UMV HEADLINES 1

UMV HEADLINESTotal focus on coating

& drying

2 UMV HEADLINES

Supplying complete coating anddrying systems is our total focus atUMV Pulp & Paper today. Andwhy not? Forty years experience ofdeveloping, marketing and sellingequipment for sizing and coatingof paper and board, complementedby a top-of-the-line range of dryingsystems, puts us in a position to offercoated board and papermakersunique, productivity-increasingcoating and drying systems.

Coating and drying hardware and softwareSince Billblade hit the market in the 1960s, we have introduced a

long line of other unique, space-saving and productivity-

increasing products to the market that apply various technologies

including ABC blade profiling, TWIN-HSM and Mirroblade

and TWIN-Gravure roll premetering and coating as well as LAS,

decurlers and moisturizers.

In addition to this extensive range of sizers and coaters,

UMV offers board and papermakers all of the equipment

necessary for complete drying sections.This includes drive systems, framing design, web turns, tail

feeding systems, electric and gas infra-red dryers, drying cylinders,

“Our focus is completecoating and drying systems…

Infra-red dryer Infra-red dryer

ABC Coater#5 coatsback sideof top layer

ABC Coater#4 coatsback sideof top layer

Pope reeland stand

ducting and venting, web cutters, popes and reel stands.

In other words, we offer coated board and papermakers all

the hardware needed for efficient, productivity increasing coatingand drying sections. But that’s not all. We also offer the process

knowledge and expertise gained from forty years in the business

in the form of control systems, service agreements and consulta-

tion for optimized coating and drying operations. In other words,

UMV offers all of the ingredients for the supply of turnkey coat-

ing and drying systems – almost all.

An advanced pilot plant availablefor customers and third partiesIn our view, a complete supply of turnkey coating and drying sys-

tems also involves trials run in the advanced pilot plant we oper-

ate. Designed to correspond with actual mill operation and pro-

vide results that accurately duplicate commercial conditions, our

state-of-the-art plant saves time and money. No production is lost

while running trials on full-scale machines or while educating and

training of staff to operate coating and drying systems.

The UMV pilot plant is available for potential and previousUMV customers as well as for third parties such as chemical com-

panies and paper and board mills

needing to test new products on

base papers of their own choice,

and/or educate and train staff.

UMV is not only an

experienced but also a complete

supplier of turnkey coating and

drying systems. ●

Louise Törnefalk SvanqvistPresident, UMV Pulp & Paper

The cover of Headlines is printed onFrövi White 240 g/m2, an all-whiteboard featuring excellent printing anddesign properties on both sides.

UMV HEADLINES 3

UMV Pulp & Paper is responsiblefor the installation of the completecoating section, web handling andpope reeler for the new boardmachine at Ningxia Meili Paper CoLtd in Ningxia Province, China.

The coating section for the 4880 mm wide machine, which oper-ates at 800 m/min to produce 970 tpd of coated board, consists

of six coating machines – five ABC Coaters and one TWIN-

HSM as well as IR dryers. The raw material for production comes

from the mill’s own poplar tree plantation.

The UMV involvement in the project also includes overall

design review as well as drying calculations for the standard cylin-

der drying equipment supplied by the Shandong Changhua Paper

Machinery Co.

“Our involvement in this project is a perfect example of whowe are,” says Louise Törnefalk Svanqvist, president, UMV Pulp &

Paper. “Supplying state-of-the-art equipment for sizing and coat-

ing of paper and board, complemented by a top-of-the-line range

of drying systems. And, apart from equipment we supply process

knowledge. This is UMV Pulp & Paper. We contribute not only

equipment but also our extensive experience and skills to projects

like this.

“I might also add that it gives us great pleasure to work with

the Ningxia Meili Paper Co Ltd. It is their mission to find thebest suppliers of paper machine equipment and expertise in order

to provide their operations with optimized machinery at an

…and the Ningxia Meili project isa perfect example of who we are”

affordable cost. We are happy to participate in projects with these

kinds of intentions.”

Scope of the UMV delivery

• One TWIN-HSM pre-metering station

• Five ABC Coaters employing UMV Automatic Blade Control

(ABC) technology

• The web handling system including the web turner and tail

feeding system

• The infra-red drying system for the five ABC Coaters

• Pope and reel stand for rolling and unrolling for winding and

unwinding

• Control systems for all of the above for the complete scope

• Complete drying calculations for the standard cylinder drying

equipment supplied by the Shandong Changhua Paper

Machinery Co. ●

Infra-red dryer

ABC Coater#2 coatsback sideof top layer

ABC Coater#3 coatsback sideof top layer

ABC Coater#1 coatsback sideof top layer

TWIN-HSMsurfacesizing andpigmenting

Fourteendryingcylinders

The pope reel in its distinctive Ningxia Meili Papergreen in the UMV shop previous to delivery.

4 UMV HEADLINES

P neumatic blade tip loading is the

key to the simplicity of the ABC

blade profiling system. Compli-cated mechanics such as stepping motors

and position transducers and a lot of elec-

trical components have been intentionally

designed out of the ABC to minimize

maintenance and ensure years of depend-

able service.

Low cost, versatile andtrouble-free operationOn the other hand, a number of produc-

tivity increasing features have been de-

signed into the profiler. Initially very af-

fordable, in the long term the ABC is in-

expensive to operate and maintain. Instal-

lation on a new or existing blade beam is

effortless, which minimizes installation

time.ABC features versatility. It can be op-

erated in stiff blade, stiff bent blade, con-

ventional bent blade and rod modes to

coat papers ranging from LWC to heavy

board in coat weights as high as 25 g/m2.

Automatic operation is a given. But

manual operation is an option for a tight

budget without having to sacrifice perfor-

mance. Fully automatic operation can beadded later.

The ABC requires no specialized op-

erators and when working under auto-

matic/computer control it can be left vir-

tually unattended for long periods of time

allowing operators to focus on other criti-

cal papermaking tasks.

AS EASY AS ABCThe ABC blade profiling system has been described as operator-friendly,clear-cut, straightforward, trouble-free and undemanding. The truth ofthe matter is easy – easy as ABC when it comes to gaining excellent coat-weight control and gaining the benefits of straightforward operation.

The pneumatic blade tip-loading featureof the ABC system provides “selfpositioning” relative to the backing rolland the paper. This means that bladebeam deflection during startup doesnot affect the coat weight profile. Inother words, the ABC self positions theblade to provide uniform coating colordistribution. This results in initialprofiles twice as good and achieved inhalf the time as required by any othertype of profiling system.

Instantaneous flat CD profilesThe pneumatic blade tip-loading feature

of the ABC system provides “self position-ing” relative to the backing roll and the

paper. This results in initial profiles twice

as good and achieved in half the time as

required by any other type of profiling sys-

tem – a real cost reducer.

In fact, the ABC system provides cor-

rect coat weight levels and excellent CD

profiles long before scanner and closed-

loop systems are in control mode. Con-

stant control of the coating process is theresult of the stable and repeatable ABC

blade loading system.

