Valmet will supply a paper machine rebuild to Marusumi Paper's Ohe mill in Japan. The rebuild includes a new press section utilizing Valmet's shoe press technology. The main goal of the rebuild is to decrease energy consumption at the newsprint mill. The rebuilt machine will start up during fourth quarter of 2016. The value of the order was not disclosed. 

"The trend in newsprint production has recently been towards lighter paper weights, driven by resource and energy savings. To further meet this lighter weight tendency, Marusumi Paper has decided to proceed with a press rebuild project to improve productivity and end product quality. We chose Valmet as a supplier for this rebuild for several reasons. The original supplier of the machine is Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and Valmet has acquired the company's paper machinery technology. We also have had good experience with Valmet in an earlier project when installing a sizer for Ohe mill's PM 3 in 2005. We are expecting great performance from Valmet also with this project," said Toru Shinohara, director and mill manager, Marusumi Paper Co.

"Valmet can offer key technologies for challenging rebuilds, and pressing technology is one of our core know-how areas. Modern pressing technology can help our customers to achieve higher end product quality and significantly decrease energy consumption," noted Petri Paukkunen, VP, paper mills sales and marketing, Valmet.

Valmet's delivery includes a new center roll based press section with modern shoe press technology as well as related runnability solutions, new press section frames, installation, motors, and electrification. The existing press section of PM 2 will be rebuilt into Valmet's OptiPress Center press section. With this tri-nip solution, the new 1st press, the 2nd press, and the 3rd press shoe nip maximizes the dry content, decreases steam consumption, and increases wet strength of the paper. 

The 9,000-mm-wide (wire) PM 2 produces newsprint grades at the design speed of 1,200 m/min.