Displaying items by tag: voith

Graphic Packaging International (GPI), a leading global provider of sustainable consumer packaging, has recently commissioned Voith to supply multiple stock preparation lines, integrated reject handling and the wastewater pre-treatment system for its newest, most advanced coated recycled board (CRB) mill being built in Waco, Texas. With Voith’s tailored process solutions, GPI is expected to improve the efficiency and sustainability of its facility and will ultimately save energy, water and fibers. The installation of the new system and components is targeted for completion in 2025.

“Voith’s proven and innovative pulping technology and wastewater pre-treatment solutions are key to reaching our high product quality targets and improving efficiency and sustainability. Our close partnership is based on trust and the very reliable cooperation we have enjoyed in the past,” says Rusty Miller, Senior Vice President Engineering and Technology at Graphic Packaging.

“We are happy to be partnering with GPI again and are eager to support them with our leading technology in stock preparation for efficient recycling of fibers and separation of contaminants. Our state-of-the-art wastewater pre-treatment system enables GPI to minimize freshwater consumption which is one main focus of the project,” adds Michael Hmielewski, Director of Project Sales at Voith.

To learn more about Voith’s innovative solutions for an effective use of water, please visit: https://voith.com/corp-en/industry-solutions/papermaking/papermaking-for-life/water.html

About Graphic Packaging International
Graphic Packaging International, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, is committed to providing consumer packaging that makes a world of difference. The company, a leading fiber-based consumer packaging provider, serves the world’s most widely recognized food, beverage, foodservice, and other consumer products companies and brands. The Company operates on a global basis, is one of the largest producers of folding cartons and fiber-based foodservice products in the United States and Europe, and holds leading market positions in coated recycled paperboard, coated unbleached kraft paperboard and solid bleached sulfate paperboard. Additional information about Graphic Packaging, its business and its products is available at https://www.graphicpkg.com.

About the Voith Group
The Voith Group is a global technology company. With its broad portfolio of systems, products, services and digital applications, Voith sets standards in the markets of energy, paper, raw materials and transport & automotive. Founded in 1867, the company today has around 21,000 employees, sales of € 4.9 billion and locations in over 60 countries worldwide and is thus one of the larger family-owned companies in Europe.

The Group Division Voith Paper is part of the Voith Group. As the full-line supplier to the paper industry, it provides the largest range of technologies, services and products on the market and offers paper manufacturers holistic solutions from a single source. The company’s continuous stream of innovations facilitates resource-conserving production and helps customers minimize their carbon footprint. With its leading automation products and digitalization solutions from the Papermaking 4.0 portfolio, Voith offers its customers state-of-the-art digital technologies to improve plant availability and efficiency for all sections of the production process.

Voith announces the opening of a new OnPerformance.Lab (OPL) site in São Paulo, Brazil, South America. With this expansion, Voith strengthens its regional footprint and expands its service, optimization and consulting activities. The new OPL site is specifically designed to support paper manufacturers in automation, digitalization and achieving their sustainability goals.

Remote support represents an important part of Voith's service portfolio and complements existing on-site services offered by the leading full-line supplier. Customers can quickly and easily access the expertise of the experts and jointly find solutions to individual challenges. In this way, short-term problems can be solved efficiently, and long-term optimization projects can be carried out successfully. With the OPL, Voith takes a holistic and integrated approach that enables sustainable improvements.

"With the new location in São Paulo, we want to offer our customers even greater proximity and support," says Ivan Medeiros, Head of Digital and Automation at Voith Paper South America. "We want to help them use digitalization profitably and increase their resource efficiency to reliably achieve their goals."

The OPL in São Paulo is part of a global initiative by Voith to offer comprehensive know-how and expertise to its customers worldwide. Existing OPL locations can be found in Heidenheim, Germany; Kunshan, China; and Tokyo, Japan. The opening of additional regional offices is planned to further strengthen the regional footprint.

Interested customers can get in touch at any time to benefit from the wide range of digital solutions and service offerings. For more information on the Voith OnPerformance.Lab, visit https://voith.com/corp-en/onperformancelab/paper.html.

