3.3.2025

Mamec develops mixing solutions for the changing needs of the pulp and paper industry

The pulp and paper industry’s operations are being driven by changes in global trends – changes that demand flexibility, efficiency and environmental sustainability in production processes. Mamec meets these needs with mixing solutions backed up by decades of experience, paired with modern expertise and technology. 

The past few decades have been a time of great change for the pulp and paper industry. This pressure to change – from operations to production processes and technology – stems from global sustainable development requirements, digitalization, and shifting market expectations. 

Mamec is actively involved in meeting these challenges by developing customized mixing solutions for the specific needs of the paper industry. This ability is based largely on their 70 years of experience with industrial clients – in addition to their investment in products for the wood processing industry, which got its start in the 1990s. 

As a Finnish company, Mamec has operated at the core of the development of the forest industry, large pulp and paper companies, and equipment manufacturers. This fact is reflected in their knowledge of the production processes and materials that need to be mixed in their field – which in turn allows them to respond flexibly to future customer needs. 

Sustainable development, from recycling to nanocellulose and lignin

Mamec’s Business Area Director Martti Heikkilä surveys the wood processing industry with more than 30 years of experience. He’s seen environmental considerations strengthen in his industry, and become a standard part of doing business, firsthand.

“With the sustainable development and circular economy mindset, legislation is getting even more strict. Environmental regulations in the EU and other countries are also driving the pulp and paper industry towards increasingly low-emission and sustainable solutions,” Heikkilä says.

“The use of recycled paper and fiber is growing, and businesses are developing new ways to reduce the use of virgin raw materials. The global effort to move away from petroleum-based products is driving increased demand for bio-based products, so new products are being developed with cellulose – like biocomposites, textiles and biochemicals.” 

The replacement of plastics with biodegradable paper-based alternatives is particularly noticeable in packaging. These recycling requirements will soon become more stringent with the EU’s new Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation. 

“The production of biodegradable end products requires mixing solutions that are able to process new fiber-based materials and pulps smoothly and efficiently. For example, the use of materials like nanocellulose and lignin to replace petroleum-based products requires a deep understanding of how these fibers behave during the mixing process. As a pioneer in the industry, we’re deeply involved in this development,” says Heikkilä.

Mixing fiber-based pulps in the wood processing industry presents more challenges than just mixing two liquids, for example. A typical problem is fiber clumping. Simply increasing the agitation power and rotational speed isn’t enough, warns Heikkilä – and it may even lead to new problems.

“When power is increased, long fibers can form ropes or clumps, which can then block the pump. In thick pulp, the mixing element can form an air pocket where the agitator rotates without moving anything else. It’s also common for some of the material in the pulp tank to separate and float to the surface – or for foam and air bubbles to form in the pulp during mixing, which are detected only as a drop in power during the pumping phase. Managing agitation power is important and requires precision. Not enough movement can cause the pulp to settle and accumulate on the bottom, which effectively reduces the volume of the tank.”

Digitalization offers efficiency – but also demands new solutions 

Digitalization, automation, IoT and artificial intelligence have also enabled intelligent production processes in the paper industry that optimize production plant efficiency, reduce waste and improve quality control. Naturally, digitalization will also be reflected in future mixing technology developments, including mixing progress and quality monitoring with smart sensors. 

“Global digitalization, however, has led to a reduction in printed products and a drop in demand for traditional paper materials. At the same time, there’s an increasing demand for specialty papers, as well as for paperboard and other paper-based packaging materials. Demand for tissue paper has increased as well, due to rising consumption rates in developing countries – especially in Asia,” says Heikkilä.

The importance of packaging materials has also clearly increased due to the shift to e-commerce, which has multiplied over the previous decades. Goods are moving more and more widely around the world, so more attention needs to be paid to their packaging. 

“Plastic-free solutions are in demand for cardboard and paper packaging materials – and these are being made even lighter and more durable with new fiber technologies, which also reduce the carbon footprint of logistics. New innovations include various smart papers and functional materials. For example, the paper industry is developing electrically conductive and moisture-repellent solutions that can be used for applications like electronics and in the packaging industry, among others.”

Changes in paper grades and new innovations have presented new challenges for equipment manufacturing and mixing technology. Solving these challenges and successfully mixing large quantities of pulp and chemicals requires experience and expertise. It’s essential to understand the physical quantities of various substances and their behavior in the process. 

Mixing solutions to aid energy efficiency in production

Reducing the water footprint and energy consumption of industrial production serves not only sustainable development goals but also improves overall production efficiency –which is important for the profitability of the business. 

Energy consumption is a key factor in the life-cycle costs of a mixing solution. Mamec focuses on the energy efficiency and environmental sustainability of its mixing solutions, which must be taken into account at the design stage.

“For energy efficiency, the key to mixing is correct dimensioning. This can only be achieved if the materials to be mixed – and the requirements the mixed pulp then has to meet in the next process stage – are known precisely,” states Heikkilä. 

“And not only that – tank size can also vary widely, from one to thousands of cubic meters, so each customer’s mixing process has its own precise requirements. For example, if the tank is 60-meters-high with a diameter of 12 meters, the agitator at the bottom has to work optimally to process the pulp into just the right condition for the next process stage.” 

The significance of energy efficiency is multiplied in solutions whose lifetime is calculated in decades. Mamec is committed to life cycle thinking in the development of its products, designing mixing solutions fit for the long 30–40-year timeframe of plant investments in the process industry. Close co-operation with major process suppliers in their product development ensures customers get systems and solutions that also fulfill their future needs. 

Flexible solutions utilize increased capacity

Ensuring profitability and operational performance also involves increasing production capacity. When larger volumes of pulp need to be mixed, both the viscosity of the material and equipment sizes need to be increased. 

“In that case, it’s important to remember that the performance of the mixing process doesn’t scale linearly with the increase in capacity and cubic volumes. Scaling the mixing process is an operation in itself. It requires strong experience and knowledge of mixing variables to manage and implement,” Heikkilä emphasizes.

Efficient use of high capacity requires flexibility in production processes. For a mixing solution, this means the materials that need to be processed can be swapped out on the same line, for example. 

“Typically, a mixing solution is chosen and adjusted to optimize performance and energy efficiency for a particular product. As an example, when the material to be mixed is changed, incorrect agitation power can cause energy to be lost as heat.”

Mamec emphasizes modularity in its agitator design so that its solutions can be adapted to changing needs without a major new investment. Their aim is also to provide agitators that can be upgraded with new technologies without the need to replace everything. 

“Mamec tailors long-term lifecycle solutions for customers that are flexible enough to adapt to changes along the way,” Heikkilä finishes.