Beihai PM 2 | Voith

World records are not set every day. With the completion of PM 2 in Beihai, China, in just 18 months from contract effectiveness to start-up, Voith and Sun Paper have achieved the fastest order execution for a high speed line of this type.

Made to order

The XcelLine paper machine was tailor-made with a focus on the efficiency and robustness of individual components

DuoFormer: excellent formation and strength, even at very high speeds
SpeedSizer: uniform application of the film during gluing and coating, for an optimal paper surface
CombiDuoRun dryer section with EvoDry steel dryer cylinder: maximum runnability and energy efficiency
Two VariFlex high-performance winders: maximum quality
QCS and MCS quality control system and OnCare.Health condition monitoring solution: complete control and continuous monitoring to minimize machine downtime

Voith Paper machines not only provide excellent performance in terms of pulp, water and energy savings, but also optimize production line efficiency and improved paper quality, which help the Sun Paper Beihai site to become a low-carbon, high-tech project of highest standards.

Ying Guangdong, Vice General Manager and Chief Engineer of Sun Paper

In Beihai, southeastern China, stands the new high-speed board machine, which has already set a new world record before production starts. Only 18 months elapsed between the contract effectiveness and the successful start-up of the large machine. This sounds incredible, as Sun Paper's Beihai PM 2 shines in the latest industrial design and is also groundbreaking in all other features.

Beihai PM 2 is a marvel of engineering. With a maximum operating speed of 1,300 meters per minutes, it produces over one million tons per year of high-quality folding boxboard with a basis weight of 170 to 350 gsm. Combined with the visionary design, the line is the most advanced of its kind in the world.

Robert Osswald, Voith Paper’s Project Manager

Location: Beihai City, Guangxi Province, China
Planned annual capacity: Over 1,000,000 tons
Operating speed: 1,300 m/min
Production: High-quality folding boxboard with a basis weight of 170-350 gsm
Voith has already supplied 12 paper machines to Sun Paper including the Beihai PM 2
Sun Paper is ranked among the world's 30 largest paper manufacturers

Start-up of Sun Paper´s PM 2 from Voith in Beihai.

When Sun Paper shaked hands with Voith for a complete new line, the corona pandemic had just broken out and lasted for the entire project duration on. No easy undertaking to meet the ambitious project execution schedule. In addition, there were considerable logistical problems during the project phase due to unpredicted pandemic restrictions around the globe.

How were the more than 200 000 parts of the half-kilometer long paper machine to be transported to the Beihai site? Thanks to excellent supply chain management and project management, the components found their way to Beihai by roads and seas within the deadline. Nearly 3,000 people worked on site at the same time to ensure a smooth start-up. High flexibility, close coordination and additional shifts made it possible that only seven and a half months passed from installation to start-up.

The two companies have been working together for years and have already successfully commissioned twelve XcelLine paper machines. The ‘Sun Paper speed’ is already well known: In January 2021, Voith and Sun Paper were able to set the fastest start-up record of Laos PM 2 packaging machine for 1 hour and 46 minutes.

Thanks to the dedicated work of the two teams, we kept our promise to customer and made the impossible possible. Out here, we therefore call it ‘Sun Paper speed’.

Miao Zhuang, Project Manager at Voith Paper China

200.000

The paper machine consits of more than 200000 parts.

3.000

Nearly 3000 people worked on site at the same time.

‘Sun Paper speed’

In January 2021, Voith and Sun Paper were able to set the fastest start-up record of Laos PM 2 packaging machine for 1 hour and 46 minutes.

Successful start-up of the new paper machine PM 2 in Beihai from Voith.

In recent years, the two companies have executed twelve paper machine projects to support Sun Paper's global expansion. The Beihai PM 2 will help broaden Sun Paper's product portfolio and strengthen the manufacturer's position in the diversified paper business in Southeast China.

We greatly appreciate the partnership and commitment of Sun Paper and Voith. From the record for the fastest start-up of PM 1 in Laos to the world's fastest project completion of PM 2 in Beihai, together we have set one world record after another.

Li Lu, Chairman of Sun Holdings

"Beihai PM 2 produces high-end cartonboard with excellent surface quality and formation,” adds Ying Guangdong, Vice General Manager and Chief Engineer of Sun Paper. “It gained good reputation among the customers as soon as it was launched to the market."

Peter Spreng and Glen Wang at Beihai PM 2 paper machine from Voith — Glen Wang, Senior Start-up Engineer at Sun Paper, and Peter Spreng, Leading Commissioning Engineer.

Voith offers a perfect NicoFlex press section for papermaking.

Like clockwork, all parts of the paper machine are perfectly harmonized with each other and contribute to the outstanding performance. The tailor-made design includes leading components from Voith's full-line portfolio such as a DuoFormer for excellent formation and strength as well as two VariFlex high-performance winders for highest quality. The new industrial design ensures optimized maintenance and work safety.

In addition, Sun Paper also benefits from Voith leading expertise in digitalization and automation for additional efficiency gains and cost reductions. The Voith sophisticated QCS quality control system as well as MCS enable complete control over the entire production line. OnCare.Health condition monitoring solution is also integrated to the system. Thanks to over 30,000 interfaces, minimal problems can be identified at an early stage. Planned and unplanned machine downtimes can thus be prevented by continuous monitoring.

Starting from Yanzhou PM 21, to the successful oversea projects of Laos PM 1 and PM 2, to the smooth start-up of Beihai PM 2, Sun Paper and Voith have established a long-term partnership with great trust. Sun Paper and Voith shared the value of pursuing excellence through continuous improvement. With our advanced technology, high quality products, and excellent service, Voith and Sun Paper share mutual benefits in a win-win situation. Together, we create a better future for the paper industry.

Kurt Yu, Regional President of Voith Paper Asia