COMPETENCE IN PAPER

Newsletter

September 2024

From the board

Association's Board of Directors drives sustainability forward

Dear members and friends of ZELLCHEMING,

The extended board of ZELLCHEMING met at the end of June to set the course for the coming months. Once again, the focus was on a perennial topic: sustainability.

The main question now was: How do we proceed? The topic itself is already firmly anchored in the work of the ZELLCHEMING association and will be supported by contributions from the technical committees as part of the technical program of Expo 2025. It could therefore be enriched with further facets: The goal of developing a definition of sustainability adapted to the circumstances of the association emerged, accompanied by the idea of looking at the overall structure, i.e. including technology, processes and people. This definition will be developed and adopted in the coming weeks. It will form the basis for the appointment of a sustainability spokesperson for each technical committee, who will collect topics and report to the ZELLCHEMING main committee.

Elements were then compiled as a basis for discussion for the various technical committees. Keywords here include local and district heating, waste heat recovery, energy efficiency, e.g. in the water balance, or the use of rejects and consideration of secondary cycles.

In principle, it seemed sensible to open up the technical committees to work on this topic: for example, to start-ups or representatives of industrial development departments, or to targeted cooperation with universities.

Research results from the scientific or business environment could also be useful additions, as could projects initiated by the association, which could then be broken down into practical aspects and tested for their relevance to the industry.  

We are very pleased with the results of the meeting, which show that our association is clearly driving forward the important issue of sustainability, pooling resources and strengthening cooperation within the network!

Prof. Dr. Helga Zollner-Croll, Chairwoman
Dr.-Ing. Frank Meltzer, Vice Chairman

From the office

ZELLCHEMING-Expo 2024: Positive feedback and promising perspectives

The run-up to ZELLCHEMING-Expo 2024 was already a success - the number of exhibitors and the amount of exhibition space sold had increased significantly - and now the feedback from visitors was very positive:

• 80% of the visitors were satisfied or very satisfied with the event.
• In particular, 86% felt that the opportunity to meet with exhibitors was a success.
• An even higher result was achieved by the networking opportunities, which were praised by almost 90% of the participants.
• Three-quarters (75%) of attendees rated the quality of the lecture program at the conference as high..
• Almost 90% of the visitors rated the importance of the ZELLCHEMING-Expo as high and the same number would recommend the event to others.
• Almost 65% of this year's participants are already planning to attend Expo 2025.

The feedback from the exhibitors was also positive, which is clearly reflected in the pre-bookings: almost 40 companies, including many well-known suppliers, have already booked for ZELLCHEMING-Expo 2025, and more than 1,000 square meters have already been firmly reserved.

"In addition, it is already apparent that there will also be heavyweight newcomers at the corporate level next year," explains Petra Hanke, Managing Director of ZELLCHEMING Service GmbH. "We are also seeing a further increase in interest from abroad in exhibiting.

Women4Paper: Internal and external speaking engagements planned

The Women4Paper mentoring program has been running for two years. It aims to encourage young women to pursue a career in the paper industry and help them break into a male-dominated sector. The first mentor-mentee tandems have already completed the pilot year of the program.

The Women4Paper Meetings & Workshops take place quarterly, as online meetings and as an event at the ZELLCHEMING-Expo.

Representatives from Women4Paper will enrich the Paper Engineers' Symposium on October 11 in Munich with a session on diversity.  The focus will be on how the strengths of women can contribute to the added value of a company. Recent studies show that mixed teams work more successfully and make better decisions than homogeneous groups.

The next regular Women4Paper online meeting will take place on October 21. Topic: "Networks and networking - learning from other women's networks and how to use LinkedIn successfully". Sigrid Tertinegg, Marketing Manager at GAW technologies, will explain why professional networking is especially important for women and how they can best update their profile and post, like and comment.

If you would like to participate in Women4Paper or simply find out more, please contact Cornelia Gembus.

