Paper machine supplier 
Metso Paper South Africa will offer a broader product range in response to the 
financial downturn, says MD Pierre de Villiers.

A reduced demand for pulp and paper products during the recession translated into pressure on earnings for producers and, consequently, suppliers, he says. In light of this, the com-
pany took a decision to actively position itself to emerge from the downturn stronger than before.

“This will partly be achieved through a more comprehensive product mix, as a result of 
recent acquisitions, which are better suited to the changed needs of Metso’s customers, and will be further supported through the wider leveraging of synergies within existing Metso infrastructure in South Africa,” he explains.

Meanwhile, as an example of new products, De Villiers says that Metso’s Paper and Fibre Technology business segment has introduced a low-energy, high-quality concept for textured tissue production, called Advantage NTT. The company reports that the textured tissue product produced with this concept is a new category and offers high-bulk and softness properties, energy savings and fibre savings compared with conventional or structured tissue grades. The Advantage NTT machine can also be configured for conventional tissue or top-quality 
textured products.

This division also released its Boost solutions process last year, which, reportedly, supports the optimal development and use of a machine section or a subpro-
cess on fibre, paper or board production lines.

Its customised solutions will, reportedly, solve runnability problems, improve head-box or pulp-screening efficiency, and accurately identify and calculate energy-savings potential, besides others.

Metso is also involved in an ongoing acquisition process of filtrations and paper machine clothing producer Tamfelt.

“The challenge for Metso Paper, in South Africa, is achieving sustained growth rates within an industry that is still in the process of recovering from a 
serious global downturn. The company is addressing this through improving its products and service offerings, which have a relatively complex or high-technology content, and through 
better use of its customer service network,” he says.

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