ESPOO – The first machine developed exclusively for fluff pulp production by Valmet has recently achieved a record production output of 1,560 tons in a single day.

The MC26 pulp dryer installed at the Puma Unit of Klabin in Ortigueira, Brazil, produces fluff pulp that is used primarily for sanitary pads and disposable diapers.

Klabin and Valmet have been working together to enhance the machine since its installation in 2014.

“The MC26 has always performed well in terms of quality and safety and since start-up it has been breaking record after record,” said Pablo Cadaval Santos, industrial manager of Klabin’s Puma Unit. “Every two-to-three months, we have had production records while still producing in a very sustainable way. In the Puma II project, we added additional brown pulp capacity and in 2020 an opportunity came to debottleneck the pine line. As a result, we did an upgrade with a thermo-compressor and a new packaging line to increase the fluff pulp capacity from 1,300 to 1,500 tons per day. To our pleasant surprise, it s already showed a high production level in the first tests. We’ve had great acceptance from deliveries.”

Tiago Moro Silveira, sales manager at Valmet, highlights the big achievement of positioning the Brazilian company in a sector previously dominated by North America.

“Previously, all the fluff pulp used in Brazil was imported,” he said. “Nowadays, Klabin has a great share of this market, thanks to Valmet’s technical know-how and Klabin’s competence.”

In addition to high productivity, Valmet is also committed to delivering sustainable solutions, he added.

“When we designed the fluff pulp machine, we used the best technology available in the market, with low energy, water and steam consumption.”

Valmet, headquartered in Espoo, Finland, is a leading global developer and supplier of process technologies, automation and services for the pulp, paper and energy industries.