New information system offers manistique better access to process and quality data

Pulp & Paper, Jun 1998 by Yeager, Bob

HE NEW INFORMATION SYSTEM has taught us that we've often basked in misimpressions," says Leif Christensen, president and general manager, Manistique Papers Inc., Manistique, Mich. Christensen's remark refers to the new insights gained from the company's recently-installed millwide information system, which includes grade management software and a process information system. At Manistique, these two systems work together to form an integrated process and quality management solution. It has already enabled changes that have sharply improved customer service, increased sales force efficiency, and helped boost productivity throughout the mill.

Manistique produces newsprint and groundwood specialty papers for printers and publishers that require high runnability and print quality. Raw materials consist of 100%-recycled high-quality coated papers from magazines, books, inserts, catalogues, stripped waste, and trimmings. These raw materials are recycled through a 13-stage deinking and purification process into strong, highquality fiber for the mill's twin-wire 4,250 fpm paper machine.

Though a smaller mill, Manistique has continually been a leader in applying distributed information and control technology. Two paper machine scanners and a modern distributed control system (DCS),with over 1,000 automatic control loops, keep the pulping processes and paper machine running smoothly while a millwide network enables data communications among all the PCs in the mill. Over the years, our abiding faith in technology has enabled us to continually improve quality and customer service," adds Christensen, "while making giant productivity increases as well."

CUSTOMER SERVICE DRIVES SYSTEM PURCHASE. As a specialty newsprint producer, Manistique is in a highlycompetitive business where responsive customer service is required. Understanding this need, the mill determined that its traditional manner of handling customer concerns was no longer adequate.

Traditionally, the customer called with a complaint, the salesperson promised to look into it and call back, and then searched through files of printed reports until they found the quality data for the job in question.They then called the customer a day or two later to resolve the complaint. That level of response was satisfactory in the past, but is not in today's environment.

"We are increasingly becoming a specialty mill," says Nancy Krusik, inside sales manager."Specialty customers are very demanding. They place smaller orders more frequently, need just-in-time deliveries, and want quality data with one phone call.' This need for ondemand quality information called for an electronic information system, one that would retain all laboratory quality data (and perhaps even paper machine scanner data) and recall it instantly by customer reel or roll.

In addition, mill operations and engineering people yearned for access to the thousands of points of process data within the mill's DCS.

"With all our digital controls, we were awash in valuable process information," says Christensen. "We just couldn't capture and package it conveniently for later review and analysis, which we felt was key to further quality and process improvement.'

Two objectives then became clear. First, Manistique needed to make historic quality data instantly available on demand. Second, the mill needed the capability to store process and quality data for later review and analysis.Taken together, these were difficult objectives since they required the collection and integration of both continuous process data and discrete event-driven data as well.

"We finally determined that we wanted electronic access to any available data in the mill, says Dean Culliton, general manager, process and information systems. So, a multi-departmental team spent a year looking at all types of information systems-meeting with suppliers, visiting other mills, and reviewing proposals.

After reviewing available information systems, Manistique chose GradeBook grade management software from Mountain Systems Inc. and the PI process information system from OSI Software. "The combination of GradeBook's handling of discrete data and PI's storage of continuous data came closest to meeting our needs, explains Culliton.

In addition, both software products also adhere rigorously to Microsoft standards, which made them compatible with the Windows operating environment and application programs (for example, Word, Excel, and Access) used throughout the mill.'The Microsoft standards gave us an extra degree of comfort, knowing that the products were compatible with all of the Windows desktop software in our mill," says Culliton.

In late 1996, Manistique ordered the process information and grade management software. "The package allowed us to capture virtually all process, production, and quality information in real time, describes Culliton, .and recall it by grade, reel, or customer order for any time period. That looked really powerful."

"FAST-TRACK" IMPLEMENTATION. We knew our broad needs but weren't able to write a detailed job scope," says Culliton, "so we relied heavily on the suppliers for useful recommendations."