Paper & Board Manufacturing

Process Booster X

Less steam. Less energy. Less starch.

Cut Your Cost per Ton with Real-time Process Optimization

Powered by Causal AI

Avoidable Costs in Everyday Operations

To bring down variable costs, paper mills invest heavily in heat recovery and energy-efficient systems. Yet, major cost-saving potential also lies in smarter process settings — especially in drying and quality control.

Steam & Energy Overuse

Non-optimized drying control causes excess
steam and energy consumption.

High Starch Consumption

Wide safety margins keep quality too high above spec rising starch consumption.

These inefficiencies occur every shift, adding up to hundreds of thousands — sometimes over €1 million per year. The good news: smarter control alone can cut variable cost per ton significantly.

Why Optimization Remains Out of Reach

Even with modern systems and experienced teams, achieving the perfect balance between quality, starch, and energy remains difficult. Three root causes keep most paper lines from operating at their true potential:

  • Limited Real-Time Feedback
    Key quality data arrives late from the lab. To stay on the safe side, production is run above the required spec — raising starch consumption.
  • Inflated Drying Demand
    Non-optimized settings around the dryer cylinders lead to excessive drying demand, pushing up steam and energy use.
  • Conservative Adjustments
    The high complexity of paper production makes any parameter change risky. As a result, settings are adjusted cautiously — or not at all — to avoid unintended side effects.

Without better visibility and guidance, even skilled teams can’t close the control gap that drives higher variable costs shift after shift.

How PBX Closes the Control Gap

PBX brings intelligence directly to the line — continuously analyzing live data, predicting outcomes, and guiding operators in real time. The result: stable quality, lower resource use, and more confident decision-making.

  • Real-Time Visibility and Guidance
    PBX creates virtual sensors for key quality metrics and provides corrective actions to reduce safety margins — aligning starch use with actual demand.
  • Radically Improved Drying Efficiency
    By understanding all relevant process variables, PBX optimizes the drying section so the same drying demand is met with far less steam and energy.
  • Increased Operator Confidence
    PBX delivers transparent, real-time recommendations with predicted effects on quality, starch, and energy — enabling operators to act faster and with confidence.

PBX transforms everyday control decisions into measurable savings — turning hidden inefficiencies into a clear competitive advantage.

Why Process Booster X is Your Ideal Choice

PBX brings true intelligence to paper production — not by adding hardware, but by understanding how your line behaves. It continuously learns, predicts, and acts to keep quality stable and resource use minimal.

Causal Line Model

PBX learns the real cause–effect relationships of your line directly from raw data — requiring only minimal expert input.

Real-Time Actions

Beyond prediction, PBX turns live data into real-time setpoint adjustments that maintain quality while cutting steam, energy, and starch use.

Copilot or Autopilot

Start with recommendations for operators; move to automatic execution within guardrails once confidence is built.

What Paper Mills Can Expect with PBX

PBX directly improves process efficiency and stability — not through new equipment, but by optimizing how existing systems are controlled. The impact becomes visible within weeks of operation.

Steam & Energy Savings

Substantially lower consumption through improved drying efficiency and precise control of actual drying demand.

Starch Saving

Significantly reduced use by minimizing quality safety margins while maintaining reliable quality on spec.

More Stability

Tighter to spec, faster stabilization after grade changes, fewer excursions, and less broke.

High Speed to Value

Preliminary analysis in 2 weeks • first line productive in ~3 months • ROI within the first year.

Proven Results

One of our customers — a leading European paper producer — implemented PBX on a modern line already equipped with heat recovery and advanced energy management systems. Despite the high technical level, PBX uncovered significant untapped potential in process settings.

Savings: €750k+ per Year on a State-of-the-Art Line

Within just a few weeks, PBX achieved a 6% reduction in steam consumption, equivalent to €750,000 per year in savings (site-specific). Material savings through tighter starch control are not yet included in this figure.

How It Was Achieved
PBX optimized the drying section dynamically by matching drying demand to actual process conditions — without any hardware changes or disruptions to production.The result: stable quality, faster stabilization after changes, and less overuse of steam and starch.

Why It Matters
Even well-optimized mills still lose significant money due to conservative settings and changing process conditions.PBX closes this gap automatically — making visible savings possible on lines that already run “efficiently on paper.”

Discover Your Savings Potential — Fast and Risk-Free

As a limited offer, you can receive a free preliminary analysis based on your own production data. No installation, no risk — just actionable insights within two weeks.

1. We analyze your data

We review your historical production data export to assess data coverage and quality.

2. We identify your potential

You receive first actionable insights and a clear initial view of savings potential and feasibility.

3. Decision Gate

This off-line assessment needs no deployment and serves as a solid basis for deciding next steps.

Ready to see what’s possible on your lines?
Request your free preliminary analysis today — results in ~2 weeks.