Voith successfully rebuilds Stora Enso’s PM 6 into Europe’s largest XcelLine board machine
Voith has successfully completed the rebuild of Stora Enso’s PM 6 in Oulu, northern Finland, the northernmost university city in Europe. Following the modernization, the mill now achieves an annual capacity of 750,000 tons of high-quality folding boxboard (FBB) and coated kraft back (CKB), with a wire width of 9,000 mm.
For Stora Enso, it was essential that the rebuilt line would deliver optimal production efficiency while meeting the highest environmental standards, particularly in terms of heat recovery. With this upgrade, the company has achieved the highest production capacity in Europe for premium packaging grades based on folding boxboard and CKB, thereby setting a new industry record.
“Thanks to Voith Paper’s expertise, we are now able to produce an impressive 750,000 tons of high-quality coated primary fiber board,” said Matti Lielahti, Mill Manager at Stora Enso in Oulu. “We are very satisfied with our collaboration with Voith, and with this project we have once again seen the value of a long-term and trusting partnership. After the PM 6 production line had been idle for several years, the new XcelLine is opening up new market opportunities and strengthening our position.”
“We are very proud to have helped Stora Enso achieve this record through our customized XcelLine solution and our strong partnership,” emphasized Ralf Sorg, President of the Projects Division at Voith Paper. “The modernized PM 6 enables significant efficiency gains with low maintenance requirements, ensuring the fastest possible ROI.”
Tailor-made solution for efficiency and sustainability
The rebuild was carefully tailored to Stora Enso’s requirements, making it possible to reach high production volumes with maximum efficiency and sustainability. The scope of supply included all key components of a Voith XcelLine paper machine: headbox, wire, press and dryer sections, coating units and reel. Among the main technologies were a three-layer wire section with DuoFormer D II, and the high-performance Triple NipcoFlex shoe press, enabling maximum production output with premium quality while minimizing specific energy and production costs.
The machine also features a SpeedSizer system and four DynaCoat AT coating units with JetFlow F applicators, ensuring flexibility and consistent product quality. Both SpeedSizer and DynaCoat AT incorporate carbon fiber elements to guarantee profile stability at all speeds. In addition, Voith supplied the EcoCal HiBulk calender, which preserves volume while delivering excellent stiffness, smoothness and printability.
“The completion of this project marks a significant milestone for Voith Paper and our partnership with Stora Enso,” noted Matthias Laubenberger, Project Manager at Voith Paper. “We are very proud to have completed the largest rebuild in Europe on schedule. The close cooperation between our teams in Heidenheim and Finland ensured a smooth and efficient process.”
Industrial design: functionality meets aesthetics
The dryer hood was extensively redesigned as part of the project. The new EcoHood 65, operating at a dew point of up to 65°C, reduces supply and exhaust air volumes, thereby cutting steam and electricity consumption. Its industrial design, including an innovative LED color display, combines functionality with aesthetics, aligning with Voith’s Papermaking Vision design concept.
The CombiDuoRun drying concept ensures efficient two-sided drying of the paper web, preventing curl even at high speeds. Two VariFlex Performance winders are also in operation.
Digitalization and automation solutions include the OnControl.Machine MCS for automation, the OnQuality quality control system, and the OnCare.Health condition monitoring solution. The dataPARC cloud serves as the IIoT platform.
Voith’s supply also covered four sets of paper machine fabrics and complete doctor blades. To support smooth operation, Stora Enso’s personnel received intensive training on fabric seam closures, press felts, shoe press sleeves and forming fabrics. Exceptional 24/7 technical support was provided for ten weeks, during which initial optimization insights were already collected from the running machine.
Global expertise with a local presence
The project combined Voith’s global expertise with strong local support. Under a service agreement, Voith’s local team will remain on site in Oulu to further optimize performance. “Our collaboration with the Stora Enso team will continue even after the project completion. The support agreement ensures ideal assistance during the early days, followed by ongoing service to guarantee the best performance of the XcelLine,” explained Juha Behm, Director P&S at Voith Paper Finland. The successful execution highlights Voith’s reliability as a full-line supplier and its commitment to innovation and customer satisfaction.
About Stora Enso
As part of the global bioeconomy, Stora Enso is a leading provider of renewable solutions for packaging, biomaterials, wooden construction and paper, and ranks among the world’s largest private forest owners. The company believes that “everything made from fossil-based materials today can be made from a tree tomorrow.” Stora Enso employs around 22,000 people, and in 2022 its net sales amounted to EUR 11.7 billion.
