MILLS SHUT DOWN FOR OVERHAUL

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28776, 23 December 1958, Page 13

MILLS SHUT DOWN FOR OVERHAUL

Plants At Kinleith And Whakatane “The Press" Special Service ROTORUA, Dec. 21. An army of fitters, welders, carpenters, plumbers and painters will move into action on Monday at the pulp and paper mill of N.Z. Forest Products, Ltd., at Kinleith, near Tokoroa. In the following 17 days they will strip down, overhaul and reassemble mill machinery worth many millions of pounds. Almost simultaneously, a smaller gang of men will start dismantling the big cardboard making machines at the plant of Whakatane Board Mills, Ltd. Both mills will be undergoing their annual maintenance overhaul, a job which cannot be carried out at any other time of the year because of the huge cost involved in stopping production.

There will be no maintenance overhaul at the plant of the Tasman Pulp and Paper Company, Ltd., at Kawerau. The company operates a continuous maintenance programme throughout the year which makes a prolonged overhaul unnecessary. The mill will close down only for the statutory holidays of Christmas Day and Boxing Day, and for New Year’s Day and the day after. The Kinleith plant normally operates for 330 days a year. The sawmill attached the plant shut down yesterday, and the big paper machine pulp mill will be gradually brought to a standstill between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. today. The 1750 regular employees of the company will then hand over to about 350 men, who will virtually strip the entire mill. Machinery will be tested for wear and strength before being reassembled.

About 100 men will carry out similar work at the Whakatane board mills.