Feature news from Säffle Newspaper, UMV free translation

The Swedish Ministry of industry visited UMV

Representatives from the Ministry of Industry, Region Värmland, the Paper Province and Säffle municipality visited last Tuesday UMV Coating Systems in Säffle, who told us about their innovations and all about the unique Pilot Plant.

“We want to become a European Coating Competence Center!

UMV develops new machines and technologies for the coated paper and board industries. For example, the surface inside food packaging, allowing the food to stay fresh for a longer time and other products like decor paper, thermal paper and other specialty papers. The company has developed a method which use a lot less coating media.
– It requires less raw material and less energy as the dry content is higher and the applied amount less than competing technologies, says CEO Ronnie Andersson.

With this patented coating technology UMV achieves complete oxygen, grease and oil barrier with a coating of about three grams per square meter. Competing technology needs up to five times more giving an inferior barrier.

While the UMV technology reduces the environmental footprint it also improves operational costs and operating window for the customers.
This is very interesting from an environmental perspective, which was the main reasons for the visit from the government office.

– We came here because we want to see the bio-economy in practice. We look at the options available and what is being done already and we are discussing with the companies how we can contribute to switch to this more environmental friendly technologies. The transition towards a circular and bio-based economy and a fossil-free society, is one of the Government’s top priorities, “says Camilla Lehorst at the Ministry of industry.

During the visit, UMV showed the Pilot Plant and how the machine can coat two thin layers in one step. The Pilot Plant is a key resource to demonstrate how the technology they offer works. The ambition is to be the frontrunner within coating and sizing. To get there UMV will keep investing in the Pilot Plant and the R&D connected to the technology.

– We want to become a European Coating Competence Center, says Ronnie Andersson.

25 people work at UMV today and in the nearest future it is planned to hire more people. UMV has expertise in the coating area and one of the company’s challenges is to develop this while growing profitably. From that perspective, it is also a challenge to find financing for the investments that such growth needs, according to Ronnie Andersson.

In recent years, UMV made large investments in the Pilot Plant and also received funding from Vinnova, the Swedish Agency for innovation and growth.

– All the major paper and board companies visit UMV’s Pilot Plant, and also get a chance to experience Säffle. Therefore, it was in many ways a good timing that the Ministry of industry visited us today. It paves the way for continued good cooperation on our investment needs, says Ronnie Andersson.

Note:
If you want to read it on Swedish, please visit the link below.

Source (in Swedish)
http://nwt.se/saffle/2016/12/01/umv-visade-unik-pilotanlaggning