Valmet has introduced a new compact moisturizer, Valmet IQ Converting Moisturizer, for self-adhesive laminating lines. This application-matched solution corrects all kinds of curl and cross-direction moisture profiles and complements Valmet's quality management system offering for self-adhesive laminators.

"With IQ Converting Moisturizer, self-adhesive label manufacturers can control curl much faster and more accurately compared with conventional steam or spray systems. Its remoistening capacity is up to five times higher compared with conventional systems, making it an excellent choice for high-speed lines, too. The new moisturizer can be connected to CD/MD controls to stabilize product quality during speed and grade changes," says Mikko Talonen, Business Manager, Automation, Valmet.

Valmet IQ Converting Moisturizer

Valmet IQ Converting Moisturizer is a compact micro droplet moisturizing system based on the industry's most advanced family of moisturizing systems. Its air-atomized micro-droplet nozzles with a 50-mm spacing are controlled with high-accuracy linear water control valves.

A comprehensive quality management solution for converting machines

Valmet offers a comprehensive quality management solution for self-adhesive laminating lines. In addition to the water spray system that controls curl and moisture levels and CD/MD controls, the solution features a wide range of online quality measurements to get accurate and fast information from the process. Included are web inspection and monitoring systems to help detect quality defects and identify their root causes.

All IQ solution components are based on Valmet's extensive process knowledge and experience in the pulp and paper industry - and backed by expert services.

Valmet is the leading global developer and supplier of process technologies, automation and services for the pulp, paper and energy industries. We aim to become the global champion in serving our customers.

Valmet's strong technology offering includes pulp mills, tissue, board and paper production lines, as well as power plants for bioenergy production. Our advanced services and automation solutions improve the reliability and performance of our customers' processes and enhance the effective utilization of raw materials and energy.

Valmet's net sales in 2016 were approximately EUR 2.9 billion. Our 12,000 professionals around the world work close to our customers and are committed to moving our customers' performance forward - every day. Valmet's head office is in Espoo, Finland and its shares are listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki.

Muda Paper Mills Malaysia, Tasek Mill: an old paper winder comes back into fashion!

In October 2017, A.Celli Paper's Customer Service team installed and successfully concluded the upgrade performed on an old paper winder with the final start-up.

The intervention, which entailed updating the winder's slitting section with a modern, fully automatic positioning system of the slitting units, allowed the customer to immediately increment production, substantially reducing the time loss during the production change, following all modern concepts of safety requirements for the operators.

A.Celli Paper worked in close contact with the customer and the teamwork yielded optimal results. Indeed, the solutions applied were designed in advance, tested and then shared with the customer's work team. The new configuration kept into consideration the convenience of the operations to be performed on the one hand, and the needs of Muda Paper Mills on the other, in order to obtain the best results in terms of efficiency in the shortest possible installation times, turning an old winder into a superbly operating and productive system.

The customer was very appreciative of the project, acknowledging the high level of professionalism of A.Celli Paper's Customer Service team and its ability to always find functional, practical and intelligent solutions through engineering/design analyses, and always keeping the strategic-industrial demands of the individual customers in mind.

A.Celli Paper is capable of offering prompt & effective consultancy in-line with any type of investment and production demand

The challenges increase, not only for the deinkers among paper mills – it becomes more and more difficult to produce new graphic paper from paper for recycling at economically reasonable conditions. Rising prices for paper for recycling increase the costs, at the same time the availability of graphic paper is going down – people read less newspapers, the newspapers become thinner due to less advertising, and the paper collected for recycling contains more and more packaging. The municipalities sometimes take advantage of new legislation to discourage locally competing selective collectors who deliver especially preferred quality. Concerned about the quantity of their supplies it becomes more and more difficult for the paper mills to keep up their requirements for high quality. A helpful aspect is the increasing importance of ecolabels such as the Blue Angel or the EU Ecolabel for printed products, for which also the removability of printing inks has to be proven.

