Higher quality, improved paper strength, better printing and converting qualities are the results of a major investment in the latest kraft paper production technology by international paper manufacturing group, UPM-Kymmene. It will also contribute to higher environmental standards and greater energy conservation.

A FIM 200 m (Euro 33.4 m) investment has just been completed in its Wisapaper kraft paper manufacturing facilities at Pietarsaari in Finland. The refurbishment of paper machine, PM1, has increased capacity of the Wisapaper kraft paper range by 25,000 tonnes to 160,000 tonnes a year. This plant is now believed to be the largest of its kind in Europe.
"The rebuilding of the kraft-making machine represents the first major investment in kraft and sack paper within UPM since the 1970s," says Berndt Brunow, President of UPM Converting, the second largest division within the group.
Kraft paper is a relatively small but significant part of the paper products industry representing around 4 per cent of total production world-wide. "This investment represents commitment. It signals a clear message that we are in this business to stay," points out Sören Slotte, UPM-Kymmene Wisapaper marketing director.

Competitive material
"The aim is to provide a competitively priced packaging material into the next milennium. We intend to be recognised as meeting the needs of our customers better than anyone else in the industry", states Brunow.
This investment is mainly aimed at improving the quality and key characteristics of kraft paper such as increased strength, printability, and runnability demanded by customers. These enhanced characteristics add up to savings in material and time in converting. For example, in sack-making, the number of paper plies can be reduced from three to two, and grammage or paper used cut from 90 g/m² to 80g/m². UPM-Kymmene customers convert kraft paper into a wide range of packaging and other products such as reel wraps, food packaging and shopping bags. The machine makes white and brown kraft paper that is sold under the SwanWhite, WisaKraft, WisaForte and WisaBase brands.
The refurbished machine, rebuilt by the German engineering firm, Voith Sulzer Ravensburg, now operates to higher energy efficiency and environmental standards. The steam consumption was reduced remarkably.
Alongside this investment, UPM Converting has also invested FIM 120 m (Euro 20 m) at its sack paper mill at Tervasaari mill in Finland. This has raised capacity to
115 000 tonnes a year while increasing the overall quality and strength of the product.
Today UPM-Kymmene is the fourth largest paper products manufacturing group world-wide. It has a workforce of 32,000 producing more than 8 m tonnes of paper products annually. Turnover during 1998 was FIM 49.7 billion (Euro 8.4 bn).

Captions:

Fig. 1 The refurbished PM1 at UPM-Kymmene plants in Pietarsaari in Finland now has a capacity of 160,000 tonnes a year making it the largest of its kind in Europe.

Fig. 2 MF-kraft papers from Wisapaper in Finland are widely used throughout Europe for products including sugar and flour bags.

For more information contact:
Martin Sweins
UPM-Kymmene Oyj
Wisapaper
Po Box 42
Fin-68601 Jakobstad/Pietarsaari
Finland
Tel: +358 (0)204 16 113
Fax: +358 (0)204 16 8805

United Kingdom

Alf Houghton
UPM Specialty Papers Ltd
2, Victoria Street
Altrincham, WA14 1ET
Tel: +44 161 929 4547
Fax: +44 870 606 0875
E-mail:alf.houghton@upm-kymmene.com

Eero Cronvall
UPM Specialty Papers Ltd
2, Victoria Street
Altrincham, WA14 1ET
Tel: +44 161 929 4583
Fax: +44 870 606 0875
E-mail:eero.cronvall@upm-kymmene.com

U.S.A. / Canada

Erik Björkenheim
UPM-Kymmene INC
875 N. Michigan Avenue Suite 3848
Chicago, IL 60611
U.S.A.
Tel: +1 312 475 2115
Fax: +1 312 642 1968

Hong Kong

Andie Ho
UPM-Pack(H.K.)Limited
Rm 2606 Mega Trade Centre
1-6 mei Wan Street
Tsuen Wan.N.T.
Tel: +852 2413 0900
Fax: +852 2611 9337

Jin Chen-Hua
Shanghai Office
Rm 304,528 Tiantong Road
Shanghai 200085
P.R.China
Tel: +86 21 635 77068
Fax: +86 21 635 77900

Singapore

Desmond Chew
UPM Specialty Papers
350 Orchard Road
#18-04 Shaw House
Singapore 238868
Tel: +65 835 0133
Fax: +65 835 3881