Monday, February 10
Air Compressor Applications in the Paper Industry
Air compressors are essential to the paper industry, whether it is at the beginning stages in the pulp manufacturing realm, in paper converting facilities, or even in printing processes! Let’s look at the applications that compressed air assists with within the paper industry:
Pulp & Paper Manufacturing
Pulp & paper manufacturing is the process of turning raw materials, like pulp, into actual paper that can be used for other purposes or manufacturing processes. This process generally starts with trees, as paper is derived from the fiber of the wood that comes from trees. Procedures are put in place to gather the right wood, collect the fibers from it, strain & clean the usable fibers, dilute these fibers to form a thin pulp mixture that gets bleached and fed into a machine to press and form the flattened paper, that will then get dried before being packaged and shipped out.
Air Compressor Applications in Pulp & Paper Manufacturing
Separating & Cleaning Pulp
Compressed air is used to automate the collection, separation, and cleaning of the fibers and pulp that will undergo manufacturing. Compressed air can be used to inject air into the water/pulp mixture to stir the pulp and evenly distribute the fibers.
Pneumatic Conveying
Like other industries, air compressors power the pneumatic conveying process of moving products. In this case, pulp, paper, and any waste is being conveying and transported throughout the facilities to carry out the pulp & paper manufacturing process.
Adjusting Rollers
Large rollers are used to help flatten and form the paper. Compressed air helps automate this process by powering the movement and adjustment of these rollers to properly fit the materials to efficiently roll the pulp out into a flattened, paper form.
Applying Coatings & Cutting
The formed paper may need to be cut to a certain size or coated with certain ingredients before entering the drying stage. Compressed air is used to both power the machines to precisely cut the product, and to uniformly apply a coating of whatever mixture or ingredient that needs to be applied to the paper.
Paper Drying
Air compressors, used in tandem with air knives, are used to deliver continuous flows of high velocity air to remove moisture and cool the paper after molding has occurred. Clean air is essential during this stage as any contamination in the air stream could pose a risk of contaminating the end paper product.
Wastewater Treatment
The pulp and paper manufacturing processes need lots of water to operate. Most times, the pulp & paper facilities will be strategically located next to a wastewater treatment plant so that the extracted water from the pulp can be cleaned before being used again in the manufacturing process. Unusable water can then be disposed of properly through wastewater treatment processes.
Paper Converting
Paper converting is the manufacturing process that takes already manufactured paper, and turns it into other usable products such as books, packaging, labels, etc. The rolls of already manufactured paper get cut or shaped into the sizes needed for the desired product. This shaped paper then undergoes treatment, folding, punching, and other adjustments to be manipulated into the proper form.
Air Compressor Applications in Paper Converting
Treating, folding, punching, & cutting
After the raw paper product has been manufactured out of pulp, the paper can now undergo other adjustments to be formed into its intended use, like a book or newspaper. Air compressors are used to help power machines that carry out treating, folding, punching, and cutting processes, to ensure control, efficiency, uniformity, and accuracy in their operations.
Applying adhesives or binding
Compressed air can be used to uniformly and accurately apply adhesives that may be needed to hold booklets or notepads together. Compressed air also provides the power to inflate clamps used in binding machines for books, notebooks, and other bound paper products.
Packaging
Of course, packaging is its own industry that has many uses for compressed air. In the paper converting world, air compressors are used to automate the packaging of the finished paper products by powering processes like filling boxes, sealing the packed paper items, applying labels, and transporting the sealed package to the correct area of the warehouse for shipment.
Printing
The printing industry is where text or images get printed onto paper or paper products that have undergone the paper converting process. Printing generally covers three main areas including packaging, publishing, and advertising. This printing process generally begins on a computer with the design and preparation of the product, before making any physical marks on the paper. Once the design is complete, generally a printing press or digital press is used to print or transfer the text and images onto the desired paper product. After printing has occurred, further trimming, folding, or binding of the paper product may occur to form the proper product before being packed up and shipped to the consumer.
Air Compressor Applications in Printing
Pneumatic conveying
Like in most manufacturing facilities, air compressors power conveyor belts that transport the products and pieces throughout the factory. In this case, air compressors power pneumatic conveying equipment that is carrying the paper products to be printed on.
Operating printing pumps & tools
Printing pumps and tools such as collators, paper drills, folders, presses, cutters, and rollers rely on compressed air to operate. Whether it is adjusting these tools or deploying them at the correct time in the correct position, compressed air is used to assist in the process and enhance efficiency.
Assisting various tension systems
Printing and folding machines, brake mechanisms, and other tension systems within the printing operations, rely on compressed air for reliable operation. Compressed air assists with powering all these mechanisms so that they are deployed at correct times and applied accurately.
Pumping water
Compressed air is used to pump water into the correct stages of the printing process to clean equipment or create steam for a steam workbench.
Wrapping & binding
To automate the wrapping and binding process, compressed air is used to fill inflatable clamps that either wrap or bind the proper paper product when the printing process has been completed.
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