- ITC Paperboards and Specialty Papers, which is among the country’s most technologically advanced and eco-friendly paper businesses, has upgraded to ABB’s Slice xP (II) Profiler system, an actuator for slice lip weight control
- ABB India’s Pulp & Paper Quality Control Systems (QCS) team completed remote commissioning as part of a modernization project at the mill in West Bengal state
- Switch to the latest system enhances reliability and accuracy, with the fastest possible recovery from grade changes and process upsets
ABB has successfully completed the installation and remote commissioning of the Slice xP (II) Profiler system, an actuator for slice lip weight control, at ITC Paperboards and Specialty Papers’ Tribeni mill in West Bengal, India.
The project, managed by the specialist Quality Control Systems (QCS) team at ABB India, included the replacement of ABB’s existing cross-direction (CD) weight control system (Slice Profiler) with the latest Slice xP (II) Profiler under product phase out notification. The Slice xP (II) is ABB’s latest actuator technology for slice lip weight control head boxes and falls within the weight extended profiling (xP) family designed to meet exacting specifications that exceed process requirements.
ABB completed the remote commissioning at ITC Paperboards and Specialty Papers’ Tribeni mill in West Bengal, India. 
ABB's Slice xP (II) Profiler system
As a result of the upgrade to Slice xP, which is easy to install and maintain, ITC will benefit from reduced CD profile variability and advanced diagnostics through the built-in monitoring of each actuator. Its high-speed, non-contact positioning sensors ensure precision even after a power loss. This enables mills to achieve a fast recovery from grade changes and process upsets.
ITC’s Tribeni mill has produced a diverse range of industrial and fine papers for more than 50 years, with production capacity standing at 50,000 tons per annum. As well as having all relevant ISO accreditations for quality management, environmental standards and health and safety, ITC is Forest Stewardship Council® - Chain of Custody certified; it uses responsibly produced raw materials including timber sourced from sustainably managed forests.
“The move from a phase out product to a new product not only improves our reliability and achieves higher maintenance, but it also reduces our risk of breakdown and therefore inventory costs,” said Biplab Bhattacharya, Head of Electrical & Instrumentation at ITC Paperboards and Specialty Papers. “ABB’s well-considered lifecycle policy enabled us to be proactive with our upgrade strategy. The team’s ability to deliver remotely was critical in achieving our modernization goals to schedule.”
“This has been a significant advancement of remote commissioning for ABB, made possible by the team’s strong domain expertise. Despite several challenges related to health and safety, logistics, and the fact it was the first time we’ve had to commission such a system in India using remote support, we are pleased that the entire process went smoothly and without any issues,” said Rajmohan Arumugam, Engineering Manager – QMS at ABB. “The upgrade will help ITC to improve quality and reliability over the actuator’s lifecycle to ensure on-spec paper at the lowest cost.”
The Weight xP actuator family is an integral part of the ABB Ability™ Quality Management System, which is based on the ABB Ability™ System 800xA distributed control system (DCS). It has a more precise non-contacting sensor that does not lose position even after power loss and the state-of-the-art patented Measurement Fusion Techniques – to model the position of the actuator in software and compare this against the position measured by the physical sensor and provide real-time diagnostics performed when the actuator is in motion. The latest actuators are even more accurate, representing the most progressive solution in the field. A removable service module also allows for rapid actuator replacement with no impact on slice lip alignment or profile disturbance.
ABB has an unmatched history of providing superior linear and radial actuator technology. ABB pioneered stepper control of headbox slice spindles in 1985. Since then, close to a thousand headboxes have used ABB actuators and controls to produce CD weight profiles with consistently low variability.
ABB (ABBN: SIX Swiss Ex) is a leading global technology company that energizes the transformation of society and industry to achieve a more productive, sustainable future. By connecting software to its electrification, robotics, automation and motion portfolio, ABB pushes the boundaries of technology to drive performance to new levels. With a history of excellence stretching back more than 130 years, ABB’s success is driven by about 105,000 talented employees in over 100 countries. www.abb.com
ABB Process Automation is a leader in automation, electrification and digitalization for the process and hybrid industries. We serve our customers with a broad portfolio of products, systems, and end-to-end solutions, including our # 1 distributed control system, software, and lifecycle services, industry-specific products as well as measurement and analytics, marine and turbocharging offerings. As the global #2 in the market, we build on our deep domain expertise, diverse team and global footprint, and are dedicated to helping our customers increase competitiveness, improve their return on investment and run safe, smart, and sustainable operations. go.abb/processautomation
