I NNO / VATION - · PDF fileI NNO / VATION Walki Group Customer Magazine 2010 WHERE IDEAS ......

Smart shelves travel light

Meet Mr Jazz

Noticeable luxury

T H E L I D T H A T S T A Y S O N • T H E E N E R G Y S A V I N G C O V E R

INNO /VATION

Walki Group Customer Magazine

2010

WHERE IDEAS AND REALITY MEET

Cover StoriesPublisher David Ingham Editor-in-Chief Marina Kurula Editorial Board David Ingham, Arno Wolff, Tuomo Wall,Marina Kurula, Petra NylundEditors Petra Nylund, Johan Svenlin, Timo Kankaanpää Production Botnia Information Layout Janne Nylund AD, Glenn Nylund, Annika Lillkvist Print Forsberg, Pietarsaari 2010Cover photo Jan SandvikChange of address [email protected]

CONTENTS

Tear open and close again . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 08

Investing in efficiency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 09

Let luxury show . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Max energy from wood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

All-weather super-boards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Jazz as a lifeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

PROJECT FUTUREWalki’s own futures group has an exciting job: identifying good ideas and turning them into feasible functions and products.

NO USE WITHOUT A LIDA yoghurt lid that isn’t sealed tight might spoil your snack. With a fibre lid, eco-friendliness is another plus.

THE SMART SHELFThe Billy bookcase is a top seller all over the world. Its smart, folding back makes freight packs small and light.

04

10

12

THE DNA OF WALKILast year we experienced a set of global challenges seldom encountered before by our industry. In these circumstances, the Walki Group delivered a robust and resilient operational performance having responded to the challenges by overhauling our cost structure and focusing on cash generation. Much of the success was attributed to the strong support from our customers, our owners and our dedicated people.

The recipe for survival was to have an organization understanding and accepting the need for fast changes in a marketplace with the lowest possible visibility. During the process of change, we were also able to rely on our long-term customer relationships.

Despite the challenging trading conditions, we did not lose faith in the future but continued to invest in our growth initiatives. A good example of such an investment is the new and highly efficient sheeting line for our Steinfurt plant in Germany. With this investment we will also be able to increase our sheeting capacity in the UK, since one of the existing lines from Steinfurt is moved to our UK plant in Garstang. Thanks to these moves, we will be well positioned to serve our consumer board customers more efficiently in the future.

Innovation has always been an essential building block in the DNA of the Walki culture and the track record of what has been done on the product development side is impressive. However, in the fast moving world in which we are living, life cycles of products and solutions tend to get shorter and shorter. Past achievements will not necessary provide answers for future requirements. This we know and that is why we spent more on R&D in the crisis year of 2009 than we did in some of the previous years. Experience has taught us that innovation is the engine that spurs new periods of growth, provided that the new solutions create value to our customers.

I guess it does not come as a surprise that many of the articles in this magazine deal with innovations in one form or another. Hopefully, these stories will give you a flavour of what is in the Walki pipeline of new products and solutions.

Enjoy your reading.

Leif Frilund President and CEO

WALKI COVER STORIES 2010WALKI COVER STORIES 2010

COVER STORIES 2010 EDITORIAL 0302

BILLY SHELF the slimmed-down bookcase for heavy literature

TH

E

The furniture industry is becoming increasingly interested in materials which make intelligent use of resources and reduce the impact of transport on the environment. The folding back of the Billy bookshelf is an innovation which has taken Walki and Smurfit Kappa Lagamill into new markets.

WALKI COVER STORIES 2010 WALKI COVER STORIES 2010

INNOVATIONSINNOVATIONS 0504

bookcase is one of the world’s best-selling sets of shelves. Every year, five million flat-pack bookcase kits are sent out from Sweden to Ikea stores all over the world. For the last three years, the back of the Billy bookcase has been made of folding solid board. This means that the back can be folded down to a size which requires only a third of the previous packaging and that the weight of each bookcase can be reduced by two kilos. The result is an annual reduction of 10,000 tonnes in the weight of transported goods.

Solid wood furniture became popular at a time when transport routes were short and material resources seemed limitless. Now the furniture industry wants to find new solutions that make intelligent use of resources. Today the

aesthetic demands placed on furniture are still high, but now environmental and logistical factors, together with production costs, have a significant impact on product development. Smurfit Kappa Lagamill in Sweden has developed a back for the Billy bookcase which makes each flat pack two kilos lighter. The result is an annual reduction of 10,000 tonnes in the weight of transported goods.