Control begins when the blade con-

tacts the paper. At this point the ABC en-

sures the same blade tip angle at every

point across the web and the same tip

angle over time.

Therefore, the quality of the coatedpaper is constant from front to back and

from start to finish. What’s more, quality

is not affected by blade wear. The absolute

ease of setting the parameters also ensures

the expected results when returning to a

specific grade. ●

UMV HEADLINES 5

T he three mills produce coated

woodfree (CWF) papers in basis

weights ranging from 90 to 250

g/m2. Headlines asked Mr. Stefani why hefavored ABC technology over the other

coating profiling technologies available on

the market today.

He comments:

There are any number of reasons why

I liked ABC when it was first introduced

to me. But most important was the ex-

tremely comprehensible way the systemworks. It’s very, very simple – mechanically

uncomplicated. Put it this way, what’s not

there is not causing any trouble.

The more technical equipment you

can eliminate from a coating system, the

simpler it is to operate and maintain, and

the ABC is not complicated – just air bel-

lows. No complicating factors such as

stepping motors and position transducers.The ABC allows gaining uniform

CD profiles very quickly at startups,

which eliminates the production of non-

spec paper. The pneumatic actuators refer

to the paper and the backing roll rather

than the deflected beam during startup. In

other words, the ABC self positions the

blade to provide uniform coating color

distribution.

When the challenging environment

in which coating systems operate is taken

into consideration, the absence of compli-

cated mechanics and a lot of electricalcomponents favors operational availability

and machine runnability.

In terms of performance, the ABC is

comparable with the most sophisticated

coating systems in the world. But the dif-

ference between ABC and the other op-

tions in my view is trouble-free operation

and maintenance and unproblematic partsreplacement.

The Burgo group, based in Vicenza, Italy, is a leading producer in southern Europe ofcoated woodfree (CWF) and woodcontaining (CWC) paper used for printing of catalogs,magazines, commercial matter and books. Pictured is PM 2 at the Burgo Sora mill.

ANTONIO STEFANI FROM BURGO:

ABC makes believersof skeptics at BurgoAntonio Stefani, associate vice president, technol-ogy and investments, played an important partin the decision to purchase the six ABC bladeprofiling systems fitted on the three off-linecoaters at the Burgo Avezzano and Sora mills,after the two installed on the on-line coater onthe paper machine at the Sarego mill. All of theABC profilers have been installed since 2000.

Non-specialist staff can operate and

maintain the ABC. It’s flexible and doesn’tpresent operators with a lot of parameters

to play with. It can be operated very suc-

cessfully in both stiff and bent blade

modes.

As regards spare parts, there are few

of them and they are standard. Those

needed are not special in any way, and

they are available from just about anyreputable supplier.

The ABC is designed also as a retrofit

and again, in this respect, it is simple. In-

stalling it is as easy as drilling and tapping

a few holes. That’s it.

Regarding costs, the initial cost is

definitely affordable and operating costs

minimal. Acceptable CD and MD profiles

after startups or grade changes are reachedalmost immediately, a factor that allows us

to produce more saleable paper instead of

reject.

My decision in favor of ABC tech-

nology was first met with skepticism. It

could be that this attitude was based on

prejudice against simplicity. Skeptics can

say “too simple. Anything that simple can’tbe good!” Now the skeptics are confident

in the system and they view it as beneficial

in spite of its simplicity. Or most likely,

because of its simplicity. ●

6 UMV HEADLINES

Antonio Di Blas, production manager, and Vittorio D’Olif, coatingtechnical manager explained for Headlines the coating system generallyand how two ABC coating profilers specifically contribute to greaterproductivity at Cartiere del Garda fine paper mill. Their comments:

ANTONIO DI BLAS AND VITTORIO D’OLIF, CARTIERE DEL GARDA:

“ABC contributes togreater productivity”

Cartiere del Garda, a member of the

Lecta Group, has a capacity of 340,000

tons of woodfree coated paper. Strate-

gically located at the most northern

point of Lake Garda, Cartiere del Garda

has easy access to markets in northern

Italy as well as Central Europe.

UMV HEADLINES 7

A t Garda Cartiere we strive to gain stability in all of the

processes. In our view, stability is the key to manufac-

turing high-quality products at the lowest possible cost.

To achieve stability, we have established benchmarks for the vari-

ous parameters of each process, and the staff checks daily to de-

termine if they are being met. The result has been greater controlover the processes and improved productivity.

On PM 3, we pre-coat intermediate and low basis weights

on two standard on-line blade coaters. Top coating is off-line on

two blade coaters fitted with ABC profilers installed in 2005.

On PM 2, we pre-coat intermediate and high basis weights

on line with a roll coater and two blade coaters with ABC

profilers installed in 2002. Top coating is off-line on two stan-

dard blade coaters.

The first experience with ABC profilers on PM 2 has been

very good. We have increased the coating color application all

over the width of the production range of the machine.

Actually we are able to reach 30 g/m2 in stiff mode with anoptimum profile control also at a very low speed, and, adding

coating color is cheaper than increasing the basis weight of the

base paper to achieve a higher weight of the final paper.

The operating angles of the beam can be set quickly and

with reliability of service. This aspect is very important for an

on-line coating machine, because it gives high flexibility in

changing blades geometry without loosing too much time for

adjustments and calibrations. The perfect management of theoperating angles reduces the risk of stripes and other surface

defects.

Also the time needed to reach good profiles and standard

coating color applications has been dramatically reduced, so

that the production has increased.

Starting from the good results of this experience, three

years later we have decided to rebuild the off-line coating

machine with new coating circuits, new jet applicators, and

new ABC profilers. This rebuild has been really a big challengefor us: the main goals were increasing speed, increasing flexibil-

ity and above all, increasing quality.

Today this coating machine runs perfectly aligned with the

expectations: speed and flexibility are not limited any more and

the quality of the top coating process is very good. Some doubts

concerning the stability of the pneumatic profiler when the fly-

ing splice passes through the coating heads at high speed (1400

m/min) have today disappeared.

The ABC profilers have contributed greatly to helping usachieve our goals and this has increased productivity.

The pneumatic system and the geometry of the blade and

the blade holder system and the absence of electric components

in a coating environment contribute to the simplicity of the

ABC profiler when compared with standard coaters. We think

it is easier and safer to operate and to maintain in this kind of

environment.

On the ABC profilers we use both steel and ceramic bladesfor coating in stiff blade mode. The ABC profiler has increased

the lifetime of steel blades, which has reduced downtime from

blade changes from 0.5 to 0.3% of the total running time.

What is more, because of lower blade pressure, the ABC

profiler has increased the lifetime of backing rolls by 50 to

60%. Again, this means an increase in productivity. ●

Antonio Di Blas, productionmanager, and Vittorio D’Olif,coating technical manager:“ABC has contributed to greaterproductivity at Cartiere delGarda. What else can we say?”

