Unmatched winder expertise: From state-of-the-art technology to long-term reliability

Valmet has manufactured winders since the 1940s and delivered over a thousand of them around the world. Today, Valmet’s winders are, above all, known for their reliability and overall equipment efficiency. The OptiWin winder family provides the best option for each winding need and for all paper, board and pulp grades. This proven technology, when paired with well-planned maintenance and other services, helps board and paper manufacturers enhance machine runnability, performance and paper roll quality throughout the winder’s lifecycle.

However, as production requirements evolve and equipment ages, maintenance and improvements may no longer be enough. At that point, a comprehensive rebuild or even a full replacement often becomes technically and economically the most viable path forward.

The long life of a winder

A winder plays a critical role in paper production, directly influencing paper roll quality, operational stability, and overall efficiency. Investing in a robust winder with high-quality design delivers reliable performance for years.

For mills looking for a new winder, Valmet offers an extensive portfolio of winding technologies to deliver the best results for all paper and board grades. This includes winders for all machine sizes from very narrow to the widest machines, as well as solutions for different capacity needs. Moreover, Valmet’s winder types can be adapted to meet every customer’s specific needs.

“When you choose Valmet’s OptiWin winder, you get a machine that operates efficiently for over 20 years. Many of our winders are over 30 years old and still perform exceptionally well. In addition to state-of-the art technology, we offer strong long-term support for our customers, optimizing the performance and lifetime of our winders,” says Jaakko Haapanen, Senior Development Manager, Reels & Winders, Valmet.

Continuous R&D drives innovation

Valmet’s continuous research and development work ensures that the OptiWin winder portfolio is updated all the time. “We are constantly working to improve winding capacity and safety, and to respond to evolving customer requirements. This includes innovations for different paper and board grades and automation levels, and also to fulfil the newest machine directive and safety regulations,” says Esa Ananin, Product Sales Manager, Reel and Winder, Valmet.

The secret behind Valmet’s top-notch winder technology is its strong focus on new innovations – Valmet's experts are encouraged to develop new ideas both in-house and in cooperation with the customers. This is reflected in the introduction of many successful solutions such as Dual Unwind, fast set change and slitter positioning systems, vibration dampening systems, and the newest innovation Perforating Splicer. Furthermore, Valmet offers dedicated pulp winders with optimized splicing options, providing a capability to support both pulp and paper applications within the same technology portfolio.

“Valmet’s Dual Unwind enables extremely fast parent roll change, boosting capacity. With around 60 global deliveries, it’s a proven solution for high-output mills,” Ananin says. “Our newest innovation Perforating Splicer creates a mechanical joint between the new and old parent roll without tape or adhesives. It is suitable for all grades and winder types, and also soon compatible with Dual Unwind.”

Valmet Perforating Splicer creates a mechanical joint between the new and old parent roll without tape or adhesives.  

For customers who want to verify and optimize their choice of winding concept, Valmet offers pilot trials at the Valmet Paper Technology Center, which is the heart of Valmet’s winder R&D.

“We test our new ideas at the pilot facility, as it provides conditions very close to an actual production environment. We also perform endurance tests on prototype products before customer deliveries.  There is also a possibility to run pilot trials for customers to study the best winding technology for their paper and board grades, and to find ways to improve their winding quality. Valmet is the only company in the world that can offer this kind of service on an industrial scale,” says Haapanen.

Valmet’s pilot facility hosts two winders providing real-life conditions for product development and customer testing.  

Automation and safety go hand in hand

Safety always comes first, and Valmet’s winders comply with the highest and latest safety standards. Various safety measures such as safety fences and automatically controlled and monitored operation make sure that the winder is safe to operate.

Valmet also offers a variety of upgrade solutions that enhance the safety of an existing winder. One good starting point for improving safety is a winder safety audit, where problem areas and corrective actions are identified by Valmet’s winder safety experts. Also increasing the automation level of the winder helps to keep operators out of the machine area, minimizing their exposure to safety risks.

Automating tasks in the winder area is also an effective way to cut operating costs and improve efficiency. Sometimes a higher automation level enables the process to be streamlined and the number of manual tasks to be reduced if desired. Valmet’s winder automation solutions are always based on developed and tested automation packages, which are modified to meet individual customer needs supporting the wanted automaton level.

Valmet's winders are developed and modified to meet individual customer needs and the wanted automation level.

Long-term cooperation leads to winding excellence

Valmet’s global network of dedicated winder specialists supports customers at every stage of the winder lifecycle. This includes everything from planning and piloting to installation and start-up, process optimization and support, preventative maintenance, troubleshooting, upgrades and rebuilds, and tailored Service Agreements.

For customers operating older winders – whether built by Valmet or other suppliers – Valmet offers upgrades and rebuilds that extend equipment lifetime and improve performance. Valmet’s lifecycle approach not only restores winder performance but often enhances it. Most upgrade solutions are plug-and-play for Valmet winders and compatible with many other brands.

Having completed over 1,000 winder deliveries and 1,500 winder modernizations, Valmet’s specialists have gathered an unmatched experience, ready to support customers in any winding challenge.

“We don’t just build winders – we specialize in the entire winding process. By choosing a Valmet solution, customers gain access to our expertise throughout the full lifecycle of their winder and beyond. We believe that long-term cooperation leads to winding excellence,” says Ville Piipponen, Senior Product Sales Manager, Improvement projects, Valmet.

Text: Peter Cura & Marianne Valta