Think, Connect, Innovate!
2021
What is the calculus of innovation? The calculus of innovation is really quite simple: Knowledge drives innovation, innovation drives productivity, productivity drives economic growth.
William Brody
(born 1944), Scientist
MESSAGE FROM
Steve Binnie
Chief Executive Officer Sappi Limited
Sappi’s Technical Innovation Awards (TIA) underline that innovation, and the work done by our technical teams, are critical to delivering on our Thrive25 strategy. Without new thinking, new products, and new processes we will not succeed.
Each year, Sappi is blessed with strong contenders in our regional TIA competitions. The effort, dedication, and focus of these individuals and teams consistently provide solutions that deliver significant benefit to all our regions, and to Sappi as a group.
These achievements also reflect the collective success in meeting the economic and operational difficulties presented in Covid-19 times. Our technical innovators continue to respond to these challenges by overcoming obstacles, making adaptions, and developing new revenue streams to keep us relevant in our markets and to our customers.
In line with the theme - Think, Connect, Innovate - our 2021 TIA finalists have challenged the status quo by using deep knowledge, clear understanding, and collaborative spirit to apply forward- thinking solutions to improve systems, processes, and products.
They have also demonstrated that Sappi’s values are not mere words, but an ethos that is lived every day - doing business safely, with integrity and courage, making smart decisions that we execute with speed.
A hearty thank you and congratulations to each of our finalists, and the rest of our technical family, for doing a splendid job in driving Sappi towards sustainable success.
MESSAGE FROM
Gary Bowles
Group Head Technology Sappi Limited
Technology software algorithms can be programmed to think, digital systems can connect and communicate with each other and Artificial Intelligence can produce innovative results.
BUT our people are the golden thread to this all, as this year’s entries in the TIA awards have demonstrated. The entries highlighted the power of thinking, connecting and innovating as we drive Sappi forward to a thriving world.
Value delivery is integral to Thrive25 and I’m pleased to say that all the finalists’ projects ticked the boxes for economic and commercial value.
Across the board, the finalists’ projects all aligned with our Thrive25 strategy - growth in packaging, product diversification, efficiency, productivity, and quality, as well as innovative and sustainable solutions which are a mix of new or improved products or optimised processes.
This year we refreshed the TIA process by removing the limit of five people for team recognition. We also introduced a new category: Technical Excellence (projects across a broad range of technical aspects that move the needle in achieving our OneSappi outcomes, but which may not have reached the economic threshold). We also continued with the Commendation Awards (applicable to projects which have not yet reached commercialisation status due to changing or developing market conditions).
All our finalists are winners and their teamwork, attitude and delivery of new products or processes, continuous improvement, using innovative and smart solutions that make a real difference by providing value add is acknowledged and recognised by us all.
MESSAGE FROM
Marco Eikelenboom
Chief Executive Officer Sappi Europe
The past year has proven that even in globally turbulent times, with the Covid-19 pandemic at our heels, our thirst for innovative sustainable solutions has never been greater.
Our 2021 Technical Innovation Awards drew record interest once again, with multi-disciplinary teams coming together to offer the ingenuity and flair that makes us uniquely Sappi.
Our drive to succeed and thrive sets us apart from our competitors and I’m proud and humbled to see that this initiative is growing from strength to strength. It is proof that each one of us has a contribution to make toward our company’s future.
I want to thank all the teams who participated; each helping Sappi to push the boundaries and create the building blocks for the future as we reach toward a thriving world.
In Europe, our 2021 TIA regional winners and finalist teams all saw product development and successful launches that created outstanding solutions and opportunities for Sappi. I was also very excited to see the addition of the Technical Excellence and Commendation categories to our Technical Innovation Awards; both of which will enable greater opportunities to celebrate innovation and encourage real growth.
I look forward to seeing what the TIA has in store in the years ahead.
Think, Connect, Innovate!
