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Ahlstrom expands its release papers product range in South America
Ahlstrom, a global high performance materials company, will extend the range of release papers produced at its Jacareì plant in Brazil with the introduction of calendered Ahlstrom SILCA(TM) Soft grades.
The Pressure Sensitive-Adhesive (PSA) labelling market is estimated to grow approximately by 5-7% per year in Brazil and South America. By extending its release papers product range in Brazil, Ahlstrom aims at better serving the growing market needs and offering further local supply alternatives to imported glassine or supercalendered kraft release papers.Equipment modifications to enable larger production volumes are planned for August 2012.
In developing Ahlstrom SILCA(TM) Soft, the company relied on its broad expertise in the production of high quality release liners. This new calendered backing paper, particularly well adapted for labelstock applications, offers the required properties for secure siliconizing and reliable converting process. It complements the existing range of Ahlstrom SILCA(TM) calendered release papers manufactured in Europe and used by the PSA industry worldwide.
Ahlstrom's Jacareì plant is already well known for its high quality clay-coated release papers and facestock label papers. With the addition of calendered Ahlstrom SILCA(TM) Soft to the range, the company offers the most complete portfolio of release and label papers to the PSA industry in South America.
"The extension of our local product offering is a sign of increasing commitment to our customers in the region, who will benefit from a local supply, flexible lead times and a responsive service for an increasing number of products," said Valmir Piton, Vice President, Latin America, Label and Processing.
Ahlstrom is a global leader in release papers, with widest product range on the market for any PSA application. Its release papers are manufactured in Europe and South America and are part of the offering of Ahlstrom's Label and Processing business area.
Ahlstrom introduces next generation transportation air filtration
Ahlstrom, a global high performance materials company, will launch products for Transportation Air Filtration during the 11th World Filtration Congress in Graz, Austria.
Ahlstrom XAIR is a new portfolio of Automotive and Heavy Duty Air Filter media achieving exceptional efficiency in Soot filtration and Dust Holding Capacity having positive impact on engine lifetime, engine emission and fuel consumption.
The media can be processed in traditional high speed pleating machinery and is available with no curing, fast curing, flame retardant and water durable functionalities.
Ahlstrom will be located in booth C4 in World Filtration Congress 11 during April 16-20, 2012.
Ahlstrom is a leading manufacturer of filtration materials globally with 11 production sites across four continents.
The Changing face of Tissue in China By Marco Dalle Piagge, general manager Toscotec Asia & Pacific
With mill closures threatened throughout China to reduce pollution, how is China's tissue industry placed to meet growing demand?
There are two faces to the Chinese paper industry. It will come as no great surprise that around half of the world's new tissue machines in 2010/11 were installed in China.
At Toscotec we have seen our installed base in China grow considerably. The state-of-the-art new machines which are announced in the media on a regular basis give an impression of an industry which is leading the world in its use of technology.
In many respects this is true. There remains however, a wide scattering of older, more polluting paper technology around the country, which the Chinese Government is
keen to retire as soon as possible. In fact an announcement at the end of last year indicated that these closures would take place at a faster pace than originally anticipated: The Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) pinpointed 599 pulp and paper companies operating units which had to be closed by the end of last year.
The bulk of these machines are producing brown paper or printings/writings, but the tissue industry cannot go untouched. As far as capacity is concerned, however, the new capacity slated to come on stream should cover any loss of capacity as well as increased demand.
But the MIIT's initiative can only hasten the process of reinvention which has taken place in the Chinese tissue industry.
The strong investment push by the main tissue players in China in the last two years combined with the stricter environmental controls leaves those on the second rung of the ladder with a challenge.
If they do not invest, they will either fail to meet environmental standards and be closed down, or risk being left behind as they cease to be competitive. The smallest producers really will struggle. They simply cannot compete in terms of quality and their processes, usually based on straw, bagasse or bamboo, are just out of line with where the Chinese tissue industry is going, not to mention environmental legislation.
With this in mind, we need to realise that not all new machines in China are "new" capacity, but outdated lines, even if they are not at the same location.
