International Paper to convert UFS to linerboard, containerboard

International Paper  announced plans to invest approximately $300 million to convert its paper machine in Alabama from uncoated freesheet to high quality whitetop linerboard and containerboard. The conversion is targeted to be completed by mid-year 2019. The investment will add 450,000 tons of annual capacity, with flexibility to shift between containerboard products.
“Our customers expect us to support their growth and this machine conversion will meet their needs,” said Tim Nicholls, IP’s

Staff Writer, 19 November 2017

UPM strengthens its digital presence

UPM Specialty Papers has strengthened its digital presence by launching www.upmspecialtypapers.com.
The new website offers a quick and easy access to comprehensive information on UPM Specialty Papers’ extensive range of specialty papers, service solutions and responsible operations. The UPM Paper Online Catalogue, where UPM’s vast paper portfolio can easily be browsed, can also be accessed via the new website. Visitors can also stay informed with the latest news of the company on the new

Staff Writer, 16 October 2017

Mondi to postpone investment

Mondi announced that it has decided to postpone its $159.4 million investment in a new 90,000 tonne per annum machine glazed speciality kraft paper machine at its Steti mill in the Czech Republic.
In January of this year, Mondi announced plans to invest a total of EUR 470 million in the modernisation and expansion of the Steti mill. The project consists of the installation of a new recovery boiler, the rebuild of the fibre lines, the debottlenecking of the paper machines and an investment in a

Staff Writer, 16 October 2017

UPM launches magazine paper for CSWO printing

Paper manufacturer UPM has launched a new innovation, UPM Impresse plus C, an SC paper custom-developed for coldset web offset printing. UPM Impresse plus C offers a smoother, glossier finish and magazine-quality result for CSWO printing.
“Customers with coldset presses told us they needed to make better use of their capacity and expand into new areas of commercial printing but they couldn’t compete with the quality of heatset and rotogravure printers,” explains Olli Juntunen, product manager at

Staff Writer, 16 August 2017

Mills to hike prices of paper due to increasing cost of raw materials

More paper price rises are on the way with global suppliers James Cropper and Mitsubishi HiTec Paper both announcing significant price hikes that will take effect in coming weeks.
Mitsubishi HiTec, manufacturer of coated specialty papers, is increasing prices for its Thermoscript thermal paper and Giroform carbonless paper by 6-7%, effective Sept.
“Further increases in costs for pulp, chemicals and logistics make this adjustment necessary,” the company told customers in a letter.
About 700

Staff Writer, 16 August 2017

August Koehler starts new machine at mill

German specialty paper producer Papierfabrik August Koehler said that it intends to invest approximately half a billion Euro by the year 2020 to grow the company, and a primary investment of EUR 300 million is earmarked for the installation of a specialty paper machine with a Yankee cylinder at the company’s Kehl paper mill in Germany, reported PaperAge.  
In a statement the manufacturer announced ‘The off-machine coater will be equipped with multiple cutting-edge coating application

Staff Writer, 16 August 2017

Verso to shut paper machine

Verso Corporation  announced plans to permanently shut down the No. 3 paper machine and associated equipment at its Androscoggin Mill in Jay, Maine, reducing annual coated paper production capacity at the mill by approximately 200,000 tons.
The No. 3 paper machine and a recovery boiler and digester that support it were idled in January of this year in response to declining customer demand that resulted in more coated paper capacity than could be filled. Most products made on the No. 3 paper

Staff Writer, 16 August 2017

Idempapers rescue bid fails, mill to close down as attempts fail

Belgian papermaker Idempapers is likely to shut down after attempts to find a buyer for the business failed.
The company makes a range of specialty papers for offset and digital printing. It was formed through a management buy-out at Arjowiggins Belgium in 2009.
It is well-known for its Idem carbonless paper range and claims to be the market leader in this area, although the market for carbonless paper has declined substantially over the past decade.   It also makes other specialist papers

Staff Writer, 13 July 2017

Neenah’s new screen print stencil paper turns heads

Neenah Paper showed one of the star products at last week’s Fespa exhibition in Hamburg – a new type of transfer paper that simplifies the production of small-format screens for screen printers.
The firm’s ExoStencil Screen Prep Paper allows printers to quickly and easily make screens up to A3 size without the need for chemicals. The process involves three steps. First, the required design is printed onto an ExoStencil imaging sheet in a laserprinter – Neenah recommends an OKI model. Then a dry

Staff Writer, 15 June 2017

Sappi to present first sustainable packaging at Interpack

Sappi has collaborated with Felix Schoeller Group to first jointly developed paper-based packaging solution is part of the Sappi Guard range. It has high barrier properties with integrated barriers against water vapour, oxygen and grease. In addition, it also has excellent sealing properties. The 100 g/m2 paper composite is a sustainable solution and a very good alternative to existing commercially available plastic and aluminium packaging. Developed for the food sector, it consists of 80%

