Successful start-up of ANDRITZ Papillon refiner at Sofidel, UK

The aim of Sofidel's upgrade project was to increase the production capacity of the tissue production line and to improve the final product quality. Both ANDRITZ’ many years of experience in LC-refining and the very short delivery time of just seven weeks were decisive for Sofidel in placing the order with ANDRITZ. The new machine is the fourth Papillon refiner installed in the Sofidel Group.

The ANDRITZ Papillon cylindrical refiner has been successful on the market for 15 years and has proven its fiber development capability in tissue production lines as well as in specialty paper applications. The proven advantages of the ANDRITZ Papillon refiner concept are:

• Improved fiber development when compared with conventional refiners
• Enhanced paper properties and reduced energy consumption for the papermaking process
• Reduction of over 40% in no-load power consumption compared to similar-sized conventional refiners

The Sofidel Group is one of the world market leaders in the production and conversion of tissue paper for hygienic and domestic use, such as toilet paper, napkins, kitchen paper, facials, and handkerchiefs. From its headquarters in Porcari (Lucca), Italy, Sofidel coordinates the activities of 20 companies located in 13 countries throughout Europe and the United States, which produce more than one million tons of paper per year.

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The ANDRITZ GROUP
ANDRITZ is a globally leading supplier of plants, equipment, and services for hydropower stations, the pulp and paper industry, the metalworking and steel industries, and for solid/liquid separation in the municipal and industrial sectors. The publicly listed technology Group is headquartered in Graz, Austria, and has a staff of approximately 24,200 employees. ANDRITZ operates over 250 sites worldwide.

ANDRITZ PULP & PAPER
ANDRITZ PULP & PAPER is a leading global supplier of equipment, systems, and services for the production and processing of all types of pulp, paper, tissue, and cardboard. The technologies cover the processing of logs, annual fibers, and waste paper; the production of chemical pulp, mechanical pulp, and recycled fibers; the recovery and reuse of chemicals; the preparation of paper machine furnish; the production of paper, tissue, and cardboard; the calendering and coating of paper; as well as treatment of reject materials and sludge. The service range includes modernization, rebuilds, spare and wear parts, service and maintenance, as well as machine transfer and second-hand equipment. Biomass, steam, and recovery boilers, as well as gasification plants for power generation, flue gas cleaning plants, plants for the production of nonwovens, dissolving pulp, and panelboards (MDF), as well as recycling plants are also allocated to the business area.