During the 1990s, Smurfit Kappa Lagamill contacted furniture industries and suggested replacing wood-fibre based hardboard with a paper based alternative. At the time, the price of hardboard was so low that no one in the furniture industry thought that this was necessary.

“However, their problem was that the backs of bookshelves and wardrobes needed very large packaging. If we could find a folding board which would fit in much smaller packaging, they would be very happy,” explains Björn Karlsson, Sales & New Business Development Manager at Smurfit Kappa Lagamill.

His team worked together with Walki’s team made up of Jan-Anders Fagerhed, Gustav Grahn and Tomas Nyström to develop a strong, printed surface material that would hold the board together across the two folding creases.

“It was a challenge for us. Until then, Walki had mainly manufactured packaging material that protected the contents during transport and storage, but now we had to develop a material that would last for decades of domestic use,” says Tomas Nyström, Sales Manager at Walki.

To a certain extent the assignment was clearly defined, but it gave the Walki team scope for innovation.

“We wanted the back of the bookcase to be made from paper based, non-toxic solid board instead of masonite, which contains formaldehyde,” says Jan-Anders Fagerhed, Technical Service Manager, Consumer Board.

The process involved choosing the right grade of paper, the right colour and the right grease and moisture barrier.

“After Walki had solved the problem we started marketing our new product to different industries. Gyllensvaans Möbler, that manufactures the Billy and Benno bookcases for Ikea, said that the new product was exactly what they needed,” explains Björn Karlsson.

For the first generation of the product, the focus was on ensuring high quality. After that, Walki looked at reducing the cost. Now the third generation is in production and the development work is continuing.

“There is huge potential for this type of product made from recycled fibre. The need to adapt to market requirements and new directives means that the furniture industry’s interest in new solutions is growing,” says Gustav Grahn, Managing Director of Walki Sweden.

For Smurfit Kappa Lagamill, the folding back of the Billy bookshelf was the starting point for other new furniture solutions, including the backs of chairs, desks and wardrobes.

“We are now firmly established in the living room and the bedroom and we are aiming to move into the bathroom and kitchen. These are more challenging environments, but there are a lot of potential uses for our board,” says Björn Karlsson.

Since the Ikea Billy shelf is one of the world’s best-selling bookcases, there is a great deal to be gained in transport volumes by using intelligent packaging solutions.

Tomas Nyström (Walki), Björn Karlsson (Smurfit Kappa Lagamill), Jan-Anders Fagerhed (Walki) and Gustav Grahn (Walki) believe that there is great potential for paper based materials in the furniture industry.

IKEA’S BILLYJohanna Forsman

Johanna Forsman

Jerry Gladh


INNOVATIONSINNOVATIONS 0706

The back of the Billy shelf was the starting

point for Smurfit Kappa Lagamill’s and Walki’s ongoing development

of lightweight furrniture materials with reduced environmental impact.

i

ARE YOU AN INNOVATOR? WIN AN iPOD TOUCH!

FRESH FISH FINGERS FROM AN OPENED PACK

New sheeter improves efficiency

Fast and flexible service for ream wrapping

A new MarquipWardUnited SheetPro sheeter, incorporating the latest sheeting technology, has been in operation at the Walki plant in Steinfurt, Germany, since the beginning of 2010. The investment forms part of Walki’s ongoing initiatives to continuously improve product quality and efficiency.

“We are pleased to be able to meet our

customers’ needs for sheeted, PE coated and laminated barrier packaging materials even more effectively. This investment is an indication of the confidence that Walki has, as market leader, in the future of barrier packaging,” says Wolfgang Thissen, Vice President and General Manager, Consumer Board.

Increased flexibility, more reliable deliveries and shorter delivery times are the results of Walki’s investments in new printers for ream wrapping. The new machine for cut size ream wrappers in Pietarsaari, Finland, offers a more flexible service for customers. As the plant now has two machines which can operate in parallel, delivery reliability has also been increased.

“Our customers use many different brands of cut size ream wrappers, so it is important for us to offer fast and flexible deliveries. We can meet these expectations because we are geographically close to our customers,” says Arno Wolff, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Paper Packaging. As the printer in Pietarsaari is equipped with the latest

technology, it also brings other benefits, like efficiency from shorter set-up times and the ability to print all required print repeat lengths

The plant in Jatne, Poland, has a new six colour, folio format printer. Until now the Jatne plant has only been able to produce cut-size wrappers but in future will be able to support Central European customers with folio wrappers as well. The new machine offers customers excellent print quality and the opportunity for improved supply chain management

“The new printer is a response to the increasing demands of the marketplace, and it has enabled us to reduce our delivery times to between 7 and 10 days,” says Arno Wolff.

