JYVÄSKYLÄ, 4.6.2024. Procemex has been acquired by the international technology Group ANDRITZ. This strategic acquisition marks increased service availability, operational readiness and further strengthens the portfolio of smart- camera-based solutions.
Procemex’s smart camera-based solutions help customers ensure product quality and minimize costly production downtime. With over 20 years of industry experience, Procemex has delivered over 1,000 systems and over 20,000 smart-cameras to customers worldwide. Procemex team consists of more than 100 vision system experts and operates from Finland and subsidiaries in Germany, Japan, and the US.
Procemex operations will continue under the current leadership as well as under the strong product brand of Procemex for Vision System products. Mika Valkonen, the CEO of Procemex says:” We see that this enables Procemex to strengthen its global market leader position in those geographical areas that have not been so strong earlier. ANDRITZ local sales and service presence enhances our capabilities to offer systems with full life cycle services virtually in every part of the world.”
Jarno Nymark, ANDRITZ Executive Board Member responsible for the Pulp & Paper business area, says: “Procemex’s advanced solutions perfectly complement our product portfolio for improving plant operations in the pulp and paper industry. Machine vision systems are a fundamental building block for plant autonomy. We look forward to welcoming the Procemex team to ANDRITZ and working together to provide the best customer support.”
About ANDRITZ ANDRITZ is a globally leading supplier of plants, equipment, automation solutions and services for hydropower stations, the pulp and paper industry, the metalworking and steel industries, as well as environmental and green energy-focused sectors. The listed Group is headquartered in Graz, Austria. ANDRITZ has around 30,000 employees and operates in over 80 countries with 280 locations worldwide.
About Procemex Procemex is the global leader in vision business in pulp and paper industry, specialized in designing and manufacturing smart camera and lighting solutions for integrated web monitoring and web inspection.
Founded in 2000, Procemex has gained leading expertise in the industry and has deliveries in over 40 countries. Procemex has delivered over 1,000 systems and over 20,000 smart cameras. It has a team of more than 100 vision systems experts and operates from Finland and has subsidiaries in Germany, Japan, and the US.
This year, LatamPAPER will be held in Mexico, 12-14 th June opportunities for papermakers from Mexico and across Latin America to explore technological advancements, new insights and network.
We will present Procemex OnePlatform System and the latest AI enhanced Vision Applications at the event’s expo area. Come and meet us in Mexico!
Procemex advanced 3D technology takes defect detection to the next level.
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VIDEO: Detecting small dents and elevated defects with Procemex 3D Defect detection.
Detecting small dents and elevated defects on fast-moving board (folding box board /coated board/liquid packaging board) can be a tough task. The 3D defect detection technology represents a significant advancement over traditional methods.
Traditional inspection methods often rely on 2D imaging, capturing surface irregularities but lacking depth perception. This in most cases leads to a lack of identifying subtle or elevated defects.
High quality 3D images enable a better way to analyze and understand defect root causes. When combining 3D measurement with other measure geometries, a complete analysis can be performed.
With a resolution as fine as 0.1×0.1mm and processing capabilities exceeding 600 MHz, the 3D technology introduced by Procemex operates at a level of detail and speed that significantly surpasses all traditional methods. This allows for detecting 3D defects starting from as small as 100 micrometers on a high-speed machine running at 1000 m/min or even beyond.
Procemex Celebrates Milestone: 1000 System Deliveries Worldwide
Procemex has successfully delivered the 1000th system, marking a significant achievement in its commitment to transforming the paper and board production industry. The 1000th Procemex system is delivered to the US.
With a strong global presence, Procemex has solidified its position as a trusted partner for businesses worldwide seeking cutting-edge solutions for web inspection and monitoring. Repeat orders speak for their language. Some customers have placed repeat orders on Procemex systems 70 times.
In addition to the milestone system deliveries, Procemex has deployed an impressive 20,000 cameras globally, effectively monitoring paper and board production lines across the world. This extensive reach underscores Procemex’s impact on enhancing production efficiency and quality in the industry.
“We are excited to reach this milestone of 1000 system deliveries. Our global footprint, highlights the trust our clients place in Procemex’s advanced One Platform solution,” said Mika Valkonen, the CEO at Procemex.
Procemex remains dedicated to advancing web inspection and monitoring technologies, empowering industries to achieve new levels of efficiency and quality.
