The award is endowed every second year by The Arne Asplund Mechanical Pulping Award Foundation to promote the development of new technology for the manufacture of high-yield pulp.
Presentation of the award was planned for June 9, at the International Mechanical Pulping Conference, IMPC, which is hosted by The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada this year. This event has now been postponed and the prize will be presented on a later occasion.
The 2020 laureate
Bengt Åkerblom has devoted his entire professional life to developing, constructing and providing the pulp market with equipment and solutions for process measurement and control, particularly for the mechanical and chemi-mechanical pulping industry. He is the principal owner and Chairman of the Board of the Dametric company, which produces and markets his various inventions.
The way in which Bengt Åkerblom has developed the True Disc Clearance (TDC) and Adjustable Gap Sensor (AGS) for chip and pulp refiners has enabled tremendous improvements to be made in both the availability and control of refiners, thereby increasing pulp quality and reducing specific energy consumption. These sensors are installed in the vast majority of high-consistency mechanical pulp refiners around the world. Lately, his work has enabled the development and usage of refining processes based on feeding refiner segments. Such systems, in which the very accurate control of extremely small refiner gaps is fundamental, allow significant specific energy reductions to be made.
The Arne Asplund Mechanical Pulping Award Foundation
The Arne Asplund Mechanical Pulping Award promotes the development of new technology for the manufacture of high-yield pulp. It is awarded to a person or persons in recognition of outstanding achievement in the research and development of mechanical pulping technology.
The Arne Asplund Mechanical Pulping Award Foundation was established in 1985 to commemorate the contributions made by Dr. Arne Asplund to the pulp and paper industry worldwide. The Award was made possible through a donation Valmet made to the foundation in 1985. The Chairman of the Foundation is Professor Göran Bengtsson.
RELATED NEWS
SCA delivered 93.2 million seedlings in 2025
February 2, 2026
International Paper to create two independent public companies
January 29, 2026
Important Announcement from The Pulp & Paper Alliance
January 29, 2026
Fastmarkets names 2026 Forest Products Industry Award winners
January 28, 2026
Redefining Print: Holmen unveils its next-generation magazine paper
January 28, 2026
Registration now open for Tissue World Miami
January 28, 2026
LEGO® Maflex Unwinder back online on LEGO® Ideas
January 26, 2026
Sappi – Barrier papers move into the flexible packaging market
January 22, 2026
The WEPA Group intends to acquire a majority stake in MPH1865
January 22, 2026
Sonoco Chief Operating Officer Rodger Fuller to Retire
January 21, 2026