Quality is not only important for deinking grades, also the manufacturers of corrugated papers and board face the challenge to meet the rising demand at an acceptable quality, mainly for the increasing need for all kinds of packaging. A possible source for high quality paper for recycling is the fraction today known as mixed paper. How can, already by a more selective collection and sorting at the consumer, the yield be increased for the different grades, suitable for the different products? Here it is of some help to know the material flow: Where do the different fractions of paper for recycling end up, that are so valuable for the different grades to be produced?

New digital printing processes are a perennial issue at the INGEDE Symposium in Munich: Mostly the inks and therefore also their behaviour in the deinking process differ fundamentally from traditional offset and gravure inks. While dry toners (from laser printers) are generally good deinkable, some inkjet prints create problems. But here a lot has been achieved within the last years, some manufacturers have improved their processes and inks significantly. David Croll of Océ Printing Systems will present the history of inkjet printing and new, better deinkable inkjet processes at the symposium.

Undeinkable Prints can Create Problems in the recycling Process

Some might remember that prints with liquid toner from HP Indigo are not suitable for the deinking process. Similar problems can arise from UV-curable inks – here the inks cross-link due to a polymerisation induced by UV light sources. In many cases the resulting large particles are not sufficiently separable, also because they are not as water-repellent (hydrophobic) compared to traditional offset inks. But also here some differences can be observed; at the INGEDE Symposium the reasons for the increasing prevalence of UV-cured prints and the resulting problems will be discussed.

Quality of Paper for Recycling Continues to be a European Issue

Different collection rates in different European countries continue to be a challenge. In his keynote presentation, Ulrich Leberle of CEPI in Brussels will explain the measures for a circular economy that the European Commission aims at together with the European paper industry.

Paper Industry 4.0: The Digital Revolution in Papermaking?

The classical process optimisation undergoes a revolution. There are new and better answers to old questions, better than ever: Jürgen Käser, Voith’s expert for the paper industry 4.0, will present these answers. Which kind of raw material composition will reduce production costs without harming productivity? What is the relationship between the frequency of tear-off and the way the plant is being run? What application of primary energy is absolutely necessary for a certain grade? Novel mathematical modelling in real-time lead to new process dynamics, this results in highly stabilised and cost effective production processes – not to be reached by human hand so far. And the first practical applications show: Also papermaking is at the edge of a digital revolution.

Since its establishment in 1989, INGEDE for more than 25 years now deals with the common problems of the deinkers. INGEDE has become well known also for the development of test methods that in the meantime have become established and reliable international standards. Many ecolabels for printed products are based on these standards.

Registration: Free of charge for member companies and the press, for all others please understand that we charge a nominal fee to cover our expenses. Please contact us for an invitation if you’re not on our mailing list yet. The venue, “Haus der Bayerischen Wirtschaft”, is within walking distance from Munich Central Station.

You are welcome to join us for the upcoming INGEDE Symposium on February 28, 2018 in Munich! Hear and discuss with us about recent topics in paper recycling and the state of research projects financed by INGEDE! The INGEDE Symposium is the only international meeting  covering all aspects from paper recovery to quality aspects to process engineering issues. The full program together with updated details is attached and available on our website www.ingede.com/symposium

Toscotec is confirmed as global supplier of Steel Yankee Dryers, with installations across five continents. 

Encore tissue started up a new Toscotec Steel Yankee Dryer on ET3 at its Laverton North mill, Melbourne, Australia. The rebuilt tissue machine started producing high quality tissue paper immediately after start-up. The Australian tissue maker purchased a second generation TT SYD of 3600 mm diameter, to replace an existing cast iron Yankee.

Following the installation of Toscotec’s steel Yankee dryer, Encore Tissue expects to increase the machine operating speed from 1,400 mpm to 1,900 mpm. They also expect an increase in production and machine efficiency, and a real improvement of the finished product quality, from the point of view of homogeneity of the tissue structure.

With this sale, Toscotec sets a new important record in the steel Yankee dryer market: 203 TT SYD sold in 36 countries across five continents.

Marco Dalle Piagge, Toscotec Sales Director, stated: “In the year 2000 we installed the first steel Yankee dryer in Italy. Eighteen years on, we have TT SYD running in mills all over the world. We are proud of the technological revolution we have pioneered and of the journey - certainly not without obstacles – that led our company to an unquestioned leadership in the tissue market.”

