Metso Paper to rebuild CMPC's board machine in Chile

Published June 2, 2004 12.00.00 +2 GMT

Cartulinas CMPC has ordered an extensive board machine rebuild from Metso Paper for its Maule mill in Chile. Metso will rebuild the mill's folding boxboard machine BM19, originally started up in 1998, with the latest technology to meet the market's quality and production requirements. The rebuild will increase the machine's production capacity from 600 tons/day to 900 tons/day. The maximum speed of the 5-m wide board line will increase to 650 m/min. The start-up of the rebuilt machine is planned for mid 2005.

Metso Paper will supply a new dilution controlled headbox for the filler ply as well as 2 new SymBelt shoe presses for the press section. The existing pond sizer will be converted to ValSizer metering size press technology. The ValSizer technology has been designed to meet the coating and sizing needs of medium-sized board and papermaking lines. The drying capacity will be increased to meet the needs of the higher speed. The existing two-drum winder with compliant drums will be replaced with a WinBelt winder. With WinBelt, demanding grades such as coated board can be wound to rolls over two meters in diameter without a sign of mottling.

The delivery also includes an OptiDwell shoe nip calender, which will enable excellent surface properties equal to the existing pretreatment with Yankee cylinder. The OptiDwell shoe nip calender is not limited in speed and therefore will allow to increase the capacity of the board line significantly.

CMPC Maule mill is located near the city of Talca, 280 km south of Santiago. It produces folding boxboard in the basis-weight range of 190-420 g/m².

Cartulinas CMPC S.A. is an affiliate of Empresas CMPC S.A. and manufactures and markets world-class folding boxboard since 1951. Cartulinas CMPC operates two plants, one located close to the city of Valdivia in Southern Chile, and another in the Maule region, with an annual production capacity of 220.000 tons. With this investment to the Maule mill, CMPC will be able to increase the combined production to over 300.000 tons per year. The increased production will mainly be targeted to export market, North America, Europe and Asia.

Metso Corporation is a global supplier of process industry machinery and systems, as well as know-how and aftermarket services. The Corporation's core businesses are fiber and paper technology (Metso Paper), rock and mineral processing (Metso Minerals) and automation and control technology (Metso Automation). In 2003, the net sales of Metso Corporation were EUR 4.3 billion and personnel totaled approximately 27,400. Metso Corporation is listed on the Helsinki and New York Stock Exchanges.

More information: Mr. Hannu Hakamäki, Area President, Metso Paper South America, Tel. +358 400 598 880, hannu.hakamaki@metso.com Mr. Jyrki Strengell, Vice President, Sales, Paper and Board Business Lines Tel. +358 40 590 9167, jyrki.strengell@metso.com