About Voith Paper 
The Voith Group is a global technology company. With its broad portfolio of systems, products, services and digital applications, Voith sets standards in the markets of energy, paper, raw materials and transport & automotive. Founded in 1867, the company today has around 21,000 employees, sales of € 4.9 billion and locations in over 60 countries worldwide and is thus one of the larger family-owned companies in Europe.

The Group Division Voith Paper is part of the Voith Group. As the full-line supplier to the paper industry, it provides the largest range of technologies, services and products on the market and offers paper manufacturers holistic solutions from one source. The company’s continuous stream of innovations facilitates resource-conserving production and helps customers minimize their carbon footprint. With its leading automation products and digitalization solutions from the Papermaking 4.0 portfolio, Voith offers its customers state-of-the-art digital technologies to improve plant availability and efficiency for all sections of the production process.

On August 13, Sichuan Huaqiao Fenghuang Paper successfully started up its highly efficient XcelLine packaging paper machine at the Guanghan site. The leading full-line supplier Voith delivered the entire line. The project set a new record for the fastest start-up of such a paper machine. Only six months passed from installation to successful start-up – two months ahead of schedule. The commissioning of the BlueLine OCC stock preparation system and the XcelLine paper machine took just four and five weeks, respectively.

“Many thanks for the hard work and technical innovation of both teams! The very good performance of PM 6 is the excellent result of the continuous efforts and close cooperation of both teams,” says Yang Lichang, Project Manager Huaqiao Fenghuang in Sichuan. At the same time, the high performance reflects the outstanding efficiency of the Voith paper machines. The successful startup will further increase Huaqiao Fenghuang's production capacity and create a solid foundation for our future development.”

PM 6 has a width of 7.92 meters and a design speed of 1,400 meters per minute. It mainly produces high-quality packaging paper in the range of 90 to 170 gsm and has an annual production capacity of about 400,000 tons. The associated BlueLine OCC stock preparation line has an impressive capacity of 2,200 tons per day and is currently the largest OCC line in the Asian market.

Voith not only supplied the intelligent XcelLine paper machine and BlueLine OCC stock preparation line, but also leading control systems such as MCS, QCS, DCS, QMS and OnCare.Health. These advanced solutions enable full automation of the production process, ensuring stable product quality, a reliable process, and lower operating and maintenance costs. In addition, PM 6 uses Voith's latest industrial design, which combines the outstanding performance of the XcelLine paper machine with a high level of industrial aesthetics.

“The successful start-up of PM 6 exemplifies the strong technical competence and professional qualifications of both teams, and it also demonstrates the benefits of full-line delivery from Voith,” says Carlos Lin, Senior Vice President Order Processing and Operations at Voith Paper Asia-Pacific. “The full-line delivery reduces integration and coordination efforts for the customer, lowers operational risk and ensures product quality, all of which increase product competitiveness."

“Voith is committed to sustainable and environmentally friendly papermaking through innovative technologies that significantly reduce the consumption of fibers, energy and water,” confirms Kurt Yu, President at Voith Paper Asia-Pacific. "PM 6 symbolizes the shared passion and commitment of both teams to the paper industry. Voith's goal is to work with its customers to drive environmentally friendly development of the paper industry with reduced carbon emissions."

The excellent start-up performance is the result of the joint efforts of both teams. Voith's teams in China and Germany worked closely together to respond quickly to customer requirements. Early partial deliveries, shortening of installation and run-in phases, and other measures ensured that customer expectations were met in the best possible way. At the same time, the Sichuan Huaqiao Fenghuang Paper team demonstrated outstanding implementation strength and professional competence.

About Sichuan Huaqiao Fenghuang
Huaqiao Fenghuang Group is a diversified multinational enterprise with various industries. It is a large cross-border enterprise mainly engaged in six economic sectors: modern agriculture, industrial manufacturing, real estate, trade, finance, and international investment and trade activities. Sichuan Huaqiao Fenghuang Paper Co, Ltd. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Group and the largest coated paper manufacturer in Sichuan. Its main products are coated papers, high quality, light weight and environmentally friendly paperboard, corrugated base papers and other products. The production capacity is one million tons per year. Through continuous technical research and development, quality and service improvement, the company has become a supplier of high-quality, efficient and environmentally friendly packaging materials.

