Displaying items by tag: voith

A narrow time window, a size press operating at its maximum speed and the need for greater machine efficiency were the various challenges faced by the Voith team as it tackled the upgrade of the PM 6 at Smurfit Kappa. Thanks to excellent planning beforehand, the machine was restarted without problems one day ahead of schedule.

• SpeedSizer AT extends the operating window for packaging paper production
• Reconditioning of existing Nipco deflection compensation rolls
• Smooth startup with new components

“The startup of the new SpeedSizer has shown how expertise and dedication bring about an excellent outcome. The project simply flew by,” says Jochem Meier, Manager Operations at Smurfit Kappa in Zülpich.

Smurfit Kappa wanted to achieve a higher production speed through its modernization of the PM 6 at the Zülpich mill. The company is one of the leading manufacturers of packaging in Europe. At its facility in Zülpich it produces premium quality testliner and recycled fluting in basis weights of 100 to 150 grams per square meter from 100 percent recovered paper.

Martin Lehrner Voith Paper Global Product Manager at the SpeedSizer AT on the PM 6 in Zülpich

Because the machine was only supposed to be shut down for a week for the conversion, detailed advance planning was absolutely essential for the success of the project. The excellent longstanding relationship between Voith and the customer facilitated this planning. For example, Voith’s service team had previously carried out maintenance on the PM 6 on an ongoing basis. However, the narrow time frame was just one of the challenges.

A key aspect of the project was the puddle-type size press. Equipped with a deflection compensation roll, it allowed an optimum CD profile of the nip load (linear contact pressure) and for a long time had guaranteed the high quality of the paper. But for technical reasons, the size press limited the production speed of the PM 6 to 1,150 meters per minute. Even though the size press was one of, or perhaps even the fastest in the world, it prevented the machine from being ramped up to the 1,225 meters per minute desired by the customer.

This is why Voith recommended installing a customized SpeedSizer AT with the existing Nipco deflection compensating roll system. This application system enables excellent coating and size profiles even at high speeds. Its use increases the operating window of the PM 6 and offers Smurfit Kappa more production flexibility. The SpeedSizer ensures an increase in the solids content of up to 17 percent and reduces the moisture ingress into the paper web. This results in a higher dry content downstream of the SpeedSizer AT, which helps substantially reduce drying energy and achieves much improved paper web running properties.

Voith SpeedSizer AT PM 6 Smurfit Kappa ZülpichVoith used a Nipco roll that was already being used in the old puddle-type size press as a deflection compensation roll. Following comprehensive reconditioning, they now also ensure optimum CD profiles and consequently high paper quality in the new machine as well. The re-use of the previous rolls reduced the costs of the upgrade.

The new SpeedSizer AT plays a major role in reducing the energy consumption of the PM 6. Immediately, a 15 percent reduction in steam consumption could be achieved. The specific energy figures are of course also improved as a result of the higher production rate. A good startup is extremely helpful, because the completely closed water circuit at SK Zülpich Papier has to be evaporated again after a week of shutdown.

The use of the new UniFilm T applicator roll cover, which is very wear-resistant, ensures good metering rod service life and more efficient production. In the PM 6 they run for more than 400 hours, well above the average for comparable machines.

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

The Infinity ToughLine press fabric maintains its consistently high void volume even when exposed to high line load and substantial degree of wear. A constant water flow guarantees consistent performance over the entire life of the fabric.

• For use in particularly challenging environments
• Simple and fast seam closure
• Successfully tested at Chinese paper mill

ToughLine – as the name suggests, is the new range of press fabrics from the Voith Infinity family specifically designed for use in extreme environments. These conditions occur, for example, when manufacturing pulp, board and packaging papers, where the fabrics are continually exposed to heat or abrasive materials. Nevertheless, they have to reliably drain the paper webs and perform consistently in the process. Paper quality deteriorates as soon as fabric structures become compacted during operation.