“Birds Eye Iglo was looking for new, consumer friendly packaging for its fish fingers. We came up with various options,” says Stefan Erdmann of Walki’s Technical Sales Consumer Board in Steinfurt, Germany.

The goal was to find a re-closeable solution.

“The packaging has to withstand temperatures as low as –40° C and be approved for foodstuffs. Another consideration is that the cartons are stacked on top of one another in the freezer section. It’s also important to have print friendly packaging.”

The development team produced a tear strip that was strong enough to break the cartonboard at exactly the right point but also thin enough not to hold up production. Once the carton is opened, one part can be pushed into the other to keep the contents fresh.

Development was closely coordinated between Walki, which manufactures the PE extrusion coated board including the tear strip application, A&R Carton in Bremen, which prints and die-cuts the box, and Frozen Fish International Bremerhaven, which fills it with fish fingers and closes the boxes using hot air.

“Walki Pack Chill & Frost TS material has been received very positively and orders are increasing. Consumers really like the packaging,” says Erdmann.

The new sheeter at Steinfurt means even better product quality and efficiency.

Walki has further strengthened its position in the ream wrapping market with the purchase of new printers in Finland and Poland.

IMAGINE BUYING FISH FINGERS

IN ECONOMY PACKS, TAKING

OUT THE NUMBER YOU WANT

AND THEN RECLOSING THE

PACKAGING AND PUTTING IT

BACK IN THE FREEZER. WALKI

HAS WORKED WITH ITS GER-

MAN PARTNERS TO DESIGN

PRACTICAL FISH FINGER PACK-

AGING THAT IS APPRECIATED

BOTH IN THE INDUSTRY AND AT

HOME.

Once you pop you can stop. Thanks to the Walki tear strip, everyone can enjoy the financial advantages of economy packaging without eating 30 fish fingers in one go.

! solving our customers’ problems is our day-to-day work at Walki, as you can see in the story about

the Innovation Steering Group on page 12. Innovation is however not the exclusive task of a special group but the right of anyone with good ideas. We are open to any proposal from you, our customer, that could be the beginning of a new product or a new function of an existing product.

So what is your proposal? Please send your ideas to us and we will enter all respondents into a draw for an iPod touch. The competition address is www.walki.com, then choose “Innovations” from the top menu bar. The competition draw will take place on 29th of October 2010 with the winner being announced on our website.

Johanna Forsman Bernd Schröer

Johanna Forsman


0908 NEWSNEWS

Walki®Tear strip

SheetPro sheeter

Ream wrapping

Timo Saahko is Managing Director at Walki’s plant in Changshu, China. The Changshu plant started its production in 2006, producing material for paper packaging, consumer board and technical products.

? How is Walki doing in Asia at the moment?We are gradually increasing our market share in Asia. The Asia Pacific area is the fastest growing market in the world and China emerged rapidly from the recession in the beginning of 2009, so things are looking good. The most important business areas for us on the Chinese market are paper packaging and consumer board. We sell roughly 75 % of our products in China and export the rest to a number of other Asia Pacific markets, with Malaysia and Indonesia being important. Market areas of growing interest include the Philippines. Australia and New Zealand.

? As a Northern European, what would you say is most interesting about working in China?China is very dynamic, growing and changing at an incredible pace. That means we have to make fast moves too. Since the role of leaders here is traditional, you have to involve yourself in most matters in the organisation. The Chinese way of doing business is relations first, then business. When you respect the culture and use your common sense it works really well.

? What is life like in China outside of work?Very interesting. I live with my wife and three children in Shanghai and life here is an eye-opener. You learn to appreciate the positive things here and the ones back home. I love Chinese food, especially the spicy Sichuan kitchen. From traditional Chinese medicine I’ve learned to eat bamboo shoots and pears to fight coughs. I’m proud that I actually gave my New Year’s speech in Mandarin.

What’s up in China, Timo Saahko?

FIBRE LID keeps the snack in the containerWe’ve all had this unpleasant surprise when unpacking a shopping bag: a tiny hole in the lid of the container has let the yoghurt leak out into the bag covering everything with yoghurt. This will hopefully become a problem of the past, as Walki®Lid offers a solution.