About the Voith Group
The Voith Group is a global technology company. With its broad portfolio of systems, products, services and digital applications, Voith sets standards in the markets of energy, paper, raw materials and transport & automotive. Founded in 1867, the company today has around 20,000 employees, sales of €4.3 billion and locations in over 60 countries worldwide and is thus one of the larger family-owned companies in Europe.

The Group Division Voith Paper is part of the Voith Group. As the full-line supplier to the paper industry, it provides the largest range of technologies, services and products on the market and offers paper manufacturers holistic solutions from one source. The company’s continuous stream of innovations facilitates resource-conserving production and helps customers minimize their carbon footprint. With its leading automation products and digitalization solutions from the Papermaking 4.0 portfolio, Voith offers its customers state-of-the-art digital technologies to improve plant availability and efficiency for all sections of the production process.

At the end of April, Voith unveiled a completely new disruptive concept for paper manufacturing in collaboration with hygiene and healthcare company Essity. This concept enables CO₂-neutral paper production as well as fresh water savings of up to 95 percent and energy savings of up to 40 percent. Currently, Voith and Essity are working on a pilot plant in Heidenheim, Germany. In addition to the disruptive concept, Voith is also focusing its research and development on other promising solutions. The leading full-line supplier invests around 100 million euros annually in the development of more efficient and sustainable solutions to drive decarbonization in paper production.

• Voith and Essity work on an innovative concept for CO₂-neutral paper production
• For the electrification of paper drying, Voith is developing various concepts to avoid fossil fuels and reduce CO₂ emissions
• Voith is involved in various industry initiatives, such as the ‘Modellfabrik Papier’, to promote the decarbonization of paper production using completely closed systems

An important field of action for decarbonization is the drying of paper, as this is where the greatest energy consumption occurs. Drying cylinders are typically heated with steam, which is often generated by burning fossil fuels. In order to dispense with the use of fossil fuels, Voith is working intensively on concepts for the electrification of paper drying. In the process, various technologies are evaluated to determine their potential and identify suitable solutions depending on the energy source at the site. This leads to significant reductions in CO₂ emissions at the paper mills.

In addition to electrification, heat pumps for heat recovery are included in the development approaches to further improve the sustainability balance. Digital solutions, intelligent control systems and innovations in the area of fabrics and roll covers offer additional efficiency benefits.

Voith is a member of various industry initiatives to drive forward the decarbonization of paper production. One such initiative is the ‘Modellfabrik Papier’, in which companies along the value chain work with research institutes and higher education institutions on pre-competitive basic research.

Dr. Lada Bemert, Vice President New Business and Research at Voith Paper and Deputy Chairwoman of the shareholders’ committee of the Modellfabrik Papier, confirms the positive impact of the initiative. "With the help of completely closed systems, no more unused energy should escape from the process in the future,” explains Bemert. “Building on our research results, our aim is to make the technologies available to industry as quickly as possible. In doing so, we are setting an important course for the future."

Sustainability program Papermaking for Life
As part of the "Papermaking for Life" innovation and development offensive, Voith Paper is presenting versatile technologies and initiatives that lead to more efficient and sustainable processes in papermaking. The focus is on water, energy and fiber savings as well as digitalization, innovations and partnerships as levers for more sustainable production. Another focus is on Voith's own activities at its locations worldwide. Learn more about Voith Paper's innovations in the area of sustainability: www.voith.com/papermaking-for-life/innovation. For more information on the Modellfabrik Papier, click here: https://modellfabrikpapier.de/en/home-en/.

About the Voith Group
The Voith Group is a global technology company. With its broad portfolio of systems, products, services and digital applications, Voith sets standards in the markets of energy, paper, raw materials and transport & automotive. Founded in 1867, the company today has around 20,000 employees, sales of €4.3 billion and locations in over 60 countries worldwide and is thus one of the larger family-owned companies in Europe.

