Stable running and improved safety through wire section upgrade at Schönfelder Papierfabrik

Schönfelder Papierfabrik GmbH is a traditional medium-sized German family business with a history dating back to 1911. At its two sites, Schönfelder manufactures high-quality recycled paper for a wide range of applications with an annual production of 65,000 tonnes. The company is proudly committed to sustainability, taking economic, ecological and social aspects into account and especially seeking ways to protect the environment in its production.

A partner you can trust

Over the years, Valmet has delivered equipment such as OptiFlo Fourdrinier headbox and OptiFormer Hybrid forming section to the mill in Annaberg-Buchholz, showing its know-how on medium-sized paper machines. The relationship between Schönfelder and Valmet has developed along the way, enabling open discussion of current production issues and long-term development plans.

In 2022, Schönfelder and Valmet initiated discussions about renewing the mill’s existing wire section. The wire section was mechanically worn, leading to increased time consumed in and increased risk of accidents during cantilevering and fabric changes.

“Valmet listened to our needs very well, and as a result, a solution for the wire section upgrade was jointly developed. The wire section was to meet the latest technical standards, considering the option of extending the paper machine with variable wire section lengths in the future. At Schönfelder, we are very satisfied with the execution of the project and its results,” says Andy Diedrich, Mill Manager at Schönfelder.

Careful planning leads to smooth implementation

Throughout the project, special attention was paid to engineering and scheduling. For example, the available drawings of the current production line were analyzed through measuring and 3D scanning.

“The schedule was very tight, as the dismantling of the old equipment and assembly of the new set up was going to take place only in a ten-day timeframe. To achieve that, we made sure all the equipment was delivered on time and planned an assembly strategy that did not require dismantling the top former. A real key to success was, however, the good coordination and cooperation between everyone involved – the Schönfeld mill staff, the external workforce and Valmet team all worked very well together with German as the working language,” Ulrich Franke, Senior Product Manager, Paper at Valmet.

“As a result, we finalized the assembly one day ahead of schedule, and the commissioning took place immediately thereafter. The customer was ready for commercial production right away,” he adds.

A long list of improvements

Six months after the project was finalized, the production line with upgraded wire section runs stably and without vibration. The additional fabric-change helpers allow maintenance without building production bottlenecks, and the improved machine safety now complies with the highest standards.  

“While retaining the positions of the headbox, top former and wire suction roll, the longitudinal beams, stands, cantilever frame, cantilever rods and brackets were manufactured from corrosion-resistant materials, further lengthening the lifecycle of the newly upgraded wire section. At Valmet, we are proud of what we accomplished together, and are looking forward to further improving the performance of the Schönfeld mill in the future,” Franke says.

“The acquisition of former Paper Machine Poland (PMP) in Jelenia Gora in 2020 improved Valmet’s expertise and competitiveness in the small and medium machinery (SMM) market, and I believe this project is a good example of Valmet’s increased ability to deliver first class service and cutting-edge technology also to this customer segment,” Franke continues.