Paperboard packaging specialist M-real says a €60m investment at its Simpele Board mill in Finland has resulted in “dramatic improvements” to its Simcote and Simwhite folding boxboard (FBB) ranges, which will improve yield for converters and brand owners, reduce material consumption and converting and packaging waste and enhance runnability and on-shelf impact.
The mill has also introduced an ultra-fast delivery service.
In a major rebuild to the Simpele board machine, all three head-boxes, the surface sizer and reeler have been replaced, alongside major changes in the drying section and a renovation of the plant's finishing department.
Annual board production capacity rises from 170,000 tonnes to 215,000 tonnes, but M-real says the rebuild's biggest benefit has been to improve Simcote and Simwhite's lightweighting properties; both now offer the potential for 5-9% yield increases, i.e. more cartons from less material. With the boards' greater bulk and stiffness, specifying FBB in place of “cheaper” materials such as white line chip should also “prove economically viable for more users”.
Riikka Joukio, vice-president, marketing, M-real Consumer Packaging, adds: “The lightweighting achieved with the latest Simcote and Simwhite boards could see considerable advantages for supermarkets under unprecedented pressure to reduce packaging consumption and waste. Customers can expect up to 44% savings in weight over traditional boxboards, combined with additional performance improvements. Lightweight paperboards consume fewer raw materials and less energy and, by requiring less material for the same number of packs, also cut transportation costs.”
The rebuild has also seen significant aesthetic improvements to the boards; with “an enhanced visual appearance” on both sides, providing a better base for printing and laminating.
Simcote is a fully coated, moisture-resistant FBB with very high stiffness and bulk offering 84% top brightness, available in weights from 205-340 g/m2. It is particularly recommended for foods (including frozen goods), pharma products and consumer durables. Simwhite, available in 200-400 g/m2 weights,
is especially suitable for confectionery, bakery and tea products, cards and covers, point-of-sale and multimedia material. Both boards can be printed offset, gravure or flexo.
M-real says its new Express Board delivery service, made possible via a new reel warehouse and sheet cutter at Simpele, will ensure orders in any sheet size leave the mill within three days. On average consignments should reach customers in the Nordic countries within a week, the UK and central Europe within 1.5-2, and southern Europe in 2-3.