Walki®Lid, developed by Walki, is a user friendly, renewable fibre based lid, designed for milk product packaging. Its excellent printability enables cus-tomers to design more impressive lids.

“Walki®Lid is not an entirely new product, but in the last six months the lid has been developed further and interest in it has grown,” says Heikki Lumme, Packaging Product Line Manager, for Walki.

According to Lumme, Walki®Lid has been developed into a more user friendly product – peeling back the lid

has been made easier, for instance. In addition, the product has many mechanical and environmental benefits.

“A fibre based lid is produced from sustainable raw material, so it is easily recyclable and energy-efficient to manufacture. The lid is durable, protects the product

superbly and will not get pierced in the shopping bag. What’s more, the lid does not tear but peels back neatly when opened,” says Lumme.

The printability of Walki®Lid is also excellent, which enables better quality graphics and more attractive and informative packaging.

GROWING MARKETS. Walki sells its Lid product around the globe, from Australia to Africa. So far, use has concentrated mainly in the Nordic countries. As the product has been developed, there is now a desire to enter larger markets.

“The hot sealing method used in the early fibre lids created challenges and problems. Now the sealing

properties have been developed further and the functionality of the product has been enhanced by the renewed packing machine lines,” says Heikki Lumme.

By developing the fibre lids, Walki aims to win larger market shares also in the field of bulk products such as yoghurt. References are needed for market growth, and a very important one was acquired last year.

“Valio became enthusiastic about the lid when looking for new options for its aluminium lids. Now it looks like our fibre lid is leading this competition, which is of course magnificent. In Finland, Valio is an extremely important customer to us,” says Lumme.

VERSATILE QUALITIES. Valio is the leading brand of dairy products in Finland, and it holds a strong position in the neighbouring

markets of Russia, Sweden and the Baltic countries. The company has subsidiaries in the USA, Belgium and China and it sells industrial products globally. The international operations, including licensing, export and foreign companies, cover 65 countries.

When it comes to fibre lids, Valio has a long history. Fibre lids have already been in use for some time in various snack products.

“We’ve used approximately 20–25 million fibre lids annually, mostly in desserts and cottage cheese products,” says Juha Ylisiurua, Valio Packaging Development Manager.

Environmental and technical benefits also made Valio interested in using fibre lids in other products as well. The fruitful co-operation between Walki and Valio in the development of the fibre lid advanced so well last autumn that in early 2010 Valio was able

to test the lids on yoghurt cartons with great success.

“The prospects for Walki®Lid look good. Advanced packaging methods and improved qualities of the lid are bringing extremely satisfactory end results. Good usability, printability and durability of the lids bring substantial added value to the product and user-friendliness to the consumer. Another important factor is the recyclability of the fibre lid, which is of course environmentally significant,” says Ylisiurua.

The lid is durable, protects the product superbly and will not get pierced in the shopping bag. ”

Walki®Lid is a fibre based lid that is easy to open also for little fingers.

Recyclability and a high quality print surface give Walki®Lid excellent opportunities in the market.

Karolina Isaksson

Karolina Isaksson

WALKI COVER STORIES 2010

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT 11


PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT10

ASSIGNMENT:

REFINE THE BEST IDEAS

Predicting the future is not an exact science, but developing products and solutions for future applications is. Walki has a core team, the Walki Innovation Steering Group that works right at the intersection of desires and ideas supplied by the market, customers, suppliers and Walki’s own personnel.

The Walki Innovation Steering Group has its finger on the pulse. Tommi Lehikoinen, Rune Skåtar, Mats Holti, Steve Pye and Peter Martin (on the screen) are constantly seeking new ways to use Walki’s specialist knowledge of coatings and barrier materials.

Mikael Nybacka /Johanna Forsman


13INNOVATION12 INNOVATION

Innovation: the intersection between question and answer

day-to-day work at walki revolves around solving our customers’ problems and improving their products. Our core skills are in barrier materials and coatings that need to protect, be functional and user friendly, and able to be used to promote a brand. This knowledge can be applied in an almost unlimited number of areas. A few examples of current areas of interest are given below. Take a look, allow yourself to be inspired, and get in touch. The Innovation Steering Group is happy to hear your ideas for new applications.

Longer lifespan and fewer gasesFruit and vegetables have one major drawback: as they age they emit gases that speed up their ageing process. Removing these gases extends their lifespan. One method of doing this is to coat the surface of the packaging with a polymer containing hollow inorganic particles with the capacity to absorb gases and odours. This polymer is approved for direct contact with foodstuffs.

