ERKKI OLAVI SEPPANEN
Born November 24, 1928 in Finland. Citizen of USA.
Education M.Sc, Paper Technology, P.Eng.
Helsinki Institute of Technology, Helsinki 1953.
Languages English and Finnish.
Field of Competence Paper Industry (Printing and Writing Grades, Newsprint, S/C grades, Coating base stock, Linerboard, Corrugating Medium ); Papermill Start-ups, Operations, Trouble Shooting and Operators Training; Mill Development and Planning.
Consulting Experience (Since retirement 10/15/1992)
1997 – 98 (continues). Preparing service and trouble shooting material for future operators training and which can be used as reference material in papermills. Total of approximately 4000 pages of solutions for different operating and quality problems.
1995 – 1996 Papčis Inapa, Setůbal, Portugal.
One new and two old fine-paper machines. I was a member of the Jaakko Poyry team as a papermachine specialist. Retrained operators and prepared papermachine and winder training manuals, which were translated to Portuquese. PM 3 production increased approximately 35% as a result of my work and the older machines improved some but were steam and speed limited.
1994 –1995 James Maclaren Industries, Masson Mill, Quebec, Canada.
Problem: Low efficiency and quality problems on the BelBaie III news-machine. I was a member of the Jaakko Poyry team as a papermachine specialist for the total mill evaluation. I prepared papermachine optimization report, including also stock preparation area. Had multiple meetings with the management and operators explaining the problem areas and possible solutions to improve efficiency and quality.
1992-1994 Cartón de Colombia, Cali, Colombia
Problem: Low efficiency, high break frequency, especially at the size press area. Problems solved. To increase operators competence, 10 day’s training program was prepared for operators (mill translated the program to Spanish) and training is to be in March 1994. Also Alkaline paper making seminar for mill management was prepared and presented. Fine paper grades without any long fiber pulp.
Finch Pruyn & Co. Inc. Glenns Falls, NY.
Problem: High break frequency, Fine Paper
St Marys Paper Inc. Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada.
Problem: Low efficiency due to the machine and system design. Operators training, trouble shooting and instructions how to overcome above problems and increase machine speed and efficiency. S /C grade.
1979-1992 Technical Service Engineer for TVW ( Tampella, Valmet and Wartsila), mainly for Valmet machines until Valmet and Tampella desolved the TVW organization at the end of 1987. 1988- to the retirement, moved to the Tampella side to gain more experience on linerboard and corrugating machines. Work consisted of: Help start-up new and rebuild machines, Trouble shoot operations after the Finnish start-up people went home from the Western Hemisphere. Prepare operators training programs and train operators to use new paper making machinery safely and properly. Also train mill mechanical people to proper maintenance of the new machinery. Take new customers for special training at the European installations. Technical assistance to the sales organizations. During this period trouble shooting and operators training was done in the following mills (only those mills with extensive service are listed):
Frazer Paper, Madawaska, Main, PM 7. Fine Paper and Light Groundwood grades.
Abitibi Price, Stephenville, New Foundland. Newsprint after rebuild. Operators training at Varkaus mill in Finland.
Mead, Chillicote, Ohio. New Fine Paper Valmet machine. Operators training and follow-up trouble shooting.
Abitibi Price, Iroquois Falls, Ontario, Canada. New Valmet newsprint machine. Operators training, start-up assistance and follow-up service calls.
Island Paper Mills, New Westminster, BC, Canada. New Valmet design, Tampella manufactured Fine Paper machine. Operators training, start-up and follow-up service calls. Additional supervisors training in Finland and Sweden.
Olinkraft, Monroe, LA. New Tampella multi-wire on machine coated board machine PM 7 and rebuild PM 4 & 6. Long time follow-up service calls and operators training.
I.P., Gardiner, OR. Rebuild linerboard machine by Tampella. Operators training and follow-up service calls.
Crown Zellerbach, West Linn, OR. Rebuild fine Paper machine to on-machine coater machine, new re-reeler, winder and super calender by Wartsila. Start-up, operators training and follow-up service calls.
Crown Zellerbach, St. Francesville, LA. Valmet rebuild. Coated basestock machine. Operators training and follow-up service calls.
Nekoosa Edwards, Ashdown, AR. New Valmet Fine Paper machine. Operators training and follow-up service calls.
R & W, Longview, WA. Valmet Fine Paper machine rebuild. After start-up service to overcome poor operation and re-train operators.
Macon Kraft, Macon, GA, PM 2. New Tampella Linerboard Machine. 100 % OCC. Operators training, start-up and long period follow-up service.
CFI, Hopewell, VA. Linerboard machine rebuild by Tampella. Operators training, start-up and follow-up service.
Hoerner Waldorf, Missoula, MO, PM 3. New Tampella Linerboard machine, virgin fiber. Start-up, operators training and follow-up service calls.
Crown Zellerbach, Elk Falls, BC, Canada. New PM 5 Newsprint machine and PM 1 rebuild. Prepare operators training program with mill personnel, help to train operators, start-up assistance and extensive follow-up service.
Eurocan Pulp and Paper, Kitimat, BC, Canada, PM 2. Rebuild in four stages to modernize the linerboard machine. Operators training, start-up assistance and extensive after service to get mill to produce the design production.
I.P. Mansfield, LA, PM 1 & PM 2. New , Wide Tampella Linerboard and Corrugating machines. Operators training, start-up assistance and follow-up service calls.
Western Kraft, Hawsville, KY. New Valmet Fine Paper machine. Operators training .
Western Kraft, Hawsville, KY. Corrugating machine rebuild by Tampella. Trouble shooting call and operators training to get machine to meet guaranteed production.
Abitibi Price, Thunderbay, Ontario, Canada. Newsprint rebuild by Valmet. Rebuild start-up and service calls.