Stefano Marenco, Toscotec R&D Director, stated: “What we have achieved is an important recognition, but it will not be the end of the road. Toscotec is always looking for solutions that can improve the tissue process and reduce the energy cost. TT SYD is not an exception. Our R&D department is abuzz and there will be new developments soon.”

Let's have a look at the new video!

As part of its strategy to expand into the tissue segment, Suzano Papel e Celulose, the world’s second-largest eucalyptus pulp producer, commissioned Voith Paper, a global technology leader in innovation for the paper industry, to supply complete production lines for the manufacture of sanitary (tissue) paper.

The multinational German group successfully concluded the start-up of two complete double-width XcelLine VTM 4 machines installed in the Brazilian paper manufacturer's plants in Imperatriz (state of Maranhão) and Mucuri (state of Bahia). Each machine has the capacity to manufacture approximately 220 metric tons of paper per day at a speed of 2,000 meters per minute.

According to Fabio Prado, Executive Director for Consumer Goods at Suzano Papel e Celulose, Voith's partnership is strategic for the company's operational and business objectives. "Voith has been Suzano's partner for decades, and we are absolutely convinced that the high-performance machines supplied to our sanitary paper mills in the Northeast of Brazil and Voith's management service in the supply of auxiliary equipment will enable us to achieve excellent productivity rates, as well as to offer the best paper in the Brazilian market", states Prado.

Voith's XcelLine machines feature seamlessly coordinated and integrated components, technologies and services that enable fast start-up, excellent performance and high added value for its customers' investments. Voith's scope of supply includes technologies that enable increased productivity and a lower use of energy and natural resources, including the MasterJet Pro T headbox, the Crescent Former, the modern NipcoFlex T shoe press, the EvoDry Y steel plate Yankee cylinder, the high-efficiency EcoHood T drying hood, the EcoChange T reel with automatic spool exchange, and complete automation packages.

Voith supplied both projects in the PLP (Process Line Package) concept, including all auxiliary equipment and services for the machine's complete operation. The new VTM 4 in Mucuri (state of Bahia) was put into service in September 2017, while the machine installed in Imperatriz (state of Maranhão) was started up at the end of November.

About Suzano Papel e Celulose
Suzano Papel e Celulose is the world's second largest producer of eucalyptus pulp and Latin America's leading printing and writing paper manufacturer. As a subsidiary of Suzano Holding and part of the Suzano Group, it has a tradition of more than 90 years operating with cutting-edge technology in the pulp and paper industry. It runs five paper mills in Brazil, international offices in six countries and a global distribution structure to supply its products to more than 60 countries. Besides pulp, the company produces coated and uncoated printing and writing paper, packaging paper, tissue (sanitary) paper, fluff pulp (used in diapers and sanitary napkins), and lignin (a byproduct that can be used as a replacement for oil derivatives in high-end applications). It works on the genetic development of forest crops and the biotechnology industry through its FuturaGene subsidiary. It is a public company that operates under the Brazilian stock exchange's Novo Mercado guidelines, which reinforces its commitment to the continuous advancement of corporate governance practices.

About Voith Paper
Voith Paper is a Group Division of Voith and the leading partner and pioneer in the paper industry. Through constant innovations, Voith Paper is optimizing the paper manufacturing process, focusing on developing resource-conserving products to reduce the use of energy, water and fibers. Furthermore, Voith Paper offers a broad service portfolio for all sections of the paper manufacturing process.

About Voith
Voith is a global technology group. With its broad portfolio of systems, products, services and digital applications, Voith sets standards in the markets of energy, oil & gas, paper, raw materials and transport & automotive. Founded in 1867, Voith today has more than 19,000 employees, sales of €4.2 billion and locations in over 60 countries worldwide and is thus one of the largest family-owned companies in Europe

An Environmentally Friendly Replacement for Polycoated and Waxed Papers!

Moisture is a major threat to raw materials and finished goods of all kinds—particularly those made of metal and prone to rust and corrosion. Greases and oils sometimes used as lubricants or rust preventatives on metal components add another problem by threatening to leak through packaging and contaminate surrounding areas. Waxed or polycoated papers are traditional moisture-resistant packaging options for problems like these. However, such coated papers pose an environmental problem because they are not recyclable and repulpable. Even if recycled back into the pulp and paper stream, they would first have to go through a costly process of separating the paper base from the coating.

