Full Report
The intelligent system will support the performance and ensure quality of the mill’s tissue machine PM 35.
Analysis Summary
# Industry News: Valmet Enhances Quality Control at Metsä Tissue Mariestad Mill
## Summary
Valmet will deliver an intelligent Quality Control System (QCS) to Metsä Tissue’s Mariestad mill in Sweden to enhance the performance and quality assurance of its tissue machine PM 35. This upgrade signifies a deepening of the existing partnership, focusing on operational simplification and improved product consistency through modern automation.
## Key Details
- Date: September 30, 2025
- Companies Involved: Valmet and Metsä Tissue (part of Metsä Group)
- Category: Technology upgrade/Delivery of automation solutions
## The Story
Valmet has secured an order to install its latest Quality Control System (QCS), specifically the Valmet IQ QCS, on the PM 35 tissue machine at Metsä Tissue’s Mariestad facility. This system will feature a scanner capable of basis weight, moisture, and softness measurements. The goal is to automate critical control points, ensuring high performance and consistency of the end product. This installation follows previous successful technology integrations at the same mill, including the Valmet Advantage DCT 200 tissue line and two converting lines, indicating a continuous modernization effort at the site. Metsä Tissue cited the desire to simplify operations and reduce operator complexity by integrating this new QCS with existing distributed control systems.
## Business Impact
### For the Companies Involved
- **Valmet:** This order reinforces Valmet's position as a key technology partner for Metsä Group, securing revenue in Q3 2025 and demonstrating the company's success in modernizing existing customer assets. The ongoing service agreement also ensures future recurring revenue streams through predictive maintenance.
- **Metsä Tissue:** The primary benefit is operational efficiency, reduced complexity for operators, and superior, consistent product quality, which is crucial for high-volume tissue production and maintaining brand reputation (Lambi, Serla, etc.).
### For Competitors
- Competitors in industrial automation and quality control systems (such as ABB, Honeywell, or specialized process control vendors) face pressure to demonstrate equally robust integration capabilities and proven performance in ongoing, trusted customer relationships like this one.
### For Customers
- Tissue and paper manufacturers relying on older control systems have a clear modernization path shown by Metsä Tissue’s proactive upgrade strategy. Customers benefit from suppliers who offer comprehensive lifecycle support, including modern QCS and dedicated service agreements.
### For the Market
- This deal highlights sustained capital investment in the pulp and paper/tissue sector, specifically targeting digital optimization and quality assurance rather than just capacity expansion. It validates the technology roadmap for integrated quality measurement solutions.
## Technical Implications
The installed Valmet IQ QCS includes advanced analytics capabilities focusing on **basis weight, moisture, and softness**. The technical novelty lies not just in the hardware but in the intelligent integration with existing control infrastructure (DCS), automating complex control points to bridge the gap between papermaking and converting processes. The accompanying service agreement for predictive maintenance aims to maximize uptime.
## Strategic Analysis
- **Market Positioning:** Valmet reinforces its leadership in process automation and quality solutions for the pulp and paper industry, leveraging long-standing relationships to secure upgrades over greenfield projects.
- **Competitive Advantage:** Valmet's advantage stems from deep domain expertise, proven integration success across multiple lines at the same facility, and a unified automation portfolio.
- **Challenges:** The primary challenge is ensuring seamless integration between the new QCS and Metsä’s existing DCS without production disruption, a risk mitigated by prior successful projects.
## Industry Reactions
- Analyst commentary likely views this as a standard, positive win for Valmet, underscoring the continued need for efficiency improvements in mature manufacturing sectors. The value of the order being undisclosed suggests it is part of a larger, ongoing strategic investment program by Metsä.
## Future Outlook
- We should anticipate Valmet pursuing similar modular upgrade opportunities across other Metsä Group facilities or competitor mills looking to replace end-of-life QCS infrastructure with integrated, intelligent solutions. Continued successful operation of PM 35 will set a benchmark for other modernization efforts.
## For Security Professionals
While the article focuses on operational technology (OT), the integration of an "intelligent system" and its connection to the existing DCS introduces new network endpoints. Security professionals must ensure that the installation and configuration of the Valmet IQ system adhere to stringent network segmentation policies, secure remote access protocols for maintenance, and that the system’s firmware is kept current to mitigate potential vulnerabilities introduced by new industrial control components.