Pitch Expert: A Problem-Solving System for Kraft Mills

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Pitch Expert was developed to make expertise available to mill-site engineers to solve pitch problems in kraft pulp mills. These problems have been estimated to cause losses to the Canadian pulp and paper industry in excess of $100 million per year. The design of the system took into account not only the complexity of the process interactions and the need for accuracy and completeness of recommendations, but the ongoing need for training mill personnel and the requirement that the system be maintainable and expandable without constant involvement of the developers. Pitch Expert is now accessible by modem and the savings achieved through use of the system have covered the development costs within six months of release.