Voith Paper Recieves Order for VariFlex Winder from Stora Enso

Heidenheim, Germany, 04 September 2006 -- For the PM 2 at its plant in Fors, Sweden, the Stora Enso Group has ordered a winder for high-quality coated paper boards (basis weights of 150 to 400 g/m²) from Voith Paper in Krefeld, Germany.

Because coating technology has taken an enormous technology leap in the last few years, coatings are increasingly being used for paperboard. These kinds of paper are challenging to roll up. The goal is to minimize shiny spots by means of adjustments of position while rolling up. For this, the rolling bed has to be soft enough to handle the rolls gently, but also sufficiently stable to cope with vibrations and the formation of dust.

In the case of Stora Enso Fors, the suitability of the ElaCare coating technology was demonstrated in extensive tests at the Krefeld Paper Technology Center - Finishing and confirmed in subsequent live applications at reference installations. Moreover, the VariFlex has a whole array of technical features, such as a slitter section composed of compact cutter units that get by without the trailing cable installation that until now was common, a cutting and surface dust extraction system, and an adhesive tape dispenser for automatic start and finish gluing.

The machine is topped off with a roll transport system that is installed behind the new winder and provides for gentle transport of the individual rolls.

The start of operation of the VariFlex is planned for August 2007.

Technical specifications:

Working width: max. 3950 mm
Dto. take-up max. 2100 mm
Design speed max. 2800 m/min

Voith Paper is a division of the Voith Group and one of the leading partners to the paper industry. Founded on 1 January 1867, The comapny now has approximately 30,000 employees at more than 200 locations worldwide, and a turnover of EURO 3.5 billion. Voith is also one of Europe's large family-owned companies.