PAUL HOFFMAN
TISSUE PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
AND TECHNICAL CONSULTING SERVICES
ABOUT
PAUL HOFFMAN TISSUE PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
AND TECHNICAL CONSULTING SERVICES:
Tissue
product development:
I provide service
in all aspects of tissue product development: new product conception, demonstration,
product development, market research, and commercialization.
All these have
culminated in my work in conceptualizing, demonstrating, commercializing, and
marketing Cottonelle
bathroom tissue, as well as several other new and improved products at Scott
Paper Company. In my several decades of work at Scott I have also spearheaded
the development of embossed luxury bathroom tissue, lotionized tissue, antibacterial
tissue, and many concept tissues not yet on market. During this work I have
been working with market research, marketing, legal department.
Technical
work philosophy:
I provide consulting in
most technical areas, especially in improving product properties ( softness
[Handfeel], absorptive capacity, and bulk); reducing furnish cost; assessing
the performance of debonders and Yankee adhesives. I also perform patent searches.
My consulting work is
mostly based on my extensive experience and unique philosophy: I have developed
the following philosophical points about the understanding of tissue properties:
These are reflected in all the articles referenced below. They all have several
important and seldom-recognized threads in common. First, they posit that paper
density is the best indicator of the most important tissue properties: bulk,
water absorptive capacity, and some components of softness (bulk softness and
cushioniness). Second, they assume that these properties, as well as the performance
of Paper Machines, can best be displayed on a strength-density diagram, which
is for paper what the pressure-volume diagram is for gases. Third, they indicate
that the above properties are additive: the weight average rule applies. However,
these are not only assumptions; the articles also use examples to prove these
points.
OVERVIEW
OF MY CAREER :
Throughout my career I
have been interested in several different but interrelated areas: process development,
pilot plant work, scale-up, theoretical understanding of the relevant relationships,
as well as product development and new product invention. The website describes
the most important of these activities, albeit not always in chronological order.
Below are sections and hyperlinks
on my Expertise, Examples of Consulting Projects,
My reference to my blog, as well to
my articles on Creativity,
Philosophy, Music, and Mythology can be found under
EXPERTISE :
- Characterization of tissue properties, like handfeel,
water absorptive capacity, and bulk.
- Characterization of papermaking processes and unit
operations, like TAD, forming, creping, pressing, and their effect on product
properties.
- Furnish optimization: determination of highest
quality product at a given cost, and determination of lowest cost at a given
quality.
- Determination of the effect of product properties
on consumer preference.
- Product improvement and new product development.
- Patent search and assessment.
EXAMPLES OF CONSULTING PROJECTS
Developed program for client to evaluate various
pattern forming and pressing fabrics in their laboratory; supervised work, and
analyzed results.
- Gave 2-day overview of papermaking practices.
- Performed furnish optimization calculations using
fiber morphological data and recommended optimum furnish composition for napkin
and towel products..
- Prepared an overview and forecast of a major tissue
manufacturer’s technology position.
- Performed patent search and assessment of major
softener (debonder) and TAD patents.
- Analyzed client’s extensive pilot plant data
to quantify benefit of shoe press over conventional wet press technology.
- Carried out pilot plant studies of pattern pressing
fabrics at Georgia Institute of Technology for the client company.
- Prepared proposal for client outlining of possible
methods to upgrade conventional wet press technology partway toward TAD.
- Performed competitive analysis of various toilet
tissues, made by different technologies, and did reverse engineering to evaluate
technology capability via the technology index method. This unique method
measures the ability of a company’s technology to deliver product quality
from a given furnish.
- Wrote primer for client on tissue making fundamentals
and the use of fibers in tissue
PRESENTATIONS
- Gave talk and held seminar at the
University of Minnesota on strength-density relationships.
- Gave talk and held seminar at Georgia Institute
of Technology on the effect of wet end additives (debonders, strength additives)
and refining on product properties.
- Gave talk and held seminar at the University of
Minnesota on furnish optimization.
