When our Sales Director, Carlo Berti, went to Japan in 2017, he immediately noticed the power of development and the revolutionary impact of the prototype by Kenji Taniguchi, R&D Manager at Kawano Paper.
When he returned to Italy, he told our Chairman Giovanni Gambini about this innovative embosser. He replied as follows:

We have found the product to develop.
We have the future of tissue in our hands.

Today Taniguchi is visiting our R&D plant in Italy to follow firsthand the progress of his creation and contribute to the advancement of this endless technology.
The last time he visited the TissueHub, we interviewed him.

Carlo Berti and Kenji Taniguchi at TissueHub

How was the idea of ​​AirMill born, the idea of a system that combines water and heat within the converting process?

It started as a game: if you press a coin hard against a paper handkerchief, the decoration engraved on the face of the coin remains imprinted. It is a slight imprint, but still visible. And I thought: maybe, by adding a little water, the impression will get even more evident. I tried it and I was amazed: by wetting the paper and pressing the coin, the result was much more marked.
All this happened about ten years before the birth of the AirMill itself. But by then the idea had already taken root!

How did you manage to convert this idea into a real project?

I also tried on normal paper, like photocopy paper; but even wetting it, no mark remained. A lighter paper was needed, in order to obtain a visible imprint.
It worked better on layered creped paper: just a little water was enough for the decoration of the coin to emerge. To my eyes, it looked like magic. And I said to myself: We can start from here to invent something new…
I began to think about how to apply this effect. I was already working in a paper mill, and it occurred to me to use water before embossing, which is the part of the process that engraves the design on the paper, just like the coin on the paper handkerchief. The result was a very beautiful and more marked decoration!

How did you use this system?

At the time it was nothing more than a prototype. In the company we used it almost as a craftsmanship method. There was a spray system, an embryo of what the Weko system does today, but there was no real combination of water sprays and heat. Hot rolls, as we know them today, did not yet exist.
The water was sprayed before going through the embosser, after which the paper remained wet. It therefore needed to be dried. So I came up with the idea of ​​inventing a heated roll, thus joining the two parts. At that point, the result was truly exceptional.
Not only was the decoration more aesthetically pleasing, but the paper of the final product had also gained in terms of thickness and absorbency, enhancing characteristics of the final product!
Such sensational results, that they pushed us to further develop the idea.

What’s the contribution of Gambini to the development of the AirMill?

Gambini’s technology allowed the industrial development of what until then was only an idea and a prototype. Just think that my first version was very small and slow, reaching only 200 m/min of speed.
It was Giovanni Gambini who decided to make it a real machine, to be used into a 700 m/min converting line.

What potential did Gambini see in the AirMill that pushed them to start developing it?

The ability to practically create a textured paper, comparable to TAD, is a further technological development whose merit must undoubtedly be attributed to the company’s vision. In Japan we do not use that type of paper, but TAD is now widespread throughout all the American territory. And it is an expensive product, achievable through specific and complex paper-making machines.
Carlo realized that the AirMill could achieve the same results by acting inside the converting process, thus significantly reducing costs and obtaining excellent quality, comparable to the so-called hybrid or structured papers!
In just two years, starting from a Japanese prototype, Gambini had created a technology capable of almost matching TAD.
Today I am here, at the TissueHub, to try to go even further.

How is your relationship with Gambini?

Excellent, I would say! I work very well with everyone, especially with the TissueHub staff and with salespeople. We do so many tests, then we verify them in the lab and understand where to intervene.
Here at TissueHub there is an exceptionally creative atmosphere: it comes naturally to work on new ideas and try to obtain always better products.

保湿ティシュ
The leading Japanese product invented by Taniguchi: Hoshitsu Tissue, or Moisturizing Tissue

What was your career path?

I graduated in Chemistry, specifically Polymer Chemistry. I have been working at Kawano Paper for more than thirty years now.
My first invention was a facial tissue paper that retains a very small percentage of humidity, producing a silk-like effect at the touch. In Italy, some call it “Hydrating Tissue”: it is a paper that naturally takes humidity from the air and stays that way, without ever becoming dry. The trick is in its composition: it is not pure cellulose, it also contains glycerin, sorbitol and oil.
It is a really popular product in Japan, representing 10% of the facial tissue market, despite costing three times more than standard paper.

What are your hobbies?

I love drawing freehand. I like to paint everything, especially landscapes and portraits. I am an observer and capturing on canvas what I see helps me focus on what surrounds me. After all, curiosity is a fundamental requirement for an inventor!
And then every morning and evening I ride my pro bike to and from work, it’s a 25-minute journey each way. I love nature and this – in addition to inventing the AirMill (he laughs) – is my personal way of contributing to the care of the environment!
Finally, with two sons and a daughter – but, above all, with four grandchildren -, I don’t really have much time for my hobbies!