- Voith Successfully Starts Up China’s First Low-Grammage High-Speed MG Cylinder Specialty Paper Production Line for APP
- The project integrates Voith’s BlueLine stock preparation line and XcelLine intelligent paper machine, providing a complete solution from stock preparation to rewinding, and started up two months ahead of schedule
Zhenjiang, JiangsuMay 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Recently, the PM6 paper machine supplied by Voith for APP’s Jindong Dagang base successfully started up. As China’s first low-grammage high-speed MG cylinder specialty paper production line, the successful startup of PM6 marks a significant step forward for China’s paper industry in high-end specialty paper equipment and manufacturing capabilities. Against the backdrop of the global specialty paper market’s continuous shift toward high quality and functionality, PM6 will provide a more stable and high-quality supply of products for the thermal paper and MG paper markets.
PM6 has a paper reel width of 4,970 mm and a design maximum operating speed of 1,200 meters per minute. It can produce high-quality single-sided coated paper and thermal base paper products within a basis weight range of 20–60 g/m², with a design annual capacity of 120,000 tons. The production line utilizes Voith’s advanced BlueLine stock preparation system and XcelLine intelligent paper machine, offering a complete solution from stock preparation and approach flow systems to the paper machine itself and the rewinder.
Line Synergy for Efficient and Stable Production
As the application fields for thermal paper and functional specialty paper continue to expand, market demands for paper surface properties, smoothness, and stability are constantly increasing. Aiming for efficient and stable operation, Voith’s PM6 paper machine is equipped with advanced forming, pressing, and drying technologies, ensuring excellent paper quality and stable production efficiency even under high-speed operating conditions.
In the stock preparation system, Voith employs the IntensaPulper pulper along with efficient screening and refining systems. Optimized design significantly improves pulping efficiency and reduces energy consumption, achieving stable and efficient fiber processing. In the approach flow system, the system structure is optimized to effectively reduce air content and ensure stable stock delivery. The MasterJet Pro headbox, combined with dilution water control technology, achieves a uniform and stable cross-machine basis weight profile, ensuring excellent formation quality.
In the forming and pressing system, the combination of a Fourdrinier wire and DuoFormer top former achieves efficient dewatering and excellent formation. The Tandem NipcoFlex double shoe press technology effectively increases sheet dryness while maintaining good bulk. In the drying and surface treatment system, the combination of TopDuoRun and CombiDuoRun dryers ensures stable and efficient drying. The SpeedSizer size press and EcoCal soft calender further optimize paper surface properties. The reel and rewinding system ensures stable winding quality and effectively reduces paper waste during production, thereby improving overall production efficiency.
Efficient Execution for Rapid Commissioning
Throughout the project, Voith and the APP team worked closely together. By continuously optimizing project management and technical solutions, the project achieved efficient handovers at several key milestones, resulting in a startup two months ahead of schedule.
Li Yunsheng, CEO of APP Paper’s Cultural Paper Business Unit, stated: “The smooth progress of the PM6 project once again demonstrates the solid foundation of our long-term, stable cooperation. The successful implementation of this project provides strong support for enhancing our product supply capability and quality stability in the thermal paper and high-end MG paper segments, better meeting the growing market demand for high-quality specialty paper. We look forward to continuously strengthening our competitiveness in the high-value-added specialty paper sector through this project.”
Lin Jiangbo, Senior Vice President of Operations for Voith Paper Asia, said: “The PM6 project is a significant achievement of the long-term cooperation between both parties. We are very honored to join hands with APP once again to create a specialty paper project that sets a benchmark for the industry. In the future, Voith will continue to support our customers in achieving more efficient and sustainable development through innovative technologies and digital solutions.”
Deepening Cooperation, Setting New Industry Technology Benchmarks
The cooperation between Voith and APP began in 1998. Over the years, Voith has supplied multiple large paper machine lines to various APP production bases, including Dagang PM1/2/3, Guangxi BM1, Hainan PM2, and the APP GEP off-line coater TML1, many of which have become industry benchmarks. For example, Dagang PM3 once set an operating speed record of 1,810 meters per minute; the off-line coater TML1 achieved market quality requirements from its very first trial production run.
With the global upgrade in consumption and the development of information technology applications, demand for high-quality specialty paper continues to grow. High-value-added products such as thermal paper and functional paper are becoming important growth areas for the paper industry. Leveraging Voith and APP’s long-term technical expertise and highly trusting cooperative relationship, the commissioning of the PM6 project will further enhance APP’s competitiveness in the specialty paper market and set a new technology benchmark for China’s paper industry.