultaneous waste heat utilization. Each presentation was followed by lively and in-depth discussions on the presented sub-projects.

After the lunch break, three groups went on a tour of the plant, led by three Munich graduates - Alexander Kanditt (Plant Manager), Kilian Baumgartner (Head of Technology) and Felix Hiller (Head of Project Technology).

Starting with the fully covered recovered paper store, the VOITH stock preparation system, the PM 5, the VALMET winder and the Siemens Energy power plant, the tour continued to the last innovation of the day: a fully automated finished roll store.

The tour and the technical questions rounded off a very successful conference - almost a small symposium - at the Aalen paper mill.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our sponsors and a special thanks to the Palm Group for their great support!

From the office

Starting signal for ZELLCHEMING-Expo 2025

ZELLCHEMING-Expo 2025 continues to gain momentum. By the end of January, we had already registered 65 exhibitors and 8 co-exhibitors. The amount of booked space is 1,500 m2, which is more than last year.

All activities in preparation for ZELLCHEMING-Expo 2025 are on schedule: The hall is being planned with the best possible capacity utilization, the preliminary hall plan is available and placement offers have been sent out. The networking events Get Together (stand parties on the first evening of the fair), Women4Paper Event and Lunch as well as the ZELLCHEMING Celebration Gala and the ZELLCHEMING Career Day are part of the overall concept of the Expo.

From the membership

New member of the management team at Drewsen Spezialpapiere

At the beginning of the year, Amir Mirsakarimi joined the management of the ZELLCHEMING member company DREWSEN SPEZIALPAPIERE GmbH & Co. KG at the beginning of the year. This year he will work together with Dr. Matthias Rauhut before taking over the sole management of the company in January 2026. Amir Mirsakarimi has extensive experience in the paper and paper converting industry. Since 2015, he has gained valuable management and technical knowledge in various key positions in paper production. Most recently, as Mill Manager at DREWSEN, he made a significant contribution to the further development of the company.

Prior to joining DREWSEN SPEZIALPAPIERE, he worked as Mill Manager at Klingele Paper & Packaging Group from 2019 to 2022, having held the position of Mill Manager from 2015 to 2018.

The company also announced the acquisition of PORTALS PAPERS LTD, a renowned British manufacturer of high security papers and market leader in passport papers. At a time when counterfeits are increasingly easy to produce and distribute, the merger represents a significant development to ensure the highest level of anti-counterfeiting protection, according to a statement.

Amir Mirsakarimi

From the network

New board of the APV Dresden

The APV Dresden elected a new board of directors at the general meeting on October 11th:

1st Chairman: Dipl.-Ing. Falk Friedrich, LEIPA Georg Leinfelder GmbH
2nd chairwoman: Dipl.-Ing. Carolin Osthaar, Head of Paper Production PM4 Felix Schoeller Group

Congratulations and we look forward to working with you!

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