Microscale paper machines

[Juha Veikko Mentu]

Here is another most interesting article by the blog writer Jim Thopson (http://www.nipimpressions.com/mod/emarket/view.php?msg_id=142&e...) about chances to spare both money and environment by building small recycling paper machines beneath newsprint houses:

"Where I think newsprint as a grade (specifically not as an existing mill site) can succeed is through a resurrection of my old idea of micro paper machines. For if a micro newsprint machine were built at each of the large printing plants now operated by newspapers, a number of savings could be realized:

1. Low capital costs. Factory built and wired in seven to ten sections that fit on lowboy trailers for delivery, an entire production unit from pulper through reel and winder could become very inexpensive to build and install. Printing presses are built like this, and so are some other process machines. Micro paper machines could be, too.

2. Low operating overhead. Papermachines are now being monitored (and sometimes controlled) at great physical distances from the actual operations. With this scheme, expert operators in a central control room could operate many micro newsprint machines located anywhere in the world. Only low-skilled tenders would be needed at the actual machine site (with the exception, perhaps, of the winding operation which would require higher skilled operators).

3. Low maintenance costs. Built in modular fashion with monitoring sensors for nearly every function, a regional maintenance facility could pull units (defined portions of the micro machine) needing maintenance (replacing them with refurbished units) and do all maintenance in a central shop. Press sections could be pulled for roll changes and felt changes. Forming sections could be pulled for wire changes. So forth and so on. Downtime would be minimized, for the truck that takes away the section for refurbishment would have brought a ready-to-run replacement and slipped it into place in about ten minutes.

4. Low recycling costs. Bringing the recycled paper directly back to the facility containing both printing and papermaking greatly reduces the transportation component of the recycled fiber and the finished newsprint-there should be no empty trucks coming or going.

5. Easy financing. Units that bolt to the floor, not built into the building, are hence portable and looked on much more favorably by financiers (in event of default, their collateral can be easily salvaged and sold elsewhere).

This entire scheme, of course, takes a whole new way of thinking and an entrepreneurially based financial entity willing to take risks. Yet, it is doable, and if successful, would extend the life of newsprint, again, perhaps another half century.".

Jim Thompson really has innovative ideas. This is one of them. Would some company be brave enough to test in in practice?

[Helge V. Keitel]

Juha you write about a very interesting concept: "For if a micro newsprint machine were built at each of the large printing plants now operated by newspapers, a number of savings could be realized..."

Based on present time economic thinking, it looks like the era of pulp and paper is over unless we start to innovate and bring in some very new thoughts and concepts.

I've been cleaning old files and wanted to use this Ligna 1997 expo picture as a fragment from the past to illustrate my thoughts. I'll write more later today.