Contract Papermaking, Corrugating and Converting

Facilities at the Institute of Paper Science and Technology’s Industrial Engineering Center include papermaking, corrugating and converting pilot equipment.

Papermaking capabilities include a slow speed papermachine and Formette Dynamique. The papermachine has been used for wet end studies and to produce single ply paper webs for converting experiments. The Formette Dynamique has the capability of producing oriented and multi-ply handsheets to closely simulate commercial production. The Formette Dynamique has successfully been used to investigate experimental materials as related to papermaking and converting and to develop new products.

Corrugating facilities include a pilot single-facer corrugator and double-backer simulator. The single-facer is a finger type Langston EX model with full preconditioning capabilities. With a top speed of 1000 fpm, the single-facer replicates commercial operation and serves as an excellent tool to investigate paper and machine runnability issues and adhesive performance. The corrugator can also be run at slow speed while controlling operating temperature, tension, and combining pressure to investigate the ability to corrugate and combine specialty and experimental materials. Roll stock up to 60” in diameter and 13” wide or sheets of paper spliced into a master roll can be run on the corrugator. Single-face rolls can be generated, or single-wall and multi-wall combined board can be manufactured from the single-face material to produce blanks as large as 13” x 52”. Corrugating rolls with A, C, B, and E-flute sizes are available.

The Double-Backer Simulator (DBS) is an excellent device for investigating bonding. The DBS has effectively been used to investigate double-backer, laminator, and experimental adhesive performance. Samples can be generated for bond (pin adhesion) and compression strength testing or adhesive green bond strength is measured on-line.

Converting capabilities allow boxes to be manufactured for end use performance testing. A complete physical analysis laboratory is available for testing paper and combined board. Unique facilities are available for measuring box compressive creep performance.