Superior UV-light Based Oil Detection in Food Packaging
In the world of food packaging, ensuring the highest quality standards is a top priority. One often-overlooked aspect is the detection of oil defects on packaging boards, a critical element in the food industry. The commonly used traditional detection methods fall short, capturing only around 50% of oil defects. With the patented Procemex UV inspection you get close to 100% certainty in safeguarding your product quality and customer satisfaction.
In this article, we explore why detecting oil defects is crucial, the potential consequences of overlooking them, and how cutting-edge Procemex UV-light-based Web Inspection technology aids in recognizing them in board manufacturing.
Importance of Inspecting Oil Defects
The packaging board acts as the first line of defense for preserving the integrity and safety of food products. Oil defects, if left undetected, can compromise this crucial barrier, and pose serious risks to both the packaged product and consumers. The significance of identifying oil defects lies in maintaining the hygienic and safe qualities of food-grade packaging.
Consequences of Overlooking Oil Defects
Undetected oil defects can lead to contamination of packaged food, risking the health and safety of consumers. The permeability of oil through the packaging material can introduce foreign substances, altering the taste, texture, and quality of the enclosed product. Additionally, oil defects can accelerate the deterioration of food products by promoting oxidation and spoilage. This can result in a significantly reduced shelf life, causing economic losses for both manufacturers and retailers.
In the food industry, regulatory bodies set the standards for packaging materials to ensure consumer safety. Failure to identify and rectify oil defects may lead to non-compliance with these regulations, inviting legal repercussions and damage to a brand’s reputation.
Recognizing Oil Defects with UV-Light
UV-light technology is transforming the oil defect detection on food packaging board with its ability to detect previously invisible oil defects using ultraviolet light. UV-light illuminates oil defects, making them visible on the packaging board.
Certain materials, such as contaminants and oils, can exhibit fluorescence when exposed to UV light. This means that they absorb the UV radiation and re-emit it at longer wavelengths that are visible to the human eye. The fluorescence effect under UV light often provides a higher contrast between defects and the background material. This heightened contrast enhances the visibility of defects, making them stand out more prominently.
Incorporating UV-light into the defect detection process allows manufacturers to identify and address oil defects on the spot, ensuring that only flawless packaging material reaches the next production stages. This gives board manufacturers confidence in identifying and addressing oil defects that might escape detection through traditional methods.
Traditional Oil Detection Technologies
There are different oil defect detection technologies available on the market. The most commonly used technology is the grayscale- and shape-based detection. This commonly used technology can detect up to 50% of Oil defects.
Another quite commonly used way utilizes blue light in oil detection as blue light can cause fluorescence in certain materials and thus increase slightly the contrast of oil defect. The effectiveness of blue light however in triggering fluorescence is considerably lower than that of UV light reaching around 50% detection level.
Benefits of the new Technology
UV-light-based Web Inspection System emerges as a powerful new tool, providing superior visibility and enabling reliable real-time quality control. With the patented Procemex UV-light Web Inspection technology, we reach almost 100% accuracy in inspecting oil defects.
The patented UV-light oil defect detection technology can be integrated into all delivered Procemex Web Inspection systems. Also, to mill’s existing Procemex Web Inspection frames, offering a cost-effective way to elevate your current Web Inspection capabilities.
Are you ready to elevate your commitment to product and customer safety? With Procemex, you are not making compromises; you’re choosing a solution that brings you close to 100% confidence in identifying and addressing oil defects.
The Web Inspection System equipped with patented UV defect detection technology is now available for full-width and high-speed paper and board machines. Please contact our sales team to learn more.
Procemex Smart Camera Excellence Center to a brand-new office in Tampere
We celebrated the opening of our Smart Camera Excellence Center in Tampere, Finland, where more than 20 skilled professionals are developing cutting-edge technology for Procemex smart cameras.
The event was opened by Mika Valkonen, the CEO of Procemex and Antti Kaunonen, Chairman of the Board of Procemex.
We are dedicated to continuously develop our core competence, smart camera technology to meet the evolving needs of our customers. This ensures that our customers worldwide can enjoy superior performance, leading to better product quality and cost efficiency.
Superior Tool for finding Root Causes of Web Breaks
Snap, and it happens. A web break, that mixes up your planned paper production and every operator’s day plan. An event that pushes all other daily tasks aside. To avoid this situation from taking place again, it is important to find the root cause that led to the web break. Luckily your pick up web inspection is there to find the root cause of the web break, which in this case was a tiny fly.
1. Pick-up web inspection frame and a defect image from pick-up section (insect trapped on paper web). 2. Web break caused by insect, defect image from press section.
