METSO TO SUPPLY CONTINUOUS PARTICLEBOARD LINE TO SWEDSPAN AB IN SWEDEN


Metso Panelboard, part of Metso Ventures business area, will supply a production line for manufacturing of particleboard to Swedspan AB's mill in Hultsfred, Sweden. The new line represents Metso's latest leading technology for efficient, reliable and pro-environmental particleboard manufacturing. It strenghtens Metso's position as a supplier of continuous board manufacturing lines. The value of the order is over EUR 16 million.

The delivery includes screens, gluing system, complete continuous press line with forming stations, pre-press, continuous press with cooling zone and panel handling. Metso Panelboard will also supply process automation for the whole line.

The order is part of the Hultsfred mill's investments aimed to replace the old production line with the new one. The line will be in operation in the middle of 2003. When in full operation, the line will produce 1400 m3/day of particleboard mainly for furniture industry.

Metso Panelboard's units in Finland, Germany and Sweden will participate in the project.

Swedspan AB belongs to Swedwood AB, which is fully owned subsidiary of IKEA.

Metso Corporation is a global supplier of process industry machinery and systems, as well as know-how and aftermarket and services. The corporation's core businesses are fiber and paper technology (Metso Paper), rock and mineral processing (Metso Minerals) and automation and control technology (Metso Automation). In 2001, the net sales of Metso Corporation were EUR 4.3 billion and the personnel totaled approximately 30,000. Metso Corporation is listed on the Helsinki and New York Stock Exchanges.