A new instrumental analysis system, which evaluates the sensory properties of packaging boards, is intended to increase the accuracy and efficiency of the paperboard quality control at Finnish Enso Paperboards. The system, called electronic nose, will be taken into operation in 1998 as a further quality control tool at the company´s Imatra mill. It is a development of an instrument, MDG-1, which was originally constructed in Finland for military use to detect chemical warfare agents. To a great extent, the analysis system will be used for the company´s Enso Performa paperboard, which is aimed at food, sweets and tobacco applications with high demands on odour and taste neutral packagings.

"The electronic nose mimics biological olfactory systems by processing signals from different kinds of sensors with sophisticated software. Unlike the human sense of smell, instrumental sensors are objective and resistant to fatigue. This makes the quality control system simpler and also more accurate and efficient", says Dr. Henry Lindell at Enso Research Centre.
The new analysis system will be used as a complement to the present measurement methods, such as sensory evaluation by trained test panels, the Robinson test and gas chromatographic analyses. More advanced analyses, using GC/MS (gas chromatograph and mass spectrometer), are carried out at Enso Oyj's Research Centre in Imatra.
"The basic idea in the use of the electronic nose is to teach the system the typical odour of each board grade. After the teaching process, the electronic nose recognizes samples having different chemical characteristics from teaching material, explains Dr. Henry Lindell.
The results of several months' research work seem promising. The correlation between sensory results by human test panels and the results of the electronic nose have gradually been improved by fine tuning of the electronic nose.

For further information, please contact:
Enso Marketing Co. Ltd.
Enso House, New Mill Road
GB-ORPINGTON, Kent BR5 3QA
tel. +44 1689 836 911
fax +44 1689 829 732

Enso (Middle East)
P.O.B. 61265
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates
tel. +971 4 836 819
fax +971 4 836 826
(Bahrain, Cyprus, Iran, Iraq, Jordan,
Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar,
Saudi Arabia, Syria, Yemen)

Enso-Eurocan Hong Kong Ltd.
Rm.1406 14th Floor, World Trade Centre
280 Gloucester Road, Causeway Bay
HONG KONG
tel. +852 2895 2063
fax +852 2576 1480

Enso-Eurocan Hong Kong Ltd.
Beijing Office, Rm. 808 Scitech Tower
22 Jianguomenwai Avenue
BEIJING 100004
tel. +86 10 6515 7178
fax +86 10 6515 7179

Enso-Eurocan South East Asia Pte. Ltd.
Representative Office
Block 154-2-11
Kompleks Maluri, Jalan Jejaka
55100 KUALA LUMPUR
tel +60 3 981 8122
fax +60 3 987 3122

Enso-Eurocan South East Asia Pte. Ltd.
360 Orchard Road
# 11-01 International Building
SG-SINGAPORE 238869
tel. +65 235 3485
fax +65 737 4278

Enso-Eurocan Far East Co. Ltd.
KM Nishiumeda Bldg.
20-1, Fukushima 7-chome
Fukushima-ku
J-OSAKA 553
tel. +81 6 455 6811
fax +81 6 455 8811

Enso Italia S.r.l.
Piazza S. Camillo de Lellis, 1
I-20124 MILAN
tel. +39 2 670 871
fax +39 2 669 7516





Fins Verkoopkantoor / Enso (Holland) BV
Postbus 12386
1100 AJ Amsterdam
tel. 020-6505555
fax 020-6505622

Enso International, Inc.
281 Tresser Blvd., 15th Floor
STAMFORD, CT 06901
tel. +1 203 978 1755
fax +1 203 978 1237

Enso International, Inc.
2550 Leavenworth St., Suite 2
SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94133
tel. +1 415 567 1295
fax +1 415 567 1281

Enso Interamericas, Inc.
8750 Doral Boulevard, Suite 270
MIAMI, FL 33178
tel. +1 305 716 9799
fax +1 305 716 5441

T.S.P. Inc.
2 Main Street
CHATHAM, New Jersey 07928
tel. +1 201 635 3530
fax +1 201 635 1680

Paper Agencies (Aust.) Pty. Ltd.
554 Burwood Road
HAWTHORN, Vic. 3122
tel. +61 3 9819 4911
fax +61 3 9819 4250

Paper Agencies (Aust.) Pty. Ltd.
Suite 5, 102 Alfred Street
MILSONS POINT, NSW 2061
tel. +61 2 9957 3177
fax +61 2 9957 1505

Enso France S.A.
15/25 Boulevard Amiral Bruix
F-75782 PARIS CEDEX 16
Tél. 01 53 64 79 00
Télécopie 01 53 64 79 90

S.A. Comptoir Finlandais N.V.
Avenue des Gaulois 7
B-1040 BRUXELLES
Tél. 02 743.13.60
Télécopie 02 736.01.78



Enso (Schweiz) AG
Bahnhofstrasse 13
CH-8808 PFÄFFIKON SZ
Tél. 055 415 3060
Télécopie 055 415 3069
(Egalement pour le Liechtenstein)

Enso (Deutschlabd) GmbH
Große Bleichen 30
D-20354 HAMBURG
Tel: 040 350 990
Fax: 040 3509 9146

Enso Española S.A.
Apartado 76 - 08760 Martorell
Barcelona
Tel. 93 631 1000
Fax 93 631 1021

Enso Sverige AB
Joakim Stockhaus, försäljningsdirektör
Box 2017
SE-750 02 Uppsala
Sweden
Tel: 018 - 65 30 00
Fax: 018 - 65 30 10
E-mail: joakim.stockhaus@up.mkt.enso.com

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