Andritz has announced the official launch of its latest breakthrough innovation for premium tissue production – Advanced TAD Technology (ATAD).
Exclusively launched at Tissue World Miami 2026, the machinery addresses the global tissue industry’s challenge of reducing the high energy demand of Through-Air Drying (TAD) systems.
Andritz said that ATAD is a new approach to structured tissue production that “significantly reduces energy consumption while maintaining the premium softness, bulk, and absorbency associated with TAD tissue.”
Paul Richards, Senior Technology Manager Tissue and Grade Owner for TAD & Hybrid Technologies at Andritz, said: “Energy consumption and availability remain fundamental barriers for many companies considering the production of structured tissue.
“With ATAD, we are removing these barriers. The technology combines simple, robust machine design with meaningful energy savings.
“This makes premium tissue grades more accessible not only in North America – where TAD is standard – but increasingly in Europe and other high-energy-cost regions as well.”
The innovation has undergone several years of development at the company’s PrimeLineTIAC tissue pilot plant in Graz, Austria.
Since 2022, R&D teams have been dedicated to exploring ways to reduce the thermal load of TAD, one of the most energy intensive processes in the entire paper industry.
Their breakthrough came in the form of a new pre-dewatering concept installed ahead of the first TAD drum – a previously untapped opportunity for efficiency improvement.
“During pilot work at the tissue pilot plant PrimeLineTIAC, the team demonstrated that the technology developed allowed us to raise the sheet dryness by 5-6% points ahead of thermal drying in the TAD section, leading to significant energy savings, smaller drying systems, and even production increases due to reduced load on downstream drying components.”
With a patented pre-dewatering module installed before the first TAD drum, Richards says ATAD has changed this paradigm.
ATAD achieves a “significantly higher” dryness level (+5-6% proven, with higher values possible) at TAD entry.
Andritz said the enhanced dryness results in:
- Lower energy consumption and a corresponding reduction in CO₂ emissions
- Improved operating cost efficiency
- Higher production potential due to reduced thermal load
- Higher capacity potential due to a decreased thermal load in the TAD drying section
- Greater machine stability thanks to improved sheet conditioning
- Flexible installation options, including hybrid configurations combining ATAD with conventional or shoe press concepts
ATAD is being presented publicly for the first time at Tissue World Miami 2026, with a dedicated conference speech and follow-up technical discussions for customers at the Andritz booth (B20).