To avoid this environmental problem, Cortec® Corporation has developed an environmentally acceptable replacement to unrecyclable polycoated and waxed papers. Cortec’s new high gloss EcoShield® Super Barrier Paper and Linerboard relies on a water-based moisture barrier coating for moisture resistance. The technology makes the paper fully recyclable and repulpable without requiring costly processes to remove the coating from the paper. In addition to recyclability, Cortec’s EcoShield® Super Barrier Paper and Linerboard demonstrated better water vapor barrier properties than polycoated paper and waxed paper during testing.

To evaluate the moisture resistance of EcoShield® Super Barrier and Linerboard, the barrier paper was tested against a comparable polyethylene coated paper and a commercial waxed paper according to ASTM E-96 at 73°F (23°C) and 50% relative humidity. The EcoShield® Super Barrier Paper and Linerboard showed a water vapor transfer rate of 0.32-0.37 grams per hour on a square meter of paper. A polycoated paper in the same test allowed slightly more water vapor to pass through in the same time frame, at the higher rate of 0.47-0.71 grams per hour.  The waxed paper was much less resistant to water vapor, allowing it to transfer at a rate of 6.5-6.9 grams per hour on the same size of paper. Though it is not intended for applications involving constant water contact, the shiny side of EcoShield® Super Barrier Paper and Linerboard also has the ability to repel liquid water. Its TAPPI T-441 Cobb Water Absorption rate is less than 0.3 grams of water per square meter in 2 minutes.

EcoShield® Super Barrier Paper and Linerboard also has excellent oil and grease resistance. It registers a high kit test value of 12, representing the highest amount of an aggressive liquid solution to remain on the paper surface without causing the paper to fail. The high gloss paper not only protects against the ingress of moisture or grease into a package, but it also protects against the leaching of oil and grease out of a package. This is important when manufacturer’s specifications require the use of greasy rust preventatives, or when the metal equipment being wrapped, packaged, or shipped contains lubricated parts. EcoShield® Super Barrier Paper and Linerboard can discourage these oils and greases from seeping out of the package and causing packaging failure or contamination of nearby materials.

The versatility of EcoShield® Super Barrier Paper and Linerboard as a flexible, moisture barrier material allows it to be used for a variety of packaging applications and beyond:

•    Protecting moisture sensitive components
•    Wrapping oily or greasy parts
•    Lining wood pallets or corrugated boxes
•    Packaging products
•    Keeping work surfaces clean with a disposable cover

EcoShield® Super Barrier Paper and Linerboard is available in custom sizes and as sheets or perforated rolls for the convenience of the user.

Whether moisture threatens from the inside or the outside of a package, EcoShield® Super Barrier Paper and Linerboard is a more environmentally friendly way to protect against damage from moisture, grease, and oil. By coating water based barrier technology onto biobased material, Cortec® has made a fully recyclable, environmentally acceptable, and competitively performing replacement for polycoated and waxed papers.

To find out more about EcoShield® Super Barrier Paper and Linerboard, please visit: https://www.cortecvci.com/Publications/PDS/EcoShield_Super_Barrier_Paper.pdf

To find out more about Cortec’s innovative packaging products, please visit: http://www.cortecpackaging.com/

Cortec® Corporation is the global leader in innovative, environmentally responsible VpCI® and MCI® corrosion control technologies for Packaging, Metalworking, Construction, Electronics, Water Treatment, Oil & Gas, and other industries.  Our relentless dedication to sustainability, quality, service, and support is unmatched in the industry. Headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota, Cortec® manufactures over 400 products distributed worldwide.  ISO 9001, ISO 14001:2004, & ISO 17025 Certified.

Levelling the playing field for the U.S. industry, Canadian uncoated groundwood paper imports to now require CVD deposits to enter the country legally

North Pacific Paper Company has just commended the U.S. Department of Commerce for its preliminary countervailing duty (CVD) determination covering subsidized uncoated groundwood papers from Canada. As a result of these determinations, the Department of Commerce will impose tariffs on imports of uncoated groundwood papers to offset the unfair advantage provided by Canadian government subsidies.

