Sandersdorf-Brehna paper factory high-tech drums for paper production that conserves resources

The fitting of the state-of-the-art drum pulper and drum screen in Progroup AG’s new paper factory successfully completes an important milestone in the installation of the plant technology. The drums treat the recovered paper, which is used as the starting material for paper production, and are therefore a key component of Progroup’s Green Hightech strategy. This means less use of energy and raw materials as well as lower CO₂ emissions coupled with enhanced performance.

The 48-metre drum pulper and the 23-metre drum screen each have a diameter of 4.5 metres and are designed to handle very high production volumes of up to 3,000 tonnes of recovered paper each day. With an overall installed length of 78 metres, the processing facility is the largest of its type in the world. In addition, the special design of the drums means that they are particularly good at conserving resources. Thanks to the rotation and the addition of very little water, the recovered paper is pulped gently (without shear forces) in a special process (high-consistency process). This ensures that the impurities contained in the recovered paper remain preserved in their original form and can then be eliminated at an early stage in the drum screen.

“As part of our Green Hightech strategy, we only ever use recovered paper in our paper production. Ideally this can be recycled 8 to 12 times and, according to the Federal Environment Agency, this offers significant ecological benefits,” says Maximilian Heindl, Chief Development Officer and Member of the Board of Progroup. This means that with this paper factory Progroup is once again setting groundbreaking standards when it comes to environmental protection, energy efficiency and sustainability.

The drums were delivered in the last few weeks from the port of Shanghai via the ports in Hamburg, Magdeburg and Aken to Sandersdorf-Brehna. As well as several heavy-duty cranes, around 20 employees from the commissioned partner company Voith will also be required to install the drums, which weigh 300 tonnes.