Valmet’s slitter blade package was rewarded at Nordic packaging competition ScanStar

Valmet’s slitter blade package is used for transporting the slitter blades back and forth between the customer mills and Valmet’s grinderies, as well as for blade storage by the winder at paper and board mills. The new sustainable slitter blade packaging is made of 100% recyclable cardboard, and it will gradually replace the old boxes made of metal and plastic.

I’m very happy for the acknowledgement, as it means our team has succeeded in developing a well-designed, functional and sustainable product out of something that started off as a small idea. The development of the packaging, however, wouldn’t have been possible without Stora Enso, whose expertise in packaging design was invaluable,” Peter Frelander, Product Specialist at Valmet, says.

The boxes are manufactured by Stora Enso Lahti mill in Finland.

Sustainable cardboard box increases the safety of machine operators

Valmet introduced the new slitter blade package in 2023, and it has already been turned out to have numerous benefits compared to the previous package.

“First of all, the total weight of the box with blades is now less than 10 kilograms, while the old metal box weighs almost 25 kilograms. The lighter box increases the safety of the operators when lifting and decreases the carbon footprint of transportation. Naturally, the 100% recyclable cardboard box is a more sustainable option compared to the old metal box, and it is more cost-effective to manufacture too,” Frelander summarizes.

The new boxes have now been circulating for several months, and the feedback has been only positive.

The blades are very sharp and need to be handled with special care. Thanks to the great design, the boxes are found safe and easy to use. Of course, we follow up their durability all the time, but so far, they have proved to cope with the transportation without notable wear,” Frelander says.