From the association

Eugen-Lendholt-Medal awarded to Holger Baumgartner

The commemorative coin is awarded for outstanding technical, scientific and/or entrepreneurial achievements that have particularly advanced the paper industry. The commitment that Holger Baumgartner has shown in various functions, including as president of ZELLCHEMING and through his active participation in various working groups, was recognized as outstanding by the laudator, Claus Palm. In particular, the fact that Holger Baumgartner has always motivated and supported the employees of Mativ, formerly Neenah Gessner, to participate in various ZELLCHEMING activities was a decisive argument for the honorary committee to award him this important distinction.

Holger Baumgartner, born in the Sauerland region of Germany, is a third-generation papermaker who, with his son Kilian, has already successfully brought the fourth generation into the industry. He studied in Munich and, despite all the metamorphoses, has remained loyal to one company, rising from plant manager to member of the management board.

"What was really important here was working as a team with my colleagues. I know some of the stories and activities you did with your team. This has strengthened the team spirit and you can really feel it when you walk around the company. The first major investment you were responsible for was the impregnation plant #3 in 2008, which is still one of the top plants today. This was followed by various investments in meltblown lines, the latest this year, in winders, an R&D center and a new canteen. The machines were all designed by you and came from various suppliers. So you have always kept your business secrets," continued Claus Palm in his speech. "You are very proud of your two factories, their employees and their quality. If a customer keeps complaining and you are convinced that the quality is right, it can happen that the boss himself travels abroad in a suit and tie. You look at the customer's machine, take off your jacket, roll up your sleeves and get into the machine. A screwdriver and a few minutes later, the machine was running better than ever. That's the way to work: make decisions, get involved, and do it all in a friendly, approachable way.

Holger Baumgartner has been closely associated with the ZELLCHEMING association for almost 40 years.  He has chaired the Technical Committee for Education and Training (EDUC) and also chaired the Technical Committee for Paper Production (PMAK) for four years. He was chairman of ZELLCHEMING for two years (the first non-Darmstadt graduate) and is still active in the advisory board of ZELLCHEMING.

We are happy to welcome new ZELLCHEMING members!

A warm welcome to the ZELLCHEMING association to:

• Batu Durgundegil, SAGA Ambalaj ve Kagitcilik Tekstil San.ve Tic. Ltd. Sti.
• Viktoria Hötzendorfer, Röchling Industrial Oepping GmbH & Co. KG
• Dominik Huber, Kürzeder und März Bleichhilfsmittel
• Wilhelm Klemm, Kürzeder und März Bleichhilfsmittel
• Martin Lemke, Essity Operations Mannheim GmbH
• Dr. Galip Özbas, Schaefer Kalk GmbH & Co. KG
• David Puddiphat, ChromaScape
• Jochen Rapp, Buchmann GmbH
• Lukas Schell, Revoltech GmbH
• Randolf Vogelsang, ChromaScape
• Timo Wirth, Essity Operations Mannheim GmbH

Good reasons to join ZELLCHEMING

Stefan Geisbüsch, Project Management EMSR Moritz J. Weig GmbH & Co. KG

• What role does the paper, pulp or fiber-based industry play for you/your company/institute?

  As an employee of a family-owned company that produces cardboard from recovered paper for folding cartons and gypsum board, the reference is omnipresent.

  We are a service provider along the entire value chain of recycling, board production and further processing with a correspondingly wide range of tasks in "our" paper industry.

• What made you decide to become a member of ZELLCHEMING?

  The (paper) process industry places high demands on the quality and availability of electrical equipment, control systems and regulations and therefore offers a wide field of application for my electrical engineering studies.

  Constant contact with industrial service providers and other members of the "ZELLCHEMING community" is essential for the further development of technical systems and their possibilities.

• In what way would you like to contribute to ZELLCHEMING?
  I am involved in the Electrical and Automation Engineering Subcommittee (ENEN 2).

