The demand for product differentiation in the tissue market is set to place unprecedented demands on tissue converting technology
December 2007
By Cai Hellner
Private label tissue has always given branded tissue a run for its money. Arguably, private label is closer to brands in terms of product quality and innovation than it has ever been. Retailers in the US are striving to give their own-label products a greater presence and meaning in the market, because this encourages loyalty to their stores and offers the potential for greater margins.
But in a market like the US, where brands hold sway in most consumer goods markets, and choice is virtually a right, branded tissue will never yield its dominance lightly. It will, however, have to work even harder to maintain it, and as private label tissue keeps up relentless pressure, branded producers will find it necessary to increase the flexibility of their tissue production, and converting in particular, in order to keep their edge.
Whether it is an increased number of plies, more decorative options or changes in sheet count, it is inevitable that more flexibility is going to be demanded of the converting operation. So whether you are supplying private label or branded tissue, the future looks likely to place increasing demands on your converting operation. As soon as you have more customers or products than you have converting lines, the flexibility of your technology holds the key to profitability. You need to ask yourself the questions: "How long does it take this line to change from one product to another?" and "How many operators need to be on the case to effect this change?". You also need to look at the physical footprint required by the converting installation in the mill, as this affects the overall level of investment required to set up a converting line in the first place. Consider also the likely cost of consumables such as glue, and spare parts.
Every Operation Affected
Every operation, from winding and sheeting to packaging and palletising, needs to reflect the need for increased product differentiation. The practical outcome of this is that there will almost certainly be fewer tissue lines in this part of the world that run the same product, day-in, day-out. The demands of the marketing department will be felt on the production floor to an unprecedented degree.
Two aspects of product differentiation that are developing strongly are printing and embossing. This should be welcomed, as these technologies decrease the commoditisation of tissue and add value. A trend that began with simple, single-color designs, often based on colored laminating glues, is gaining increasing sophistication, with the reproduction of intricate, multi-colored cartoon characters, for example.
Customers are still used to buying plain white or colored tissue in beautifully printed, even bespoke, packaging, such as the MyKleenex.com concept based on the Kleenex Oval. This has still allowed the tissue itself to be treated as a relatively bulk-produced item, unrelated in terms of design to the packaging, with the real visual-appeal restricted to the box or other packaging. Today, however, the theme represented on the packaging is increasingly continuing through to the product itself, particularly in kitchen towel. This demands a greater use of, and flexibility with, printing. Printing on tissue is nothing new, but the sophistication of printing techniques combined with the demand for design themes which are carried through to the tissue itself, place ever more demands on the converting process. This trend is in its infancy in toilet and facial tissue, but now it has started, it is likely to mushroom, as consumers become aware of the availability of printed tissue and producers explore the endless opportunities in terms of design.
Printing Efficiency Crucial
If colored, detailed printing is going to become more of a significant feature of tissue production itself right across the tissue grade spectrum, then the efficiency of printing systems will increase in importance, as will then precision and quality of printing. If you end up having to change printing patterns every shift, this needs to be a smooth, painless procedure rather than a major operation.
Tissue makers need to look seriously at off-line printing technologies if they have not already done so. An on-line printer is only a suitable solution for the production of a single product in large volumes. The use of several off-line printers to process the output of a single-line is a solution likely to be much better adapted to a converter's needs. These printers clearly need to be fast but without sacrificing quality. Caliper must be maintained throughout, for example.
As for embossing, tissue converters should ask themselves how long it takes to switch design on their embossing lines. The technology is available for this process to take less than half an hour. If converters are taking longer than this, they should look carefully at the cost involved in any extra downtime they are experiencing. Frequent changes in embossing design have become common in Europe and this is fast becoming a fact of life in North America, too.
Bodo Kottwitz of BK Tissue Advise says: "There is a strong requirement from retailers for product differentiation. Producers are also required to make quick changes in ply number, sheet length and width, and sheet count for promotional ranges, for example. This needs to be achieved with reliable, push-button technology if the line is to remain efficient. All tissue producers are seeking to streamline their converting operations, and equipment needs to be as quick and flexible as possible."
Flexibility is not just about changing from one embossed or printed design to another, it is also about the ability to change from one product to another – from toilet paper to kitchen towel on the same line, for example. To dedicate each line within a converting facility to a particular type of tissue is likely to prove too restrictive in future. As consumers get wind of what is possible, they will surely want more of it – tissue producers need to be prepared.
Cai Hellner is president of Futura North America, Atlanta, GA
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