With the traditional web monitoring cameras located on the sides of the paper web in the press section, you can view only those defects, that are located close to the paper edges. Should the defect be in the middle of the web, the web monitoring cameras aren’t your best tools for finding the defect. And even if the defect was located close to the paper web edges, the traditional web monitoring cameras many times are too dirty to provide sharp enough images that would help you.
This is why pick-up web inspection is a game-changer. A web inspection frame located in the paper machine’s pick-up point captures the defect images sharply and from the entire width of the paper web. And the images taken are crystal sharp due to the revolutionary Procemex ProClean technology. The pick-up web inspection utilizes pinhole cleaning technology where the air is purged through a 5 mm hole to keep the camera lens continuously clean in a dedicated inspection frame. This technology keeps all the cameras inside the frame clean 24/7 assuring, that not a single spot on the paper web doesn’t get left detected.
But why is the pick-up location such a game changer in defect detection? That is because it makes it possible to limit the root cause search to one paper machine section. If the defect is seen in the images captured by the pick-up web inspection, it gives a clear signal, that the search can be targeted to the forming section. On the contrary, if the defect is seen by the pick-up web inspection, the root cause that caused the paper web break must be situated after the pick-up in the press section.
Based on our experience, the web inspection under pick-up offers a better understanding of where to focus machine cleaning actions in order to improve runnability. This information helps operators save valuable time, and to target the root cause search actions in the right areas. In many cases, the defects are caused by dirt that is built up in the paper machine. This offers also meaningful information from a cleaning point of view. To avoid web breaks taking place again for the same reason, these machine parts need to be cleaned more often or more carefully in the future.
Pick-up Web Inspection System is available for full width & high-speed paper machines. Contact our sales team today to discuss more!
Pick-up web inspection frame (located right above the floor).
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VIDEO: Procemex Pick-Up Web Inspection System
Benefits
Understand where your machine runnability improvement work focus should be (former vs press)
Understand better dirt build up patterns over full web width
Control better wire and felt cleaning
Verify felt condition on-line
Control better water removal
Be sure that the problem taking place at press section is not coming from forming section
Customized and visualized reports with Procemex Reporting Engine
Procemex Reporting engine is a user-friendly, and powerful reporting solution for various types of web monitoring and inspection reporting needs. Procemex Reporting Engine enables you to quickly create, customize, and export inspection reports.
Customized, well visualized, and easily exportable web inspection and monitoring reports empower you to make informed decisions, improve product quality, and streamline your production processes.
The Procemex Reporting Engine is a web browser-based tool, that provides both easy and secure access without the need for external software installation. As an integral part of the Procemex Web Monitoring and Inspection System, this reporting tool empowers mill operators and production managers to effortlessly generate insightful reports that provide invaluable insights into your production process.
Customizable Reports with Better Graphical Possibilities
One of the standout features of the Procemex Reporting Engine is its exceptional level of customization. You can tailor your reports to meet your specific needs and preferences. Whether you need to focus on reel details, defect maps, formation, defect details, ATC reel targets, or daily and monthly summaries, this reporting tool can handle it all. The flexibility it offers allows you to create reports that are truly tailored to your requirements. We here at Procemex can also make this report customization for you. Just contact our service sales!
The Procemex Reporting Engine also includes great graphical possibilities. Visualize your data with images, graphs, charts, and diagrams. These visuals make it easier to understand and interpret complex data.
Seamless Export to Standard File Types
Efficiency is at the core of the Procemex Reporting Engine. Once you’ve created your customized report with all the essential details and well visualized graphics, you can effortlessly export it to standard file types. Whether you prefer PDF, Excel, Word, or other common formats, this reporting tool has you covered. Exporting your reports to these formats makes it easy to share with colleagues, superiors, or other stakeholders, supporting decision-making and ensuring everyone stays informed and on the same page. You can also easily share these reports using a secure shared document link.
Reports that Cover Every Aspect of Web Inspection and Monitoring
The Procemex Reporting Engine is designed to meet the diverse reporting needs of mill operators and production managers. Here are some of the key report types you can effortlessly prepare:
Reel Details
Get a comprehensive overview of your production reels, including critical information about their quality.
Reel Details with Defect Map
Visualize the exact locations of defects on your reels, providing valuable insights for quality control.
Formation
Understand the formation of your materials, helping you identify potential issues and optimize your processes.
Defect Details
Create a summary of defects, aiding in root cause analysis and corrective actions and making comparisons.
