ABB announced it has completed a comprehensive drive system upgrade for Paper Machine No. 2 (PM2) at Gold East Paper’s Dagang Mill in Zhenjiang, China, replacing a 28-year-old legacy system with digital drive and control technology. The upgrade was completed within a planned six-day shutdown window.

Gold East Paper is one of the major papermakers of Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) China, with annual paper production capacity of more than 2.2 million metric tons. PM2 is one of the mill’s core production lines with a design speed of 1,700 m/min and a width of 9.77 m.

PM2’s original drive system had been in service for nearly 28 years, with key components and spare parts for the ACS600 drives, including insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs), no longer in production.

The modernization project replaced eight incoming rectifier sections and 60 ACS600 drive units with ACS880-series technology. ABB also introduced an AC800M controller and new operator panels, integrating digital monitoring and control capabilities to modernize the overall drive control system.

Given the limited shutdown window, ABB carried out extensive preparations in advance and worked closely with Gold East Paper’s Dagang Mill team to coordinate installation and commissioning.

“The PM2 drive system is critical to the stable operation of one of our core production lines and to our wider modernization plans,” said Zhu Jianji, engineering manager, Gold East Paper. “The project had a very tight schedule and considerable technical complexity. ABB completed the modernization ahead of schedule, creating a strong foundation for future upgrades across our other production lines and further strengthening our cooperation.”

“Gold East Paper’s trust and close collaboration were essential to the success of this project,” said Wilson Monteiro, global business line manager, pulp, paper and fiber at ABB. “By combining drive technology, automation and digital capabilities, we can help mills modernize critical assets while making practical use of existing infrastructure. We look forward to continuing our work with Gold East Paper as it advances its modernization plans.”