8 UMV HEADLINES

UMV GRAVURE COATING TECHNOLOGY:

Low coat weights at high solidscontent, superb surface qualityThe application of rotogravure printing technology to time-provenUMV Billblade and TWIN-HSM technology allows applying coatweights as low as 6 g/m2 at solids contents of 68% or higherwith excellent coating color distribution and surface quality.

S tarch can be applied at higher solids levels than those pos-

sible for any other metering size press on the market with

out “patterning” at the point of application.

Similar to the flexographic principle used for rotogravure printing,

the surface of the gravure-coating roll consists of small depressionsor cells. The cells are completely filled with fluid at the point of

coating color application. Excess fluid is doctored off the gravure

roll surface using a soft-tipped doctor blade. The coating fluid is

then transferred to the transfer roll in the metering roll nip and to

the paper in the transfer roll nip. See Figure 1.This technology is available from UMV in two formats: the

TWIN-Gravure for two-side coating or the MONO-Gravure for

one-side coating.

Coat weight controlCoat weights are adjusted by controlling either gravure roll speed

(volumetric) or blade pressure (hydrodynamic). The volumetric

method is preferable for low coat weights such as surface sizing,

pigmentation and coating. The hydrodynamic method extends the

coat-weight range. Truly flat CD profiles are achieved both in

volumetric and hydrodynamic mode.

When running in hydrodynamic mode the blade pressureprofile across the machine must be adjustable to enable producing

coated paper with excellent CD profiles. Coat weights of 16 g/m2

can be applied with 2-Sigma values of <1 g/m2.

When running in volumetric mode, the coat weight target is

simply “dialed in” in accordance with the surface speed of the

gravure roll relative to the transfer roll. The basic relationship of

volume over time ensures the reprod-

ucibility of results. For any given basepaper there is a direct and linear re-

lationship between the applied coat

weight and the coating solids level

used. See Figure 2.Gaining good two-sidedness when running in volumetric

mode is simply a matter of adjusting the speed of the gravure roll

on either side. See Figure 3. In this case, good two-sidedness was

achieved by increasing the speed of the gravure roll on side two.

Long service life, high availabilityUsing soft tipped doctor blades and applying a nip pressure as low

as possible between the transfer and gravure roll virtually elimi-

nates wear on the TWIN-Gravure roll surface. Low nip pressure

lengthens the service life of the transfer roll surface as well.

The TWIN-Gravure ensures excellent machine availability.

Minimal machine downtime is secured by changing the gravure

pre-metering rolls annually at scheduled maintenance stops andutilizing long life soft tip blades to doctor off the excess fluid on

the gravure roll.

Reduced energy consumptionTWIN-Gravure allows applying starch at high solids levels. For ex-

ample, 1 g/m2 dry can be applied at 25% solids, reducing drying

energy by 75% compared to conventional metering size presses.

However, it is also possible to apply 1 g/m2 at 10% solids if this is

to be preferred for any reason. ●

Figure 3: Increasing the speed of the gravure roll on side twoprovides equal appearance on both sides.

Figure 1:Gravure pre-metering.

Coat weight 8.0 g/m2 8.0 g/m2 8.0 g/m2 8.0 g/m2

Gravure speed 72% 72% 72% 72%

Basepaper

Side 1 Side 1 Side 1 Side 1 Side 1

Side 2 Side 2 Side 2 Side 2 Side 2

Gravure speed 72% 75% 80% 85%

Coat weight 7.9 g/m2 8.0 g/m2 9.0 g/m2 9.3 g/m2

Figure 2: The higher thegravure roll speed, thegreater the coat weight.

Coatweight

Gravureroll speed

UMV HEADLINES 9

AT KORSNÄS FRÖVI:

MONO-Gravure technologymakes Frövi White possibleLuxury products require luxury packaging – all-white board featuringa uniform printing surface, good design and printing qualities on thefront as well as on the reverse side. And that’s Frövi White, the onlyproduct with a coated reverse side in the Korsnäs range of products.

T he target group for Frövi White is luxury products, and to

obtain this board grade Korsnäs invested in a MONO-Gra-

vure coater from UMV Pulp & Paper at its Frövi mill to

enable reverse side coating. Previous to this investment, most of

the board produced at Frövi had a brown reverse side with the ex-

ception of Frövi Bright, which has a reverse side of bleached pulp.Frövi White, with a reverse side of coated bleached pulp, is

whiter than Frövi Bright and its printing surface is considerably

better and more uniform. The target while developing Frövi

White, according to Tommy Andersson, R&D specialist in the

area printing, was to increase whiteness by 40%. Frövi White is

also stronger and more formable than Frövi Bright, a product

highly regarded for these properties.

“We invested in the gravure coating system to gain a niche

between fully bleached board and GC1 (reverse side coated FBB).An investment of this order had to be well founded, and a market

analysis clearly indicated what customers want. After 15 pilot

runs in the UMV as well as our own pilot plant we were able to

deliver,” says Ola Karlsson, project leader for Frövi White.

Frövi White was developed to attain perfect printing results,

enabling upmarket graphic display. Its extraordinarily smooth

printing surface is achieved through the construction of the base-

board and by way of advanced coating technology.Frövi staff selected the gravure coater not only because of the

quality of the printing surface it produces on the reverse side of

Frövi White, but also for a number of other reasons.

“We get high-quality surfaces by applying half as much coat-

ing color at high solids content. This lets us run the board machine

more economically. This factor affects productivity positively.

“The coater provides an excellent coating surface at low

pickup.

“Versatility was another reason we invested in the gravurecoater. Coat weights can be easily varied, it can be efficiently used

to surface size or coat other products in our total range and, with

the purchase of some additional equipment in the future, it can be

fitted for double coating and sizing,” says Lars-Erik Mellgren, mill

technology manager.

Previous to the installation of the gravure coater, Frövi coated

top surfaces twice with three blade coaters. To enable reverse-side

coating, the gravure coater replaced the first blade coater. Top coat-ing of Frövi White is carried out on the remaining two blade

coaters fitted with UMV ABC profilers. ●

UMV MONO-Gravure coating technology at Korsnäs Frövi.

Torbjörn Widmark, product development manager and responsiblefor pilot coating beside the pilot MONO-Gravure coater in the fullyequipped pilot plant at the Korsnäs Frövi mill.

10 UMV HEADLINES

■ “Being able to monitor coating color properties is a distinct

advantage. It’s like a fire alarm. The CCM allows identify-

ing deviations from set values to gain stable solids content.

It also enables us to predict the risk of skip coating due to

high entrained air content as well as predicting low coat

weight as a result of low solids content.

■ “Accurate and reliable measurement of solids content, vis-

cosity and entrained air content also minimizes production

losses after faulty startups. It’s easy to use too. Calibration is

automatic and it measures solids content every five min-

utes,” says Mr. Jansson.