What is clear is that Chinese consumers have got the taste for tissue and the country is now well on the way to having the world's most modern tissue machine "fleet". It is noticeable, however, that the very biggest, fastest machines are no longer the only thing on the menu. Producers are increasingly looking at technology which, while matching the sophistication of the biggest lines, is designed for a more modest output. Such lines, in addition to representing a smaller investment, might be more suitable to supply just the local population, without having to transport the tissue at great expense to other locations to use up the capacity. Energy consumption by the tissue machine is also an increasingly relevant consideration when tissue makers make purchasing decisions, and this is something on which we at Toscotec have focused particular attention.
Encouraged to locate inland
Another change to watch for is the location of new tissue projects. Of course, unlike Europe, there is considerable potential for Greenfield projects in this country, but they have tended to cluster around the main cities on the coast. In an attempt to slow down the recent tendency of the Chinese to migrate to coastal cities where the standard of living is higher, new mill projects
are actively being encouraged inland in areas such as Chongqing and Sichuan. As these new mills bring quality tissue to new areas, so the market for tissue in China will gain even more momentum.
Fibre is of course an important practical consideration. The fast, wide new machines being installed in China consume virgin fibre. The infrastructure for sourcing good quality recycled fibre does not yet exist in China, and suitable stock preparation equipment to process it
has not been installed either. None of the big projects in the past two years has involved deinking. This situation clearly favours coastal mills, with their easier access to imported virgin fibre. The transport infrastructure is improving, however, which will strengthen the competitive
case for inland mills, and reduce the fibre division that has existed, whereby coastal mills have produced high quality tissue from virgin fibre, while inland mills have only produced an inferior product from straw, bamboo or bagasse.
The supply of fibre is, at present, plentiful. The pulp market is relatively soft, and large pulp mill projects are due to come on stream in the region in the not-to-distant future. There will always be a softwood pulp requirement for tissue, and local pulp projects will inevitably focus on hardwood pulp. But supply of softwood pulp has proved reliable, and the exchange rate with the Euro favours Chinese buyers at present.
The gas factor
There is another factor which divides the country in terms of tissue production. Gas is not on tap throughout China. Guangdong for example, has virtually none. Most tissue machines in the 30 to 50 tpd category in China rely on coal to generate steam. Mills on sites without access to gas have to consider their technology very carefully if they plan to step up production. Coal cannot
produce steam at as high a rate as gas, so speeds close to 1,700 mpm in rather than 2,000 mpm are realistic. At Toscotec we believe, however, that with world-class runnability this can still put a mill in a strong position, by significantly reducing production costs. Our message is that with the right technology, (we would of course advocate our energy-saving steel yankee), you can still
be competitive with coal.
The investment in state-of-the-art tissue lines means that the evolution of quality in China has been rapid. Within a short time, consumers have come to expect a quality of virgin-fibre tissue which is a match for what is sold Europe, and often better.
An everyday item
China has gained a reputation as a highly competitive place to make products. It is worth remembering, however, that this country pays energy and raw material prices at the same level as anywhere else - often more - and the main competitive advantage is the low cost of manpower. But tissue is capital-intensive to produce and as living standards improve and skills start to attract more of a premium, wage pressure will be upwards anyway. As wage cost pressures increase, producers will be ever more conscious of other burdens on company finances, such as energy. China is undoubtedly one of the most exciting places in the world to be involved in the tissue business, but as market conditions and demands evolve, the subtleties such as energy consumption will rise up the agenda, as sheer volume ceases to be the only answer.
source: http://www.toscotec.com/
Pulp, Paper & Board Industry Experts Gather at Asian Paper 2012
Asia’s Premier Pulp and Paper event returns this year from 25 – 27 April 2012 at Queen Sirikit National Convention & Exhibition Centre, Plenary Halls 1, 2 and 3 in Bangkok, Thailand.
With Asia positioned as the world’s fastest-growing economy amidst a looming recession in the United States and fiscal instability in the Euro zone, there is no better time for market leaders to capitalise on this resource-hungry region.
First organised by United Business Media (UBM) in 1992, Asian Paper features many high level Symposiums with presentations and panel discussions by industry veterans, as well as dedicated Paper Mill visits on the eve of the show. It is one of the few occasions where both buyers and sellers are housed under one roof, giving all vendors a chance to network and obtain industry contacts both regional and global.