Voith offers Infinity ToughLine with and without seam. The modular structure of the fabric means that it can be tailored precisely to customer requirements.

Voith uses the latest weaving technologies which produce a genuinely laminated structure to avoid this compaction in its Infinity ToughLine press fabrics. This enables the fabric to remain very stable in both MD and CD over its entire life and to constantly retain its high void volume. Good compressibility and excellent resiliency also give the press fabrics a high dewatering capacity. The stable high void volume of the fabric and its drainage capacity ensure minimal dirt deposits, creating the basis for a consistently high paper quality. Voith offers Infinity ToughLine with and without a seam. The modular structure of the fabric allows it to be tailored precisely to customer requirements.

Successfully tested
A Chinese paper manufacturer was one of the first of Voith's customers to test Infinity ToughLine with a seam. The company’s conclusion is that the time for changing the fabric is cut in half. Previously, the paper producer had used conventional endless fabrics. However, these are very time-consuming to change and also present safety risks. If a seamed fabric is used instead of an endless fabric, there is no need to open the whole machine. The new fabric can be easily joined with the old fabric and pulled into the machine where it can be closed. All Infinity ToughLine seam loops are of identical loop length, shape and spacing, joining the seam is quick and easy.

A Chinese paper manufacturer was one of the first of Voith's customers to test Infinity ToughLine with seam. As a consecence the time for changing the fabric was cut by 50 percent.

Even though the use of seamed fabrics offers great savings in time and costs, many paper manufacturers continue to rely on endless fabrics. They are concerned that the seam will leave marks on the paper and therefore cause additional waste. Meanwhile, market experience with Infinity ToughLine shows that the new press fabric does not leave any marks on the paper web over their entire life and ensures a consistently high paper quality. Convinced of the results, the Chinese paper producer has converted its machine entirely to fabrics with seam in the meantime.

Infinity ToughLine is available with PeakElement the elastomer component available for all Voith press felt designs. Infinity is part of the PressMax range of Voith AdvancedPRODUCTS. Alongside individual products, PressMax offers papermakers the opportunity to enhance the performance of their paper machine through the ideal combination of perfectly matched products.

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.

Voith continues to expand its digital agenda and extends the range of its trading platform for recovered paper (RCP) merQbiz. For this purpose, merQbiz and the American logistics provider C. H. Robinson have agreed to an exclusive cooperation: The customers are now offered unmatched freight capacity, competitive real-time pricing and a powerful supply chain network to the platform.

The fact that we were able to win C. H. Robinson, one of the world's largest logistics groups, as a partner for our digital trading platform shows that we have hit a nerve in the market with merQbiz," says Dr. Hubert Lienhard, CEO of Voith GmbH & Co. KGaA.

The B2B-trading-platform merQbiz was launched in 2017 by Voith. It connects buyers and sellers of recovered paper in a digital marketplace.  The platform gives buyers and sellers the ability to directly network with one another and access timely and reliable information about the supply and demand of recovered paper. In addition, users can securely conduct their sales and purchasing transactions on the trading platform. Similar to the well-known online marketplaces, merQbiz evaluates the merchants, the buyers and the quality of the goods. This ensures a high level of security for all goods, logistics and payment flows as well as a high degree of transparency and professional handling. In the medium term, the trading platform's offers will also be available to customers outside the United States.

As a result of the expansion of the product range to include integrated logistics solutions, merQbiz now also offers the automation and improvement of previously manually performed logistics processes on a user-friendly digital platform. Absolute transparency in the market now applies not only to the pricing of recovered paper, but also to the shipping costs – competitive pricing is carried out in real time and customers receive prompt transport offers that match with their trading order. C. H. Robinson's capacities allow for access to previously unmatched freight capacities. C.H. Robinson is publicly listed on the NASDAQ. The group serves more than 113,000 customers worldwide today with logistic solution. 2,600 thereof are in the paper, board and packaging industry. In the last business year C.H. Robinson generated sales of approx. 10 billion Euros. „The integrated logistics solution is a game-changer for the industry. The supply of recovered paper will become even more predictable for our customers in the paper industry“, said John Fox, CEO of merQbiz.

