Successful start-up of Papel Aralar's PM 5 for sustainable wet wipes

Voith and the nonwoven fabric expert Truetzschler Nonwovens have delivered a new system for specialty paper production to the Spanish paper factory Papel Aralar (photo). In December, the PM 5 successfully started up and is now stably producing adult and baby wet wipes that are completely plastic-free, flushable and biodegradable, a characteristic that conventional wet wipes do not have. With the recent investment, Aralar now has two WLS lines with a total production capacity of 45,000 tons/year.

"The successful start-up of PM 5 is an important step forward in our company’s sustainability strategy. And it is Voith’s innovative papermaking solutions and know-how that are contributing to this success. Our decision to invest in this state-of-the-art new production line was driven by the forecast growth in demand for biodegradable substrates for wet wipe production." (Senén Amunarriz, CEO of Papel Aralar)

"We are happy and proud to partner with Papel Aralar and to provide them, together with Truetzschler, with our efficient and sustainable papermaking technologies. Thanks to the Aralar-Truetzschler-Voith team and the close collaboration we were able to carry out a smooth and timely start-up." (Marcos Garcia de la Torre, Managing Director Voith Paper Spain)

HydroFormer and AquaJet for high-performance Wet-Laid Spunlacing
As a full-line supplier, Voith supplied the BlueLine stock preparation, the main components of the XcelLine paper machine and a comprehensive automation and control package from one single source. The HydroFormer, which is one of the main components of the new system, draws on Voith’s extensive experience in the papermaking and pulp industries. With this technology, the suspension is heavily diluted to produce nonwoven materials made completely of cellulose, a renewable resource. Besides the HydroFormer, Voith has supplied the BlueLine stock preparation, a master reel, and the approach flow for the new system.

Truetzschler Nonwovens completed the production line with the well-proven AquaJet in an innovative configuration for hydroentangling (spunlacing) and an energy-efficient multi-drum dryer. The many years of expertise and experience of the Truetzschler company form the basis of the web bonding and drying components that have been adapted to the needs of the wet-laid process.