From 130 days to 1100 – Sofidel Kisa and Valmet rewrite the rules of belt performance

Nov 21, 2025

In a remarkable milestone for tissue production, Valmet’s Black Belt R HD has shattered expectations at Sofidel’s Kisa mill in Sweden. The start-up belt was installed during the rebuild from a shoe press to Valmet’s Advantage™ ViscoNip® press has now surpassed 1100 days of continuous operation — a record-breaking achievement in belt longevity and performance.

Before the rebuild, belt lifetime at Kisa TM3 averaged around 130 days. Today, 3 years in operation, the same machine is running on its original Black Belt R HD, which has endured over 828 million nip cycles since its installation on September 15, 2022. This is proof of both the belt’s durability and the performance of the Advantage ViscoNip press.

Voices from the mill

The team at Sofidel in Kisa, shares their perspective:

Not having to change the belt for three years has made a huge difference. It’s saved us time and reduced maintenance planning.”

A reference for the future

“We’ve broken the 1100 day barrier with the start-up belt at Sofidel Kisa. It’s a fantastic result not just for the belt, but for the Advantage ViscoNip press concept as a whole. It shows what’s possible when innovation is aligned with excellent operational commitment – results that any customer could aim for with the right technology and support,” says Tobias Born, Product Sales Manager at Valmet.

Anders Leandersson, Senior Process Engineer at Valmet with extensive experience in the ViscoNip press, says: “The Advantage ViscoNip press continues to exceed expectations and has once again proven what an exceptional product it is. The success at Sofidel Kisa has set a new benchmark for future rebuilds and installations, and we look forward to pushing the limits even further to enable more efficient tissue production”.

About Sofidel Group

The Sofidel Group, headquartered in Porcari (Lucca, Italy), is one of the leading manufacturers of paper for hygienic and household use worldwide. Established in 1966, the Group is active in 13 countries, 12 in Europe and the United States (12 States), with approximately 9,500 employees and a production capacity of 1,983,000 metric tons per year. In 2024, the Group had Net Sales of 3.225 billion Euros. “Regina”, its most well-known brand, is present on almost all the reference markets. Other brands include: Sopalin, Le Trèfle, Hakle, Softis, Nalys, Cosynel, KittenSoft, Nicky and Papernet. Sofidel is committed to reaching Net-Zero carbon emissions by the end of 2050.

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Customers' voice
Shoe press belts
Tissue
ViscoNip

Valmet Black Belt R shoe press belt is especially designed for tissue machines. The belt has been developed in cooperation with the ViscoNip technology to perform with the highest speeds and loads on tissue machines. It survives for a long time in harsh conditions and keeps water removal at a high level.

Explore the Valmet Advantage ViscoNip Press

With a unique ability to adapt the Valmet Advantage ViscoNip press is the new standard for wet pressing technology.

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