■ Earlier attempts at monitoring coating color failed. Theobstacle to accurate and reliable measurement was being

able to predict the air content of the coating color. This

hindered measuring solids content and viscosity. The CCM

overcomes this problem.

■ Comparison of CCM values vs. lab samples from Coating

station 3 at Frövi shows that solids content deviated over

a three-day period by <0.2 on average.

■ “In fact, the CCM might provide truer values than the lab

due to the fact that the lab has a problem with entrained air.

■ “The CCM measures up to the task,” says Mr. Jansson. ●

CCM measures up to the task

The UMV Coating Color Monitor. “The CCM gets the job done,”says Niklas Jansson, process engineer at Korsnäs Frövi.

The Coating Color Monitor (CCM) from UMV Pulp & Paper andS-Tec AS positioned before the circulation tank at Korsnäs Frövi worksvery well according to Niklas Jansson, process engineer at the mill.

UMV HEADLINES 11

UMV infrared drying systemscomplement the full rangeof UMV coating systemsUMV infrared drying systems, the result of long experience and continualdevelopment in the drying of coatings and moisture profiling, are an excellentcomplement to UMV coating systems.

The electric powered Itronic HET (High Energy Temperature) heat module from UMV dries coating fast andeffectively reduces mottling caused by drying and eliminates smearing on rolls and drying cylinders.

A vailable in an electric-powered version from UMV and in

gas-powered versions from other suppliers such as Mars-

den, the IR systems effectively reduce mottling caused by

drying and eliminate smearing on rolls and drying cylinders.

The electric powered Itronic HET (High Energy Tempera-

ture) heat module when used for drying coating results in fast andeffective drying.

UMV also offers coated paper producers the gas-fueled

Marsden IR dryer featuring the unique Embedded Combustion®

Emitters to produce high conversion to radiation efficiency.

Both the UMV electric powered Itronic HET heat module

and the gas-fueled Marsden IR dryer dry quickly and from within

the coated surface to prevent binder migration and mottling.

Continuous moisture profiling in both coaters and paper/

board machines is another benefit of these dryers. Both dryers fea-ture field bus technology for easy connection to and remote con-

trol from DCS/QCS systems as well as user-friendly operator inter-

faces based on standard PLC operator panels. ●

12 UMV HEADLINES

IR drying puts Oppbogain a niche marketSatisfying the need for top-of-the-line, twin-sideddisplay board in small quantities with short leadtimes to the graphics industry is what Oppbogacan do and what big board producers cannot do.

O ppboga manufactures, markets and sells tailor-made,

twin-sided board for advanced packaging where the

demand for excellent printing on both sides is needed.

Oppboga also promotes artists and photographers by offering the

market a range of passe-partout and backing boards.

“We laminate these boards in two to five layers in basis

weights ranging from 300 to 2200 g/m2. We export about 75% ofour production mostly to other countries in Europe, but also to

Australia and South Africa. The rest is sold on the domestic mar-

ket,” says Björn Grage, production manager at the converting

plant.

Production at the Oppboga Bruk, located about 100 km

west of Stockholm, is on two laminating lines complemented by

guillotines, sheeting and wrapping machines.

“Flat profiles are a must for meeting our customers require-

ments. Twin-sidedness and high basis weights are important prop-erties for our customers, but flatness is an absolute requirement

for them. Providing our customers with flat profiles permits us

The bulldog ispart of the Opp-boga trademark,and like a bull-dog, Oppbogaexemplifiesstrength,determinationand personality.

to operate in our niche market,” says Mr. Grage.

Electric infrared drying stations from UMV are the key to

flat board from Oppboga. There are four IR drying stations on

Line 1 and two on the new Line 2.

Mr. Grage explains why they are so important:

“We purchase all of the board we laminate in rolls. The IR

dryers are positioned directly after unrolling. They are used toheat the board to the perfect temperature for activating the lami-

nation glue. To achieve flatness, we use the dryers to moisture

profile the incoming and outgoing board.

Each row on the new IR dryers is fitted with 14 Heat Energy

Temperature (HET) modules. Each module is divided into two

75 mm drying zones to provide optimal moisture profiling.

“Our niche market is display and packaging board designed

to carry printed messages. Printing requires flatness. We can’t pro-

duce board that satisfies our customers’ needs without well func-tioning IR dryers. It’s that simple,” says Mr. Grage. ●

“Our niche market is display and packaging board designed to carry printed messages. Printing requires flatness. We can’t produce board thatsatisfies our customers’ needs without well functioning IR dryers. It’s that simple,” says Björn Grage, production manager at Oppboga Bruk.

UMV HEADLINES 13

D alum is known as one of the world’s most environment-

friendly paper producers. The product range there consistsof matt-coated paper and uncoated printing and writing

grades. The papers come in two recycled variants – Cyclus, com-

prising 100% recycled fiber, and RePrint – FSC Certified, contain-

ing a minimum of 50% recycled fiber together with virgin fiber

from sustainable forestry.

“We produce electrical energy on site in bio-fueled steam

boilers for the paper machines. Excess steam from steam pressure

drops produce about 60% of the electricity we require. The rest we

purchase from the grid.“If we had a shut down to do maintenance on the steam tur-

bine or the bio-fueled boiler, we had to stop one of the paper ma-

chines, or not use the electric IR, instead produce uncoated paper

on the machine, because the electric power transmission lines from

the local grid can’t manage to transport the power needed. We also

have the possibility to produce electric power on a condensation

turbine. “Both options are expensive and therefore affect produc-

tivity negatively. Therefore, under these circumstances, we have to

shut down a machine,” says Claus Christiansen, maintenance engi-neer at the mill. This was the case all to often before Dalum

switched over from electric to gas-fired infrared drying on PM 7.

“Studies of the various options told us that gas drying would

enable us to run normal production. And we’ve got a lot of gas in

Denmark so that was the obvious choice.

“Therefore, we made the switch and now we can run both

machines at the same time. The gas-fired dryer has reduced down-

time considerably,” says Mr. Christiansen.According to Mr. Christiansen, after eight months of opera-

tion, ongoing calculations show that the gas system UMV installed

has meant greater energy cost-saving than any other gas-fired or

electric infrared options they considered installing.

“We use the dryer strictly for drying. The embedded combus-

tion feature of the gas dryer means quick drying from within thecoated surface and this gives us good control of binder migration.

Good moisture profiling is also an added benefit of the installation

because it improves surface quality. Both improvements mean bet-

ter overall product quality.

“The dryer is also easy to maintain and lower temperatures

around it mean better working conditions. It also cools down

quickly after being shutdown, for example, after a web break.

“Most importantly, with the right energy mix we can producepaper on both of our machines at the same time. And that’s our

business,” says Mr. Christiansen. ●

Optimal uptime for the two papermachines at Dalum Papir in Den-mark was the target when the millinstalled gas fueled-infrared dryingon PM 7. Optimum production theredepends on a 60 – 40 energy mix splitbetween electricity produced on siteand that purchased from the grid.

