M-real Kemiart Liners rebuilds BM 1 with Metso's new ValFormer technology

Published Mar 7, 2006 14.00.00 +2 GMT

Metso Paper will supply M-real Kemiart Liners in Kemi, Finland, with a rebuild of their BM 1 linerboard machine to improve quality and increase production capacity. The upgraded machine will start up in August 2006. The total value of the agreement is around EUR 5 million.

Kemi BM 1 produces high-quality coated and uncoated white top kraftliner for brand, retail and consumer packaging in a basis weight range of 110-300 g/m². The rebuild will increase the annual capacity of the 6.8-m-wide board line from 345,000 t/a to 360,000 t/a.

The delivery features the first ValFormer forming section for boardmaking applications. ValFormer is Metso Paper's new state-of-the-art hybrid forming technology, which utilizes vacuum shoe technology. It opens new possibilities to improve sheet quality and printability, as well as to increase the capacity of the forming section with a cost-effective investment.

Kemiart Liners is a subsidiary of M-real Corporation. The Kemi mill employs 150 people.

M-real Corporation is a European paper and paperboard company with approximately 15,500 employees in more than 70 countries. It provides wood fibre-based solutions for consumer packaging, communications and advertising end-uses. M-real's turnover in 2005 was EUR 5.2 billion. The company is listed on the Helsinki Stock Exchange.

Metso is a global engineering and technology corporation with 2005 net sales of approximately EUR 4.2 billion. Its 22 000 employees in more than 50 countries serve customers in the pulp and paper industry, rock and minerals processing, the energy industry and selected other industries.

For further information, please contact: Jouko Aula Senior Vice President, Board Machinery Technology and Process Solutions Metso Paper Tel. +358 40 542 8013 E-mail: jouko.aula@metso.com