Increase in efficiency after Voith-modernization
Successful restart of Smurfit Kappa’s PM 1
2016-06-22 - The packaging paper manufacturer Smurfit Kappa extensively modernized one of its paper machines in the Dutch city of Roermond. The rebuild of the 40-year-old PM 1 was designed to increase machine speed cost-efficiently to enable more economical production of testliner and corrugating medium. Not only did the rebuild project have to keep to a tight schedule, it also had to be managed in difficult working conditions, due to the limited space available at the site.
The packaging paper manufacturer Smurfit Kappa extensively modernized one of its paper machines in the Dutch city of Roermond. The rebuild of the 40-year-old PM 1 was designed to increase machine speed cost-efficiently to enable more economical production of testliner and corrugating medium. Not only did the rebuild project have to keep to a tight schedule, it also had to be managed in difficult working conditions, due to the limited space available at the site.
Smurfit Kappa is one of the world’s leading producers of packaging paper. The company employs around 45,000 people at 370 sites in 34 countries. At Roermond in the Netherlands, just a few kilometers from the German-Dutch border, the company produces approximately 600,000 metric tons of paper a year. The PM 1 has already been in operation for 40 years.
Close collaboration is the prerequisite for a successful rebuild
Also the scheduling and coordination of the remaining project sub-phases like construction, electrical and piping works was achieved through close consultation between Smurfit Kappa and Voith. This close collaboration was the basic prerequisite for meeting the tight schedule. “For our company, this rebuild was of crucial importance,” says Jo Cox, Managing Director of Smurfit Kappa in Roermond, when discussing the magnitude of the project. “On the one hand, the timetable was very ambitious, and on the other, there were special challenges at the local construction site. When we were looking for a suitable partner we deliberately chose Voith because the company always responds in a very flexible and open manner to our concerns, even when work is already under way.”
The Voith team had only 47 days from shutdown of the old machine to startup following the rebuild. During this period almost all components of the PM 1 were replaced. The only items retained were the wire section with headbox and the reel. Voith had already integrated the latter into the PM 1 some years before. In addition, some parts of the dryer section, like the fabric cleaning device and cylinders, were re-used after conditioning. As a result, the costs of the rebuild could be reduced without compromising on performance and process reliability.
Close collaboration is the prerequisite for a successful rebuild
Also the scheduling and coordination of the remaining project sub-phases like construction, electrical and piping works was achieved through close consultation between Smurfit Kappa and Voith. This close collaboration was the basic prerequisite for meeting the tight schedule. “For our company, this rebuild was of crucial importance,” says Jo Cox, Managing Director of Smurfit Kappa in Roermond, when discussing the magnitude of the project. “On the one hand, the timetable was very ambitious, and on the other, there were special challenges at the local construction site. When we were looking for a suitable partner we deliberately chose Voith because the company always responds in a very flexible and open manner to our concerns, even when work is already under way.”
The Voith team had only 47 days from shutdown of the old machine to startup following the rebuild. During this period almost all components of the PM 1 were replaced. The only items retained were the wire section with headbox and the reel. Voith had already integrated the latter into the PM 1 some years before. In addition, some parts of the dryer section, like the fabric cleaning device and cylinders, were re-used after conditioning. As a result, the costs of the rebuild could be reduced without compromising on performance and process reliability.