The Group Division Voith Paper is part of the Voith Group. As the full-line supplier to the paper industry, it provides the largest range of technologies, services and products on the market and offers paper manufacturers holistic solutions from one source. The company’s continuous stream of innovations facilitates resource-conserving production and helps customers minimize their carbon footprint. With its leading automation products and digitalization solutions from the Papermaking 4.0 portfolio, Voith offers its customers state-of-the-art digital technologies to improve plant availability and efficiency for all sections of the production process.

Voith, the leading global technology group for the paper industry, has launched a new research project called FOREST together with partners from industry and research. The goal of the project is to develop a fully comprehensive digital map for papermaking processes that can capture energy and material flows, as well as CO₂ flows and footprints, down to the sub-process and sub-product level. The digital framework identifies multiple optimization opportunities that promote a targeted acceleration of the paper industry's transformation toward climate neutrality.

• FOREST research project launched in cooperation with renowned partners from industry and research
• Goal is to build a digital framework that will enable effective process optimization and predictive benefit assessment
• Project aims to support the paper industry's transformation towards climate neutrality

By visualizing the actual state of the production facilities, all stakeholders gain a deeper understanding of the processes. In particular, the innovative solution makes it possible to identify plant areas with high optimization potential during ongoing operation using current data. With the help of the digital framework, for example, the optimum settings for minimized CO₂ emissions can be determined and the benefits of rebuild measures can be estimated in advance. In addition, the digital framework supports the definition of requirements for future developments. In this way, the influence of new framework conditions, such as changes in energy supply or costs, can be modeled.

After the first kick-off meeting, the project team is now working to define the requirements and interfaces for the framework and derive a requirements catalog. In addition to a physical basic model, this framework also includes specific, more detailed modeling of individual sub-processes, which are also being developed by Voith as part of the project. In the next step, Voith will test the digital framework together with the other research partners on various pilot installations.

The research project was approved by the project management organization Jülich as of April 1, 2023. The project involves cooperation between Voith and Modellfabrik Papier gGmbH, the Institute of Textile Technology at RWTH Aachen University (ITA), the NOWUM-Energy Institute at FH-Aachen University of Applied Sciences, the Chair of Wood Technology and Fiber Materials Technology at TU Dresden, the Paper Technology Foundation (PTS), ABB AG and associated partners such as Felix Schoeller GmbH & Co. KG, Sappi Ehingen GmbH, Schoellershammer GmbH and WEPA Group.

About the FOREST research project
FOREST stands for “Framework fOr Resource, Energy, Sustainability Treatment” in paper production. The work is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection as part of the German government's 7th Energy Research Program. Further information can be found at: BMWK - Energy Research and Innovation.

About the Voith Group
The Voith Group is a global technology company. With its broad portfolio of systems, products, services and digital applications, Voith sets standards in the markets of energy, paper, raw materials and transport & automotive. Founded in 1867, the company today has around 20,000 employees, sales of €4.3 billion and locations in over 60 countries worldwide and is thus one of the larger family-owned companies in Europe.

The Group Division Voith Paper is part of the Voith Group. As the full-line supplier to the paper industry, it provides the largest range of technologies, services and products on the market and offers paper manufacturers holistic solutions from one source. The company’s continuous stream of innovations facilitates resource-conserving production and helps customers minimize their carbon footprint. With its leading automation products and digitalization solutions from the Papermaking 4.0 portfolio, Voith offers its customers state-of-the-art digital technologies to improve plant availability and efficiency for all sections of the production process.

Saica has selected the leading full-line supplier Voith to install the OnEfficiency.Strength digital solution. The innovative package for saving starch and consequently reduce CO₂ emissions will be used at PM 10 at the El Burgo de Ebro site (Spain) as well as the PM 70 at Nogent-sur-Seine site (France). OnEfficiency.Strength is currently a unique solution on the market, developed specifically for paper production. The application is already successfully in operation worldwide. Especially after raw material costs have risen significantly, there is an increasing need for intelligent solutions that quickly reduce production costs.