2021
European
Regional Winner
Ehingen Mill Fusion Nature Plus
Market demand for sustainable packaging to substitute plastic is growing stronger yearly. Our customers need paper and packaging solutions, and they offer paper producers the opportunity to diversify and expand their product portfolios.
Following the resounding success of Fusion Topliner, produced at Ehingen Mill, our customers wanted more choice. The Incubate to Innovate agile unit facilitated the development of an extended Fusion portfolio- the first pigmented liner with outstanding print and cost performance. A cross-functional team used a stage-gate innovation process to create the new paper grade called Fusion Nature Plus.
Frequent customer feedback loops and analysis of competitor grades were essential during the development stage. A high level of integration planning assured competitiveness of the new grades while also prioritising decisive quality characteristics and exceptional optical properties.
The printing properties of Fusion Nature Plus proved to be unique and provided for a highly successful launch with sales volumes exceeding all expectations.
Björn Bruch Martin Brugger Jens Hornberger
Think, Connect, Innovate!
2021
Harald Kafitz
Wolfram Kuchelmeister
Daniel Müller
Berthold Keller
Rainer Lex
Frank Schneider
Oliver Kropacek
Luis Mata
Alexander Schröder
Think, Connect, Innovate!
2021
European Finalists
Gratkorn, Stockstadt and Carmignano Mills, and Sappi Europe Head Office
Parade Label GK
Being adaptable in our fast-moving world is the key to success. The Covid-19 pandemic has dramatically changed our lives and has undoubtedly accelerated the decline of the graphic papers market.
There is, however, opportunity in every crisis. The formation of the Innovate to Incubate agile unit aims to transform our business and find sustainable solutions for our customers. The main task entails developing suitable products with the potential for growth while using existing machinery.
One such proposal was to develop label papers on the Gratkorn Mill production line 3. This new innovative, agile approach involved analysing customer needs through frequent feedback loops, designing a new base paper and formulating a new coating concept. Within just six months, a cross-functional team collaborated to develop the new products Parade Label PRO and Parade Label SG, and the demand for these products has been growing ever since.
Michael Bethge Gernot Beyrer Franz Frisch
Flavio Froehli Robert Gabriel-Juergens
Think, Connect, Innovate!
2021
Robert Gass
Rens Huijnen
Hans-Juergen Lind
Josef Hirschenberger
Jan Kleinhapl
Frank Schneider
Reinhold Hochegger
Peter Kumpusch
Bernardo Semadeni
Rachid Skalli
Filip Van Ranst
Think, Connect, Innovate!
2021
Jakob de Ruijter
Mirco Fath
Konstantinos Kalessios
Hans-Juergen Lind
European Finalists
Stockstadt Mill Sappi RAW
Finding growth opportunities for graphic papers against a backdrop of declining markets due to digitalisation is an enormous challenge. Commercial excellence and creating value are essential to keep print media relevant.
Raw is an entirely new grade of paper, tailor-made to fulfil the contradicting properties required by a high-profile customer. On the one hand, the product needed to provide excellent printing results, while on the other hand, it needed to have the tactile properties of uncoated paper. Since no comparable product existed, it called for a fundamentally new paper concept.
The development phase comprised laboratory and pilot studies and frequent feedback loops with the customer, resulting in innovative coating formulations for this unique product.
Since its launch, Raw, the feedback from various brand owners have been positively outstanding, with a promising outlook on demand for this novel product.
Think, Connect, Innovate!
2021
Jacqueline Harg
Sonja Hye-Hyeburg
Nikolaus Schwaiger
European Commendation
R&D Gratkorn Polylignosulfonate
Our new business strategy, Thrive25, has put sustainability in the spotlight. Producing sustainable value-adding products is central to our business.
Lignosulfonate is a byproduct of pulp production and is available in large quantities. It is mainly used as boiler fuel to generate energy. However, the market has a strong demand for sustainable products to replace incumbent fossil-fuel-based ones.