“Studies of the various options told us that gasdrying would enable us to hit our target of a 60-40split. And we’ve got a lot of gas in Denmark so thatwas the obvious choice,” says Claus Christiansen,maintenance engineer at Dalum Papir.

Gas-fueled IR dryingoptimizes energymix at Dalum

14 UMV HEADLINES

MIRROBLADE:

It’s compact and quality coatstwo sides simultaneouslyThe UMV Mirroblade is compact and it blade coats two sides simultaneouslyBut that’s not all. It provides equal side-to-side coverage up to 20 g/m2 withno film split pattern, mottle or curl. Because it applies the UMV ABC bladeprofiling system in a mirror image of each other, one on each side of the web,it’s easy as ABC when it comes to gaining excellent coat-weight control andgaining the benefits of straightforward operation.

Two blades, one on each side of the

web, separated only by the thickness

of the paper – a concept made pos-

sible by the ABC blade-loading principle

and soft-tip coating blades.

Precision control of the blade tipAn ABC blade profiler loads the blade atthe tip to keep the blade completely

straight during all phases of operation and

for all blade pressures and angles. The blade

never bends. The position and angle of the

blade tip is always known and under per-

fect control resulting in precise and reliable

blade tip alignment.

The Mirroblade’s small footprint is the

result of this profiling concept. Profiling isachieved by adjusting the blade pressure of

the opposing blades against each other, and

by the many individual pneumatic actua-

tors that respond instantaneously to signals

from the control system to apply uniform

pressure across the width of the web.

The forgiving soft tip bladeThe ABC blade profiling system is one in-

novation making the Mirroblade possible.

The other is the revolutionary soft tip

blade. The soft polymer blade tip yields the

coating nip forgiving to impurities and

defects in paper, a fact that also reduces

web breaks and downtime.

Figure 1. In an upward configuration,Mirroblade blade coats base paper in therange from 60 g/m2 upward. Machine speedis unlimited. Different types of media canbe applied on the top and reverse sides ofthe paper in this configuration. With theweb running downward, Mirroblade bladecoats base paper in the range from 60 to230 g/m2. The maximum machine speed is700 m/min.

Unprecedented fiber coverage is an-

other feature of the soft-tip blade. The

micro contouring allowed by the deform-

able blade tip leaves no fiber surface uncov-

ered. The result is excellent printability and

a mottle-free coating surface.

Superior surface qualityAs a pre-coater, Mirroblade eliminates the

misting and film-split pattern problems

associated with metering size presses be-

cause it has no roll to create these problems.

Mirroblade also permits applying very high

coat weights. As a middle-layer coater for

triple coating or as a top coater, the

Mirroblade is the only system that can coat

both sides in one pass. A metering size presscannot produce acceptable surface quality.

Uncomplicated and fitsalmost anywhereMirroblade coats paper or board up to 20

g/m2 in a space less than one-third the size

of the most efficient two-station layout.

And because it has no drives, Mirrobladeeliminates the difficulties of motor and

gearbox placement. It can be placed almost

anywhere, and installed either with the web

running upward or downward (Figure 1).

Low investment costCompared to a conventional two-station

installation, Mirroblade, including the

necessary auxiliary equipment for web

handling, requires about one–third the in-

vestment cost. Less equipment to install

and less existing equipment to move means

low installation costs and short installation

time. ●

UMV HEADLINES 15

The inside pages of Headlines are printed onGrycksbo ArrowMatt 115 g/m2 a wood-free, coatedpaper for demanding image reproduction.

two-station blade coatinglayout. “A two-station

layout would have meant

lengthening the paper

machines. So the choice

of Mirroblade was

tempting because we

could fit them into

the same space requiredfor the previous coaters. This answer

to our problem was also less expensive.

Mirroblade also gave us other benefits.

Wide coat-weight range“The UMV ABC technology applied to

the Mirroblade allows applying heavier

coating weights than traditional blade

coaters – as much as twice as much.Applying this much coating with tradi-

The Grycksbo team (left to right) HåkanKarlsson and Susanne Öhman from UMVand Åke Olsson, Jan-Olof Göräng andJan-Erik Wikén from Grycksbo.

“The potential benefits of the Mirrobladeoutweighed the risk, and now, looking backover 10 years of experience of Mirroblade,I have to say we won,” says Åke Olsson,production manager at Grycksbo Paper.

10 successful years withMirroblade at Grycksbo PaperIn the spring of 1997 UMV installed a Mirroblade coating station on PM 9at the Grycksbo Paper fine paper mill in Sweden. A year later a secondMirroblade was in operation on PM 7. Mirroblade technologypermits blade coating both sides of the paper simultaneously.

tional blade coaters would require four

coating stations. With Mirroblade, we can

compete in the double-coated market

while producing on a lot less machinery,”says Mr. Olsson.

Installing the first-ever commercial

scale Mirroblade involved risk. Not only

was it the first two-side coater of its kind,

it also employed brand-new soft-blade

technology. So, according to Mr. Olsson,

operational availability caused by running

in problems was a consideration.“But the potential benefits of the

Mirroblade outweighed the risk, and now,

looking back over 10 years of experience

of Mirroblade, I have to say we won.

Availability is very high. The coaters coat

both sides at once. They’re safe, quiet and

reliable and provide equal side-to-side cov-

erage with no film-split pattern, mottle or

curl. And the soft tip provides excellentfiber coverage,” says Mr. Olsson. ●

“We took the risk of putting the first-

ever Mirroblade into commercial

operation and 10 years of successful coating

is the proof that we won,” says Åke Olsson,

production manager at Grycksbo Paper.

Grycksbo Paper produces two differ-

ent paper grades. Both are woodfree and

matt coated. G-PRINT features a white,matt-coated surface and high opacity and is

available in sheets and reels in grammages

from 80 to 250 g/m2. ARROW MATT is

designed to provide excellent printability in

combination with high bulk. It is available

in various sizes in grammages from 90 to

250 g/m2.

CompactThe Mirroblade coater on PM 7 replaced a

TWIN-HSM, and a Billblade coater on

PM 9. The Mirroblade coaters provided the

mill with blade coating on both machines.

“To remain competitive we had to

produce paper that was blade coated on

both sides. The earlier coaters were com-

pact. Like the Mirroblade, they requiredless than one-third the space necessary for a

16 UMV HEADLINES

UMV Pulp & Paper operates oneof the most advanced pilot plantsin the world for developing andoptimizing coating and sizing andother surface treatment processes,machinery and products.

Advanced pilot plant benefits

D esigned to correspond with actual mill operation and provide

results that accurately duplicate commercial conditions, the

state-of-the-art plant is very beneficial when it comes to educat-

ing and training of staff working with surface-treatment equipment.

And it’s available! For potential and previous UMV customers as

well as for third parties such as chemical companies and paper andboard mills needing to test new products on base papers of their own

choice, and/or educate and train staff.