Stop microbes!Bacteria can multiply on almost any surface. Covering the material with a special polymer coating is an efficient way to stop the growth of bacteria, fungi and algae. This type of polymer is approved for direct contact with foodstuffs and can be used on almost anything that has a polymer surface. Food and healthcare are obvious applications.

The outside countsThe surface can sometimes be crucial. For example, when packing furniture for transport, the inner surface of the packaging material should be soft enough to protect the furniture from scratches. This is just one example of products for which Walki can provide the right solution. The surface need could be almost anything, from shiny printed surfaces needing to be scratch resistant to surfaces of packages needing a lot of friction so they can be stacked on top of one another. The surface is important: it’s what comes first.

Open SesamePackaging protects products during transport, but when it is time to use the contents too much packaging may cause a struggle. Ensuring that packaging opens easily and in the right way is one of Walki’s areas of expertise. The product may use heat-sealing solutions, peelables, tear strips or other innovations. The main thing is that it works.

Back to natureWalki uses renewable materials in conjunction with films or polymer coatings to achieve an efficient end use barrier or function. But sometimes the material needs to be compostable. To enable this to be accommodated in industrial composting such as anaerobic digesters, Walki is developing a new range of biopolymer coated papers and boards. These will give barriers and performance appropriate for purpose and will comply with end user requirements for renewable material with low environmental impact.

Stop others stealing your value!A brand can be priceless. Unscrupulous people who copy top-quality brands know this too well. Marking something that is valuable to you can be a way to avoid this kind of theft. This can easily be done by adding a marker to the packaging material, e.g. the plastic coating, ink colour or lacquer. It is easy to scan products to check which packaging contains the real thing.

Easy in, easy outIf you have purchased a package of product X, you will probably want the contents to come out when you want it to. To ensure easy emptying Walki offers an array of solutions for internal packaging surface and design suitable even for floury, sticky or oily products. As another example, sometimes the internal surface of packaging needs to produce a crispy surface in microwave foods such as pizza and hamburgers. The right internal surface also facilitates package filling.


1514 INNOVATIONINNOVATION

ARE YOU AN

INNOVATOR?

Competition on page 8

NICE OUTFIT FOR HIGH PROFILE CARTONBOARDIggesund Paperboard and Walki created an eye-opener

If you want emotion and style, you might as well take it all the way. This was how Iggesund Paperboard in Sweden felt when they gave their Invercote premium cartonboard a wrapper that stands out from the crowd.

Part of the Holmen Group, Iggesund Paperboard has a longstanding partnership with Walki for its sheeted cartonboard wrappers.

Invercote is Iggesund’s flagship brand and is used in consumer packaging for products such as luxury perfume and chocolate. Last year Iggesund instigated a comprehensive makeover of the brand.

“We wanted to create a stronger voice – something unexpected, appealing and young. Something that makes you want to find out what’s inside,” says Carlo Einarsson, Director of Marketing Communications at Iggesund Paperboard.

Iggesund developed an initial proposal for a new layout in bold, strong colours. They then passed the proposal on to Walki and Prepress Manager Niklas Käldman.

“For Walki, it was about sketching out something that works well in terms of technical printing and also takes into account the extrusion process. This is a win-win situation,” says Käldman.

Because Walki was able to view the proposal at an early stage, it was easy to make adjustments to create an even better impression, yield a faster printing speed and bring down costs. Walki’s extensive experience and knowledge of flexo printing meant new layouts could be set up smoothly and cost-effectively.

“We want to make it easier for the customer to produce a new layout, so it’s important for us to come on

board at an early stage. Our ideas are mainly about optimising the print layout, so it’s a shame if the layout has already been approved by the customer’s top management,” Käldman explains.

Adjustments are often required because graphic designers and advertising agencies developing new layouts aren’t used to thinking in terms of flexo printing. Instead they adapt the layout to another printing method such as offset printing.

Iggesund and Walki performed a similar makeover on Iggesund’s other high profile cartonboard, Incada. Niklas Käldman and Gustav Grahn, MD at Walki Sweden, agree strongly that the work on Invercote and Incada is an example of cooperation at its best.

“The new Invercote layout was a challenge for us because we switched from a white wrapper with one-colour printing that covered about ten per cent of the surface to a wrapper covered in strong colours. This was quite demanding for our production process. We also have to balance the composition of the ink so that the print does not mark in use and to ensure that the wrapper surface friction is strong enough that the reams don’t slide when stacked on top of one another,” says Grahn.

