ABB has secured a landmark contract to modernize Smurfit Kappa’s Paper Machine 5 (PM5) at its Cerro Gordo corrugated cardboard mill near Mexico City. ABB will provide Smurfit Kappa with its ABB Ability System 800xA distributed control system (DCS), accompanied by a comprehensive paper machine drives system, encompassing some of the market’s most advanced drives and motors meticulously designed to optimize PM5’s performance.
Smurfit Kappa is one of the leading providers of paper-based packaging globally, with operations spanning across 35 countries. It has operated in Mexico since 1957 and has been increasing production capacity in the country recently, investing over USD350 million since 2018.
The modernization is expected to transform PM5 into a highly efficient and productive machine, capable of meeting the demands placed on it. Upon completion of the project, Smurfit Kappa is expected to realize a significant increase in production efficiency and output.
Image: Smurfit Kappa
The ABB technology embedded in the drives, complemented by the control system, will help secure optimum speed and torque control of the paper machine’s sectional drives for years to come. This is achieved through a combination of factors such as a Direct Torque Control algorithm, which ensures precise control and allows for consistent quality and minimized waste over a long period of time. ABB guarantees a system uptime of 98.5 percent during a three-month period following the machine's startup in 2025. This translates to a maximum downtime of only 33 hours within that timeframe.
ABB is a technology leader in electrification and automation, enabling a more sustainable and resource-efficient future.