Voith and Saica have already shared a very trusting and very good business relationship for a long time. The winning synergies combined with the technical know-how of Voith experts enable a best-in-class concept. Juan Luis Mendoza, Digital Officer at Saica, can also confirm this: "With Voith as one of our most important strategic partners, we are taking another step towards digitalization. The digital solution has already convinced us at other Saica sites. With the new installations in PM 10 and PM 70, we expect now to save significant amounts of starch at these plants and produce with less CO₂ emissions. We look forward to improving Saica´s resource efficiency. We are sure it will quickly pay for itself."

Once installed at Saica, OnEfficiency.Strength will monitor key quality parameters and automatically adjusts starch application to the paper as well as other process and machine settings to customer requirements. Saica can thus save starch significantly. In addition, the solution increases the precision and reliability of the process, reduces manual handling and is easy to operate. Thanks to OnEfficiency.Strength, the current values for strength properties can be viewed in real time rather than only being available with manual sampling. In addition, the solution has the potential to reduce steam consumption and thus CO₂ emissions as well as to ensure quality throughout the value chain.

"Voith's excellent reputation has been further reinforced with its strong focus on digitalization in the paper industry. I strongly believe that we offer by far the best added value to our partners, who are more than just customers," emphasizes Renan Fusco, Head of Digital Solutions Sales at Voith Paper. "By working with Saica, we are providing another important impulse for the paper industry in Europe."

More information on Voith's digitalization portfolio can be found here: https://voith.com/PaperIsOn.

About the Saica Group
The Saica Group is one of the leading companies in Europe in the manufacture of recycled paper for corrugated board, with a production capacity of 3.3 million tonnes. With over 10,000 employees and operations in Spain, France, Italy, Portugal, United Kingdom, Turkey, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland and United States, the Saica Group has four business lines: manufacture of recycled paper for corrugated card (Saica Paper), waste management and environmental services (Saica Natur), production of corrugated card for packaging (Saica Pack) and flexible packaging (Saica Flex). The Group’s turnover amounts to 4,394 million euros (consolidated turnover as of 31st December 2022). Saica.com

About Voith Paper 
The Voith Group is a global technology company. With its broad portfolio of systems, products, services and digital applications, Voith sets standards in the markets of energy, paper, raw materials and transport & automotive. Founded in 1867, the company today has around 21,000 employees, sales of € 4.9 billion and locations in over 60 countries worldwide and is thus one of the larger family-owned companies in Europe.

The Group Division Voith Paper is part of the Voith Group. As the full-line supplier to the paper industry, it provides the largest range of technologies, services and products on the market and offers paper manufacturers holistic solutions from one source. The company’s continuous stream of innovations facilitates resource-conserving production and helps customers minimize their carbon footprint. With its leading automation products and digitalization solutions from the Papermaking 4.0 portfolio, Voith offers its customers state-of-the-art digital technologies to improve plant availability and efficiency for all sections of the production process.

Voith Paper is helping paper manufacturers significantly increase their energy efficiency. Using customized auditing and process analysis methods, the leading full-line supplier offers innovative solutions to improve processes and increase efficiency. This allows paper manufacturers to understand the big picture of their energy consumption and find clear ways to reduce it.

• Energy audits performed by Voith Paper have achieved significant energy savings in areas such steam and condensate, air handling and vacuum systems
• Papermakers can choose from a variety of energy audits, including desktop audits, on-site overview audits and detailed on-site audits
• Customers are reporting a 10 to 20 percent savings on their total energy costs

"An on-site overview audit provides the customer with an up-to-date overview of the main energy saving measures and opportunities," says Eduardo Fernandes, Process Engineer Sustainability Audits at Voith Paper. "Using specially developed toolboxes and checklists covering 20 key areas, the energy savings are assessed, including a project list and an estimate of the investment budget and payback period. The results provide a valuable baseline and work list for the future. Typically, energy savings are in the range of 10 to 20 percent of current total energy costs. Especially in light of rising energy costs and sustainability requirements, an energy audit is a good choice."

