Successful OptiCoater Start-up at Condat, France

Published Dec 28, 1999 00.00.00 +2 GMT

The Valmet 4-station OptiCoater coating machine in the production line no. 45 at the Condat mill has successfully started up ahead of schedule on December 14, 1999. The total delivery time from contract to start-up was just a little over one year. The installation time was extremely short and proves Valmet's leadership in modern coater technology.

The main machines of this project include a new generation OptiCoater coating machine with four OptiCoat Jet coating heads, one OptiReel Plus reel, one OptiReel rereeler and one ValReel. Valmet also delivered automation and machine controls for the new coating machine. The machinery represents the most modern coater and reel technology in the world.

This was Valmet’s third OptiCoater to start up in a short time and the second one for coated woodfree grades.

The OptiCoater is a second-generation coating machine with optimized unwinding, pigment handling, color application, drying, web handling, reeling, environmental protection and process control features.

The OptiCoater can be installed both on- and off-machine to any paper or board coating line. With an OptiCoater a papermaker typically gains over 30% more production capacity compared to conventional coater concepts.

The design speed of this off-machine OptiCoater is 1200 m/min, 3940 ft/min and the web width 4600 mm, 181 in. The line produces triple coated fine paper with basis weights from 110 g/m2 to 250 g/m2.

Condat is a part of Lecta. They have a turnover of 1.9 billion French francs and employ 900 people.