Powerflute’s® long-term development program continues! After the headbox investment, paper profile improvements and product specification upgrades, we have now taken the next step. In accordance with our long-term plan, we have now focused on better managing the pulp-cooking and fibre-treatment process. We believe this is the area where the key to producing the best possible semi-chemical fluting lies.

In conjunction with our annual maintenance standstill in August, we have now upgraded the process controls in our pulp mill and installed a new stage in our mechanical fibre treatment. These improvements allow us to treat our fibres more gently, which in turn allows them to create a stronger fibre net than before. This means that our paper from now on will be easier to handle, increasing the operating window on the corrugator. These investments also give us a more stable process, which should translate into a more consistent product quality from order to order. We are therefore confident that you, our customer, will experience improved productivity due to the better runnability of our paper on your corrugator.

In the short time since the August standstill, we have been able to verify these improvements through our own laboratory tests as well as through initial customer feedback. While this already has been a very encouraging development, it is also just the beginning as we will continue to fine-tune the process and hope to achieve further improvements still! And this is where we also will need your help: Close co-operation with you, our most valued customers, is of essential importance for us as we strive to maximise the benefits of our enhanced capabilities. We can improve Powerflute even further, which we are convinced will be a valuable asset in our joint battle against the threat of plastic boxes in the most demanding end-use areas.