Voith offers a range of services, including desktop audits, on-site overview audits and detailed on-site audits:

• Desktop audits use customer information such as equipment data and trends to provide an effective overview of energy consumption and identify ways to reduce it. The paper manufacturer receives a report with analysis, industry benchmarking, best available technologies and possible optimization projects. For example, with a successful energy audit for an Asian paper mill, Voith experts identified 34 projects that saved 20 percent in energy costs and reduced the carbon footprint by 35.7 percent.
• The on-site overview audit is designed to provide a comprehensive overview of energy consumption and a detailed analysis. This service solution includes, for example, collecting details from on-site systems, reviewing documents and assessing leakages and bottlenecks. A successful overview audit in Germany resulted in a reduction of more than 30 percent in gas consumption and savings of almost 18 percent in electrical energy. To achieve this, 28 individual projects were successfully implemented.
• A detailed on-site audit includes the collection of details from specific systems such as vacuum, steam, condensate and air treatment. With the help of special on-site measurement tools, a realistic operating scenario and a detailed study of the specific system are created. The report includes a calculation design as well as innovative ideas for process improvement and increased energy efficiency. Voith also offers support in the implementation of the projects. For example, thanks to a detailed audit at a paper mill, potential improvements in the vacuum system were identified. By making simple adjustments and without capital expenditure, energy savings of 21 percent were subsequently achieved.

Papermaking for Life sustainability program
As part of the "Papermaking for Life" innovation and development offensive, Voith Paper is presenting versatile technologies and initiatives that lead to more efficient and sustainable processes in papermaking. The focus is on water, energy and fiber savings as well as digitalization, innovations and partnerships as levers for more sustainable production. Another focus is on Voith's own activities at its locations worldwide. Learn more about Voith Paper's innovations in the area of sustainability: voith.com/papermaking-for-life/energy. 

About Voith Paper 
The Voith Group is a global technology company. With its broad portfolio of systems, products, services and digital applications, Voith sets standards in the markets of energy, paper, raw materials and transport & automotive. Founded in 1867, the company today has around 21,000 employees, sales of € 4.9 billion and locations in over 60 countries worldwide and is thus one of the larger family-owned companies in Europe.

The Group Division Voith Paper is part of the Voith Group. As the full-line supplier to the paper industry, it provides the largest range of technologies, services and products on the market and offers paper manufacturers holistic solutions from one source. The company’s continuous stream of innovations facilitates resource-conserving production and helps customers minimize their carbon footprint. With its leading automation products and digitalization solutions from the Papermaking 4.0 portfolio, Voith offers its customers state-of-the-art digital technologies to improve plant availability and efficiency for all sections of the production process.

The #VoithCares program was launched this fiscal year together with the Hanns Voith Foundation. Through the program, Voith financially supports the volunteer work of employees throughout the world. A total of 50,000 euros has been donated to nonprofits. For the next fiscal year, employee activities are being sought to receive funding.

• Funding of 50 social projects planned for the coming fiscal year
• Applications from Voith employees now open
• Impressive response in the first year

Social responsibility is more than just a buzzword for the global technology group Voith: the company directly funds education and training, science and research, and social, sports, and cultural activities worldwide. To support their socially involved Voithians, the company launched #VoithCares. Through active employee nominations, 50 organizations and their measures were selected and given financial support. Each of 26 projects in Europe and Africa received 1,000 euros. Among others, the Crailsheim child protection association, the Heidenheim wind orchestra, and an education initiative for children in Ghana were supported. Nine projects from nonprofit organizations in North America, nine in Asia and six projects in South America also received funding. The workforce response was overwhelming – almost 100 applications were received.

Due to its huge success, the initiative is now continuing for another round. Voith is inviting employees at all of its locations throughout the world to submit nonprofit projects.

“Social responsibility is important to us at Voith Paper, and I am proud of the exceptional response and commitment of our employees to the #VoithCares program,” says Andreas Endters, President & CEO Voith Paper. “In the upcoming fiscal year, we will support additional social projects worldwide to have a positive impact on education, social issues, and culture. Our employees are the key to our success.”