- Gave talk and conducted workshop on furnish optimization
at TissueWorld 2002 meeting in Miami, FL.
EDUCATION
1954-56
Polytechnic University of Budapest.
1957-1959
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Bachelor Chem. Eng.
1960
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. MS Chem. Eng.
EMPLOYMENT
1960-1964,
Process Engineer, Procter and Gamble Co.
1964-1970,
Converting Technical Superintendent, Hudson Pulp and Paper Co.
1970-1997,
Senior Research Manager, Scott Paper Co.
1997-present,
Consultant
BRIEF WORK HISTORY
After having received an MS degree
from MIT in 1960, I obtained employment at Procter and Gamble Co., as a
Project Engineer, working on pulp drainage. I developed a novel theory of pulp
drainage which formed the basis of new headbox design.
In 1964 I moved to Hudson Pulp
and Paper Co as Converting Technical Superintendent, in charge of R&D
and production support for both tissue and Kraft products (gum tape, multiwall
bags, and grocery bags).
In 1970 I became Senior Research
Manager at Scott Paper Co. As R&D Venture manager, I headed the R&D
effort to develop, demonstrate feasibility, and commercialize Cottonelle
bathroom tissue, then a revolutionary new product that had 2:1 preference edge
over Procter&Gamble’s Charmin. I was also
responsible for all toilet and facial tissue product design, development, and
commercialization activities that included development of the first embossed
toilet tissue, Soft and Pretty, as well as antibacterial and lotionized toilet
tissue. I was also the liaison between R&D and Marketing representing tissue
R&D in focus groups, blind product tests, and in store product evaluations
to support new product development. At various times I was also the manager
of all pilot paper machines and technology transfer functions.
Along with my
managerial activities, I also carried on independent theoretical work on fundamental
tissue properties, the effect of furnish compositions on product properties,
and others, as detailed below. My furnish optimization program yielded a cost
savings of $800,000 for one of Scott Paper Company’s machines in Chester,
PA.
Since 1997 I have been consulting
for various paper and pulp companies, like Irving Paper, Potlatch Paper, and
Weldwood of Canada. I have lectured at universities and have
been the featured speaker at several technical conferences, including the 2002
session of TissueWorld2002. I have also written numerous technical articles,
which are described below.
RECENT WORK
I have developed a tool to determine and characterize
the property-development [Handfeeel, Bulk (specific volume), and water absorptive
capacity] of a tissue machine, pilot plant or competitors' product using a dimensionless
paper machine quality potential number (PMQP).
The best way to explain the concept of PMQP
is by an analogy. In gases we have the concept of "ideal gas". Regular,
everyday gases do not quite behave that way but can be related to it.
In paper the closest we have to ideal gas
is the handsheet made by the TAPPI method. I use it as an absolute reference
point and call it a number 1.0. All paper machine processes, wet press,
TAD, in-between methods, and different executions can be ranked against this
absolute reference. The values, all less than 1.0, quantify the ability
of the process to convert the potential of the furnish
into quality. This way all technologies, processes, sub-processes, and
paper machines can be arranged on a numerical scale whose upper end
is 1.0. The higher the number the higher the "quality potential" of
the technology or the paper machine in question. The number directly translates
to the above-mentioned properties: Handfeeel, Bulk (specific volume), and water
absorptive capacity. A technology or a paper machine with a higher PMQP number
will produce higher quality than one with a lower PMQP. In fact, I have techniques
that allows calculations of the exact amount.
The
tool is being used to
1. Benchmark
of a single paper machine periodically. A
single dimensionless paper machine quality potential number (PN) is used for this purpose. This is very
important for reference purposes.
2. Use
daily for quality control instead of other tests. This method is
by far the most accurate way to assure that quality
is within established limits.
3.
Compare paper machines in the circuits making the same grade as
well as producing different grades.
4. Evaluate competitors'
quality potential by using a similar but different technique.
5.
