Valmet strengthens its doctor blade operations by opening a new Doctor Blade Plant in Varkaus, Finland

Published Nov 27, 2000 00.00.00 +2 GMT

Valmet's Pinaltek will set up a new doctor blade manufacturing facility in Varkaus, Finland. The facility will be constructed at the industrial estates of Kuvansi, and will be completed in February 2001. It will measure 3,000 m2, or three times the size of the current facility, and will permit a substantial increase in the output of doctor blades. The new plant will initially employ 17 persons.

Pinaltek Corporation was founded in 1993. Valmet acquired majority control of the company in August 1997. This purchase has provided a basis for effective doctor blade product development and marketing, and for improved service in various market areas. The doctor blade service concept developed jointly by Valmet and Pinaltek improves the productivity of paper machines by cutting down the duration and number of shutdowns due to blade maintenance and replacement. Pinaltek is the industry’s market leader in Finland, and its short-term goal is to grow its worldwide market share from 10% to 30%. To guarantee prompt service, Valmet has set up doctor blade workshops at its Service Centers in Germany, Sweden, Australia and USA. The Valmet Technology Center to be completed at Wuxi in China during the spring of 2001 will also include a doctor blade workshop.

Valmet and Pinaltek cooperate with Exel Corporation on product development. Exel delivers doctor blade blanks to Pinaltek’s Varkaus facility for further processing. The blades are completed to customer specifications at the regional doctor blade workshops. The Valmet doctor blade concept includes a broad selection of blades and auxiliary equipment to make them more convenient to handle. One of the most important current development projects relates to the recyclability of blades.

Metso Corporation's fiber and paper technology business area, Valmet, is the world's leading supplier of technology, systems and equipment for the pulp, paper, converting and panelboard industries. In 1999, Valmet's net sales were EUR 1.7 billion and it employed 10,600 persons.

Metso Corporation is a global supplier of process industry machinery and systems. Metso's business areas are fiber and paper technology, automation and control technology, and machinery. The net sales of Metso Corporation were EUR 3.4 billion in 1999 and the personnel totaled approximately 23,000. Metso Corporation is listed on the Helsinki and New York Stock Exchanges.

For additional information, please contact: Heikki Toivanen, Senior Product Manager Valmet Corporation, Service Phone +358 40 521 1067 heikki.toivanen@valmet.com