“Today’s affirmative decision by the Department of Commerce confirms that Canadian uncoated groundwood papers benefit from significant levels of government subsidies,” said Craig Anneberg, CEO of NORPAC. “What the U.S. uncoated groundwood papers industry wants is a level playing field, and this decision is an important step forward for American producers, workers and their families that have been the victims of unfair Canadian trade practices for too long.”

The Department of Commerce found that Canadian uncoated groundwood paper was subsidized by an average of 6.53 percent.

“NORPAC has a world-class facility that can compete with anyone around the world, but we need to be able to compete on a level playing field. This decision will protect American jobs in Washington, Mississippi and Georgia, and may even serve to create jobs in the U.S. as idled paper machines restart,” said Anneberg.

Today, there are groundwood paper mills operating across the U.S., primarily located in Washington state, Georgia and Mississippi, which support family-wage jobs and countless community businesses and supporting industries.

In the face of unfair competition since 2012, more than ten American mills have closed costing approximately 2,150 jobs, reducing the U.S. groundwood paper industry’s production capacity by nearly 70 percent. During this time, U.S. producers’ share of the American market has plummeted from 60 percent to 36 percent. 

The U.S. uncoated groundwood papers industry and NORPAC are not alone in seeking and finding relief from unfair trade. Today’s Department of Commerce decision follows similar trade cases in the last five years, which also found that supercalendered papers and softwood lumber imports from Canada were being subsidized causing material injury to U.S. manufacturers and jobs. Other cases found that imports of foreign coated and uncoated papers were also being subsidized causing injury.

“While we understand the concerns recently surfaced by some newspaper publishers, we strongly disagree with the notion that their industry requires low-priced, government-subsidized, imported newsprint from Canada to sustain its business model. High-quality journalism in communities across the country should not depend on unfairly traded inputs that cause material injury to a U.S. industry and American jobs,” added Anneberg. “We estimate the impact this ruling would have on the cost to produce the average printed newspaper would be less than $.05 per newspaper – a small price to pay to preserve American manufacturing jobs.”

Continuing to innovate, retool and invest for the future, NORPAC operates one of the largest and most efficient paper mills in the U.S., which produces a broad range of high-quality papers to customers across the United States and around the world. Recently, the company unveiled affordable, sustainable Natural Choice Paper™, which is made with a process that yields twice as much paper from the same amount of wood, compared to standard copy paper.

“NORPAC is one of the largest employers in rural Southwest Washington and Northwest Oregon,” concluded Anneberg. “These are strong, family-wage manufacturing jobs that cannot be replaced in a rural community that faces some of the highest unemployment in the region.”

On August 9, 2017, NORPAC filed antidumping and countervailing duty petitions with the U.S. government. The Department of Commerce will issue its preliminary determination in the companion antidumping investigation on March 7, 2018. The Department is expected to make final antidumping and countervailing duty determinations in July 2018, and the International Trade Commission will make its final injury determination in August 2018.  

WestRock Company, a leading provider of differentiated paper and packaging solutions, has just announced a planned investment in its Florence, South Carolina kraft linerboard mill that will significantly increase the mill’s efficiency, quality and service levels.

The $410 million investment over two years will include installing a 330” state-of-the-art kraft linerboard machine and related infrastructure that will replace three older, narrow-width paper machines. The company expects the new machine to produce 710,000 tons of kraft linerboard annually. In addition, the company plans to invest approximately $60 million over the next five years to support the new machine and other mill projects.

When coupled with the recently completed modern woodyard, the Florence mill will become one of the lowest cost kraft linerboard mills in North America. 

“This investment will make our Florence mill a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, sustaining good manufacturing jobs and promoting the long-term success of the mill,” said Steve Voorhees, chief executive officer of WestRock. “The support of the Florence County Economic Development Partnership and the South Carolina Department of Commerce helped make this investment possible and is greatly appreciated.  We look forward to contributing to the Florence community for many years to come.”