Great Lakes Forest Products, Dryden, Ontario, Canada, PM1. New Valmet Fine Paper machine. Prepared operators training material, training key operators in a Swedish Fine Paper mill, Start-up and after service. The best start-up.
Great Lakes Forest Products, Thunderbay, Ontario, Canada. Newsprint machine rebuild by Valmet. Service calls.
MacMillan Bloedel, Port Alberny, BC, Canada, PM 4. Newsprint machine rebuild by Valmet. Service calls.
Abitibi Price, Augusta, GA. New Valmet Newsprint machine. Prepared training material for operators training.
Rotesay Paper, St. John, NB, Canada. Newsprint machine rebuild by Valmet. After start-up trouble shooting.
I.P. Texarkana, TX, PM 1 & PM 2. Rebuilds by Tampella. Operators training, start-up and follow-up service.
Inland Container Corp., Ontario, CA. New Tampella Linerboard machine (100 % OCC) Later rebuild also to two wire operation. Service calls after the original start-up. Prepared training material for the multi wire operators training, trained operators and started up the machine. Best Tampella machine start-up (in a half an hour saleable linerboard).
Acadia, Newcastle, NB, Canada, PM1. New Valmet Coated Basestock machine. Operators training, start-up assistance and some follow-up service.
Belkin Paper Board, Burnaby, BC, Canada. OCC linerboard machine rebuild by Tampella. Prepared and kept training seminar for operators, started up the machine and after service. An excellent start-up.
Domtar, Red Rock, Ontario, Canada, PM 2. Linerboard machine rebuild by Tampella. Operators training and start-up. Some follow-up work.
Virginia Fiber, Riverville, VA, PM 1. Corrugating machine rebuild to a Tamformer. Prepared operators training material, training seminar for operators and follow-up service calls.
Georgia Kraft, Rome, GA, PM 1. Tampella rebuild. After start-up service calls to overcome operating and equipment problems.
St. Marys Paper, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada, PM 5. New and the first Tampella S /C paper machine. Prepared training material for operators training, some start-up assistance and after start-up trouble shooting.
Georgia Pacific, Toledo, OR. Linerboard machine rebuild by Tampella. Operators training and start-up. Follow-up service.
Smurfit, Cartón de Colombia, Cali, Colombia. Fine Paper machine rebuild by Tampella Carcano. Start-up assistance and two after start-up service calls.
Smurfit, Mocarpel, San Felipe, Venezuela. Collect all necessary information from this corrugating medium mill to double its production and prepare a rebuild plan and list of new equipment required.
Smurfit, Mexico City, Mexico. Linerboard machine rebuild by Tampella (100 % OCC). Operators training, start-up. No after start-up service needed.
Georgia Pacific, Crosset, AR. Foodboard machine rebuild by Tampella. Operators training and start-up. Few after start-up service calls.
Inland Container Corp., New Johnsonville, TN. Corrugating machine rebuild by Tampella. Training of operators and start-up.
Inland Container Corp., Newport, TN. Corrugating machine rebuild by Tampella. Service call to overcome operating and equipment problems.
During this period I learned to know all types of Valmet, Tampella, Dominion, Carcano and Sandy Hill paper machines in detail, their good points and weaknesses.
1974-1979 Huyck Formex, Greenville, TN. Technical Service Engineer. Forming fabric and foil systems start-ups and general trouble shooting paper machine wet-ends. Covered the Southern and Western states in USA.
1969-1974 Boise Cascade, International Falls, Minnesota. Assistant Paper Mill Superindentent. Three fine-paper machines. During my period the average monthly production was increased from 265 tons / day to 510 tons /day, mainly by small modifications and proper machine and furnish tune-ups.
1969 Immigrated to USA.
1966-1969 MacMillan Bloedel, Island Paper Mills, New Westminster, BC, Canada. Superintendent Fine-Paper mill. During this period the mill was brought to be the most money maker in the per capita invested in the organization. This was accomplished with minute modifications, operators training and proper machine and furnish adjustments.
1958-1966 Ontario Minnesota Pulp and Paper Co (purchased by Boise Cascade in 1964). Assistant Paper Mill Superintendent, 3 News machines. Only minor machine speed ups and increase in machine’s efficiency during this period. Reason: No money.
1957-1958 St. Lawrence Corp., Red Rock, Ontario, Canada. Technical Assistant to Paper Mill. Problem with English language was preventing me from better job until I learned it and then moved.
1957 Immigrated to Canada.
1954-1957 Lohja Kotka OY, Kotka Mill, Finland. Production Manager of two machine Tissue, Towel and MG mill. Mill was loosing money at the arrival and was supporting the whole organization at my leaving to Canada. This was achieved by properly handling and training of people, minute machine modifications and speed-ups.
1953-1954 Kymin OY, Kuusankoski, Finland. Shift Supervisor on this 4 Fine Paper machine mill to learn how to make paper and run machines my self if needed.
1953 (summer) Serlachius, Jyvaskyla, Finland. # Fine Paper Machines and two Parchment machines. After graduation relieved shift supervisors during their vacations.
1952 (summer) Kymin OY, Kuusankoski, Finland. Relieving shift supervisors during their vacations on this four Fine Paper machine mill.
1951 (summer) United Paper Mills, Myllykoski, Finland. 5th hand summer job in this two S /C machine mill.
1950 (summer) Metalliteos OY, Helsinki, Finland. University required training for 3 month on other than your own field. Mechanics work.
1948-1949 Compulsory service in the Finnish army. Officer school.
1948 Graduated from Highschool.
Personal affiliations:
Finnish paper Engineers Association,
CPPA,
Tappi and Association of Professional Engineers of Ontario.