The development of the internet has overtaken traditional reading and printing methods by providing online content which can easily be accessed via a screen. However, traditional paper is still a relevant material and a natural resource which we should preserve. Paper industries are still working hard to not only produce this material but offer more environmental solutions, too.
First and Foremost: Sustainability
As paper is a recyclable material, the paper industry has had to change tact in recent years due to the climate change crisis and the need to implement more eco-friendly efforts. This includes brand initiatives towards sustainability and various recycling methods. Paper companies around the world, such as Asia Pulp and Paper, are making active efforts to help the environment and consider sustainability options during the course of their work.
APP recently launched a Forest Conservation Policy that provides notifications regarding their environmental stewardship. This is just one example of how a sustainable resource such as paper needs to be protected by those industries producing it.
What is Paper?
Paper is essentially a dried, compressed collection of plant fibers. By pressing together these fibers which have been extracted from plants and trees, they fuse together to form one solid layer of material – known as paper. The fibers are very flexible, which is why paper is so bendy and easily moved. Eventually, paper is formed that can be used as a base for ink and writing purposes.
How is Paper Made?
Trees are the main sources of material needed to make paper. It is, however, possible to make paper from bamboo, cotton, hemp and other plant materials, too.
In regards to paper with a glossy finish such as magazines or brochures, the paper-making process has an extra stage in which other materials such as china clay are added to give the paper a more glossy finish.
To make paper, a plant (or tree) needs to be offered force in order to release the fibers. These fibers are then mixed with water to form what is called pulp (a stock of soggy fibers mushed together). This pulp is then spread out on a wire mesh in order to encourage the fibers to bond together. The water must then be squeezed away so that the pulp can be dried out. Once the process is complete, you have paper.
This relatively simple process means that paper can actually be made at home by hand.
Hand or Machine?
Paper can be made using both methods, although – naturally – the latter will provide much more time efficiency and a higher volume of paper produced in a shorter time frame. Where huge paper industries are concerned, paper must be made quickly by machine in order to fulfill the large demand for paper usage, due to this material being so popular in everyday use.
How Do Businesses Use Machines to Produce Paper?
The initial pulp used to make paper is prepared by machines in advance. This can be done either mechanically or chemically.
The former is usually used when making low-grade paper. This pulp is prepared by the machine breaking down wood and raw materials until it becomes a soggy collection of fibers.
During the alternative chemical method, pulp is instead formed by boiling plant materials in strong alkalis, resulting in fibers needed for paper.
Once the pulp is formed, there is the option to add additional features to the mixture to change its properties. For example, if colored paper is required, dyes can be added, or surface coatings such as clay can be combined with the pulp.
The next step in the process is to apply the pulp to a large roller machine which will then turn it into paper. The most famous paper making machine is the Fourdrinier machine, named after the brothers who invented it. This wet pulp will enter the machine via a trough, or headbox, in order to be coaxed inside and spread over a moving conveyor belt made of wire-mesh. Once inside, this conveyor belt is manipulated and blow-dried in order to remove any water from the collection of fibers.
A dandy roll, which is a patterned roller, is then able to add any specific finish or texture to the fibers after the water is removed. Once this is done, the paper is then fully dried and compacted, before moving to be smoothly pressed by the final steel rollers named calendars.
The result is very large sheets or rolls of paper – ready to be used.
