March 2008
By Annie Zhu, Features Editor
No sooner had Foshan Huafeng Paper celebrated the startup of PM 3 at its Zhuhai mill, Guangdong province, than the Chinese firm announced plans to increase the capacity of the new white lined chipboard (WLC) unit from 300,000 to 350,000 tonnes/yr.
PM 3, supplied by Metso Paper and its Chinese joint venture company Valmet-Xian, started commercial production at the greenfield mill in Zhuhai city in February 2007. Metso has been contracted to carry out the upgrade later this year.
"The technical revamp will focus on the pulp preparation and finishing part," explains vice factory director, Dick Lee. The value of the order is more than Euro 30 million ($44 million).
"The current operating speed is 585 m/min, and we expect the speed will reach 680 m/min after the technical revamp of the machine," he says.
The 4.65-m trim width PM 3 produces coated duplex board in a basis weight range of 250-450 g/m².
As is typical for Chinese board mills, Foshan Huafeng is reliant on imports for its recovered fiber (RCF). Most of the new mill's RCF is coming from Hong Kong and USA. "With our production output at 1,000 tonnes/day, we find it hard to collect recycled paper from home: China doesn't have a good wastepaper collecting system compared with other countries," says Lee.
Foshan Huafeng kicked off trial runs on PM 3 at the end of September 2006, having placed an order for a board line from Metso and a stock preparation system from Kadant Black Clawson (KBC) in 2004.
After the initial order was placed, parent company Foshan Huaxin Packaging signed a joint venture agreement with Stora Enso in October 2005, with a view to converting the WLC unit to produce virgin fiber cartonboard, such as liquid packaging board (LPB), cupstock and cigarette packaging board.
However, the Nordic giant backed out of the jv in January 2006 after due diligence revealed technical modifications to the PM would be more challenging than initially estimated, and that the project would not meet its profitability expectations. Despite this setback, Foshan Huafeng decided to press ahead with the original plan for a WLC unit.
Best product quality
Lee believes that the coated duplex board produced by PM 3 is among the best on the Chinese market in terms of its evenness and quality. He attributes the success to the advanced technology provided by Metso and good communications with the supplier.
"We chose Metso as the company is really good at talking to customers. Rather than giving us what they have, Metso provides us with tailor made technology and equipment to realize our aims," says the vice factory director.
"Metso has also provided good theoretical and practical training for the staff in the mill," adds Lee.
PM 3 is capable of producing a variety of cartonboard grades, including grayback and whiteback coated duplex board. But Foshan Huafeng intends for the machine to produce only grayback coated duplex board at this stage, as domestic demand for the grade is strong.
Output from PM 3 goes to companies producing color print packaging for consumer electronics, medicine, toys, and food and beverages (including alcoholic drinks).
Foshan Huafeng claims that the printing efficiency of board made on PM 3 is 20-30% higher than the current market average. Furthermore, the printing rejection rate is just 1-1.5%, compared with the Chinese average of 3-5%.
PM 3's output is sold mainly in southern China; some 20-30% is destined for export.
"The regions that we export to include Africa, Middle East, Southeast Asia, North America, South America, and Europe," explains Lee.
The vice factory director says Foshan Huafeng is aiming to sell into north, east and southwest China as well.
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