Valmet, Finland, has successfully delivered and started up a rebuild of Alas Doradas' PM 4 tissue machine, close to San Salvador, El Salvador. The rebuild delivered top results right from the start. Targets were reached and surpassed already in the first week after the startup which was on Jan. 23, 2018, Valmet reports.

 

The main target of the project was to increase the production capacity and save energy. Now, with all facts on hand, the joint efforts to reach top results have really been fulfilled. 

 

"We are very satisfied with the results of the rebuild project. The combination of Advantage ViscoNip and ReDry have exceeded our highest expectations. The results show capacity increased by 20% and drying energy savings of 20% - 25%," said Carlos Jerez, engineering director at Alas Doradas. "In addition, we have also seen significant quality improvements with bulk increase," Jerez continued.

 

 

 

The key to success comes from the synergy effect gained when combining two of Valmet's foremost innovations. In this case, the energy saving Advantage ViscoNip press, which has a unique ability to adapt to the yankee dryer shell, is boosted by the Advantage ReDry web heater. The Advantage ReDry further enhances dryness by utilizing exhaust air and humidity from the hood, to heat the web and thereby increase post pressure consistency. 

 

"We are proud that Alas Doradas has selected our well proven Advantage technologies which have been truly spot-on for this upgrade," says Kent Nika and Sergio Vargas, sales managers at Valmet. 

 

"We are also honored to have been given the confidence to provide guidance and support throughout this important expansion and performance improvement that Alas Doradas is going through."

 

Close cooperation and mutual responsiveness have also been factors in the success of the project. 

 

"The cooperation between Valmet's and Alas Doradas' teams has been very successful," said Valmet's project manager Pyry Hämäläinen. "Our confidence in one another, which was strong to begin with, has been reinforced on this joint quest to move from good to great. I have a feeling that this is just the beginning of a long-term partnership."

 

Valmet's delivery for the machine rebuild includes a replacement of the current suction press roll with an Advantage ViscoNip press and Advantage ReDry web heater for increased production capacity and decreased energy consumption. The rebuild also includes a mist removal system, supervision, training, startup, and commissioning. It also features integration of the new equipment with the current automation systems.

Alas Doradas is one of three main tissue paper manufacturers in Central America. It is renowned for its "green practices," using 100% recycled paper as raw material. The company operates in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Panama, generating more than 38,000 metric tons of paper products annually, the main ones being toilet paper, paper towels, and napkins.