Scale-up of pilot plants. It is known that pilot plant quality
generally is better than that achievable in production: we can establish
an accurate "scale-up factor". This will not only help develop
new processes but helps assess their potential against existing products.
- I
offer this tool in two forms:
1.A Technical
Manual that describes the above steps in the required detail for $4,000.
2. Or a presentation that explains the system and also include the manual for
a price to be discussed later.
Please
contact me if you are interested or if you would like more information.
TECHNICAL PAPERS
The sections below contain the complete
text, abstract, or summary of those papers written by me that best represent
my experience and philosophy about tissue-and-towel-weight webs. They all have
several important and seldom-recognized threads in common. First,
they posit that paper density is the best indicator of the most important tissue
properties: bulk, water absorptive capacity, and some components of softness
(bulk softness and cushioniness). Second, they assume that these properties, as well as the
performance of Paper Machines, can best be displayed on a strength-density diagram,
which is for paper what the pressure-volume diagram is for gases. Third, they indicate that the above
properties are additive: the weight average rule applies. However, these are
not only assumptions; the articles also use examples to prove these points.
Please contact me for the complete texts.
Please be aware that, unless otherwise
stated in the text, the term “Bulk” stands for tissue thickness,
and “Bulk/BW” for unit Bulk, referred to by some companies as “Bulk”,
or “Specific Volume”.
- Paper
Machine Characterization includes a detailed treatment of the unit operations
of paper making, forming, pressing, through drying,
creping, and stratification. It contains most of my distilled philosophy.
A snapshot of the ideas in the report may be obtained by looking at the graph:
Unit
Operations .
- Furnish
Optimization and Other Topics contains,
in addition to a treatment of furnish optimization, such concepts as an "absolute
handfeel scale" and Universal Paper Machine as well. Between them, the
two articles almost complete my philosophically oriented writings on tissue
paper. A considerably simpler version, one I suggest to the impatient, is
Furnish Optimization, Simpler Version To become more familiar with the method and have
a hands-on experience with it, please click on the following link which contains
a downloadable interactive program: Furnish Optimization Interactive Program.
- The article on Stratification
describes my method
of dealing with the topic, as well as gives results for 2-layer stratification
(to reduce file size, it does not contain the data tables). It also demonstrates
my technique for normalizing (bringing to common denominator) most tissue
properties. It aims a bit too high and has too much information.
- The article Strength-Density
Relationships in Handsheets is
based on the same the same principles. It discusses the rationale for selecting
optimum combination of dry strength resins, debonders, refining and wet pressing.
While the work is about handsheets, the conclusions have been extended into
creped sheets as well.
- The article
Consumer
vs. Diagnostic Properties describes
how to define and when to use these two important categories which are often
confused. The consumer experiences one type, for understanding the underlying
technologies we must use the other.
A related article to the above, more slanted
toward graphical treatment, uses my favorite Technology
Curves Approach. It describes the best way to determine the property-development
capability of paper machines and technologies. A more precise approach that
also includes necessary corrections for Basis Weight to calculate Breaking Length
and Bulk/BW is described in Technology
Curves with BW correction.
Softness is one of the most important
properties of Tissue and Towel products. My article Tissue
Softness discusses the most important concepts and relationships on this
topic, and also indicates some of the best ways to increase it. A second, related
article Softness
via Components discusses the components of tissue softness and the best
way to measure softness using components. My most recent article deals with
the best way to obtain Handfeel
Standards.
I have also written an article on Paper
Machine Quality Potential (PMQP), which was issued in the first issue of MEtissue
magazine both in English and in Arabic.
I would also like to draw your attention
to an excellent link on embossing:
Embossing Technologies was
founded in 1996 by Carl Ingalls, an embossing specialist. The company provides
the technical know-how for embossing, with emphasis on bath tissue, paper towels,
napkins, and facial tissue. Expertise includes manufacturing issues and product
development.
E-mail: paulhoffman@paulhoffman.com
