R&D and Innovation
Research, development and innovation
Work in the present to build the future. With this vision, the Research, Development, and Innovation team's performance is directly connected to Klabin's growth strategy and sustainable outlook, helping to increase the Company's competitiveness.
Whether it be in increasing forest productivity, enhancing industrial processes, developing multi-purpose products that are renewable, recyclable, and biodegradable, or managing impacts on the value chain, investments in R&D+I, which totaled BRL 63.9 million in 2022, have been essential.
Managing the impacts of its operations continually challenges Klabin and its R&D+I area to focus on creating value in the circular economy chain.
Performance focused on new opportunities in:
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Improvement or creation of processes.
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Product development.
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New applications for the products that the company manufactures.
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Development to meet customer needs.
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Contribution to the circular economy.
Technology Center
The Klabin Technology Center (CTK) in Telêmaco Borba (PR) completed five years of operation in 2022, transforming the relationship between the Company's industrial and forestry areas. CTK provided the company with a robust structure to replicate processes, simulate manufacturing, and expedite product development.
Industrial development
focused on incrementally improving Klabin's portfolio products and refining processes.
Forest development
focused on incrementally improving Klabin's portfolio products and refining processes.
Research
to add barrier properties to paper, always focused on protecting human health and consumption.
Innovative solutions that were born at CTK
In 2022, a partnership with the Chemical and Textile Industry Technology Center (SENAI CETIQT) resulted in a project to develop an antiviral coating for application on kraft paper, composed entirely of organic components and free of any metals. The coating is primarily designed for e-commerce packaging and has already undergone research and efficacy tests to deactivate the coronavirus (SARS-CoV2) conducted by Bio-Manguinhos/Fiocruz, one of the most highly regarded organizations in the country in the development of immunobiologics.See below other innovations developed at the Klabin Technology Center.
Eukaliner®: the first kraftliner in the world made entirely from eucalyptus fiber, which began to be produced on a large scale last year at the Puma II Project on Paper Machine 27, was also developed at CTK. The product offers a range of advantages that make it stand out in the market, including a reduction in weight of more than 10%, keeping strength and lightness to the packaging, lower energy consumption during conversion, and improved printing surface, among other features.
Klamulti Premium: a lightweight and durable paperboard designed for the beverage packaging market (multipack) that contains microfibrillated cellulose (MFC), resulting in a significant improvement in properties and performance.
EkoMix: packaging for cement made with 100% dispersible paper can be seamlessly integrated into the concrete mixing process during preparation. One of the primary advantages of this solution is the decreased disposal of waste at the construction site, providing even more efficiency to production.
PineFluff eXcel: fluff pulp made from a blend of eucalyptus hardwood and pine softwood, with a focus on the hygiene products market (including infant and adult diapers, feminine pads, and hygienic carpets for pets).
Hand sanitizer: In 2020, at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, researchers from Klabin's Technology Center, in collaboration with the Senai Institute of Innovation in Biosynthetics and Fibers and the cosmetics company Apoteka, developed a novel formulation of hand sanitizer made from microfibrillated cellulose (MFC). At the time, over four tons of the product were donated to various organizations and hospitals in the areas where the company operates.
The customer experience at Klabin
With the opening of the Packaging Technology Center (CTE) in 2022, Klabin will strengthen the customer's experience of being immersed in the Company's culture of innovation and enhance the product co-creation processes. With the goal of becoming an experiential center, the new structure is in the Jundiaí Tijuco Preto Unit, in the interior of São Paulo.
CTE aggregates a portfolio of projects in collaboration with customers from multiple industries, to address a variety of challenges. Some examples include: packaging for transporting and protecting furniture, adding new functionality for reuse; the sack kraft paper bag model laundry bag for packaging uniforms in factory operations; and the development of a new concept in packaging for paints and optimization of the production process.
The latter is already being produced by Klabin at the Suzano Unit (SP). The packaging, made of corrugated cardboard, is designed for Suvinil's line of water-based varnishes and replaces the tin packaging. The product is packaged in a plastic bag made of 100% virgin material, and enclosed in a cardboard box. Easy to handle, 100% recyclable, and with a lower environmental impact than metal gallons, emitting less CO2, the product meets the customer's demand for a more practical and sustainable packaging than the previous one.
