Hansol Paper (213500.KS) has been selected for a government program to build an artificial intelligence factory for papermaking processes, accelerating the AI transition at its manufacturing sites.
Hansol Paper said on the 15th that it was chosen for the government support program to build an AI factory for papermaking processes through partnerships between large companies and smaller firms, organized by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. The project applies AI technology across papermaking processes and builds an autonomously operated AI factory that optimizes production and equipment operations using on-site data.
A consortium of seven organizations will carry out the work, including two user companies such as Hansol Paper, three AI specialist firms and two research institutes. The project will run for about four years through 2029, with a total of 12.2 billion won ($8.6 million) to be invested, including 8.5 billion won in government funding.
Hansol Paper plans to integrate and standardize the process, equipment and quality data it collects at its plants, then develop and validate AI models in stages for thermal energy optimization, equipment fault diagnosis and quality analysis. The ultimate goal is to build an autonomously operated AI factory platform in which AI analyzes manufacturing data to support optimal operating conditions and on-site decision-making.
Through the project, the company will pursue optimization of steam production at its incinerators, reduced steam use in the paper-drying process, advance prediction of equipment faults and breakdowns, AI-based safety management, and the linking of manufacturing data between large companies and smaller firms. The plan is to raise productivity and energy efficiency while also improving equipment stability and quality competitiveness. The company also plans to turn the results of the demonstration into a standardized model that can be applied to manufacturing industries similar to papermaking.
"This project is significant in that it goes beyond simply applying AI technology to individual processes and instead builds a foundation that connects the various data from manufacturing sites into one and uses it in actual production decisions," an official at Hansol Paper said. "Starting with this project, we will advance our AI-based manufacturing innovation model and strengthen our overall manufacturing competitiveness, including productivity, energy efficiency, quality and safety."