Valmet expands IQ Quality Control System for sustainable packaging and nonwoven industries

Valmet has expanded its IQ Quality Control System (QCS) offering by launching four new IQ Measurements for accurately measuring raw material components, color, and ash content. The new measurements allow packaging and nonwoven producers to maintain the desired product quality while further optimizing raw material usage, resulting in increased resource efficiency and reduced carbon footprint.

“Valmet IQ is a leading brand in the industry, and this launch demonstrates our ongoing commitment to developing automation technology to meet customer needs in a wide range of industrial processes. The new products bring laboratory accuracy to online measurements. For example, our spectrometer measurements provide new opportunities in measuring functional coatings such as bio barriers, adhesives, and polymers,” says Mikko Viitamäki, Business Manager, Quality Management Solutions, Automation Systems business line at Valmet.

Valmet IQ Transmission Spectrum Measurement and Valmet IQ Reflection Spectrum Measurement provide direct, online methods for accurately measuring the proportions and weights of raw materials – such as fibers, water, binders, adhesives, and polymers – using non-contact and non-radioactive technologies. They enable customers to optimize material usage, reduce production costs, and significantly lower their carbon footprint.

The measurements can be applied to a wide range of use cases – nonwoven, extrusion coating, laminating, plastic film manufacturing, and paper and board production. They are essential in enabling the transition to bio-based coating materials, reducing plastic usage, and supporting more sustainable packaging solutions.

Valmet IQ Color Measurement uses advanced LED technology to deliver precise reflectance spectrum measurements for paper and board applications, ensuring faster on-spec quality and reduced startup waste. It detects the detailed effects of furnish, paper dyes, and brightening agents, resulting in more accurate and stable color uniformity across different paper grades.

Valmet IQ Total X-ray Measurement offers robust and easy-to-calibrate sensor technology for total ash measurement in paper manufacturing. Additionally, the solution can effectively measure glass content in fiberglass and deliver non-nuclear basis weight measurement for nonwoven, as well as coat weight measurement for specialty paper. It ensures real-time process control and proactive issue detection, reducing downtime and minimizing waste.