Metsä Board Corp., Finland, will install a new Valmet, Finland, folding boxboard production line at its Husum mill in Sweden. The machine will produce high-quality folding boxboard with an annual capacity of 400,000 metric tons. Startup is scheduled for the beginning of 2016. 

 

The value of this size of an order is typically around EUR 60-70 million and it is part of Metsä Board's EUR 170 million investment in the mill. 

 

Valmet's delivery includes a wet end of the latest OptiConcept M design with headboxes, forming section, and press section, as well as a rebuild of the off-machine coater, winder, and the roll wrapping line. The wet end area of the machine features innovative OptiConcept M frame construction without the need for cantilever beams for fabric changes. The fabric changes will be carried out by means of fabric insertion units, which Valmet has sold 120 units globally so far.

 

"The wet end area introduces the newest design, which also adds safety and machine usability. The winder will be rebuilt with our unique dual unwind station for maximum capacity," said Mikko Tani, area VP, sales and marketing, Valmet.

 

The 6,660 mm-wide (trim) machine, BM 1, will produce folding boxboard grades in the basis weight range of 180-350 gsm at a design speed of 1,000 m/min.

 

"We selected Valmet as the technology provider for this strategic project because of their advanced and competitive solutions for high-quality folding boxboard production and our long history of working with Valmet," says Mika Joukio, CEO of Metsä Board.

 

"This important order from Metsä Board is a good continuation for the active order year for Valmet. I am delighted that Metsä Board trusted us on this significant strategic project. It is a strong token of the competitiveness of our new OptiConcept M paper and board machine concept. The order has an important employment impact for us, especially in Jyväskylä, Finland," said Pasi Laine, president and CEO of Valmet.

 

Metsä Board, a part of Metsä Group, is a producer of folding boxboard and is the world's leading producer of coated white-top fresh forest fiber linerboards. In 2013, the company's sales totaled some EUR 2.0 billion. Metsä Board has about 3,100 employees.