Inside PM1 and PM2:

Built for
What’s next

Packaging is evolving. Rather than maintaining the technology of the present, we invested in the future and built Paper Machine 1 and 2, the most advanced SBS machines in North America.

Our paper machines and combined capabilities

PM1 paper machine stretching across the production floor.

PM1

Year built
2018
Capacity
400K
Paper grade
SBS and graphics
PM2 production equipment with yellow safety railings and an operator.

PM2

Year built
2025
Capacity
520K
Paper grade
SBS

Together, they deliver robust capacity, exceptional product integrity and consistent performance to help converters run more efficiently—so you can forecast, buy and execute projects with confidence.

tons of annual SBS capacity
920K
investment in the most advanced SBS machines in North America
$1B
square feet combined for PM1 and PM2—more than 5 acres
234K

Let’s take a look inside.

Let’s take a look inside.

WET END DRYER SECTION DRY END QUALITY CONTROL WINDING, FINISHING, SHIPPING
Paper machine process diagram

WET END

It all starts here—precision fiber distribution and superior formation from the outset.

WET END

The most advanced SBS machines in North America go straight to work with a state-of-the-art dilution headbox that distributes fibers with pinpoint precision so it delivers superior formation. High-performance shoe presses follow, efficiently pulling out water while protecting sheet bulk where it matters most.

Each sheet moves through two high-performance shoe presses that efficiently remove water while preserving sheet bulk. This gives it exceptional strength and stiffness.

DRYER
SECTIONS

With ample drying capacity, PM1 and PM2 handle a broad range of calipers, producing exceptional sheets.

Infrared and air dryers remove moisture gradually and evenly, preserving sheet integrity and ensuring rock-solid dimensional stability.

Designed to handle heavyweight and specialty grades with ease, PM1 and PM2 achieve top-notch consistency—even at higher basis weights. Compromises are a thing of the past.

DRYER SECTIONS

High-pressure steam heats the exterior of the cylinder, which transfers that heat to the paper. As the steam cools, it turns into water, called condensate. That water is captured and recycled to generate high-pressure steam again. Turbulence bars help spread the heat heat more evenly for faster, more efficient drying.

Dry end

Premium finishing isn’t an add-on here. It’s built right in and leveled up to industrial scale.

Size Press, Coating, and Calendering Systems

The fully integrated size press, coating and calendering systems are engineered to run wide, fast and long—without giving an inch on surface quality or consistency. Because at this level, “good enough” just isn’t.

As the sheet passes between the applicator rolls, a precise layer of starch is applied to both sides. This enhances strength, stiffness and print performance.

SIZE PRESS

Quality
Control

These machines don’t guess. They measure, calculate and course-correct.

Advanced scanners continuously track moisture, caliper and coat weight in real time, feeding instant data back to the command center, where PM2's AI-enhanced controls create opportunities for continuous quality improvement.

Deviations are corrected on the fly, locking in tight tolerances from start to finish. Every roll. Every run.

Defect Detection

Advanced scanners continuously inspect the moving sheet, measuring moisture, caliper and coat weight, and identifying imperfections as small as a grain of sand (0.3 mm) across a web more than 7,000 mm wide.

Winding
Finishing
Shipping

Speed meets precision at the finish line with automated winding, reel, finishing and shipping.

Automated winding, reel, finishing and shipping

The result you’ve been waiting for. PM1 and PM2 deliver uniform, converter-ready rolls with fewer breaks and smoother downstream performance. Then, in just two minutes, the system resets for the next reel and gets right back to it.

It’s the experience every converter dreams of—less downtime and more of the highest-quality paperboard money can buy.

Why choose Sappi SBS

A wide range of products tailored to meet specific applications and end uses.

Exceptional print surface and consistency deliver sharp detail, vibrant color and premium shelf impact.

Advanced monitoring and process control help ensure stable performance and highly reliable output.

Built for consistency across runs, helping converters reduce downtime and operate with confidence.

Packaging examples showing flexible paperboard portfolio

Technology is only part
of the story.

Sappi laboratory researcher examining liquids in a flask

The most advanced SBS machines can produce extraordinary paperboard, but helping customers get the most out of them takes people. Extraordinary people.

That’s where Sappi’s Customer Technical Service (CTS) team and Tech Center come in. From pressroom performance and converting optimization to testing, troubleshooting and new application development, our experts work side by side with customers to solve challenges before they become problems.

When world-class manufacturing is backed by world-class technical expertise, you get a partner invested in your success from the first sheet to the finished package.

Learn More About Our Tech Center Team

You’ve seen what’s inside the most advanced SBS machines in North America. Now imagine what it means on your floor.

Talk with a Sappi packaging expert.

Insights

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