Sappi’s innovative biorefinery project to upgrade lignosulfonates prompted the team to develop a process to create polylignosulfonate. This new development has opened up opportunities to produce a range of new valuable products, such as biobased adhesives. Currently, work is in progress to evaluate the best process for production.
Think, Connect, Innovate!
2021
Jaana Järvi
Matti Koski
Ilpo Laakso
Mika Lahtinen
European
Technical excellence
Kirkniemi Mill Coater turn-up
Improving cost-competitiveness in the pulp and paper industry is a continual challenge, and keeping all machines running smoothly at high speed is critical to keeping costs down. In the past, missed turn-up web breaks on the Offline Coater 3 at Kirkniemi Mill often created bottlenecks in the production line.
The process of changing from a full paper reel to an empty spool must be done perfectly, even at extremely high speed, such as 1,600 m/min. It was impossible to maintain an acceptable number of turn-up web breaks despite regular maintenance, technological know-how and support from suppliers.
A team of operators and maintenance workers proposed the innovative idea to relaunch the turn-up when it had failed. Sappi’s automation specialists and production team collaborated to modify the program, which consists of 100 pages of DCS logic. Despite a failed attempt, the team persisted in finding a solution to this highly complex problem. The commitment from the team paid off with a successful relaunch two months later. By implementing this new set-up program, production levels and mill safety have improved.
Tarja Lindström
Mika Mäenpää Markus Muro Jarno Vuorhela
MESSAGE FROM
Mike Haws
President and Chief Executive Officer Sappi North America
Our emergence from the pandemic the past year brought new challenges for Sappi, our communities, and our customers. I am proud of how our employees weathered these unforeseen challenges to keep advancing our use of state-of-the-art technology and our commitment to research and development toward better customer solutions. We must not just evolve or keep pace with the industry and its trends, we need to drive the future of innovation and create cutting-edge improvements to our business, our society, and our products.
This year’s TIA participants exemplify this theme through the advancements they have made for our company and our industry. Each project demonstrated creativity and perseverance against some of our more complex technical challenges.
As we continue implementing our Thrive25 strategy, R&D is at the center of our development work, but innovation is part of every department’s role. At Sappi, we have a long tradition of innovation, and I am encouraged by our many employees who are contributing to this legacy every day.
I am excited by the opportunities we have yet to discover in an industry and a world facing more pressing challenges every day. I am also proud of our focus to make every day more sustainable by using the power of renewable resources to benefit people, communities and the planet.
I congratulate all the regions on their impressive achievements. By working together in true OneSappi fashion and by expanding our legacy of innovation, we will continue to advance better, more renewable solutions into new and existing markets.
2021
Ryan Bolduc
Justin Gagnon
Greg Hale
David Moore
Justin Pinette
North American
Regional Winner
Somerset Mill
PM3 heavyweight wrinkle elimination
Project Balance, the board grade conversion of PM1, included a planned post- rebuild transition from graphic papers to paperboard production. The three- year carousel plan would shift 80# and 100# (119 and 148 g/m2) graphic papers production to PM3 as paperboard volume ramped up on PM1. A seamless transition of these grades to PM3 was paramount to customer retention and overall financial contribution to Sappi North America. PM3, a machine designed to produce 45-60# basis weights, was only qualified to make graphic paper grades up to 80lb.
Trial attempts to produce 100# on PM3 before Project Balance were unsuccessful. With an increase in basis weight, severe edge wrinkles appeared in the fifth dryer section. The formation of these wrinkles could be viewed with a stroboscope and described as the sheet edge lifting off the dryer felt before each dryer can nip. After the last dryer can, a pronounced wrinkle formed 6-8” inside the sheet edge. These wrinkles caused coating carry and sheet breaks at the first coater head.