Staff Writer, 16 May 2017

JP to invest in Australasian

Japan Pulp and Paper (JP) has announced its plan to buy a 51% stake in the soon-to-be merged businesses of Australiasian paper and packaging suppliers BJ Ball (Page Pack Pty Ltd) and KW Doggett.
In a deal subject to several approvals, including that of the ACCC, BJ Ball, an importer and wholesaler of paper, packaging and related products and KW Doggett, importer and merchant of fine papers are set to merge their businesses, and JP will purchase a 51% stake in the merged entity to the value of

Staff Writer, 16 May 2017

Australian Paper demands level playing field for products

Australia’s only manufacturer of printing and packaging paper has expressed grave concern about calls for the removal of trade barriers for Indonesian paper products.
Allegations that Indonesia and other countries have already dumped cheap A4 copy paper in Australia have been the subject of an Anti-Dumping Commission (ADC) inquiry that’s expected to hand down its final report on or before 17 March 2017.
During a visit to Australia last month to discuss a proposed free trade deal, Indonesian

Staff Writer, 20 April 2017

Stora to close paper machine at Swedish Mill

Stora Enso is targeting savings of €12m with plans to permanently close a paper machine at its Kvarnsveden Mill in Sweden.
The closure of paper machine 8 (PM8) at the Kvarnsveden Mill, part of the paper giant’s broader ongoing restructure that includes the reorganisation of its Swedish site, will put around 140 jobs at risk.
The manufacturer is proposing to close PM8 by the end of the second quarter this year. The machine has an annual capacity of 100,000 tonnes of super-calendered (SC) uncoated

Staff Writer, 20 April 2017

Leading the way in waste paper recycling

Looking at waste paper as a resource instead of a liability will help the paper and print industry go a long way in adopting sustainable natural resource management.   
According to the World Bank, about 1.6 billion people depend on forest resources for their livelihoods. Of this, 60m people are fully dependent on forests, while an additional 350m depend on them primarily for income and subsistence.
Forests also play an important role in climate regulation by absorbing and storing carbon dioxide

Staff Writer, 20 April 2017

Goudsmit on recycling

Goudsmit highlights use of its magnetic filter for removing steel wires from paper pulp.
The metal separation expert Koen Böggemann recently visited a large paper mill in the Netherlands. The company was looking for a solution for removing steel wires from the paper pulp. These steel wires end up in the pulp as a result of incomplete removal of the binding wires that hold the bales of cellulose together. This is done before the cellulose is processed into pulp.
Koen: “As a result of the automated

Staff Writer, 20 April 2017

More paper price rises are on the way, say manufacturers

Soon after paper price increases of up to 10% were implemented across the board, a number of mills have now announced subsequent increases for coated and uncoated woodfree grades.
Lecta is set to increase European prices of all two-side coated woodfree grades in sheets and reels by 8% to 9%, effective with deliveries from 13th March.
“The price movement is unavoidable to offset rising manufacturing costs, particularly energy, pulp, latex and other raw materials,” the firm said in a statement.

Staff Writer, 15 March 2017

Mondi to invest EUR 470 million in modernisation of paper mill

Mondi announced that it will invest EUR 470 million in the modernisation and expansion of the Steti mill in the Czech Republic, subject to obtaining approval.  The project consists of the installation of a new recovery boiler, the rebuild of the fibre lines, the debottlenecking of the paper machines and an investment in a new 90,000 tonnes per annum machine glazed kraft paper machine.
The new recovery boiler and rebuilt fibre lines are expected to start up in late 2018, while the new paper

Staff Writer, 15 March 2017

Containerboard mill invests EUR 20 million

Hamburger Containerboard said it has completed an EUR 20 million paper machine upgrade project at its mill in Germany.  The mill produces  white testliner and grey plasterboard.
The project included increasing the machine’s production width to 5 meters, along with upgrades to the film press and drying section. In addition, a new pope reeler to accommodate wider diameters and an upgraded soft-nip calendar were installed.
The updated production line now has the capacity to produce 250,000 tons of

Staff Writer, 15 March 2017

Lecta increases prices of paper

In February this year, Lecta  announced a price increase for its carbonless paper deliveries, effective March 1, 2017.
The price increase will range from 5 to 6%, depending on product format and country, Lecta said.
In a press release Lecta said, “The price increase is unavoidable to offset rising manufacturing costs, particularly energy, pulp, latex and other raw materials.
“Lecta sales teams are at our customers’ disposal to provide specific information on how the price increase will be applied

Staff Writer, 15 March 2017

Mepco Gulf with its European partner conducted a conference

Mepco Gulf with its European partner International Paper conducted a special conference at Shangri La Hotel, Dubai on 26th of January and presented their specialty products in Digital papers and how they can further enhance the image of HP. The presentation included a presentation of International Paper company, the HP range, Colorlok technology and environmental credentials.
International Paper Worldwide was founded in 1898 and they are one of the world’s largest producers of paper and