In addition to its existing research and development budget, Voith invests around 100 million euros annually in digital products and services.

About merQbiz
merQbiz is an online marketplace designed to improve the way buyers and sellers of recovered paper do business. The platform allows buyers and sellers to connect directly, take advantage of fully transparent pricing, and transact more efficiently. Headquartered in Manhattan Beach, CA, merQbiz was founded by Voith in 2017. For more information on merQbiz, please visit www.merqbiz.com.

About C.H. Robinson
As one of the world’s largest third-party logistics providers (3PL), C.H. Robinson provides a broad portfolio of logistics services, fresh produce sourcing and Managed Services for more than 113,000 customers and 107,000 contract carriers and suppliers to meet their supply chain goals through their integrated network of 280 offices and more than 14,000 employees.

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

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 audit conducted with customer in the run-up to the project went a long way to ensuring that the rebuild on the BM 3 in Arnsberg was completed ahead of schedule. Not only did the close collaboration between the two companies deliver a three percent increase in productivity and an improvement in paper quality; the costs of the rebuild were also reduced due to the re-use of components.

• Extensive audit performed ahead of project planning
• Higher productivity and reduced use of resources
• Rebuild completed sooner than planned

In an email of thanks to Voith's project team, Thomas Bock, Managing Director of the RDM Group, wrote: "I just wanted to let you know that the BM 3 in Arnsberg has been producing board since 6:50 pm. This means that we have more than achieved our goal." Voith had completed the extensive rebuild of the board machine a day ahead of schedule, allowing RDM to resume production earlier than planned.

Joachim Corthum Productionmanager RDM at the BM 3 in Arnsberg.

A crucial factor in the success of the project was the extensive audit conducted jointly by Voith and RDM beforehand with the involvement of numerous experts from various areas. Together, the parties defined the goals to be met by the rebuild and the measures necessary to achieve them. The reduction of manufacturing costs was a key objective for RDM, so the partners explored various options in order to jointly work out an ideal solution.

They determined that the best starting point for optimization was the intermediate ply of the three-ply cardboard produced on the machine. To stabilize the quality of the surface RDM had to use an expensive top layer. To prevent flutter, new components, for example, were designed to reduce the consistency in the headbox from up to 3 to 1.5 percent. As a result, RDM is now able to use a more cost effective top layer.

The participants did not always opt for the variant with the lowest investment cost. During the audit several options for the dewatering elements had been tested, whereas the decision was made in favor of the most forward-thinking variant. The chosen solution reduces fluctuations that are usual downstream of the headbox and therefore creates the basis for the high product quality. One cost-saving measure was to use as many parts from the BM 3 as possible for the rebuild. So during the audit the two companies determined which components were worth re-using.

A crucial factor in the success of the project was the extensive audit conducted jointly by Voith and RDM beforehand with the involvement of numerous experts from various areas.

Extending the dewatering section with an improvement in dewatering capacity also proved to be an expedient measure. Only a short time after the restart the production speed increased by 3 percent. The intermediate ply is not the limiting section anymore as it is designed now for 1000 m/min.

Not only did the rebuild result in a reduction in production costs; Likewise, the fiber savings and higher dewatering capacity also improved paper quality. "It was the best execution of a project I have witnessed in Arnsberg in the past 37 years," RDM Product Manager Joachim Corthum also confirmed.

The fact that production could restart ahead of schedule thanks to the well-coordinated collaboration between all parties during the planning and rebuild phases has also prompted RDM to get Voith on board for other servicing projects.

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

When upgrading its PM 2, Koehler Kehl opted for products from Voith's AdvancedPRODUCTS range that enable the company to reduce the machine's water consumption, achieve a faster starting curve and at the same time improve paper quality.

