Paper Solutions
Designed as one of the most efficient specialty paper machines in the world, Koehler Paper commissioned Voith’s production line 8 at its Kehl mill at the end of October 2019 – after a previous project time of only around two and a half years.
Thanks to ongoing optimisation, the company recently achieved a groundbreaking level of performance for the production of around 40 g/m2 base paper at a continuous speed of more than 1400 metres per minute.
Thanks to intensive cooperation, permanent project support and continuous optimisation from Koehler and Voith, the line achieved an average speed of 1410 metres per minute over a period of 24 hours as well as a maximum value of 1432 metres per minute – a world record for the MG papermachine.
Voith presented Koehler Paper with an engraved glass plate that records this historic speed record. At the award ceremony at the Kehl mill last week, Dr Michael Trefz, president projects at Voith, was pleased to present the recognition: ‘An outstanding value, which was made possible by the cooperation between Koehler and Voith, the combination of extensive technical knowledge and a long standing and trusting partnership. Koehler and Voith are thus once again demonstrating their pioneering spirit in paper production’.
Dr Stefan Karrer, COO Koehler, and Joachim Uhl, mill director, Kehl, are proud of the team's performance on production line 8, saying, ‘The optimisations have enabled us to raise our machine to a new level’.
Another outcome of the collaboration between the two companies is the development of cutting edge products. As part of the development partnership for new paper grades, Voith carried out several test series on the research and development pilot coater at the Voith Paper Technology Centre in Heidenheim. The technological requirements of the new paper grades were investigated in depth and then implemented in the new production line. This has resulted in the innovative products of the NexFlex product line, Koehler's flexible packaging paper.
With a volume of 300 million euros, the entire production line 8 is one of the largest investments in Koehler's history. As well as the XcelLine paper machine and a offline coating machine, the project in- cludes a BlueLine stock preparation system including wet end process and a VariPlus winder. The facility is designed to produce around 100,000 tons per year of various paper grades. An offline coating machine enables variable coating orders and combinations, resulting in an enormous range of grades. This exten- sive range of different paper grades and basis weights from 22 gsm to 95 gsm is another unique selling point of the production line. PM 8 paper machine thus supplies already finished paper and raw paper for the further finishing process.
A special technical highlight is the MG cylinder, which has a diameter of 7,315 mm, the largest of its kind worldwide at the time of installation. The cylinder gives the paper its unique smoothness, which is essen- tial for optimum downstream processing. Thanks to the MCB air dryers, the coated paper is dried ex- tremely gently and without contact, while at the same time maintaining high thermal efficiency. A spe- cial calender design ensures final calendering of the specialty p
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