Staff Writer, 16 February 2017

Sappi, Felix Schoeller will jointly develop sustainable packaging Solutions

Sappi Europe and Germany-based Felix Schoeller Group have entered into a collaboration agreement that includes the joint development of sustainable barrier paper solutions for flexible packaging applications. The two companies will be combining competencies in their respective business fields in the future in order to provide brand owners with more sustainable packaging solutions for their products.
Sappi is a leading global manufacturer of speciality paper and carton board. In recent years

Staff Writer, 16 February 2017

Stora reconsiders plan for chemical pulp mill

Stora Enso has initiated a process with the Government of Guangxi, China with the target to remove the authorisation for the hardwood chemical pulp mill from its investment permit, reported PaperAge.
Stora Enso has previously announced that it considers building a chemical pulp mill at its Beihai Mill site, once the consumer board machine is up and running. The final decision is yet to come in.
“The market demand for high-quality food packaging board will continue to grow in China and

Staff Writer, 16 February 2017

FINAT will host event in Berlin

The international labelling association, FINAT will be hosting its  prime annual event, the European Label Forum in Berlin. The event will be held between 7th-9th June this year.
It will bring together a spectrum of industry leaders, from label converters to raw material suppliers, media and stakeholders, to debate major  business topics, gain in-depth market knowledge, and be inspired by a programme of top international speakers. It also hosts FINAT’s annual General Assembly, and the

Staff Writer, 16 February 2017

BillerudKorsnäs to invest over $600m in new board machine

The board of BillerudKorsnäs has  made the decision to carry out the largest investment in the history of the company and one of the largest in Sweden in recent years — the investment in a new board machine at the Gruvön site. The decision has been made in view of growing demand for sustainable packaging solutions for food and beverages globally.
The investment of SEK 5.7 billion (approx. USD 622.25 million) includes the construction of a new board machine at the Gruvön production site and

Staff Writer, 16 January 2017

De La Rue: ‘minute traces’ of animal products in polymer

The tallow backlash that has engulfed the Bank of England has also caused De La Rue to revisit its polymer formulation, PrintWeek can reveal.
The world’s largest security printer lays claim to being the only vertically integrated producer of polymer substrates and banknotes, encompassing manufacturing, design and printing. It launched its Safeguard polymer substrate in 2012.
It had initially seemed that Safeguard was free from animal products, and therefore ‘vegan’.
De La Rue has now revisited the

Staff Writer, 16 January 2017

New UPM product catalogue 2017 out sample books available

UPM has announced that its  paper product catalogue 2017 and sample books are now available.  The German and French version of the paper product catalogue will be published soon.
“The printed product catalogue gives our customers the perfect overview. It is complemented by our comprehensive UPM Paper Catalogue online”, says Antti Pokkinen, Director, Product Portfolio, UPM Paper ENA (Europe and North America).
More details on the papers are available on UPM Paper Catalogue online, providing

Staff Writer, 16 January 2017

IP strenghtens position

International Paper  has finalized $2.2 billion purchase of Weyerhaeuser’s pulp business.  Because the transaction is a purchase of assets, Interna-tional Paper expects to realize a tax benefit with an estimated net present value of approximately $300 million.
International Paper expects annual synergies of approximately $175 million by the end of 2018, which will require the need for one-time costs of approximately $85 million.
“This transaction positions International Paper as the premier

Staff Writer, 16 January 2017

UPM reduces capacity by closing mills in Austria and Germany

UPM is planning to permanently reduce its graphic paper capacity in Europe by 305,000 tonnes. The capacity reductions are planned to take place in Austria and Germany.
UPM plans to permanently close two paper machines:  SC paper machine 3 at UPM Steyrermühl, Austria and  SC paper machine 2 at UPM Augsburg, Germany. 
The plan would result in annual cost savings of about EUR 30 Million. UPM would book charges of approximately EUR 75 Million as an item affecting comparability in Q4 2016. Of the

Staff Writer, 22 December 2016

Zanders launches new digital paper for high-end packaging

German paper manufacturer Zanders has launched Zanpack silk digital paper for high-end packaging and added it to its Zanpack range.
Zanpack silk digital was launched in October 2016, and joins three other papers in the portfolio: Zanpack silk, Zanpack silk 2 and Zanpack touch, all of which were launched in May 2016.
Sales director John Tucker said: “As a mill we are developing a full portfolio of packaging papers and boards. We have a complete label portfolio so to give the customers the same

Staff Writer, 22 December 2016

James Cropper profits and revenue up

Cumbrian papermaker James Cropper has posted strong revenue and profit growth in its half-year results.  For the six-month period ending 1 October 2016, revenue grew by 7.8% to £45.4m, up from £42.1m for the same period last year.
The firm said it will continue to target growth in this segment during the second half by focusing on key growth markets, including packaging and photo papers.
It also noted it has already launched a raft of new products this year, including Dolcelicious advanced food

Staff Writer, 22 December 2016