This year’s event showcases more than 200 international exhibitors from around the world, bringing together a comprehensive display of the latest cutting-edge Pulp and Paper technologies and equipment rarely seen in a single industry event. China and Finnish Pavilions have been added due to overwhelming participation from these two particular countries.
Among the exhibitors are the world’s leading suppliers to the Pulp & Paper industry, giving participants an unrivalled opportunity in Asian Paper to meet and discuss specific solutions to the current challenges and issues facing their companies.
The Senior Management Symposium is Asia’s leading Management Conference for the Pulp and Paper Industry, and covers pertinent issues facing senior key decision managers today. And the Technical Conference, “The New Applied Technology”, addresses the latest developments in Pulp & Paper Production and Maintenance with innovative veteran speakers.
Some exhibitors’ concerns of recent flooding in Thailand were thoroughly addressed by Akapol Sorasuchart, President of Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau. “Suvarnabhumi International Airport is fully functional and the central business district of Bangkok is flood-free with all businesses operating normally”, he stated in an official press release dated 21 November 2011.
Asian Paper 2012 is expected to attract over 6,000 visitors and more than 300 delegates to the Conferences. As exhibition space is reported to be moving fast, all would-be exhibitors are advised to reserve their spots immediately to avoid disappointment.
With exclusive complimentary professional public relations and publicity services for all exhibitors, courtesy of UBM Asia, this is sure to be an exciting event not to be missed!
Toscotec to supply eight new tissue machines to Vinda
The Italian company Toscotec has been awarded an order to supply eight new tissue machines to Vinda, a branded seller and leading manufacturer of tissue paper products in China and Hong Kong.
The Toscotec's scope for each of the new lines, includes MODULO Plus ES crescent former tissue machine with single-layer headbox, double press configuration, Steel Yankee Dryer (TT SYD 12FT), steam & condensate system, control and machine drives systems. Mills services are also included in the scope.
Machine speed will be up to 1300 mpm with a net trim width of 2700 mm. All the machines will come on stream between 3rd quarter of 2012 and 1st half of 2013.
Toscotec machines has been studied and designed in order to fulfill the requirements of fast growing markets. The new concept of the Energy Savings lines maximizes the contribution of the Steel Yankee Dryer to the drying process and guarantees the highest evaporation at the lowest energy consumption and carbon footprint.
Since 2009, with the establishment of its associate Toscotec Asia & Pacific, the Italian supplier has considerably increased its presence in the region. As further step of this strategic plan, part of the supply for these Vinda machines will come from Toscotec Asia & Pacific new manufacturing plant based in Zibo - Zhangdian District, Shandong.
The Vinda Group's principal products include toilet roll, pocket tissue paper, facial tissue paper, table napkins and wet wipes etc. Vinda commands strong brand recognition and adopts a successful multi-brand branding strategy by launching its primary brand "Vinda" and a number of secondary brands. It also has two animation-licensed series: "Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf" and "Kung Fu Panda".
As at 31th December 2011, Vinda has seven production bases in the PRC with a total annual production capacity of 470,000 tons and is actively developing its personal care products business. (http://www.vindapaper.com/en/home.asp)
Invitation to Vacon's results briefing and teleconference
Vacon will publish its Interim Report January - March 2012 on Wednesday, 25 April, 2012 at around 9.30 a.m. Finnish time.
A briefing for the financial analysts and media will be held on the same day at Scandic Simonkenttä (Tapiola Meeting Room), address Simonkatu 9, 00100 Helsinki, at 11:30 am Finnish time (EET) or 10:30 CET. The briefing will be held in Finnish. Please inform Maija Suutarinen of your participation at maija.suutarinen(at)vacon.com no later than 23 April, 2012.
A dial-in conference in English for investors and investment analysts will be held at 3.00 pm (EET) on 25 April 2012. President and CEO Vesa Laisi and Eriikka Söderström, CFO will participate in the conference. Please call +358(0)9 6937 9543 (Finland Toll) or +44(0)20 3364 5381 (UK Toll) and request to be connected to the Vacon call (Confirmation code 6987142). A recording of the conference will be available for seven days at +358 (0)9 2310 1650 (Finland Toll) or +44 (0)20 7111 1244 (UK Toll) and access code 6987142.
