Rebuilt board machine at MM’s Frohnleiten mill is restarted

Austria’s MM Board & Paper has successfully re-started the KM3 board machine at its Frohnleiten mill after Andritz completed a major rebuild. The rebuild included several upgrade measures to improve the machine’s performance in line with the customer’s targets.

Mag. Gernot Schleiss, managing director of MM Frohnleiten, explains: “The main objective of our investment was the modernisation of the KM3 to enhance the quality of the end product, to reduce specific energy consumption and to increase productivity across the entire product range. We are convinced that ANDRITZ’s innovative PrimeLine technology will help us reach our targets.”

KM3 has a design speed of 800 metres per minute and a wire width of five metres. It produces folding boxboard (chromo duplex quality) in a range from 230 to

450 gsm. The rebuild comprised the modernisation of the wire section including approach flow systems, headboxes and hybrid former. In addition, Andritz’s scope included a new press section, the rebuild of the pre- dryer section, an upgrade of two under-machine pulpers, machine clothing and roll covers, adaption of the automation system, as well as assembly, start-up and production assistance.

MM Board & Paper is Europe’s

Graphic Packaging orders coated board machine for its Waco mill

Graphic Packaging International (GPI) has ordered a coated board machine from Valmet for its Waco mill in the United States, similar to the one that was delivered to GPI’s Kalamazoo mill in 2022. The start-up of the Waco machine is scheduled for early 2026.

“Valmet has offered us innovative yet proven technology to reach our high product quality targets. We have had a long and good cooperation with Valmet. Our relationship is based on mutual trust, which is very important in large projects like this one,” says Rusty Miller, senior vice president for engineering and technology at GPI.

The project includes equipment for stock preparation, approach flow systems, a board machine with extensive process ventilation scope, a wide Valmet DNA automation package and a winder. The delivery will also include Valmet Industrial Internet services.

The board machine will produce white line chip board largest board producer (excluding liquid packaging board). With a capacity of 540,000 tons per year, the Frohnleiten mill in Austria is Europe’s largest recycled cartonboard mill.

(WLC) grades, with an annual capacity of 456,000 metric tons. Atlanta, Georgia-based GPI produces paper-based packaging for a variety of products for the food, beverage, foodservice, and other consumer product sectors. With more than 130 sites worldwide and 24,000 employees its sales in 2022 were about $9 billion.