During an outage in February 2021, with dryer felts removed, the cross- direction diameter profile of the vacuum felt rolls in the third and fifth dryer sections were measured. This investigation revealed that three of the six rolls in the fifth section had uneven shell wear. The team calculated that the concave shape of this wear was three times more significant on the web path length difference than the impact of roll deflection from dryer felt tension. A roll change was scheduled during this maintenance shutdown, while the remaining two rolls were changed on subsequent shutdowns. In conjunction with lower dryer felt tensions in the third and fifth dryer sections, these roll changes were the last steps in eliminating PM3 edge wrinkling on 100# grades. The NPV of this project is US$26.2 million.
Think, Connect, Innovate!
Sierra Thibodeau
Think, Connect, Innovate!
2021
Joe Bertolaccini
Christian Darling
Mike Durrell
Ken Jewett
Chris LaPlante
North American Finalists
Somerset Mill
PM1 surface/ bulk improvement
Somerset Mill’s PM1 machine was rebuilt in 2018 to produce paperboard that offered a bulk advantage over competitive products. Following the successful launch of Proto and Spectro, further steps were taken to improve sheet surface characteristics to address market feedback about inconsistencies in surface attributes. An increase in coat weight and calendering improved surface smoothness, but these process changes resulted in a loss of bulk, one of the competitive advantages of Proto over other products. In June 2020, a team started improving surface characteristics while maintaining bulk. One of the critical steps was identifying a measurement system for surface improvement. The team used the Hawkeye Imaging System to measure and identify several key variables to track process changes. The PM1 team learned which variables were critical to improved surface characteristics and implemented new control strategies for coating applications to produce a higher-quality board approaching the bulk targets projected in the capital project.
Improving the surface quality and consistency of the CS1 product line has resulted in a more competitive product. Additional benefits included a standardised method of controlling product surface, reduced smoothness variation, improved coater blade life and coater blade replacement criteria. By executing the surface improvements, the team increased bulk by reducing calender loading and coat weight. The NPV of this project is US$21.2 million.
Josh Mathews
David Moore Alyssa Murphy Jeff Whittum
2021
Jennifer Barr
Errin Brungardt
Brandi Couture
Joe Fernandez
North American Finalists
Cloquet and Westbrook Mills Release base substitution
The Westbrook Mill’s Project Darwin reconfiguration was predicated on the rapid development and commercialisation of several highly technical base paper constructions to replace PM9 substrates. The team developed a series of Cloquet Mill base paper solutions to support the product lines for Ultracast and Classics release papers. Despite the technical complexity, global evaluation requirements and unprecedented pandemic, the team delivered a full suite of base paper solutions for both product lines by the end of Q2 FY21. This project presented considerable technical challenges to simultaneously redesign base paper surface and strength characteristics and mid-coat formulations to meet the aesthetic demands and functional release paper requirements. To replace the PM9 substrates, the team capitalised on the sheet formation of Cloquet Mill’s PM4 and the coating capabilities of 13 Off- Machine Coater. In the end, the commercialisation of three primary Cloquet Mill base constructions replaced nine legacy PM9 constructions.
Project Darwin refocused Westbrook Mill on its core competencies, including speciality coating, texture application and customised product designs. The direct cost savings associated with shutting down PM9 are US$4.4 million. In addition, the Cloquet Mill receives the benefit of incremental Standard Contribution 1 (SCI) associated with the new base paper volume. Conversion of the base paper substrate and closure of the utility complex returned Westbrook Mill to positive earnings in FY21, delivering nearly US$15 million EBITDA. The net present value (NPV) of this project is US$8.8 million.
Think, Connect, Innovate!
Nicholas Yardy
Think, Connect, Innovate!
