ST Tissue Starts up World’s Widest Yankee on Converted PM 6 at Franklin, Va.

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ST Tissue LLC, Oconto Falls, Wis., USA, has started up its new PMT Italia (Italy) yankee dryer on the converted PM 6 at Franklin, Va., USA (photo below). The yankee dryer is the world’s widest with more than 8.3 meters (327 in.) of shell face. It was installed as part of the conversion of PM 6 to a 70,000 tpy recycled tissue machine at the former International Paper (Memphis, Tenn.) uncoated freesheet paper mill in Franklin.

The scope of the PMT rebuild included the new cast iron yankee dryer, complete with head insulation, mechanical drives, and dryer doctors. PMT also supplied erection supervision and startup services. PM 6 at Franklin will produce parent reels for a variety of semi-crepe tissue grades from napkin to towels, and bleached to kraft products. The mill has some 80 employees.

ST Tissue, owned and operated by Tak Investments, Gaithersburg, Md., is said to have North America's largest tissue machine at Franklin, with a usable web width of 310 in. The width of the machine will allow the company to offer a variety of trim sizes and its onsite recycled fiber plant will allow it the flexibility to transform waste paper into different grades of recycled pulp.