The great Model Group Eilenburg conversion project with units from GAW
What a great project!
Model Group in Eilenburg put an impressive conversion project successfully into operation beginning of September this year. In over 14 months of work, the existing newsprint production line was transformed into one of the world's most advanced corrugated cardboard base paper machines, which will produce over 600,000 tons of packaging paper per year after the production start-up curve has been completed.
The plant in Eilenburg has around 240 employees and specializes in a production basis weight range of 70-120 g/m². In this way, the Model Group supports the sustainable market trend towards lightweight corrugated cardboard base paper and lightweight corrugated cardboard packaging.
GAW technologies was able to participate in this very extensive conversion project. The enzymatic starch processing (powder unloading, powder slurry and enzyme dosing, conversion and inactivation) for surface sizing as well as the storage and dosing of individual additives for surface sizing and the constant part comes from the rich in tradition and globally active plant manufacturer from Graz/Austria.
The cooperation with the customer was very good, because despite the many challenges that such a large project brings with it, everyone was always on the same page. The long periods of time that the retrofit entailed were always handled professionally and supportively on both sides. Thomas Müller, Martin Kaltenegger and Oscar Streubel, for example, should be mentioned here as representatives of the entire Model Group team.
The first assembly step for GAW took place in summer 2023 with the installation of the three starch silos. Stephan Weber (project manager) and Daniel Hirschbeck (commissioning) speak for the entire GAW team: "The entire project team had absolute handshake quality and it was a pleasure to work with the customer." Other colleagues on this project included Harald Ster, Werner Gruber, Michael Kandler, Anton Narenhofer, Martin Steffl, Andreas Steinhöfler and Rainer Purgstaller.
Some more key data on the paper machine: With a working width of 9.4 meters (net at the slitter) and a maximum production speed of 1,800 m/min, the Model Group also makes a significant contribution to sustainability, as the paper is made entirely from 100% recycled material and the lighter basis weights enable a reduction in the raw material used in the corrugated cardboard. The entire system is designed to consistently pursue the path of CO2 reduction in accordance with the FeFco roadmap.
GAW is proud to be part of this great project. Thanks to everyone involved for the great work, and good luck for the future!
October 2024