Valmet to Collaborate with Metsä Board Husum to Increase Folding Boxboard Production Capacity

Currently, BM 1's annual folding boxboard capacity is 400,000 tonnes, After the rebuild, the machine's capacity will increase to 600,000 tonnes per year.

Dec. 10, 2021 - Valmet will supply a long-term Performance Agreement and a board machine rebuild to Metsä Board Husum in Sweden. The main goal is to increase board machine BM 1's Overall Equipment Efficiency (OEE) and annual folding boxboard (FBB) capacity by 200,000 tonnes.

The value of the order will not be disclosed, however, Valmet said the total value of an order of this type and delivery scope is typically around EUR 70-80 million.

Valmet delivered BM 1 to Metsä Board in 2016.

Currently, the annual FBB capacity of BM 1 is 400,000 tonnes, and after the investment it will rise to 600,000 tonnes. Metsä Board is responding to the growing demand for sustainably produced packaging materials that support the circular economy.

Valmet's delivery for the BM 1 rebuild will include a Performance Agreement, additional equipment for the stock preparation system, and significant improvements to the whole machine and the following parent roll handling, off-machine coater, and winder.

In 2022, prior to the rebuild of BM 1, the life cycle Performance Agreement will be set up by establishing the tools and a common way to operate. The agreement work will be started by improving the current BM 1's overall equipment efficiency (OEE). The work will continue by supporting the start-up and further optimization of BM 1's efficiency.

For BM 1, Valmet's delivery will include equipment for stock preparation, and the broke collection system will be upgraded to meet the new requirements. Small improvements will be done in the wet end to improve the runnability and to increase the drying capacity. Most of the improvements will be done in the dry end of BM 1: the drying capacity of the predryer and afterdryer sections will be significantly increased by adding more dryer cylinders, a new OptiSizer Film with supply systems and air dryers, and a new OptiCalender Hard and OptiReel Linear will be also included in the delivery.

The existing unwind and reel of the off-machine coater will be upgraded as well.

The delivery will also include highly automated transfer rails and parent roll carts, which will connect BM 1, BM 2, and the off-machine coater to a new OptiWin Drum two-drum winder and other winders.

All the machines and equipment included in Valmet's delivery will be delivered installed.

The board machine with a 7,250-mm-wide fabric produces folding boxboard and liquid packaging board with a basis weight range of 155-355 g/m2. The mechanical design speed of the new parts will be 1,000 m/min.

The start-up of the rebuilt BM 1 is scheduled to take place in the fall of 2023.

About Husum Mill

Metsä Board Husum mill in Sweden is an integrated board and pulp mill producing folding boxboard, uncoated white kraftliner and bleached chemical pulp. The main markets for Husum’s paperboards are Europe and North America. Roughly half of the chemical pulp produced in Husum is sold as market pulp. The mill has also an extrusion coating line (annual capacity of 100,000 tonnes) serving the global food and food service packaging market.

Valmet is a leading global developer and supplier of process technologies, automation and services for the pulp, paper and energy industries. The company's technology offering includes pulp mills, tissue, board and paper production lines, as well as power plants for bioenergy production. To learn more, visit: www.valmet.com.

SOURCE: Valmet and Metsä Board