This past Saturday, we held the first Light Green Machine^TM Conference and Workshop here in Atlanta. It was a great success. Attendees represented some of the largest pulp and paper companies in the world in several grades.

One of the concepts introduced at this conference was the "Basic Machine Index^TM" or "BMI." The BMI is a new, dimensionless way to calculate the efficiency of your facility. The equation is as follows: BMI = (Total Papermachine Facility Weight in metric tons) divided by (Total Facility Prime Salable Average Daily Production in metric tons)

Details of the components are outlined in the document LGM2010.01.01, "BMI Design Practice."

The BMI achieves several objectives older methods of machine comparison do not. As stated at the conference, the BMI is a method of comparison that

Yet, at the same time, it measures all these matters and reduces them to a simple dimensionless number. For in the BMI one will see efficiency (lighter machines relative to production have a lower BMI) and costs, for every component in the weight of a machine costs money to buy, money to install, and money to maintain. The age of the machine shows up, too, for an older, less efficient machine will have a higher BMI than a more modern one.

At last we have a way to reduce machines within grades to one number for comparison purposes.

You can purchase the entire proceedings from the conference by going to http://tinyurl.com/2010LGMProceedings to register. These include LGM2010.01.01 The cost is USD 39.00 for the CD (USD 49.00 outside North America). Once you register, we will send you the proceedings within 10 business days.