Iggesund is not the only company looking to upgrade and vary its wrapper design. The trend of revamping products more frequently continues. So what was the reaction of Iggesund and its customers when they saw the final product?

“It was very successful; we had positive reactions from the market. We’re happy about the high quality printing surface, colour reproduction and how strongly the wrapper fits into the packaging line. Above all, we’ve strengthened Invercote’s identity,” says Einarsson.

An appealing wrapper for sheeted cartonboard that would make an impression on the major brand owners who use it: that was Iggesund’s vision for its flagship product, Invercote.

Niklas Käldman, Prepress Manager at Walki, has extensive experience of print planning. Becoming involved in new layouts at an early stage makes the result better and the process simpler for everyone involved,” he says.

Rolf Andersson

Johanna Forsman


DEVELOPMENT & DESIGNDEVELOPMENT & DESIGN 17


16

“We wanted to create a stronger voice –

something unexpected, appealing and young.

Something that makes you want to find out

what’s inside.” Carlo Einarsson, Director of Marketing

Communications at Iggesund Paperboard.

i

The use of biofuels as an efficient and environmentally friendly energy source is increasing all the time. One important biofuel reserve is logging residue, for which Walki has designed a biomass cover.

“When forests are harvested, logs are acquired for the needs of the sawmill industry and pulpwood for the pulp industry. In the past, residual branches, crowns and small diameter stems from young forests, were left in the forest as they are unsuitable for pulpwood. Now, however, their harvesting and use in incineration plants has begun. Walki®Biomass Cover has been designed to protect energy wood to be used later as fuel”, explains Tuomo Wall, Vice President Sales & Marketing, Technical Products, at Walki.

SAVINGS AND SHELTER. Walki®Biomass Cover is a paper based, sustainable solution that has some very valuable qualities.

“One of the most important benefits of the cover is its energy efficiency. When the top of the pile is covered, the wood can dry, and thus its energy content rises significantly. The cover shelters the top of the pile and keeps out water and snow. The pile is open from the sides, so that wind can blow in and dry the wood. Experience has shown that the solids content of wood can be raised by as much as 10–15% by using the cover,” says Wall.

According to Wall, the biomass cover also has a clear economical function. Energy companies pay for woodchip according to its energy content, which means that the price is determined by the solids content. The financial benefits of the cover for the woodchip seller are obvious, and its costs will be paid back with interest,” says Wall.

OPTIMALLY SIZED. The biomass cover has some qualities that are significant from the perspective of the entire supply chain. The laminate has been produced mainly from natural fibre-based paper and is therefore suitable for use in the forest. The width of the biomass

cover is four metres, which is, according to Wall, an optimal size for a woodchip pile.

“The ease of spreading and chipping the cover are unarguably its key benefits. Thanks to its rigidity, the cover is easy to spread. The cover is also thick, which makes for easy chipping and does not leave shreds that might cause problems on the conveyors of incineration plants. The cover is chipped along with the rest of the material and becomes fuel, which can be easily burned along with the woodchips in the boiler,” says Wall. In cold countries, the cover also effectively protects the energy wood pile from freezing.

“If the pile is not covered, it freezes in the winter into an enormous heap that is almost impossible to handle. Thus, the added financial value of the cover is once again demonstrated. When the wood pile has been covered from the start and is easy to process, the chipping stage becomes considerably more efficient.”

UNTOUCHED RESERVES. Finland and Sweden have long been pioneers in harvesting energy wood. According to Wall, other countries too are starting gradually to collect material for chipping.

“The process is also underway outside the Nordic and the Baltic countries. In the future, the use of biofuels will increase everywhere, and different applications connected to it will multiply. The use of energy wood is an enormous, untouched reserve, which has so far been used only in the Nordic countries, where its use is still increasing. With growing interest in other parts of the world as well, the possibilities are great.”

One of the most important benefits of the Walki®Biomass Cover is its energy-efficiency. The cover shelters the top of the pile so that water and snow cannot get in. The

pile is open from the sides, allowing the wind to blow in and

dry the wood.

WALKI’S BIOMASSCOVER maximises energy content of woodchipWalki®Biomass Cover is a cover material made mainly of paper which shelters whole trees and logging residue harvested from the forest from rain, snow and freezing. Thanks to the cover, the energy content of the wood rises as the solids content increases. Thus, protecting energy wood with a biomass cover saves time and money.

