Intertrade Hellas picks ABB’s quality control system to optimize tissue production
ABB reported Aug. 6 that Intertrade Hellas S.A. has chosen it to apply its quality control system (QCS) to existing and new tissue machines at the company’s Inofyta facility. The project includes ABB’s Network Platform (NP) 1200-based QCS platform with integrated sensors and controls, which are designed to improve product consistency, process efficiency and data visibility across production lines.
The first system is scheduled for delivery to Tissue Machine 1 (TM1) by the end of October 2025. A second, identical system will be delivered in 2026, and support startup of the new TM2.
“This system’s performance in harsh conditions, along with its advanced data tools, gives us confidence in long-term process optimization and production sustainability,” says Konstantinos Kintis, technical coordinator and production engineer at Intertrade Hellas.
Founded in 1992, Intertrade Hellas is a privately owned tissue products manufacturer based near Athens, Greece, which operates four production facilities with 14 lines that produce up to 78,000 tonnes annually. It sells two flagship retail brands, private-label products for major supermarket chains, and about 18% of its production is exported to more than 28 countries across Europe and the Middle East.
NP1200 QCS will be implemented on two tissue machines at the Inofyta plant, and features precise measurement sensors, integrated controls and full connectivity with the mill’s existing distributed control system (DCS). This integration will streamline operations, improve data consistency, and let Intertrade Hellas reduce variability, respond faster to process changes, and consistently achieve higher product quality.
“Intertrade Hellas is focused on driving efficiency, reliability, and long-term performance across its operations,” says Stefano Cinquina, global business line manager for pulp and paper at ABB’s Process Industries division. “With our QCS, we’re supporting that ambition by helping them run leaner, cleaner and more consistent operations. This collaboration reflects our commitment to delivering engineered solutions that outperform over time, and reinforces our support for Greece’s pulp and paper industry.”
NP1200 includes ABB’s Ability History process information management platform that ensures secure, scalable access to time-series data. The platform integrates seamlessly with dashboards for real-time monitoring, energy and consumables reporting, and connects via Open Platform Communications Unified Architecture (OPC UA) to third-party systems for a unified digital ecosystem. By unlocking consistent, high-quality data across the mill, Intertrade Hellas will reportedly gain deeper operational insight, faster response times and a stronger foundation for future digital transformation.
NP1200’s core consists of basis-weight and moisture sensors that deliver stable, high-precision measurements to feed ABB’s multivariable, cross-directional control system. This enhanced control capability helps to reduce energy consumption, and improve raw material usage, enabling Intertade Hellas to increase efficiency through its entire production process, progressively reducing energy consumption and minimizing its environmental footprint.