One of Koehler’s major strengths is its willingness to constantly improve. This is why for the upgrade of the press section on the PM 2 the focus was on achieving more stable operation, reliable planning of shutdowns and improved safety in the production process. On the PM 2, the company produces just short of 130,000 metric tons of thermal paper per year with basis weights of between 35 and 47 g/m².

Wiebke Petzold (Voith Product Manager) and Joachim Fuchs (Productionmanager PM 2 / CM 2 at Koehler Kehl Germany) at the PM 2 in Kehl.

In the course of various improvement measures, Voith fitted the press section with products from PressMax range of its AdvancedPRODUCTS. The prime objective was to continually improve the quality of the paper grades and reduce its operational costs.

The latter was especially achieved by using of the QualiFlex press sleeves for the shoe press. Refinements were made to the sleeves and their abrasion behavior was improved. On the PM 2 this led to a doubled runtime. This reduced the maintenance work for replacing the shoe press covers. Previously, the press sleeves had needed to be changed after 180 days on average.

An increase in productivity was also the reason for introducing press felts with PeakElement which allow a faster start and better nip dewatering than standard felts. As a result, the start-up curve of the machine could be shortened considerably following the felt change. “With the installation of the Voith products, we were able to clearly improve the start-up curve after felt change on the PM 2. The machine can be brought to its maximum speed faster and with fewer problems, resulting in greater availability and lower operating costs,” states Joachim Fuchs Productionmanager PM 2 / CM 2 at Koehler Kehl Germany.

In addition, the measurements taken by the FeltView system delivered important moisture and permeability data for targeted conditioning of the pick-up felts. Koehler can use this data to continually optimize machine settings and improve efficiency. Critical felt conditions can be identified before they impair the process and the felts are run in optimum operating condition. FeltView also makes manual measurements redundant, which ultimately improves the safety of the production process.

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
For 150 years, Voith’s technologies have been inspiring customers, business partners and employees worldwide. Founded in 1867, Voith today has around 19,000 employees, sales of €4.3 billion and locations in more than 60 countries worldwide and is thus one of the largest family-owned companies in Europe. Being a technology leader, Voith sets standards in the markets of energy, oil & gas, paper, raw materials and transport & automotive.

With OceanCoat, Voith is adding a highly durable option to its portfolio of coater roll covers. The especially stable material needs regrinding less often than standard roll covers, which reduces shutdown and maintenance costs.

• Longer grinding intervals and reduced downtime
• Consistent conditions due to stable roughness
• Potential to significantly reduce mill costs

Blue instead of black: Voith's new OceanCoat stands out from standard roll covers through its color alone. The blue shade allows the operator to quickly identify any overheating, which commonly occurs at the edges. This enables appropriate steps to be taken promptly. Additionally, the blue cover material is easier to clean, which notably reduces the downtime after a break. Thanks to the high mechanical stability of the cover material, OceanCoat is also able to withstand loads caused by breaks or paper wraps better than standard covers.

With OceanCoat, Voith is adding a highly durable option to its portfolio of coater roll covers that needs less regrinding and therefor reduces shutdown and maintenance costs.

Other important benefits of the cover include the low degree of wear and reduced symptoms of aging. The desired roughness of the cover stays more constant over the operating life than a standard cover.

OceanCoat is designed to run dependably in a wide range of coater backing roll positions. More than a dozen OceanCoat covers are already operating successfully. Customers currently using the cover are placing additional orders, proving that they are very pleased with its performance. Users are highlighting the abrasion resistance, consistent roughness that results in stable operating conditions, and the fact that the cover is easy to clean after a break. Mills have realized significant cost savings through the use of OceanCoat.

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
For 150 years, Voith’s technologies have been inspiring customers, business partners and employees worldwide. Founded in 1867, Voith today has around 19,000 employees, sales of €4.3 billion and locations in more than 60 countries worldwide and is thus one of the largest family-owned companies in Europe. Being a technology leader, Voith sets standards in the markets of energy, oil & gas, paper, raw materials and transport & automotive.