Experience has shown that the cover can raise the solids content by as much as 10–15 per cent.”

Mikael Nybacka

“One important biofuel reserve is harvesting residue, for which Walki has designed the Walki®Biomass Cover,” says Tuomo Wall.


1918 ENERGY SAVINGENERGY SAVING

The use of biofuels as an efficient and sustainable energy

source is increasing all the time.

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WEATHER-RESISTANT BOARD GAINS GROUNDStrong yet light as a feather – a tricky combination. Design Force has joined forces with Walki to create Re-board – a light, durable triumph for display material and furniture.

Re-board has clear advantages over traditional materials.

“Our Re-board furniture and interior boards weigh 7 to 8 times less than chipboard

or plywood equivalents. They are also completely recyclable and contain no toxic substances,” says Kurt Aldén, who launched Design Force in 2002 after selling his successful company SCA Display.

Design Force produces new, creative paper based products in Norrköping, Sweden. Corrugated board is not an innovation in itself, but Kurt Aldén has created a new, efficient production method and discovered new applications for the material.

“We have turned the production method upside down. The board is first glued together in large blocks and then sawn into slices,” he explains.

Aldén turned to Walki to achieve a water-proof, printable surface on both sides.

“Walki has given the board a moisture barrier and printable surface. Walki’s strength lies in their expertise and in their tradition of working in close cooperation with the customer on various sorts of laminates,” says Aldén.

The customer can print logos or campaign slogans onto Re-board fittings. The weight is a fraction of that of similar wooden fittings.

The partnership between Design Force and Walki has produced a weather-resistant light board. The most important requirement for the board was a surface that could withstand water and moisture while offering good printing options.

Re-board facts

1 A patented sandwich design, with good temperature and sound insulation, which withstands various weather conditions.

2 Eco-friendly production via energy-efficient production methods and water based adhesive. Can be recycled as paper.

3 Perfect for marketing communications. Durability allows it to function as both product carrier and communicator.

4 Digitised process can make each product unique.

5 Weight properties reduce transport costs and make it easy for shop staff and exhibitors to handle.

Design Force founder Kurt Aldén has found new applications for Re-board. In a 2006 charity project for the Red Cross, Design Force developed small, easily assembled, weather-resistant temporary buildings for disaster areas.

Kurt Aldén

Walki adapts the Re-board with various laminates, depending on the environment and application. To minimise the risk of fire, a flame-proof surface can be laminated onto the board. When the board needs to withstand year-round outdoor use, it is laminated to an even more resilient board.

“Our product looks simple but is a result of a lot of work and testing. The board has a certain rigidity and thickness, and the laminate must produce the required properties without being visible and without negatively affecting the production process,” explains Jan-Anders Fagerhed, Technical Service Manager at Walki.

TOUGH TEST. The material has been exposed to a range of tests. Kurt Aldén built a dog kennel, which has survived rain and wind for several years without material damage. Re-board has also provided backing for several outdoor advertising campaigns in open urban spaces, attracting attention with large and colourful designs.

“Pictures, patterns and text can be transferred from a computer and turned into sharp images on the boards via ink-jet printing. Customers can easily have their campaigns printed on Re-board,” says Gustav Grahn, Managing Director at Walki Sweden.

Design Force’s main market is in retail, where store décor is being replaced at an increasing rate. The company boasts both boutiques and some of the major international retail giants among its customers. There is also potential in trade shows: instead of producing display material on chipboard, plywood, metal or cardboard, an increasing number of exhibitors are choosing Re-board as a light yet durable material.

“We sell to customers in around forty countries and this number is growing. All conversions are digital, and we can produce a small series quickly at low cost. We believe that this is the future,” says Kurt Aldén.


PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT


PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT 2120

Marie Barge works as Sales Manager for Walki in Lyon, France.

? You joined Walki in 2009 with the task of developing the consumer board business in France. What are your experiences so far?Walki is a very innovative company, which is an advantage in the French market since the French in general are open to new products and creative solutions.

? What are the challenges for Walki in the French market?France suffered badly in the global recession, and the price competition is hard. But I like challenges and enjoy creating relationships with our customers. Good personal contacts and the ability to speak French are keys to developing partnership with a French company. When it comes to our products, Walki has a lot of good opportunities – for example, in frozen food packaging and ovenable tray lids.

