Sappi (Johannesburg, South Africa) this past month (Oct. 2018) announced the launch of Atelier©, a premium folding box board1 (FBB1) that is unique in the marketplace. Available in weights from 220 gsm to 350 gsm, Atelier is produced at the company’s Maastricht mill, which has undergone a double-digit EUR million upgrade with an innovative paper-making technology that has allowed production of this extremely high quality FBB1 product. Atelier delivers the ultimate in brightness, purity and gloss with a silky touch and feel paired with bulk and stiffness representing truly a new dimension in the folding box board market.

"More than a decade ago, we set out to introduce Sappi’s Algro Design© family of premium solid bleached boards (SBB), and it has been a tremendous success," said Lars Scheidweiler, head of sales, Paperboard, for Sappi Europe. "By bringing Atelier folding box board to the market, we will once again introduce a completely unique concept to the paperboard market. This new FBB offers bulk and stiffness to deliver perfect functionality at lower basis weight. Its smooth surface, silky feel, and bright white finish are completely unique. The result are improved printing, converting, finishing or post-production handling. We are extremely excited to be globally launching this innovative product."

 

 

Sappi said it conducted extensive market research to determine what the market was looking for, where the gaps were, and what would constitute a breakthrough product for the FBB market.

 

"In line with our overall product strategy, one thing was clear: It needed to go beyond today’s commonly accepted visual properties of FBB," Scheidweiler added. "In the SBB line, the bright white, silky smooth finish has been a resounding success, and we wanted to duplicate that in FBB. But we also needed to ensure the market-leading rigidity, bulk and strength necessary for an FBB product. Atelier meets all of those specifications and more. It is a convergence of ideas and craftsmanship that will clearly set us – and our customers – apart in the FBB world."

With a brightness level of 100% on the top side, Atelier is designed to exceed the market standard compared to a current industry top value of around 92%. On the reverse side, Atelier reportedly offers a brightness factor of 98.5% to accommodate the increasing demand for printing on both sides of the board for added impact.