Customer story
Elevating Metsä Group's industrial delivery processes higher
The world's first next-generation bioproduct mill in Äänekoski, Finland, built by Metsä Group, is the largest woodprocessing plant in the northern hemisphere. Metsä Group wanted to automate the delivery process with a tailor-made and fully automatic Konecranes solution for loading the trains.
Solution
Before the train arrives, the cranes distribute the pulp units at the loading area and naturally load the trains as well. “We wanted to increase the efficiency of the pulp logistics chain. Two bridge cranes and unique grippers of Konecranes are an essential part of it for loading,” tells Kristian Isaksson, Development Manager from Metsä Fibre. “In a bioproduct mill as large as this, the logistics and delivery process, and their operational flow, are vitally important, which is why these grippers and the train wagons have been customized for our product dimensions,“ Isaksson continues.
The unique Konecranes solutions elevate the industrial delivery processes to a new tempo, without missing a beat. The Konecranes equipment is remotely monitored, which also contributes to operational reliability. Without operators, the area secured, and safety switches in use, the cranes operate independently. The operational expectations of this high-volume process industry have been met and surpassed. “This creates efficiency, increases occupational safety and improves the quality and accuracy of pulp deliveries. Overall, operational reliability is top notch,” says Isaksson. “As we are still currently in the early stages, we can already say that the system functions technically very well. It is working even better than we expected,” Isaksson continues.