2021
Ben Boyum
Chris Edgcumbe
Mike Merrill
Donovan Moroney
North American Technical excellence
Cloquet Mill
Smokebox Cardox cleaning
Historically, the act of cleaning the smokebox in the kiln has been one of the most challenging, most taxing and repetitive injury-prone tasks for operators at the mill. There have been many projects, both process and capital-related, to minimise the exposure when cleaning it. These projects have helped decrease the exposure slightly, allowing us to increase our production rates. However, with the kiln required to run 12% above design capacity, smokebox cleaning remains one of the most significant risks in the kiln. Cleaning the smokebox has become the new bottleneck on running the kiln at higher tonnage.
A new method of cleaning the smokebox was installed, which was initially used for cleanout rings inside the kiln. Cardox is a product line sold by a company called Pneumat Systems Inc. This product is successfully used in numerous cement kilns and lime kilns around North America to knock down lime pluggage.
Installing the Cardox in this new application area has done three things for Cloquet Mill. First, it minimised one of the worst safety risks in the mill. Second, it allowed us to continue pushing the kiln harder up past its speed limit without worrying about increasing the exposure to our operators. Third, it reaffirmed to operators that Sappi is taking this risk seriously.
The NPV of this project is US$1.1 million.
MESSAGE FROM
Alex Thiel
Chief Executive Officer Sappi Southern Africa
Nurturing innovation is one of the most effective ways to increase sustainability and growth in a business. There are numerous studies (ie McKinsey, BCG and AT Kearney) demonstrating how innovation management leads to improved growth and returns.
On average, the most successful companies have 2.5 times higher sales of new products and get more than 10 times higher returns from their innovation investments.
These numbers are significant, and therefore it is no surprise that innovation is so high on Sappi’s agenda. It is a key driver of economic growth and human progress.
For us, it is also critical that we reap real benefits from those innovations - such as lowering our cost base, increasing productivity, adding value to our products, and contributing to sustainability by using fewer and cheaper raw materials, reducing waste, addressing the needs of growth markets, and shifting from fossil to renewable resources.
The path to success is often tough and precarious, but when approached with courage and determination, it leads to triumph. In line with our ‘Think, Connect, Innovate’ theme, Sappi’s Technical Innovation Award finalists for 2021 are a shining example of how hard work, passion, and a never-give-up attitude lead to extraordinary outcomes.
Thank you for your commitment and perseverance. We salute and support you.
Think, Connect, Innovate!
2021
Lofte Grobler
David Kgongwane
Malini Sanjith
Neeshan Sankar
Mark Siddall
Southern Africa
Regional Winner
Head Office, Ngodwana Mill and Technology Centre
PM2 Packaging grades development
Due to sudden and substantial shifts in the newsprint market, exasperated by the Covid-19 pandemic, a multi-disciplined and international team set themselves the task to investigate other product alternatives to run on Ngodwana Mill’s PM2 as an alternative to significant commercial downtime. In particular, they explored a business opportunity in the recycled liner and flexible packaging papers markets.
Integration of existing manufacturing units, support services and resources, particularly fibre supply, lies at the heart of this innovation. It required many hours to resolve complex chemistry issues related to groundwood pulp in the packaging grades. In addition, training the operations team and keeping them motivated during a very steep learning curve whilst adding new grades into the product mix (as customers accepted the product) required constant focus.
Significant changes were made to the stock preparation by using redundant equipment from PM1 (kraft linerboard) to supply unbleached softwood (UBSW) to the post groundwood refiner on PM2. The fibre blending system had to be changed to include the waste and UBSW streams.
The newsprint grade chemistry is simple, with the furnish containing very few additives and no unbleached softwood or waste. New additives had to be introduced at the groundwood plant and on the machine, including pitch control, sizing agents, strength chemicals, defoamer, felt cleaning agents, and drainage aids.
Changes were also made at the winder to reduce web widths and increase the number of web slits of different core sizes.
All the changes were done quickly and at a nominal expense to prove the concept and justify additional funding for increasing the production of the packaging grades.
The development of packaging grades on Ngodwana Mill’s PM2 has unlocked new opportunities for Sappi, particularly in the recycled liner and flexible packaging papers markets, both locally and internationally. Since the introduction of the products in FY20, the market growth has been exceptional and include substantial EBITDA improvements.