Education and training in a pilot plant a money saverConducting education and training in a pilot plant is also a money

saver. Compared with carrying out this task on a mill’s own machinery,

education and training in a pilot plant enables operating at the extremes

as well as at correct levels to show trainees how they can most efficiently

operate coating and sizing equipment.What’s more, they can and compare and contrast the results from

runs on the various technologies available on site, without losing a milli-

meter of production!

Fully equipped plant and knowledgeable staffThe staff in the plant is extensively experienced and knowledgeable and

complements well UMV’s intention to make the fully equipped, state-

of-the-art pilot plant available to customers and third parties.The pilot machine runs at speeds of up to 2200 m/min. It accom-

modates not only conventional surface treatment processes, but also the

UMV innovative range of coating and sizing technologies (Figure 1).The full range consists of Mirroblade upward and downward

coaters, the ABC blade coating station, ABC-Gravure combined roll

With customer’s valuable time and money in mind, pilotplant staff makes sure that changing from running one typeof application to another takes place quickly.

UMV HEADLINES 17

UMV customers and third parties

Figure 2. The full range of UMV proprietary coating and sizingtechnology. With customer’s valuable time and money in mind,pilot plant staff makes sure that changing from running one typeof application to another takes place quickly.

premetering and blade coater, the LAS decurler and moisturizer, theTWIN and MONO Gravure coating systems, the TWIN-HSM roll

coating and sizing system, as well as the Billblade coater (Figure 2).The drying and web handling system on the pilot machine consists

of one electric IR and three air float dryers. An on-line measurement

and quality control system measures total coat weight and also the coat

weight on each side of the paper.

The plant has experience of coating and sizing virtually every grade

of base paper currently available such as NCR copy paper, board andfine paper as well as coating and surface sizing of liner board and fluting.

A climate-controlled lab for standard testing of properties such as

IGT, A1C5, Hunter gloss, Bendtsen, PPS, Alwetron TH-1 tear strength

and quick ash is also available.

With customer’s valuable time and money in mind, pilot plant staff

makes sure that changing from running one type of application to an-

other takes place quickly. For instance, if a pilot run on a TWIN-Gra-

vure tests pre-coating and then is followed-up by runs on an ABC for

top coating, the waiting time between the runs is minimal. Time ismoney. ●

Figure 1. The UMV pilot machine is equipped withstate-of-the art technology. It accommodates notonly conventional surface treatment processes,but also the UMV innovative range of coating andsizing technologies.

Actual samples of the newly developed product from pilottesting are a very helpful marketing and sales tool.

Mirroblade DW

Mirroblade UW

TWIN-Gravure

ABC Gravure

ABC Coater

Billblade

LASTWIN-HSM

The staff in the plant is extensivelyexperienced and knowledgeable andcomplements well UMV’s intention tomake the fully equipped, state-of-the-art pilot plant available to customersand third parties.

P I L O T M A C H I N E S P E C I F I C A T I O N S

DRIVE SPEED:2,200 m/min (7,218 ft/min)

ACTUAL MACHINE SPEED: 2,000 m/min (6,562 ft/min)

DRYING CAPACITY:2 x 10 g/m2 coat weight at 55% solids

and 6% end moisture at 2,000 m/min

ON-LINE PAPER-QUALITY CONTROL: ABB Smart Platform/

AccuRay 1190 IR system for on-line measurements of basis

weight, moisture and IP absorption spectroscopy of coat weight

at the unwind and rewind positions of the pilot machine.

18 UMV HEADLINES

Ylyva Wildlock, Group Head, R&D, Pulp andPapers Systems Application led a delegation ofEka staff to the UMV Pilot Plant. Their task wasto test a new coating-chemical formula to learnwhere and how it can best be applied in commer-cial operation. Ms Wildlock told UMV Headlineswhy she thinks pilot testing is beneficial.

T he first thing that comes to mind

when I consider the benefits of pilot

testing is the elimination of risk and

high costs. The alternative to pilot plant

testing is testing in our own laboratory or ona commercial scale machine. The gap be-

tween how a new product responds to vari-

ous parameters in full-scale operation and

laboratory testing is obvious. Testing in a pi-

lot plant is the best way to narrow the gap.

Apart from producing a lot of expen-

sive broke, testing on commercial scale ma-

chinery is impractical in other ways. For in-stance, a mill may offer the possibility of

testing on a single technology, say a blade

coater or on a rod coater. Testing on other

technologies would involve moving from

one full-scale mill to another, needless to say,

a costly process. What’s more there is a great

possibility that we won’t be running on the

same base paper grade making comparison

difficult.

Freedom to test various parametersTesting a new product in a pilot plant such

as the one UMV offers potential customers

as well as third parties minimizes risk and

keeps costs at an affordable level. The plant

with its virtually the full range of coating

machinery, gives us the freedom to test vari-

ous parameters, such as coat weight, coatingcolor formulation, machine speed, drying

properties, etc, on the different technologies.

The pilot offers us two drying tech-

nologies, electric IR and gas-heated air dri-

ers, which allow for testing of various drying

scenarios.

It’s important to note that testing of

parameters in the UMV pilot plant is car-

ried out under complete control and under

the watchful eyes of a very skilled and com-

petent staff – and often on a single roll ofbase paper!

Testing a new product in an advanced

pilot plant minimizes risk because we can

find out exactly what we can expect of the

new product, and the conditions under

which it can be best applied. This is where

risk elimination comes in.

Pilot testing creates marketingand sales toolsAfter trials in the pilot plant, we know so

much about a new product that we can tar-

get precisely which customers we know will

benefit from it. What’s more, as a result of

the testing, we can show them actual

samples of the newly developed product. In

this sense, pilot testing is also a very helpfulmarketing and sales tool.

So far I’ve only commented on the im-

portance of testing new products Eka has

initiated for use by potential customers. But

the benefits of pilot testing that apply to us

when we initiate a new product also apply

to our customers when they ask us to de-

velop a new product for them, not an un-

usual situation.Pilot testing is a learning experience

that permits us to see under controlled con-

ditions, which closely approximate commer-

cial operations, exactly what we can expect

of a newly developed product.

Eka is an Akzo Nobel company. ●

UMV HEADLINES 19

Ylva Wildlock from Eka:

“Pilot testingeliminates riskand high costs”

The paper betw

een the colored lin

es shows

the various parameters te

sted on this ro

ll.

“Testing ofparameters in the UMV

pilot plant is carried out undercomplete control and under thewatchful eyes of a very skilled

and competent staff – andoften on a single roll of

base paper!”

20 UMV HEADLINES

When it comes to reducing costs, the TWIN-HSM of

fers fluting and liner manufacturers opportunities noother surface sizing equipment on the market can

provide.

Mills previously using conventional size press technology to-

day utilize the HSM to gain better runnability and reduced energy

consumption. Launched on the market in the 1990s, HSM

(High Speed Metering) premetering technology was then regarded

as a great innovation – the first metering size press for C-2-S

applications! Now with more than 70 installations running world-

wide, this technology is proven and reliable.

