ABB L&W Fiber Freeness Online will support Sappi's Maastricht mill to produce paper with the right properties to meet customer expectations.
Feb. 10, 2026 - Sappi has commissioned an ABB L&W Fiber & Freeness Online fiber measurement unit at its Maastricht mill in the Netherlands.
According to ABB, L&W Fiber & Freeness Online provides accurate and continuous fiber morphology measurement and freeness at the wet end of the paper production process. It has been deployed at the Maastricht mill to stabilize pulp quality at the stock preparation, controlling and refining stage. This results in better runnability on paper, board or tissue machines, helping make more on-specification product at lower cost.
"Papermakers strive for consistency at every stage of their process, predictable outcomes to meet customer specifications," said Wilson Monteiro, Global Business Line Manager for Pulp, Paper & Fiber, ABB's Process Industries division. "Sappi is making papers for the luxury market at Maastricht and wants to achieve the right quality, neither under nor over processed. ABB's L&W Fiber Freeness Online is a tool to optimize this at the early stock preparation stage. We look forward to working with Sappi to understand the results of its use and support further developments."
Jeroen Janssen, Process Technologist, Sappi, said, "We're very proud of the legacy built up at Sappi Maastricht but we are also set on the future with open eyes for the innovative possibilities. Together with ABB we are committing to the use of online fiber measurement technologies and we appreciate their expertise. It is one part of the infrastructure at the mill which has recently brought in other solutions for improved electrification, productivity and sustainability."
Sappi Maastricht employees nearly 500 employees and produces around 260,000 tons of coated woodfree paper and paperboard per year. It is currently marking its 175th anniversary year.
ABB is a global technology leader in electrification and automation.
SOURCE: ABB