The demand for these grades remains strong and keep growing in the local and export markets.
Think, Connect, Innovate!
2021
Mark Andrews
Gordon Batho
Lonwabo Ponco
Atish Singh
Southern Africa Finalists
Tugela Mill
High-pressure boiler header control
Tugela Mill’s turbine is fed from a 62 bar steam header and supplies 1,100 kPa and 320 kPa to the processing plants. Instability on the 62 bar header (caused by either boiler instability or excessive steam demand) results in frequent turbine trips, which has a severe impact on turbine life span and reduces electricity generation.
The boiler team had to reduce interruptions to the different manufacturing sections and find a way to stabilise the 62 bar header from external interference to improve the turbine’s availability and increase mill electricity generation.
An advanced process controller (APC), initially configured for low-pressure boiler support, was repurposed to maximise the steam from the HP boilers by the team who reviewed the completed control logic.
The final product was a control philosophy with HP boilers as master control and LP boilers as slave control.
The handling of instability scenarios (external and internal causes) needed improvement. The APC set points were reset, and parameters were changed to optimise steam through the turbine instead of the reducing station.
Also resolved was the leading cause of boiler trips and instability- paper machine start-ups. As the paper machine is the primary steam user at the mill, sudden demand can cause instability in the 62 bar steam header. Steam ramp- up rates on the paper machine were modified to reduce paper cull and reduce boiler instability. The three-vent valve on the three-bar steam header was used to smooth the paper steam swings by opening the vent valve during a paper break and shutting again once the paper machine is back online.
This innovation utilises existing equipment to reduce risk and increase boiler stability without using a condensing turbine and at a minimal cost.
The turbine produced an additional 1 MWh (8%) of power during FY21, which resulted in a new annual power production record at Tugela Mill at a lower specific fossil-fuel energy usage.
Think, Connect, Innovate!
2021
Bhavini Kooverjee
Ernst Vos
Southern Africa Finalists
Tugela Mill
Pulp capacity improvement
Tugela Mill could not fulfil the rapidly increasing demand for high-yield/high- performance fluting (UltraFlute Plus) without an urgent increase in NSSC pulp supply.
Two significant obstacles were preventing the team from increasing the output from the NSSC digester- erratic column movement not allowing for stable production and the increase in extraction screen blockages at high digester rates.
Several critical parameters were identified using data analytics that influenced smooth operation, key of which were:
·
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The importance of wash water circulation in combination with a continuous flow of water through the centre rocket; a different approach to the either/or philosophy of standard industry practice, and
To backflush and soak the screens with caustic soda through the chip chute level tank to resolve the extraction screen blockages with only control software modifications; another novel approach.
These innovative breakthroughs in digester operation have allowed the team to break the annual digester pulping record by 1.4% after only one quarter of introducing the modified cooking procedures. In addition, it also allowed a similar increase in UltraFlute Plus production from the paper machine.
Think, Connect, Innovate!
2021
Ismael Amer
Linnell Govender
Benjamin Olivier
Eric Schubert
Southern Africa Commendation
Sappi Biotech, Technology Centre and Tugela Mill
Hansa Plus
Hansa Plus - newly modified Tugela Mill sodium lignosulphonate designed to
improve compatibility with polycarboxylate ether (PCE) super plasticisers.
The concrete industry use polycarboxylate ethers (PCEs) as water reducer admixtures (WRAs), but they are costly. The cost is less when mixing lignosulphonates with PCEs in most admixture applications. In 2018, several customers complained about a precipitation layer forming when mixing various PCEs with Hansa, Tugela Mill’s sodium lignosulphonate product. The sodium lignosulphonate was incompatible with some PCE super plasticisers, and customers switched to alternatives.