In fiscal 2023–24, 50 projects from all over the world will be selected and funded with a maximum 1,000 euros each by the Voith Group and the Hanns Voith Foundation within the scope of the program. Voith employees can submit applications until the end of September. The donations will then be made in the following fiscal year. Voith will report on the selected organizations and measures on a regular basis.

About #VoithCares
As part of the #VoithCares program, Voith and the Hanns Voith Foundation annually award financial support to a select number of employee-nominated projects and nonprofits, in which the employees also personally volunteer. Nominated projects must align with Voith’s DNA, “sustainable technologies for future generations," and fall into the categories of digitalization; technology, innovation and decarbonization; or social causes. Projects selected benefit children, youth, young adults or those who are disadvantaged. Through the #VoithCares program, the company supports both employees and nonprofits in the communities Voith serves around the world and encourages employees to volunteer in their local communities so we can make the world a little better – together.

About the Voith Group
The Voith Group is a global technology company. With its broad portfolio of systems, products, services and digital applications, Voith sets standards in the markets of energy, paper, raw materials and transport & automotive. Founded in 1867, the company today has around 20,000 employees, sales of €4.3 billion and locations in over 60 countries worldwide and is thus one of the larger family-owned companies in Europe.

The Group Division Voith Paper is part of the Voith Group. As the full-line supplier to the paper industry, it provides the largest range of technologies, services and products on the market and offers paper manufacturers holistic solutions from one source. The company’s continuous stream of innovations facilitates resource-conserving production and helps customers minimize their carbon footprint. With its leading automation products and digitalization solutions from the Papermaking 4.0 portfolio, Voith offers its customers state-of-the-art digital technologies to improve plant availability and efficiency for all sections of the production process.

In mid-June, PM 16 from Chinese paper manufacturer Huawon successfully started up at the Ma'anshan site, Anhui Province, with leading solutions from Voith. With the PM 16, Huawon will produce high-quality, environmentally friendly décor base paper and thus strengthen its market position at home and abroad.

• In mid-June, Huawon's PM 16 was successfully started up at the Ma'anshan site
• PM 16 is equipped with highly efficient Voith solutions and produces high-quality décor paper for premium customers at home and abroad
• Huawon's President Dou Zhengliang praises the reliable quality of the Voith system and emphasizes the successful cooperation

The solutions supplied by Voith include key components for the BlueLine stock preparation system for virgin fiber, WEP, headbox, DuoShake DG and calender. The PM 16 already represents Huawon's fifth follow-up order with Voith. Through the internal exchange of experience, valuable knowledge from the past could be transferred, further optimizing the design of the new paper machine and raising it to a higher level.

Dou Zhengliang, Chairman of Huawon, expressed his satisfaction with the successful start-up of PM 16: "The successful start-up of PM 16 has once again proven the reliable quality of Voith equipment and raises Huawon's production capacity and scale to a new level. I would like to thank the employees of both companies for their trustful cooperation. Voith is a global technical leader in the field of specialty papers and has a wealth of experience. We will deepen cooperation with Voith and jointly develop new markets for specialty papers."

"Huawon has achieved remarkable success in the field of décor papers with its outstanding innovation, excellent quality standards and first-class customer service," says Lin Carlos, Vice President Order Execution and Manufacturing at Voith Paper Asia. "I would like to thank all the professionals for their contribution to this endeavor. We are confident that we can achieve more great successes together in the future and help Huawon become a leading national brand for world-class décor base papers."

During the project, the Voith-Huawon team demonstrated deep mutual trust and shared expertise. Despite the challenges to global supply chains, the two companies coordinated flexibly and completed all tasks with dedication to enable the project to progress smoothly.

About Huawon
Despite market challenges, Huawon continued to develop against the trend in 2022, achieving sales volume of 227,400 tons of decorative paper, up 12.3 percent year over year. Huawon's operating profit reached RMB 3,436 billion, a year-over-year increase of 16.88 percent. Huawon has several production lines of décor paper with international leading standard. The company attaches great importance to technological progress. Its products are sold in all parts of the world and have successfully reached the global top field for décor paper. Adhering to the guiding principles of "professionalism, focus, consistency and development," Huawon is steadily moving towards greater goals.

