“We have a strong intention to achieve together something extraordinary at all levels of cooperation, whether in management or in technology.”
ANDREAS RAUSCHER
CEO, Zellstoff Pöls AG
Pöls: One plus one is more than two.
Wood, pulp, and paper have long determined the fortunes of the Pöls community in Styria. Here Heinzel Pöls produces longfiber sulfate pulp and kraft papers. With an additional production line based on the exceptional ANDRITZ PrimeLine paper machine, the Heinzel Group site is now focusing more than ever on the world market.
Mountains, forests, trees. Earthy brown and lush green. Visitors to Pöls can already sense from a distance what the heartbeat of the small community in Styria feels like. And the closer they get to the factory buildings and towers of Heinzel Pöls rising into the sky, the more certain they become that Austrian Heinzel Group’s mill – where long-fiber sulfate pulp and kraft papers are produced – has shaped the fortunes of the town and region for many decades.
More than 500 people work at the site, and signs are pointing towards further growth. After a PrimeLine MG paper machine from ANDRITZ, PM2, went into operation back in 2013, another even more powerful machine, PM3, followed in the summer of 2019. With this machine, production has taken a giant step forward; capacities have increased from 100,000 tonnes to 200,000 tonnes of white kraft paper per year. This marks the dawn of a new era for Heinzel Pöls. It has finally become a global player, marketing its “STARKRAFT” brand across emerging markets worldwide. Heinzel Pöls actively contributes to solutions for sustainably packaged food as their importance grows in supermarkets and fast food restaurants.
ANDRITZ is assisting the company in its aims.
PM3 – MACHINE DESIGN AT A GLANCE
- Annual capacity 100,000 t
- Design speed 1,400 m/min
- Working width 5.4 m
- MG papers for flexible packaging and release: 20–70 g/m2
- Commissioning: 05/2019 – two weeks ahead of schedule
“ANDRITZ does not simply supply machines, but also supports us in the role of consultant and system supplier from the first to the last moments of a project. The formula 'one plus one is more than two' really does apply to the relationship between our two companies.”
Five TwinFlo disc refiners enable smooth and efficient refining.
The 24 ft MG steel Yankee is the largest of its kind worldwide.
A SPECIAL MACHINE CONCEPT
The PM3 project launched in August 2017 bears witness to this. As with PM2, ANDRITZ developed and supplied the new production line, including stock preparation and approach flow system, automation technology, process pumps and, of course, the paper machine itself.
The customized concept, which is characterized by efficient refining, a specially designed wire section, and a closed draw press, among other elements, is unique. The configuration allows flexible production of paper qualities with maximum strength, high printability, and low basis weight. “PM3 specializes in high-quality papers with basis weights of less than 28 g/m2, thus perfectly complementing PM2,” says Werner Hartmann, Managing Director Starkraft, Business Unit of Heinzel Pöls.
“Due to their low basis weight, these paper grades are environmentally friendly and have a very good price-performance ratio.”
WERNER HARTMANN
COO Heinzel Pöls
Managing Director Starkraft
SCOPE OF SUPPLY
Some special machine components are required to produce MG paper. An impressive component is the high-precision steel Yankee, where the paper is dried and the required surface property of the paper is created. The “PrimeDry MG Steel Yankee” from ANDRITZ, with a diameter of 7.315 meters and a weight of 200 tonnes, is the largest of its kind worldwide. “Logistics was one of the most exciting phases of the project,” recalls Siegfried Gruber, Head of Project Engineering at Heinzel Pöls.
SUCCESSFUL START, GOOD PROSPECTS
Another innovative component is the Vertical Screw Thickener (VST). Due to its vertical design, the VST has a small footprint and takes up relatively little space.
The Vertical Screw Thickener (VST) is located before the pulp storage tank that feeds the PM2 and PM3.
The vertical design has additional advantages; pulp fed in from above is dewatered by means of gravity and additional mechanically caused pressure. The entire available screening area at the bottom of the screw is fully used – resulting in high efficiency; the VST dewaters the pulp in Pöls from an inlet consistency of 3% to up to 30% at the outlet – a peak value.
Without a doubt, the PM3 marks a milestone for Pöls.
