Shandong Sun Paper successfully starts up Metso finishing line

The comprehensive finishing line supplied by Metso Paper and Valmet-Xian to Shandong Sun Paper Co., Ltd. came on stream ahead of schedule on Wednesday, 10 August 2005. The PM 20 finishing line, located in Sun Paper's Yanzhou mill in the eastern province of Shandong, consists of a state-of-the-art off-machine coater with ValCoat Jet stations, an integrated OptiSoft matte calendering unit and an off-machine OptiLoad multinip calender for glossy grades.

"We chose this type of finishing concept, as it optimizes both capacity and quality in the production of top-quality coated woodfree grades", states <b>Mr. Ying Guangdong</b>, Deputy General Manager and Chief Engineer of Sun Paper Group.

Sun Paper's PM 20 off-machine coater will produce glossy and matte grades with final basis weights of 80-230 g/m². Trim width on the coating machine is 4,870 mm at reel and the design speed is 1,500 m/min, allowing a maximum daily production of 900 metric tons. The automation package is based on metsoDNA technology, including quality control, condition and runnability monitoring systems.

The PM 20 finishing line is Metso Paper's and Valmet-Xian's fourth delivery to Shandong Sun Paper Co., Ltd. Earlier deliveries include 4-ply coated board lines BM 17 and BM 18, which were started up in 2001 and 2003, as well as the PM 19 fine paper machine, which came on stream in August 2004. In addition, Metso's deliveries to the Sun Paper Group companies include the BM 1 and BM 2 board lines to Dongguan Jianhui Paper Co. Ltd., which is a joint venture of Sun Paper Co. Ltd.

Shandong Sun Paper Co., Ltd. was established in 1982, and is today the largest privately owned paper producer in China. The company currently runs a total of 19 paper and board machines, with a total capacity of over 1.2 million metric tons.

Metso is a global technology corporation serving customers in the pulp and paper industry, rock and minerals processing, energy industry as well as in selected other industries. In 2004, the net sales of Metso Corporation were approx. EUR 4 billion, and it has some 23,000 employees in more than 50 countries. Metso's shares are listed in the Helsinki and New York Stock Exchanges

For more information, please contact: Veijo Siren, Project Manager, Metso Paper Tel. +358 40 511 6715 veijo.siren@metso.com