Valmet supplied technology to Klabin and Fimpec oversaw engineering of the chemical system automation

Fimpec carried out automation system application engineering for Valmet’s major pulp and board technology delivery to Klabin in Brazil.

Fimpec has contributed to Valmet’s pulp and board technology delivery to the Brazilian pulp, board and paper manufacturer Klabin in the capacity of application engineer. The delivery consists of a coated board production line, a new fibre line that includes a new continuous pulp cooking G3 system and a new bleached chemi-thermomechanical pulp (BCTMP) production line. The deliveries are part of the second stage of Klabin’s large Puma II investment project.

Fimpec’s portion of the Valmet delivery consisted of the application engineering of the automation system for the wet end chemicals, coating kitchen and supply system areas. The automation system controls the production of the chemicals required in the process and their dosing into the pulp and onto the surface of the board at the end stage of the process.

Valmet’s Senior Manager Sampsa Suni explains that the project is a major one from Valmet’s perspective. He describes Fimpec’s role as that of a key subcontractor.

“We have a long history of collaboration with Fimpec in chemical application engineering, which is one of their strong areas of expertise. That is why we wanted them to be part of this project, and our collaboration has been seamless and constructive. For us, it is important to be able to rely on the work getting done after it has been assigned, allowing our organisation to focus on our core tasks. We will continue to work with Fimpec on large and challenging chemical project deliveries in the future,” Suni says.

A large and challenging application engineering assignment

For Fimpec, the project was a large and challenging application engineering assignment. During 2022, its employment effect was 5–6 people. The project has proceeded as planned and Fimpec is also involved in the roll out of the automation system.

“Our strength in this project is our long history of engineering paper, board and pulp manufacturing processes. In addition, we have extensive experience of engineering coating kitchen applications and creating the related sequential and process control systems,” explains Fimpec’s Pekka Silvennoinen, who is part of the project.

The project, which is at the final stage, is a continuation of Valmet’s and Fimpec’s long-standing collaboration. Over decades, Fimpec has been part of multiple Valmet deliveries, such as the first stage of the Puma II investment project in which Valmet supplied a kraftliner machine and pulp line to the Klabin plant that started up in 2021. In that project, Fimpec also performed application engineering work on the chemical systems.