2 INDUSTRY NEWS
Pulp Paper & Logistics
Foam forming for paperboard goes into production
P
roduction testing of lighter-weight paperboard using foam forming is to
be started by Metsä Board at its Kyro mill in Finland. The leading European
producer of folding boxboards and linerboards has already carried out extensive development work over a number of years to commercialise the new technology, which is expected to result in considerable benefits for its customers. In foam forming technology,
the water-fibre suspension is aerated with a stream of tiny bubbles. By using foam forming, the paperboard structure becomes bulkier, lightening the board’s weight. In addition, fibres are distributed more evenly in the web, improving formation of the board and resulting in more consistent properties and appearance. On top of these benefits, the technology
reduces the use of raw materials, energy and water, enhancing sustainability.
“We have already seen that
the technology works in a laboratory environment as well
as on pilot machines,” said Mika Joukio, chief executive of Metsä Board. “Following promising laboratory scale results and our detailed feasibility studies, we reached a decision to invest in further development of the technology on a production machine. Our target is to offer our customers even more efficient and ecologically sound paperboards in the future.” Metsä Board is a pioneer in the development of foam forming technology. The company has been undertaking research as part of the Finnish Bioeconomy Cluster FIBIC’s research programmes which have been successfully scaled up together with VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. Various phases of research and development have been advanced through support from Tekes, the Finnish Funding Agency for Innovation. Valmet is installing the technology.
UPM cuts newsprint capacity in France
The PM3 line at UPM’s Chapelle Darblay mill in France was closed in June, as originally announced in November last year. The move takes out 130,000
tonnes of newsprint capacity at the mill, which will continue paper production on PM6 producing standard newsprint and improved grades (MFS) with
July/August 2015
an annual capacity of 250,000 tonnes. “This year the European
newsprint market has faced even stronger headwind than expected. However, our collective actions will ensure the efficient use of our remaining capacity and secure reliable deliveries to our customers,” says Bernd Eikens, Executive
Vice President, UPM Paper ENA. The closure of the PM3 line is part of UPM’s €150 million profit improvement targets that includes variable and fixed cost savings in all UPM businesses. Earlier this year UPM cut
675,000 tonnes of publication capacity with the closure in Finland of its PM2 at Kaukas and its PM5 at Jämsänkoski, and in
the UK the closure of its PM1 at Shotton. ● UPM has published the EU
Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) statements for 2014, certifying all its European pulp and paper mills, the UPM Fray Bentos pulp mill in Uruguay and the UPM Changshu paper mill in China in accordance with the EMAS.
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