? If you were to invite someone to France, what would you recommend the most to do there?I would really recommend visiting Marseille, in spite of its reputation. It’s a beautiful city, and trekking along the seashore between Marseille and Cassis, sleeping in a tent on the beach, is something above the ordinary. The national park on the island of Port-Cros is good for scuba diving.

? What do you do when you’re not working?I spend time with my family and my friends – we love having friends over! I also enjoy skiing and playing tennis, when I find the time.

What’s up in France, Marie Barge?

Jan Sandvik

Jan Sandvik

I t was the music teacher at Jonte’s school who helped him find his musical means of expression, the trumpet.

“First I tried the tenor horn, but I soon decided it was not for me. The last thing I wanted was to be hidden away at the back of the orchestra. I decided

to play the trumpet because it would give me a better chance of being in the limelight and playing solo. That way everyone would hear me play,” says Jonte when we meet in his office at Walki in Pietarsaari.

On the wall is a poster showing the jazz vocalist Reija Lang who appeared in 2008 at Jonte’s annual jazz event Föusjazz (Cowhouse Jazz) in his home village of Fagernäs.

“I’d once said to my sister that when I moved back home I wanted to organise a jazz festival in an old barn, that the village association had turned into a venue for events.”

Alongside his studies and work, Jonte has always made sure that he is surrounded by a flourishing jazz culture. When he moved back home at the end of the 1990s he soon became part of the local music scene in Pietarsaari and was one of the co-founders of the busy jazz club Jazzoo.

“When my sister reminded me about what I’d said, I brought together a few friends who I jammed with and organised a public jazz concert in June 2000.”

Since then the event has grown and become an institution, fully booked every year. Now he gets phone calls from artists who have heard of Föusjazz and want to take part.

“From a humble beginning it has grown and become a big success. I would never have believed that it could become so popular, but people here are increasingly interested in jazz because of the club and the talented musicians around.”

Jonte himself plays in the Föusjazz house band and is happy to admit that he likes to be at the heart of things alongside other artists. Even though he enjoys organising the event, the best part for him is performing on stage.

“We are all exhibitionists to a certain degree and for me there’s nothing that beats the feeling of being up on stage when everything’s going well. I can’t describe it in words.”

Jan-Anders Fagerhed plays regularly with the Jakob Big Band and the St Marcus Blues Band and, in the classic jazz style, he also plays in a range of spontaneous groups.

Within the Jazzoo jazz club, Jonte is also involved in organising the three-day Jeppis Jazz Festival which takes place every year at the end of September.

In his job as Technical Service Manager at Walki, Jonte enjoys the day-to-day contact with customers and colleagues. There are also occasions when his job gives him as much pleasure as being on stage at a jazz concert:

“When I give a presentation that goes well, I have the same feeling of satisfaction. I’m nervous for a few days before. Sometimes I find it a bit difficult to sleep at night and I struggle with stage fright, but the buzz I get afterwards makes it all worthwhile,” says Jonte.

Occasionally things don’t go as planned up on stage,

whether it’s a jazz concert or a technical presentation. Then it’s just a case of putting things behind you and trying again.

“It’s interesting that professional musicians are just as nervous as I am about going on stage. The worst thing is seeing someone trying to cover up a mistake and being embarrassed about it. You just have to forget about it and move on.”

After having spent ten years as an ice hockey dad supporting his sons’ junior team, Jonte now has more time for jazz again. But music will remain his passion, not becoming a profession.

“Throughout my life I’ve thought about trying to make a career in music and becoming a professional trumpet player, but you build up your lifestyle on the basis of your income and the most sensible solution is to have an interesting job and devote yourself to music in your free time.”

Jan-Anders Fagerhed

Walki’s Technical Service Manager Jan-Anders “Jonte” Fagerhed caught the jazz bug when he was just thirteen years old. Thirty-seven years later, he still hasn’t found a cure. He plays in several different jazz bands and runs his own annual jazz event.

Just like athletes who go out running, Jonte practises the

trumpet on his own a few times a week.

“To play the trumpet you need strong stomach and

face muscles. After playing two or three sets you’re

totally exhausted.”

NOTHING CAN BEAT THE FEELING ON STAGE


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3 QUESTIONSthe best jazz track ever? The original version of So What from Miles Davis’ 1959 album Kind of Blue. It sends shivers down my spine just thinking about it. It’s so simple, so magical – just outstanding!

who would you take with you to a desert island? My family, of course, (wife and sons) and I’d want Rocco (the dog) to come too.

what do you always take with you on business trips? My laptop and MP3 player.

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