ATC Reel Targets
Stay on track with your ATC (Automatic Target Control) reel targets, ensuring consistent and high-quality output.
Day Report
Get daily summaries of your web inspection data, facilitating real-time decision-making.
Month Report
Gain a broader perspective with monthly reports, ideal for performance analysis and long-term planning and comparison analysis making.
Web Inspection Reports
Maintenance
• Camera information • Server information
Export Lists
• Analysis auto trigger • Analysis Twin alarms • External trigger • Reels • Splice • Web breaks • Customer specific
Web Monitoring Reports
New Procemex WebAccess 2.0 – EfficientTool for Online Reclamation Handling
WebAccess 2.0 is an online reclamation handling tool, designed to save time, streamline communication, enhance collaboration, and provide secure, user-friendly access to critical data. It revolutionizes the way printing houses and paper suppliers manage quality claims and web break data, benefiting both parties with increased efficiency and reduced downtime.
The new web-based software simplifies the process of gathering information related to web breaks and defected raw materials, transforming the way printing houses and paper suppliers handle quality claims. With WebAccess 2.0, you can say farewell to the traditional methods of exchanging samples and emails. Instead, you gain access to a secure, web browser-based software that streamlines the entire reclamation process.
Here’s how it works
Time and Cost Savings Say goodbye to the time-consuming task of manually collecting and sending samples to paper suppliers related to reclamation handling. WebAccess 2.0 offers an intuitive interface that allows printing house operators to prepare and share reclamation information securely.
Efficient Communication WebAccess 2.0 fosters seamless communication between printing house staff and paper suppliers. All relevant information, including videos, images, and parameters related to web breaks, is readily available within the software. No more reliance on emails or other forms of communication, reducing the risk of miscommunication.
Enhanced Collaboration Collaborate effectively with paper suppliers by sharing critical data. This includes videos, images, and parameters related to web breaks, facilitating better problem-solving and troubleshooting. Quicker resolutions mean reduced production downtime.
User-Friendly Interface WebAccess 2.0 displays information needed in the reclamation handling within an easy-to-use interface. Web break and paper defect information that are seen inside the printing house can be mirrored to the paper supplier. Gathering information for the reclamation handling process and sending this information for review and analysis is quick and easy, requiring just a few clicks.
Additional features and benefits
Evidence and Documentation Maintain unchanged evidence of web breaks for quality control, tracking root causes, and resolving disputes between printing houses and paper suppliers.
Easy and secure Data Access
The software enables easy and secure access to web break videos over the internet. This means that printing press operators and paper suppliers can quickly access the information they need, regardless of their physical location. This can be especially valuable for remote troubleshooting and support.
Improved Security
Protect sensitive printing operation data with secure access and email-based logging authentication. Ensure that only authorized individuals can access confidential information.
How Procemex ProClean Pinhole camera images looked after six months from installation
Case story author: Dika Akilla, Service Engineer of NVG
I have been working in the paper industry for several years in Indonesia. During this time, I have traveled across different areas in Indonesia and visited dozens of paper mills. It has been very exciting to see with my own eyes the extreme conditions, where the paper web monitoring cameras must perform optimally, to provide accurate images to mill operators, enabling them to enhance production line efficiency and recognize paper web defects accurately and on time.
Paper mills today require, that web monitoring cameras provide sharp high-resolution images at the highest machine speeds and requirements. As many of the web monitoring cameras are located in the forming and press section, it is critical to keep cameras and lights clean in harsh environment to deliver excellent images for improved troubleshooting and efficiency.
I thought it would be interesting to take before and after images with Procemex ProClean Pinhole Cameras, and see, how they perform and maintain the image quality in harsh paper mill conditions, six months after installation.
The installation consisted of multiple Procemex ProClean pinhole cameras that monitored different phases of the paper production. The pictures taken present really well, why so many mill operators insist on using Procemex ProClean Pinhole cameras instead of the traditional web monitoring cameras.
The picture on the left column shows the camera image taken on the installation day, and the picture on the right shows the image, that was taken with the same pinhole camera, six months after the installation date. When looking at these images, I am not surprised, why so many paper mills in Indonesia have shifted away from using traditional cameras to Procemex ProClean Pinhole cameras.
Procemex ProClean Pinhole Camera images Before & After 6 months from assembly
About the article Author
Dika Akilla, Service Engineer of NVG (Procemex exclusive partner in South East Asia and China), visiting Procemex Finland having a look on the finalization of the web monitoring and inspection system before it is shipped to Indonesia.
