US-based corrugated box manufacturer Pratt Industries is investing in Voith’s customized BlueLine stock preparation system.
Image: The Voith BlueLine stock preparation system. Photo: courtesy of Voith GmbH.
The BlueLine stock system is being installed at the Pratt Industries’ new corrugated packaging mill in Wapakoneta, Ohio, US.
Planned to be commissioned in the second half of 2019, the stock preparation system will be able to handle approximately 425,000 tons of recycled fiber annually.
The stock preparation system will feature reliable material handling with automatic wire cutting, reject compactors, sludge handling, water clarification and effluent treatment.
Voith said that these elements of the preparation system are similar to a previous stock preparation system which was installation at the Pratt Industries mill in Valparaiso, Indiana.
Voith Paper North America stock preparation project sales vice-president Michael Hmielewski said: “Pratt was very pleased with the Valparaiso installation and the equipment performance there. With those successes, as well as the service and aftermarket support we provide, Pratt was interested in working with us again at Wapakoneta.
“Now we are working beside them to continuously enhance our services based on the raw material quality fluctuations.”
Earlier this year, Pratt Industries has selected Valmet to supply a new OptiConcept M automated board production line for installation at the paper mill in Wapakoneta.
The new machine will be equipped with a 6.24m-wide wire and will feature a basis weight ranging between 127g/m² and 195g/m².
With an annual production capacity of 360,000t, the machine will have a design speed of 1,100m/min.
Pratt Industries global chairman Anthony Pratt earlier said: “We want to help many companies to meet their sustainability goals without sacrificing their high-performance packaging requirements.
“That’s important not only for our environment but also for our customers who realise the importance of sustainable packaging.”
For the mill, Valmet will supply the PM 17 OptiConcept M line, which employs a new and modular approach to design, build and operate a paper machine.
The Wapakoneta paper mill will use fully recovered paper to produce lightweight and high-performance linerboard and corrugated medium.