Mastering tissue production to reach new records

Fine Hygienic Holding (FHH) ran their machine at this record speed continuously for 24 hours. To achieve this world-class level of operational excellence, many things have to come together. First, the running conditions need to be perfect, with optimized process settings, chemistry, raw material and production planning. The application of autonomous and preventive maintenance programs, continuous improvements, and corrective maintenance is also essential. But even more important is the capability building of each and every one of the team in technology, operation, AM systems, PM systems and focused improvement.

The Al Nakheel mill in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, is the home of the Valmet Advantage DCT 200 record-breaking machine.

“I’m very proud of this fabulous performance. To achieve a world record demands two major things: a world class team and world class equipment. The team showed anything is possible when you have absolute focus, engagement, enthusiasm and skills,” says Wolfgang Lied, Chief of Operations, Product development and Engineering at Fine Hygienic Holding.

Heading for the best

Elia Nuqul established Fine Hygienic Holding in Jordan in 1952. Today, they operate 10 tissue paper factories in Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Starting as a converting company and developing into tissue production, they have been on a steady growth path and are today considered to be one of the leading tissue companies in the MENA region. Their strategy has always been to employ the best technologies, people and suppliers to produce high-quality tissue products.

This great achievement was reached while producing 13.2 gsm facial tissue at 96.5% efficiency. It is just amazing!

The collaboration with Valmet started in 1990 with the delivery of a tissue machine to the Al Bardi mill in Egypt. Valmet has since supplied an additional three tissue machines to the company. The most recent is an Advantage DCT 200 line equipped with the latest technology, which started up at the Al Nakheel mill in Abu Dhabi in September 2017.

Waheed Al-Qannas, Mill Sales Manager, Valmet, Samir Masoud, Fine HH, and Kent Nika, Sales Director, Valmet, are impressed with the great achievement of dedicated people, the best technology, and the long and fruitful collaboration between Fine HH and Valmet.

“The main enablers of this huge achievement were the team’s capability and Valmet’s robust technology,” says Khalil Shorbaji, PM 5 Operations Manager at Al Nakheel in Abu Dhabi.

Abdelhadi Alhader, Technical Support Manager, Fine Hygienic Holding.

Samir Masoud, UAE Supply Chain Director at Fine Hygienic Holding.

Challenging the status quo

Confident in the robust Valmet technology and highly skilled people with their can-do attitude, the Al Nakheel team decided to optimize the tissue machine performance to increase capacity and boost volume. The journey began in June 2022, running at 2,000 m/min. Two months later, they were already operating at 2,100 m/min. After careful validation and inspection of critical equipment and parameters, including the whole production system from stock preparation to the tissue machine, winder, and wrapping/packing unit, they geared up to 2,200 m/min. The Advantage DCT machine has performed very stably and reliably throughout the journey to gear up the machine speed from the previous 2,000 meters per minute to where they are today. April 2023 saw a historic moment when they achieved the world record speed of 2,222 m/min for 24 hours.

We also lowered the carbon footprint in compliance with the sustainability goals.

“This great achievement was reached while the machine was producing 13.2 gsm facial tissue at 96.5% efficiency. It is just amazing!” Samir Masoud, UAE Supply Chain Director at Fine Hygienic Holding says.

Sustainability is important to FHH. They were the first paper mill to sign the United Nations Global compact. They adopt best practices to conserve resources – for example, water reservation, water treatment, waste recycling, replacing heavy fuels and reducing CO2 emissions. Of course, it was a challenge to ensure a low environmental footprint while increasing the speed.

“This huge accomplishment was coupled with great savings. While reducing energy and water consumption, we also lowered the carbon footprint in compliance with the sustainability goals to pass on a healthy environment to the next generation,” concludes Abdelhadi Alhader, Technical Support Manager, Fine Hygienic Holding. 

The company’s culture and the mill team’s “can-do” attitude influences everyone, from management to operators.

Text Katarina Åhsberg

PHOTOS Fine Hygienic Holding