About the Voith Group
The Voith Group is a global technology company. With its broad portfolio of systems, products, services and digital applications, Voith sets standards in the markets of energy, paper, raw materials and transport & automotive. Founded in 1867, the company today has around 21,000 employees, sales of € 4.9 billion and locations in over 60 countries worldwide and is thus one of the larger family-owned companies in Europe.

The Group Division Voith Paper is part of the Voith Group. As the full-line supplier to the paper industry, it provides the largest range of technologies, services and products on the market and offers paper manufacturers holistic solutions from one source. The company’s continuous stream of innovations facilitates resource-conserving production and helps customers minimize their carbon footprint. With its leading automation products and digitalization solutions from the Papermaking 4.0 portfolio, Voith offers its customers state-of-the-art digital technologies to improve plant availability and efficiency for all sections of the production process.

DS Smith, a leading global manufacturer of sustainable containerboard and specialty papers, has commissioned Voith to rebuild its PM 4 at the company’s Viana site in Northern Portugal. Producing around of 400,000 tons of kraftliner and high-performance top kraftliner per year, the mill is a market leader in Southern Europe. The extensive rebuild will increase production and improve overall efficiency. Production will expand to around 428,000 tons per year with a machine design speed of 1,100 m/min. The start-up of the project is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2023.

“We are happy to realize this project together with DS Smith. Our customized solutions will lead to the desired production capacity, efficiency and quality,” says Marcos Garcia de la Torre, Managing Director Voith Paper Spain. “DS Smith benefits from Voith’s expertise, state-of-the-art technology and outstanding project efforts. The commission confirms that we, as the full-line supplier to the paper industry, are the trusted partner for rebuilds.”

The rebuild scope includes modifications to the forming section to increase capacity and performance of the paper machine. The press section will be completely renewed, including installation of a Tandem NipcoFlex press that will significantly increase the dry content after press and reduce specific steam consumption.

The transfer between press and dryer sections will be modified with state-of-the-art web transfer and tail threading technology to provide the best runability for lightweight grades. In addition, smaller modifications and upgrades in the stock preparation and approach flow line are planned. Finally, the scope of delivery includes a comprehensive fabrics package for the PM 4 start-up and subsequent supply, as well as spare parts.

About DS Smith
DS Smith is a leading provider of sustainable fiber-based packaging worldwide, supported by recycling and papermaking operations. It plays a central role in the value chain across sectors including e-commerce, fast-moving consumer goods and industrials.

Through its purpose of “Redefining Packaging for a Changing World” and its Now and Next sustainability strategy, DS Smith is committed to leading the transition to the circular economy, while delivering more circular solutions for its customers and wider society – replacing problem plastics, taking carbon out of supply chains and providing innovative recycling solutions. Its bespoke box-to-box in 14 days model, design capabilities and innovation strategy sit at the heart of this response.

Headquartered in London and a member of the FTSE 100, DS Smith operates in 34 countries employing around 30,000 people and is a Strategic Partner of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. Its history can be traced back to the box-making businesses started in the 1940s by the Smith family. 

About the Voith Group
The Voith Group is a global technology company. With its broad portfolio of systems, products, services and digital applications, Voith sets standards in the markets of energy, paper, raw materials and transport & automotive. Founded in 1867, the company today has around 21,000 employees, sales of € 4.9 billion and locations in over 60 countries worldwide and is thus one of the larger family-owned companies in Europe.

The Group Division Voith Paper is part of the Voith Group. As the full-line supplier to the paper industry, it provides the largest range of technologies, services, and products on the market, and offers paper manufacturers integrated solutions from one source. The company’s continuous stream of innovations facilitates resource-conserving production and helps customers minimize their carbon footprint. With its comprehensive automation products and leading digitalization solutions from the Papermaking 4.0 portfolio, Voith offers its customers state-of-the-art digital technologies to improve plant availability and efficiency for all sections of the production process.