Voith Paper concluded, in October, the start-up of the new XcelLine VTM 3 tissue machine it has supplied to US tissue and specialty paper manufacturer Little Rapids Corporation. The new machine has replaced the company’s old PM 3 at its Shawano production facility in Wisconsin.

The new VTM 3 went online six days ahead of the contract schedule, thereby achieving a total plant downtime of just 30 days from paper to paper, that is, between dismantling the previous equipment and erecting and starting-up the new machine. Besides this outstanding achievement, the second jumbo roll of tissue paper already provided marketable quality, and the machine reached its maximum operating speed during its first week in service.

All of the new VTM 3’s technologies and components are seamlessly coordinated and integrated with each other. Besides the new XcelLine tissue paper machine and its auxiliary equipment – not counting the Yankee cylinder, which has been reused from the old machine – Voith’s scope of supply also included stock preparation and approach flow systems, a steam box, a gas hood, and a mist removal and dust reduction system. The order was rounded off by Voith's automation package, comprised of the DCS and MCS systems, as well as field services.

XcelLine VTM 3 Little Rapids

This project’s key benefits include an improvement in paper quality and increased production capacity, since the new machine will now be producing at a speed of more than 1,800 meters per minute.

All of these measures are not only indicative of the project’s enormous success, but also the outstanding synergy between the Voith, Little Rapids Corporation, and Contract Companies teams. “We are extremely proud of the teamwork demonstrated by all parties involved to safely execute the rebuild within a very compressed timeframe. We are also encouraged by the performance that we are seeing at this early stage of the machine’s start-up ramp and optimistic that this investment will provide additional capabilities and quality enhancements that our customers value,” said Ron Thiry, Vice President and General Manager at Little Rapids Corporation.

About Little Rapids Corporation
Little Rapids Corporation was founded by Charles Egan in 1947 and remains a family-owned business. The company’s core product lines serve the medical and beauty market segments, flexographic printing for a variety of packaging markets, and tissue, MG paper, and wet crepe paper for the specialty paper market. With headquarters and manufacturing facilities in Green Bay, the company, which employs 450, also has a paper manufacturing facility in Shawano, Wisconsin. In addition, the company donates to the region via the Little Rapids Corporation - Egan Family Foundation, a private foundation established by the Egan family in 1986 with the mission to fund charities in communities where Little Rapids Corporation has facilities.

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
For 150 years, Voith’s technologies have been inspiring customers, business partners and employees worldwide. Founded in 1867, Voith today has around 19,000 employees, sales of €4.3 billion and locations in more than 60 countries worldwide and is thus one of the largest family-owned companies in Europe. Being a technology leader, Voith sets standards in the markets of energy, oil & gas, paper, raw materials and transport & automotive.

The August Koehler SE paper mill has awarded Voith the order for a new production line for machine-glazed specialty papers. Line 8 is to be installed at the company's Kehl facility and consists of a BlueLine stock preparation unit, wet end process, XcelLine paper machine, offline coating machine and VariPlus winder. Designed for up to 120,000 metric tons per year, Line 8 will produce a flexible range of thermal papers and flexible packaging papers and will therefore be one of the most efficient specialty paper machines in the world when it goes into operation from the summer of 2019.

• Investment in “Flexible Packaging”
• Efficient large-scale production of thermal papers and flexible packaging papers

The priorities for the German specialty paper manufacturer were the flexible production of various qualities of thermal and packaging papers combined with high machine efficiency and quality over the entire basis weight range. In addition, the machine needed to be particularly energy efficient, i.e. use less power, water and steam. XcelLine meets both these criteria thanks to its perfectly matched components.

The chosen paper machine concept combines the latest Voith technology for headbox, former and press section to guarantee optimum CD profiles, excellent fiber orientation with ideal dewatering capacity, and high efficiency.