- Webcast URL: http://www.media-server.com/m/p/d466e62a
The presentation material will be available before the start of the briefing at the Vacon's website www.vacon.com > Investors > Publications and releases.
Kemira to publish January-March 2012 results on April 24, 2012
Kemira Oyj will publish its first quarter 2012 results on Tuesday, April 24 around 8.30 am Finnish time (6.30 am UK time).
Kemira will arrange a press conference for analysts and the media starting at 10.30 am at Kemira House, Porkkalankatu 3, Helsinki. In the conference, Kemira's President and CEO Wolfgang Büchele and Chief Financial Officer Jyrki Mäki-Kala will present the results. The press conference will be held in English and will be webcasted at www.kemira.com Presentation material will be available on Kemira's website at www.kemira.com under Investors in English and at www.kemira.fi in Finnish at about 10.30 am.
Conference call in connection to the press and analyst conference
You can also listen to the conference live over the phone and attend the Q&A session via a conference call. In order to participate in the call, please dial +44 (0)20 7162 0125, code 915674 ten minutes before the conference begins. A recording of the conference call will be available on Kemira's website later the same day.
KapStone Paper and Packaging to Release First Quarter Earnings on Wednesday, May 2, 2012
KapStone Paper and Packaging Corporation will release its 2012 first quarter earnings on Wednesday, May 2, 2012, after the market closes.
The Company will host a conference call on Thursday, May 3, 2012 at 11:00 a.m. ET (10:00 a.m. CT) to review the results for the quarter. All interested parties are invited to listen and may do so by either accessing a simultaneous broadcast webcast on KapStone's website, http://www.kapstonepaper.com, or for those unable to access the webcast, the following dial-in numbers are available:
Domestic: 888.396.2356
International: 617.847.8709
Participant Passcode: 36367235
A presentation to be viewed in conjunction with the call will also be available on our website, http://www.kapstonepaper.com, in the "Investors" section.
The webcast is also being distributed through the Thomson StreetEvents Network. Individual investors can listen to the call at http://earnings.com, Thomson's individual investor portal, powered by StreetEvents. Institutional investors can access the call via Thomson StreetEvents (https://www.streetevents.com) a password-protected event management site. A replay of the webcast will also be on the website beginning at approximately 2:00 p.m. ET the same day.
ÅF recruits Ulrika Lundgren as Head of M&A
ÅF has recruited Ulrika Lundgren to the position of, Vice President, Head of Mergers & Acquisitions. Ulrika will take up this new position on 1 September and will, at the same time, join the ÅF Group Management team.
This is a new position in the ÅF Group and one that confirms the Group's continuing, long-term commitment to investment in growth through corporate acquisitions.
Ulrika Lundgren has many years' experience of M&A and strategic business development and joins ÅF from a post with the defence and security company Saab AB. Her previous employers have included Gambro, Investor and Handelsbanken.
Corporate Information
Metso RotoFormer, number one performance upgrade for your TwinRoll press
RotoFormer was originally developed for TwinRoll Evolution, the latest generation of TwinRoll presses from Metso. Now this new pulp inlet device is available for upgrading the DPA, DPB and TRP TwinRoll presses.
Upgrading to RotoFormer yields a number of benefits. The increased vat angle of the press and improved pulp distribution and formation provide significantly greater capacity for a broad range of inlet consistencies while delivering greater washing efficiency. Upgrading to RotoFormer also minimizes the risk of plugging in the inlet device.
RotoFormer consists of a pulp inlet box and a rotating screw
The inlet box is open toward the roll surface. The screw maintains the flow of the pulp in the inlet box and its function is to distribute and form the pulp for optimal consistency and throughput. The special design of RotoFormer allows a pulp feed consistency between 3% and 11%, enabling capacity increases of up to 30%.
An upgrade includes RotoFormer, a new and improved spray pipe, longitudinal air seals and upgraded air pressurized end seals for presses with water adjusted end seals.
Upgrade information
RotoFormer is easy to install. It is bolted to existing holes on the press. Almost no modifications are needed for the DPB and TRPB presses, but some adjustments of the vat are necessary for the DPA and TRPA presses. Installation takes approximately three days for the DPB and TRPB presses, and five days for the DPA and TRPA presses. The main press drive and the pre-breaker drive may need to be upgraded to handle a capacity increase.