M-real will rebuild its top-grade folding boxboard machine for even better quality and increased production. Over EUR 25 million of Metso's latest board making technology will be installed to M-real's Simpele mill, in Finland. The start-up of the upgraded machine will be in spring 2006.
Metso Paper will supply new headboxes for all three plies, an extension of the wire section of the bottom ply, a new size press with machine circulation, the modification of the drying section after sizer and coating section dryers, a new intermediate calender, a new reeler, the modification of the refining systems as well as a new roll finishing solution. M-real and Metso Paper have also agreed to continue the cooperation in the development of the board making line after the start-up.
The rebuild will increase the annual production capacity of the BM3 from about 170.000 tons to 215.000 tons of folding boxboard. The maximum speed of the 4.1m wide board line will be 600 m/min after the rebuild. The visual uniformity and printability, as well as the stiffness of the final product will improve.
M-real Corporation is a European paper and paperboard company with nearly 16,500 employees. It provides wood fibre-based solutions for consumer packaging, communications and advertising end-uses. M-real's turnover in 2004 was EUR 5.5 billion. The company is headquartered in Finland and listed on the Helsinki Stock Exchange.
The Simpele mill is part of M-real's Consumer Packaging Business Area and one of M-real's core production units. The mill has two machines - board and paper. The board machine produces folding boxboards for end uses such as food packaging and graphical applications. The paper machine produces one-side coated papers for food packaging and other flexible packaging, wet-glue labelling and self-adhesive laminates.
Metso is a global technology corporation serving customers in the pulp and paper industry, rock and minerals processing, the energy industry and selected other industries. In 2004, the net sales of Metso Corporation were approx. EUR 4 billion, and it has some 23,000 employees in more than 50 countries. Metso's shares are listed on the Helsinki and New York Stock Exchanges.