The centerpiece of the dryer section will be a welded Yankee cylinder with a diameter of more than 7,000 mm. This equipment does a great deal to achieve the premium qualities necessary to satisfy the stringent quality requirements of August Koehler. For further finishing, there are different coaters and a soft-nip calender in the paper machine.

The multi-layer coating for differentiating the premium paper qualities is realized with the offline coating machine SM 8, which is fitted with ultra-modern coating equipment and offers non-contacting, gentle drying with high thermal efficiency. The final smoothing of the specialty papers is done using an innovative calendaring concept with downstream Sirius reel. In addition, Voith will supply the basic and detail engineering for Line 8.

With this project, Koehler and Voith are continuing their longstanding successful collaboration. Koehler and Voith have effectively pooled their extensive technological expertise to make this one of the most efficient specialty paper machines in the world.

About the Koehler Paper Group

The name Koehler is a byword for high-quality specialty papers in the segments thermal papers, carbonless papers, fine papers, technical specialty papers, colored papers, decor papers and mechanical pulp board. With a consolidated turnover of around 800 million euros and sales of 500,000 metric tons of paper, Koehler is one of the few independent family-owned German companies in the paper industry with a history stretching back 210 years. At four locations, the company's head office in Oberkirch and paper mills in Kehl, Greiz and Weisenbach, a highly motivated workforce of more than 1,800 people produces paper using state-of-the-art technology.

About the Koehler Group

Alongside its core business of paper, the Koehler Group, which includes Koehler Renewable Energy GmbH, is consolidating its focus on the renewable energy segment. Throughout Germany and in other countries, it develops and operates several biomass co-generation plants, hydropower and wind power plants, and produces regenerative electricity, steam and heat for customers in various industries.

The newest member of the Group, Koehler Innovative Solutions, develops and manufactures micro-capsules for a wide range of applications and industries.

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-saving 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

For 150 years, Voith’s technologies have been inspiring customers, business partners and employees worldwide. Founded in 1867, Voith today has around 19,000 employees, sales of €4.3 billion and locations in more than 60 countries worldwide and is thus one of the largest family-owned companies in Europe. Being a technology leader, Voith sets standards in the markets of energy, oil & gas, paper, raw materials and transport & automotive.

Voith Infinity seam and endless press fabrics use a cabled yarn. For the base structure this means improved batt fiber anchorage, while paper manufacturers benefit from consistent performance over the entire running time. With this latest version of the press fabrics Voith is enabling a consistently high dewatering performance and universally good paper quality.

• Consistent running performance thanks to cabled yarn
• Available as seam and endless press fabric
• Fast and easy change of press fabrics

Thanks to Infinity's modular concept, paper manufacturers can choose between several designs. Infinity can therefore be easily adapted to the special requirements of the respective application. The new press fabric is also available with a seam. The cabled seam has the most efficient twist level in the base fabric with mono loops in the engineered seam area. The seam loops have an identical loop length, roundness and spacing, which makes installing the fabrics faster and simpler.

When changing over the fabric the operator can therefore close the seam quickly and easily, which enables machine downtimes to be reduced by up to 25 percent. Infinity is part of the PressMax range of Voith AdvancedPRODUCTS. Alongside individual products, PressMax offers papermakers the opportunity to enhance the performance of their paper machine through the ideal combination of perfectly matched products.

Caption: Thanks to the cabled yarn, the structure of Voith Infinity seam and endless press fabrics ensures better batt fiber anchorage and allows consistent performance over the entire service life.

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-saving 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
For 150 years, Voith technologies have been inspiring its customers, business partners and employees all over the world. Founded in 1867, Voith today has around 19,000 employees and earns 4.3 billion euros in sales. It has locations in more than 60 countries and is one of the largest family-owned companies in Europe. As a technology leader, Voith sets standards in the energy, oil & gas, paper, raw materials and transport & automotive markets.