The Koehler Paper Group is not only one of the world’s leading manufacturers of specialty paper, the company also enters the market of paper for flexible packaging. For this, Koehler invested €300m in building a new paper machine.
In addition to the paper machine, Koehler also built a new coating machine. Here, the paper is given a functional surface coating which finally has barrier properties for aroma, oxygen, water vapour, oil and grease. It will thus be possible to replace plastic or laminates with easily recyclable paper for various packaging applications.
“As a company, we will make a contribution to reducing the waste problem and developing sustainable solutions,” says Dr Stefan Karrer, COO of the Koehler Group.
Koehler is already working on advanced solutions together with partners from industry and science. Of particular note here is the Green Coating Collaboration, a joint laboratory set up by Koehler and TU Darmstadt. This unique research community supports Koehler in developing functional surfaces for sustainable packaging solutions for all industries.
Koehler has also pledged to invest more than €300m to construct a new production facility at the Kehl site. This underlines the company’s innovative strength, which also extends to other areas. The aim is to replace non-recyclable plastic with paper and recyclable or compostable composites.
At the heart of the new system is a 142m-long paper machine and a 96m-long coating machine. In the paper machine, the Yankee cylinder is the central element and our unique selling point. With a diameter of more than 7.3m, the 200t smoothing cylinder is the largest of its kind in the world.