ABB to transfer WIS manufacturing to new plant in China

   Moscow. Dec 21, 2009. /Lesprom Network/. ABB will be transferring manufacturing of its Web Inspection Systems, WIS HDI800, to a new factory in Shanghai, China, as Nordic Paper Journal reported.

The new Shanghai facility, already under construction, is part of a previously announced transfer of ABB’s Quality Control systems business. The Web Inspection business is currently located in Helsinki, Finland, and is part of ABB’s Process Automation Division, Pulp and Paper Business Unit.

Organizationally, ABB operates a business unit dedicated to providing automation and electrification products specifically designed for the pulp and paper industry. This investment is a continuation of ABB’s commitment to supply leading-edge technology to its pulp and paper customers.

According to Roger Bailey, global manager of ABB’s Pulp and Paper business, the decision to merge the Web Inspection factory into the new Quality Control systems factory in Shanghai was based on ABB’s continuing strategy to align its footprint with the market demand. “Given our significant investment in a new state of the art facility to manufacture Quality Control Systems, moving the Web Inspection business is a logical conclusion of that business decision,” Bailey says.

Web inspection systems are used by the paper industry to inspect the surface of the paper as it is being produced. Web inspection systems can see and report many types of defects, including holes, spots and streaks. Using patented neural classifiers, ABB adds intelligence to the system by letting papermakers know exactly what type of defects are occurring, thus reducing rejects, saving fiber and reducing energy consumption.

Additional information: ABB