Voith is introducing PluraMaze, a new generation of refiner fillings designed to significantly improve energy efficiency and lifetime.
June 25, 2026 - Voith introduces PluraMaze, a new generation of refiner fillings designed to significantly improve energy efficiency and lifetime. The new solution addresses key challenges faced by paper manufacturers worldwide, including rising energy costs, increasing pressure on efficiency and changing raw material qualities.
Voith noted that initial customer installations are demonstrating measurable benefits. For example, Progroup, a packaging paper producer of containerboard based in Burg, Germany, selected PluraMaze 5.6, focusing specifically on energy efficiency and process stability under comparable operating conditions.
Kevin Zilm, Deputy Production Manager at Progroup, explained, "With PluraMaze, we were able to reduce no-load power by more than 30 percent compared to the previous filling, which has a direct impact on our energy consumption. At the same time, the process runs more stable, and we achieve more consistent quality of the final paper."
These energy savings are the result of a newly developed filling geometry based on a labyrinth-like structure. The patent-pending application design reduces internal backflow and significantly lowers no load power.
The new PluraMaze 5.6 variant optimized for European and Asian OCC pulps enables enhanced fiber treatment and delivers longer lifetime. At a Japanese specialty paper mill, PluraMaze delivered a 70 to 80 percent increase in lifetime compared to Pluralis, Voith's previous filling generation under comparable operating conditions. This performance directly reduces annual wear-part costs and the frequency of filling changes.
PluraMaze is available in three variants for different requirements: PluraMaze 5.3 for customers with a primary focus on refining results and energy efficiency, PluraMaze 5.6 for a balanced combination of energy efficiency and lifetime, and PluraMaze 6.5 optimized for maximum lifetime. This modular approach allows paper manufacturers to select the ideal type depending on their operational priorities.
Voith Paper, part of the Voith Group, is the full-line supplier to the paper industry, providing a wide range of technologies, services, components and products, and offers paper manufacturers solutions from a single source.
SOURCE: Voith