Dates

• 26 September 2024
  Meeting Technical Committee Plant Engineering and Energy (ENEN)
• 27 September 2024
  Regional group West VPM Papiermacherstammtisch (Regulars' table) from 18 hrs in Brauhaus, Annaplatz 1, 52349 Düren
• 29 October 2024
  Meeting Technical Committee Recovered Paper Utilization (RECO)
• 6 November 2024
  Meeting Technical Committee Cellulose and Cellulose Derivates (CELL)
• 12 November 2024
  Meeting Technical Committee Paper Making (PMAK)
• 14 November 2024
  Meeting Technical Committee Chemical Pulping (CHEP)
  Meeting Technical Committee Data Management (DATA)
• 15 November 2024
  Meeting Regional Groups South VPM/ZELLCHEMING
• 19 November 2024
  Meeting Technical Subcommittee Electrical and Automation Engineering (ENEN2)
• 21 November 2024
  Meeting Technical Committee Finishing and Processing of Paper and Board (AWPK)

From the membership

Ecofario: Nominee for German Sustainability Award

ZELLCHEMING member company Ecofario has been nominated for the German Sustainability Award in the "Water Supply" category.

This is the second time that the company, which has set itself the goal of revolutionizing the treatment of process water, has received one of these prestigious awards.  

The positive development is accompanied by an expansion of the team: the company is currently looking for a process engineer for technical sales.

Bellmer strengthens local presence in Brazil

ZELLCHEMING member company Bellmer has signed an agreement to acquire Metal Service, a stock preparation and paper machine specialist based in Rio do Sul, Santa Catarina, Brazil. According to the supplier, the employees of Metal Service are a suitable and welcome addition to the Bellmer team.

Over the past two decades, Metal Service has built a strong product portfolio and established itself as a reliable supplier of stock preparation technology, paper machines and services in Brazil and Latin America. According to Bellmer, the objective now is to further expand the separation business in Brazil and to benefit from greater customer proximity. The transaction is expected to close by the end of the year.

From the network

Invitation to the papermakers' get-together in Düren

The VPM Regional Group West cordially invites you to the Brauhaus, Annaplatz 1, 52349 Düren, on Friday, September 27, 2024, starting at 18:00. With this location the responsible persons would like to support an old and traditional location. There are enough seats reserved to discuss current professional and private topics.

Binding registration is requested by mid-September, preferably by email or phone (+49 2421 802-526) to Janek Schiefer. As always, everyone is responsible for their own food and beverages.

Regional Groups South VPM/ZELLCHEMING: Invitation to the Fall Meeting

You are cordially invited to the fall conference on November 15, 2024 from 9:30 a.m. at Papierfabrik Palm GmbH & Co. KG in Aalen, Germany. Behind the conference motto “Investing in sustainability - Palm sets new standards at its headquarters” are great presentations, which will certainly generate a high added value in the daily working environment, according to the organizers.

It is not only the PM 5 paper machine with its globally unique innovations that will take center stage on this day. Technical presentations on the other key components - stock preparation, power plant and cooling - will round off the series of lectures. Of course, the conference is open to friends, interested members of other associations and life partners - even if they are not (yet) members of our associations. In order to have enough time to network and exchange ideas with each other, it will again be possible to arrive the evening before. Over dinner together on 14.11. from 19:00 in the Aalen restaurant “Wilhelmshöhe” (Stuttgarter Straße 55, 73430 Aalen), current topics can already be discussed in a relaxed atmosphere. The dinner and drinks on November 14 are being sponsored this year by the companies BM Green Cooling, Valmet, Villforth Siebtechnik GmbH and Wolf Heilmann GmbH.

Palm will host the conference on Friday. As the main sponsor, the company will provide conference rooms, a behind-the-scenes tour of the plant in the afternoon, and refreshments.

A block of rooms has been reserved at the MAXX Hotel in Aalen under the keyword "Herbsttagung VPM & ZELLCHEMING Süd". Please make your own reservations by September 30. The number of participants is limited to 40 persons. The order of registration is decisive.

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