Buy New or Modify Existing Tissue Equipment? Technical Improvements Hold the Answer

Tissue products constantly evolve to meet market demands and consumer preferences. Tissue converters must do likewise to remain relevant to their customers and ahead of the competition. This presents a challenge when it comes to equipment: purchase new or modify existing?

Cost/Benefit Analysis

There are arguments to be made for both an outright new equipment purchase and for updating existing equipment:

• A purchase ensures that no equipment is outmoded or will potentially under-perform, but the tradeoff is a substantial budgetary and time commitment.

• Comparatively, a tissue converting equipment modification or technical improvement can increase longevity and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) at a lower cost and in less time. Any budget that would have been put toward a capital equipment purchase can then be reallocated to existing equipment maintenance or another purpose.

Either choice results in a tissue converting line setup responsive to changing OEM and product needs. From a purely budgetary standpoint, an equipment modification may be the more attractive of the two. However, is it really the most economically feasible option for the long-term business plan?

To help decide, it’s prudent for managers and key decision makers to ask and answer some basic cost/benefit questions such as:

• Is modifying existing tissue converting equipment roughly the financial equivalent of buying new or late-model used equipment?
• Does a modification offer the same or better line performance compared to new equipment?
• What is the economic impact of the downtime required for new equipment installation? Existing equipment modification?

Key Objectives

A cost/benefit analysis could verify initial inclinations about a solution, but it will likely shine a light on areas that need closer scrutiny. In short, key business objectives surrounding productivity, environmental sustainability, safety, and competitive advantage need to be met.

Tissue converting equipment modification or technical improvement is a viable solution for the majority of tissue converters. That’s why Fabio Perini developed a series of Technical Improvement Programs (TIPs).

TIPs align needs and available equipment modifications to address tissue converters’ key objectives and tissue industry changes — all contributing to:

• Enhanced performance
• Increased line efficiency and safety
• Significant cost savings
• Minimal downtime
• Higher quality
• Sustained eco-friendliness

Keeping your line up-to-date and working efficiently to help manage through shifting changes in market demands and consumer preferences occasionally means weighing options about equipment.

Valmet TIPs are tailor-made equipment and technological improvements for the tissue industry and solve real-world challenges, like the smart use of technology and tools to protect workers and facilities discussed in our Fire Suppression TIP Guide. Click the button below to access your copy now!