Automation of Paper Cutting Process at Nippon Paper Industries

This case study details the automation of the paper cutting process at Nippon Paper Industries, addressing long-standing challenges in operational efficiency. The company has aimed to enhance its business model as a comprehensive biomass enterprise by 2030, focusing on optimizing the cutting of large rolls of paper into specified dimensions based on customer orders. Historically, this task required significant manual effort and expertise, consuming several hours per order and complicating the training of less experienced staff. The project involved the development of an algorithm that utilizes mathematical optimization techniques to automate the cutting process. It outlines a three-stage approach: optimizing order combinations, optimizing the sequence of operations, and optimizing production tasks. The implementation of this algorithm has shown promising results, significantly reducing the time required for order preparation from hours to mere minutes, thereby improving efficiency and reducing production losses. The study also discusses future expectations for further accuracy improvements and applications to other products.