40% market shareAfter 12 year’s experience of surface-treating base sheets contain-

ing recycled fibers, the HSM was launched in the fluting and liner

market about five years ago as a premetering surface sizer. Since

then, UMV has sold 13 HSMs, for about a 40% share of this

market.

Although the initial cost for this technology is about the

same as for conventional premetering size presses, the return oninvestment is estimated at one year as a result of minimal raw

material and sizing starch costs as well as operational costs because

of high availability and low maintenance costs.

The forgiving qualities of the HSM – minimal risk of foreign

particles collecting in the nip between the premetering element

In an extremely competitive market, enhancing productivity is everyfluting and liner manufacturer’s challenge. Adding value to a productis one way of meeting the challenge, a difficult option when producinga bulk product. Increasing capacity is another way, assuming there arenew markets. Reducing costs is still another way, and probably the bestway for fluting and liner manufacturers to improve productivity.

and the transfer roll – permit the use of low-grade base papers

from recycled raw material.These qualities also allow for applying low-grade sizing

starches to compensate for strength losses when using the low-

grade base papers. Recycled fiber is usually cheaper than other

base-paper fibers, but low-grade sizing starches are even cheaper.

Low vs. high specific pressure at the metering pointThe TWIN-HSM consists of two transfer rolls between which the

base paper runs either upward or downward, and two wire-wound

HSM premetering rolls. See Figure 1.The figure illustrates that the nip between the premetering el-

ement and the transfer roll is large permitting low specific pressure

at the metering point. This feature of the HSM can be compared

with conventional rod surface sizing equipment on which the nip

is considerably narrower and the specific pressure at the metering

point higher. See Figure 2.In practical terms, or to put it another way, in terms of en-

hancing productivity by reducing variable production costs, the

HSMs wider nip and low specific pressure at the metering pointenables using both low-grade base paper from recycled raw materi-

als and low-grade sizing starch to compensate for strength loss.

Why is this the case? Because, the foreign particles in these

materials can pass through the nip, whereas if these materials were

used with conventional rod surface sizing equipment, they would

TWIN-HSM reduces flutingand liner production costs,enhances productivity

UMV HEADLINES 21

collect at the metering point. Therefore, more expensive base

paper and sizing starch, which contain fewer foreign particles,

have to be used with this equipment.

High availability and low maintenance costsThe diameter of the TWIN-HSM premetering element is 30 to

40 times greater than that of a conventional premetering rod, a

fact that means a substantially longer period of time between

refurbishments. Rods and rod beds are expensive and have to

be replaced periodically.

The cost of refurbishing the HSM premetering element can

be as much as 80% lower than that of any other metering size press

technology. This task amounts to replacing the worn wire withabout 15 kg of new stainless steel wire to fully restore a worn HSM

to like-new condition between scheduled maintenance stops. In

other words, no downtime between scheduled stops.

Other productivity enhancing featuresThe greater diameter of the HSM premetering roll is more forgiv-

ing for recycled fibers compared to the metering rod on other

metering size presses. The result is minimal risk of streaks caused

Figure 1. The large nip on the TWIN-HSM permits lowspecific pressure at the metering point to enable us-ing both low-grade base paper from recycled raw ma-terials and low-grade sizing starch to compensate forstrength loss.

by fibers stuck in the nip between

the metering element and the

transfer roll, a value-adding factor.

The special volumetric premeter-ing method of the TWIN-HSM

permits running at high as well as low machines speeds, from as

low as 100 m/min to as high as 1400 m/min.

At low speeds, the TWIN-HSM can apply higher pick up

than any other premetering size press on the market, an important

feature when using low-grade starches to compensate for strength

loss when using low-grade recycled base paper. Compared to the

conventional pond size press, TWIN-HSM premetering technol-

ogy requires less drying and therefore can be run at substantiallyhigher production speeds, a capacity-increasing factor.

Setting up and operating the TWIN-HSM coater is straight-

forward, and controlling pick up, the key parameter, is simple.

Increasing the solids content increases the pick up. Decreasing the

solids content decreases the pick up. Maintaining constant solids

content stabilizes the pick up levels. Uncomplicated operation

leads to lower costs for labor. ●

Figure 2. The narrow nip on conventionalrod surface sizing equipment means highspecific pressure at the metering point.Foreign particles in low-grade base paperand sizing starch would collect at themetering point. Therefore, more expen-sive base paper and sizing starch have tobe used with this equipment.

22 UMV HEADLINES

N either method is repulpable, and

therefore not sustainable.Michelman water-based coatings

are not only repulpable, but also safer to

apply and conserve production resources.

Water-based barrier coatings are ap-

plied to paper in order to provide a barrier

between the paper and the environment

around it.

Many applications call for a barrier tobe applied to a liner, corrugated sheet, or

carton board. These barriers are used to

protect the packaging contents from expo-

sure to external forces, such as water or

humidity. Protection from these forces also

helps to maintain the strength and integrity

of the package.

There are many benefits for using

water-based coatings which can be recycledover and over again.

• Sustainability of our natural resources• Cost effective• Repulpable• Printable• Strong• Food contact compliant

In addition to providing barrier, coatings

can be applied to provide other forms of

functionality. This functionality can be in

the form of corrosion or anti-static protec-

tion for the item to be packaged, abrasion

resistance for the prevention of damage to

contents by scuffing, or release for pack-

aged food and bakery products.Coatings can also be applied to the

outside of the package to control the slip

properties. Many of the Michelman barrier

coatings are Bfr, EU and FDA compliant

meeting the International Standards forfood contact.

There are a number of application

methods that are available for water-based

coatings. They can be applied using a blade,

rod, or roll coater in-line on a corrugator or

other converting equipment. In some cases,

a flexo can be used to provide limited bar-

rier and functionality. Where both sidesneed to be coated, the UMV Mirroblade

has proven to be an ideal applicator.

Mirroblade barrier coats efficientlyWith the Mirroblade concept, paper and

board can be blade coated on both sides si-

multaneously in a single space that is less

than one-third the size of most two-station

layout. And because the Mirroblade coaterhas no drives the difficulties of motor and

gearbox placement are eliminated and the

coater can be placed almost anywhere.

Recent successful trials have shown

topside applications to provide the outer

print surface with the characteristics needed

by the client. Brightness a-nd printability of

the highest standards can be achieved, fac-tors that must also be attained while adding

the barrier coating on the backside.

This must also be achieved while add-

ing the barrier coating on the backside.

Michelman coatings provide a barrier

against Water, Oil and Grease (KIT Value),

and Moisture Vapour under temperate

conditions (MVTR) and can all be applied

using the Mirroblade. Work done recentlyon cartons targeted for the pet-food and

domestic packaging markets have met the

severe testing criteria required.

This will enable the clients to choose a

packaging system that avoids the use ofpolyethylene, and the use of unwanted

chemicals, such as Fluorine.

