Smart Fiberline Quality Tracking establishes a computational quality value for pulp. It provides real-time monitoring of the pulp quality based on process variables, and enables users to proactively optimize the forecast of the final pulp quality. With Smart Fiberline Quality Tracking, improved pulp quality, higher production availability and improved customer experience is achieved.
ANDRITZ Smart Fiberline Quality Tracking is an award-winning automation solution that delivers real-time estimation and monitoring of fiber quality throughout the pulp production process. At its core is the Fiber Online Index (FOX) — a computational model that tracks bonding and fiber strength properties continuously, based on approximately 20 contributing process variables including process stability, kappa numbers, chemical charges, and temperatures.
Traditional pulp quality assessment relies on laboratory sampling at defined intervals, creating delays between process events and quality feedback. Smart Fiberline Quality Tracking eliminates this lag by continuously calculating the FOX quality index from live process data, enabling operators and process engineers to see quality trends in real time and make proactive adjustments before quality deviations reach the final product.
The model is developed from a combination of research data, laboratory findings, customer input, and mill measurements — grounding it in both scientific and practical process knowledge. Quality tracking follows pulp from production through the full process to dried pulp bales, providing end-to-end visibility across the fiberline.
Smart Fiberline Quality Tracking delivers value across the supply chain: pulp producers benefit from improved quality consistency and higher production availability, while paper, tissue, and board producers gain access to detailed raw material quality data that supports profitability and productivity improvements. The solution received a quality award in Finland in 2014.