Sappi Biotech commissioned the researchers at the Sappi Technology Centre (STC) to develop a cost-effective solution to address this problem. The team evaluated various chemical and physical modification methods to stabilise the matrix. Within six months, the team successfully developed a simple, innovative and cost-effective solution, which involved the addition of a metal complex to the lignosulphonate. This new and novel modified sodium lignosulphonate was named Hansa Plus.
Hansa Plus samples were sent to two local customers (Chryso-SA and Mapei) for evaluation. Both indicated that Hansa Plus had a superior stability (compatibility with PCEs) and a higher dispersion index than unmodified sodium lignosulphonate. The cost of modifying a ton of sodium lignosulphonate to produce Hansa Plus was very cost-effective at about ZAR30 per ton. Due to changing market conditions in 2020, sales of lignosulphonate were directed toward local customers, and the need for a modified product into markets using PCEs was no longer required. Hansa Plus was, therefore, not commercialised, but the technology is available should the opportunity arise again for Sappi to sell into these markets.
Think, Connect, Innovate!
2021
Technical Innovation Awards Previous winners
2020 Geert Brepoels, René Koehler, Jo Simons, Cees van Esch Alfeld, Lanaken and Maastricht Mills, Sappi Europe Development of Sappi Seal
2019 Peter Fuchs, Ken Jewett
Technology Centre, Sappi Europe, and Technology Center, Sappi North America Image analysis: Hawkeye and Shadow-Caster
2018 Tjerk Boersma, Jos Daniels, Rob de Koning, Jean Peerlings, Peter Pijpers Maastricht Mill, Sappi Europe
Multilayer headbox
2017 Satu Karajalainen, Janne Lehtimäki, Jari Nikkinen Kirkniemi Mill, Sappi Europe
SprayTec technology
2016 Jan Kleinhapl, Wolfgang Pacher, Karin Hofer, Laura Liukkonen, Rainer Lex Gratkorn and Ehingen Mills, Sappi Europe
Cracking at the fold
2015 Harald Hacker, Andreas Strommer, Steffan Franz, Reinhold Hochegger, Frisch Franz Gratkorn Mill, Sappi Europe
Gloss96 - Hot-Soft-Nip calendering
2014 Tjerk Boersma, Jos Daniels, Jean Peerlings, Marc Houben, Ton Sturtz Maastricht Mill and Technology Centre, Sappi Europe
Improve CAF by size press imitation
2013 Christian Dietershagen, Manfred Spielmann, Gino Geerardyn, Mirco Fath, Rachid Skalli Stockstadt Mill, Sappi Europe
Glossy paper without calendering
2012 Francois Wolfaardt, Derek Simpson Technology Centre, Sappi Southern Africa Saiccor Mill extractives treatment
2011 Jens Becker, Franz Eiser, Harald Kafitz, Kerstin Dietze, Bernd Schuldt Alfeld Mill, Sappi Europe
Development of new generation Fusion Topliner
2010 John Hoering, Allen Hooper, William Hamilton, Mark Philbrick, Chris Jasonides Westbrook Mill and Technology Center, Sappi North America
Development of Ultracast Mokka
2009 Gary Blenkhorn, Wayne Biloeau, Robert Murray, Jacques van Riel
Westbrook Mill and Technology Center, Sappi North America, and Sappi Europe (Brussels) Development of Against Web Cure (AWC) process
2008 Karin Kruger, Mandy Benade, Jason Knock, Bonisile Mokoena, Vinotha Bheem Enstra Mill and Technology Centre, Sappi Southern Africa
Republic of South Africa passport development
2007 Jean-Pierre Haenen, Peter Resch, Ronald van de Laar, Daniel Coughlin, Steve Masia, Al Osgood Gratkorn Mill and Technology Centre, Sappi Europe, and Technology Center, Sappi North America Development of Tempo
If you look at history, innovation doesn’t come just from giving people incentives; it comes from creating environments where their ideas can connect.
Steven Johnson
(born 1968), Science author and media theorist