Heidenheim, Germany / Laakirchen, Austria. Voith is expanding its facility in Laakirchen. For more efficient production, the company is currently extending its production areas by around 3,150 square meters. It is also adding new offices and a logistics hall with a new access road for heavy goods vehicles.

A large proportion of global paper production is done on Voith machines and equipment. The technology group, which has its head office in Heidenheim, Germany, delivers rolls for paper machines all over the world from its facility in Laakirchen, Austria. As well as producing new rolls, the Laakirchen plant also receives rolls for servicing at regular intervals, e.g. for the renewal of roll covers. The different types of rolls have various functions, e.g. they help guide the paper webs evenly through the machine, and are used for dewatering, pressing and drying. They also ensure that the paper has a uniform smoothness and gloss. In addition, the rolls, which can be up to 15 meters long and weigh as much as 120 metric tons, have to master speeds of up to 120 kilometers per hour. 

The purpose of the expansion is to be able to assemble the rolls with as little effort and waiting times as possible and thus significantly accelerate the entire process. Following the expansion, this will be achieved by systematic cycle timing, the clear separation of production lines and a realigned machining tool. “Through this comprehensive investment in Laakirchen we are underscoring our leading role for the European paper industry in respect of rolls, roll covers and associated services,” says Manfred Jaspersen, Operations Manager of Voith Paper Rolls. Due to its central location, Laakirchen is the ideal site for facilitating short routes to customers. 

About the Voith Group
The Voith Group is a global technology company. With its broad portfolio of systems, products, services and digital applications, Voith sets standards in the markets of energy, oil & gas, paper, raw materials and transport & automotive. Founded in 1867, the company today has more than 19,000 employees, sales of € 4.2 billion and locations in over 60 countries worldwide and is thus one of the large family-owned companies in Europe.

The Group Division Voith Paper is part of the Voith Group and a leading full-line supplier as well as pioneer in the paper industry. Through constant innovations Voith is optimizing the paper manufacturing process and facilitating resource-conserving production. With its Servolution concept, Voith offers its customers as reliable partner tailored service solutions for all sections of the production process. The company’s Papermaking 4.0 concept ensures that equipment is optimally networked, while the effective and secure use of the generated data enables paper manufacturers to improve their competitiveness.