Planning

A run is the production of several jumbo rolls of the same paper type and basis weight. These jumbos are slit on the rewinder into reels of various widths to fulfill a set of orders.

In the planning module you create the sequence of runs for each paper machine. As orders are assigned to a run, its duration increases to match the new quantity.

The planning module displays runs and orders graphically. Orders are clearly marked to show whether they meet delivery deadlines.

TrimPaper accounts for setup times due to paper-type, basis-weight or felt changes. Sequencing runs in a “zig-zag” pattern—gradually increasing basis weight to the maximum and then decreasing to the minimum—requires less setup time.

TrimPaper lets you simulate run sequences, simplifying the planner's analysis.

Interactions among multiple paper machines are handled as well. Hourly steam demand and liquid-pulp flow, for example, can become bottlenecks when high basis weights are produced. TrimPaper visualizes the consumption of various inputs across all machines.

Rewinder Combination Optimization

The rewinder cut optimizer is TrimPaper's most complex module, continuously improved since 1988. Internally the optimizer builds a system of equations and solves it within seconds.

Because every possible cut is analyzed, the optimal solution is always obtained. No other system—or even an experienced planner—can deliver better results.

Combinations are ways to slit jumbo rolls into narrower reels. If a combination does not reach the machine's full width, the unused width becomes combination waste. The optimizer selects combinations that minimize this waste.

The optimizer checks whether advancing orders will reduce waste; any savings are weighed against the capital tied up in inventory so the most economical solution is chosen.

The optimizer generates rolls destined for sheet cutters. Cutter productivity is proportional to the width of the incoming rolls, so wider rolls are more productive and have lower cost per ton. TrimPaper balances waste costs against cutter costs to provide the best solution.

The auxiliary rewinder, which further slits reels from the main rewinder into narrower or smaller-diameter rolls, is also optimized. TrimPaper minimizes the auxiliary rewinder's cost in the same way it does for cutters.

TrimPaper can optimize hundreds of orders simultaneously.