“Any time a company invests in our state, it shows a commitment to our citizens that we couldn’t be more grateful for. This investment is something that South Carolina should be proud of, and we know that the future is bright for the partnership between our state and WestRock,” said Henry McMaster, governor of South Carolina.

“WestRock is not only a leader in the packaging industry, but also a respected name in South Carolina’s overall business community. Today, I’m thrilled to congratulate this great company on their continued success in the Palmetto State,” said Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt. 

“WestRock supports hundreds of jobs in Florence County and remains one of our top employers. We are very pleased that this industry will continue to be an important part of Florence County’s economy,” said Florence County Council Chairman Kent Caudle.

“Florence County is excited about WestRock and its investment in our area – one of the largest in recent history. This is a significant development for the people of Florence County,” said Florence County Economic Development Partnership Chairman Frank J. “Buddy” Brand.

“This new investment is an important step for Florence County in preserving jobs that support so many families in our community, and is evidence that companies that come to Florence stay in Florence. I’m very pleased that this project will help sustain the significant economic progress that Florence has made in recent years,” said South Carolina Senate President Pro Tempore Hugh K. Leatherman.

The new linerboard machine will be housed in a building adjacent to the existing complex, and the company expects production on the new linerboard machine and the shutdown of the three existing machines to occur in the first half of calendar 2020.

About WestRock 
WestRock (NYSE:WRK) partners with our customers to provide differentiated paper and packaging solutions that help them win in the marketplace. WestRock’s 45,000 team members support customers around the world from more than 300 operating and business locations spanning North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Learn more at www.westrock.com

In 2016 Smurfit Kappa awarded Toscotec with the rebuilding of the Company´s Barbosa paper machine’s dryer section. The target operating speed of the machine after startup was set at 1,000 mpm.

Following an extensive project that lasted 25 months, with 36 days of setup from paper to paper, the PM was successfully commissioned and started up in July 2017. 

The main target of the project was to improve the efficiency of the PM, by increasing its operating speed and production. The alliance between Toscotec and Smurfit Kappa has lead the packaging company to increase containerboard production to 120,000 tonnes per year which means an increase in the corrugating machines production.

Enrico Fazio, Toscotec’s Paper & Board Sales Manager stated, “Toscotec’s long-standing experience in dryer section rebuilds, using TT SteelDryer, our unique dryers with an extremely high drying capacity, and the advanced rope-less tail threading system, was the deciding factor in the customer’s choice. We are very proud of our partnership with Smurfit Kappa and we would like to thank the SK team in Barbosa for their great cooperation during the entire project”.

According to Carlos Mario Londoño, the project manager, "This was a very complex project to carry out. Thanks to the collaboration of suppliers such as Toscotec, we achieved the our goal within the time we had established”.

WestRock Company (NYSE:WRK) has just announced that it has completed its previously announced acquisition of substantially all of the assets of Plymouth Packaging, Inc. (“Plymouth”). Plymouth is a corrugated packaging company that derives approximately 70% of its sales from its “Box on Demand” systems and corrugated fanfold, and 30% from traditional corrugated box packaging.

This acquisition represents WestRock’s entry into the growing on-demand corrugated packaging market that serves many e-commerce and other custom-packaging applications. The market-leading “Box on Demand” systems are located on the customers’ sites and use fanfold corrugated to produce custom, on-demand corrugated packaging that is accurately sized for any product type according to the customer’s specifications.

“We are pleased to welcome the Plymouth team to WestRock,” stated Jeff Chalovich, president, Corrugated Packaging, WestRock. “The addition of Plymouth Packaging and the “Box on Demand” capabilities furthers our differentiated packaging and packaging machinery strategies, and we look forward to growing this business in our portfolio.”

In addition to the market expansion opportunity represented by this acquisition, WestRock intends to fully integrate the nearly 60,000 tons of containerboard used annually by Plymouth Packaging and expects additional containerboard integration opportunities as the Company serves the growing on-demand packaging market.

About WestRock

WestRock (NYSE:WRK) partners with our customers to provide differentiated paper and packaging solutions that help them win in the marketplace. WestRock’s 45,000 team members support customers around the world from more than 300 operating and business locations spanning North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Learn more at www.westrock.com

Source: WestRock Shared Services, LLC