The resulting packages not only pro-

vide barrier properties, but also allow for

the packaging to be recyclable and repulp-

able; where it would not have been using

other alternatives. Such packages can be

used for grease protection in pizza boxes,fast food, pet and animal foods, moisture

protection for detergents and other foods,

and water protection for the packaging of

fruit, vegetables, plants and flowers.

Michelman is a global manufacturer of per-

formance-enhancing barrier, functional, and

decorative coatings for flexible film packag-

ing, paperboard, and corrugated boxes.

Two strong companiesUMV Machinery has over 40 years

experience in rebuilding various types of

paper machines for customers all over the

world. By bringing these two strongly estab-

lished companies together there is every

possibility to use this technology anywhere

in the world where coating is required onboth sides of a substrate.

Coating trends today are about

efficient uses of packaging and eliminating

excess waste to our landfills. With an under-

standing of the supply chain, production

process, market and end user needs, Michel-

man partners with customers to uncover

new ways to add value to their products. ●

Christopher CoyneMichelman International & Co SNC

Repulpable barriercoatings and the MirrobladeIn today’s packaging world, the demand for sustainability inpackaging calls for safer, more environmentally acceptable barriertreatment methods. Polyethylene lamination or extrusion commonly provides barrier protection in Europe, while wax cascading or curtain coating is used in North America.

UMV HEADLINES 23

A fter the fusion of the Jefferson

Smurfit Group and Kappa Pack-

aging to form the Smurfit Kappa

group, the activities of the two boxboard

manufacturers, Baden Karton and Hoya

Karton, and the converter, Baden Packag-

ing, were united under the Smurfit KappaCarton subdivision.

According to Wolfgang Suerbaum,

CEO of the Smurfit Kappa Carton Subdi-

vision, and Armin Buschmann, CEO of

Hoya, this is an ideal constellation: Baden

Karton with an annual production of

150,000 tpy and Hoya Karton with

85,000 tpy – two strong boxboard manu-

facturers coupled with a competent con-verter form an excellent base for innova-

tive product development.

Carton packaging for foodstuffs, pet

foods, detergents and cleaning materials

have to be coated with a barrier to protect

the contents from moisture and the pack-

aging from fat and oil. In key European

countries the demand for packaging with

barrier characteristics is about 600,000 tpy

and rising.

Until now, protective barriers have

been a hazard to both health and the envi-

ronment, due to the use of Per Fluorinated

Tensides or PFT chemicals or polyethylene

coatings for the boxboard finishing. Theuse of or PFT compounds is especially

problematic.

The tensides problemPFTs are artificially produced fluorinated

carbon compounds. They are extraordinar-

ily chemical resistant and this, plus their

unique surface tension characteristics,

make PFTs useful in the paper and cartonindustries.

PFTs make cartons resistant to fat, oil

and water. However, because they contain

per fluoric octanoic acid or PFOA, they

have a high degree of toxicity for humans

and animals, which, according to Green-

peace, is comparable to the toxicity of

DDT (Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane).

Hoya Karton in Hoya, Germany, installed the first-ever folding boxboardcoating line utilizing Mirroblade technology. Until then, this technology wasused for producing high-quality printing and writing papers. Mirroblade iscompact, has neither motors nor gears, can be precisely controlled, while andsimultaneously coating the front and back of boxboard.

PFTs build up in the organs and in

the blood, are not biodegradable and aresuspected of compromising fertility and

being carcinogenic. Consequently, the

European Parliament issued an EU-wide

ban on the use of PFOS on 25 October

2006. PFOA is on the watch list.

A challenge and opportunityfor Smurfit KappaAccordingly, Smurfit Kappa Carton, morespecifically, Hoya Karton began develop-

ing environmentally friendly protective

barriers free of PFTs in 2005.

In the autumn of 2006 the develop-

ment team reported, ”Mission complete”

and presented a innovative technology for

environmentally friendly coating of fold-

ing boxboard – a process that was alsoconvincing economically and thereby

gained the approval of management dur-

ing the same year.

The new protective barrier is free of

PFTs, is recyclable and biodegradable and

meets the requirements of the XXXVI (36)

Recommendation of the Federal Institute

for Risk Assessment in Germany and the

Federal Food and Drug Administration inthe USA.

When combined with Hoya Karton’s

excellent stiffness, surface and printability

properties, Mirroblade Technology gives

Smurfit Kappa Carton access to new

customers and markets.

Installing the new Mirroblade

technology, and the introduction of a newenvironmentally friendly protective barrier

sets new standards for the packaging

industry. ●

Hoya Karton sets newstandards for protective barriers

Armin Buschmann, CEO Hoya, left, and Wolfgang Suerbaum, CEO SmurfitKappa Carton, pushed the investment in Mirroblade and new protectivebarrier technology through in record time.

24 UMV HEADLINES

UMV Pulp and PaperPO Box 162SE-661 24 Säffle, SwedenTel.: +46 522 982 80Fax: +46 522 983 23E-mail: info@umv.mattsson.seWebsite: www.umv.mattsson.se

Publisher: Louise Törnefalk Svanqvist,President, UMV Pulp and Paper

Material in Headlines may be reprod-uced with permission of the publisher.Opinions expressed in this publicationare those of the authors or personsinterviewed and do not necessarilyreflect the views of the publisher orUMV.

Editorial services: David WoldEnglish Language Services AB

Cover photo: Kurt Johansson

Design: Bernhard Zirn

Printing: AB Åmålstryck, Åmål, Sweden

SERVICE AGREEMENTS:

Boost coater availabilityand enhance productivity“The purpose of our service contracts is to ensure availability, performance and productivity on UMV machines,” says KentÅström, service manager at UMV Pulp & Paper.

Typically service include two yearly overhaul

visits. A service technician and/or an electrician

carry them out over a period of about two days

during a mill’s scheduled maintenance stop-

pages.The first overhaul visit includes following

an extensive inspection checklist to determine

the overall status of the machinery as well as

conducting tests and reviewing the basic set-

tings of the coating machinery. If necessary,

other work is carried out during the visit.

The second overhaul visit often involves

overhauling the machinery to correct any prob-lems identified during the first visit.

Visits also include conducting an inven-

tory of spare parts to determine what might be

necessary to buy. UMV and mill staffs meet

during the visit to review innovations and new

developments in the area of coating technology.

“Training and updating operators and

maintenance people has proven to be one of

the more important aspects of the overhaul

visit. It’s perfectly natural for seasoned opera-

tors to establish routines that require a bit ofadjusting. New operators also benefit from

training,” says Mr. Åström. Finally, reports and

test records from the service visits are written

and submitted to the mill.

Apart from ensuring smooth operation,

service contracts offer mills other benefits such

as special discount on labor and on all spare

parts. Additional service visits and/or work out-side the service agreement are charged sepa-

rately and according to the UMV standard

price list, but also with a discount list.

Customers with service agreements are also

granted priority in case of emergency calls. ●

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