Ahead of the Curve Archive

Putting the ‘Pro’ in ‘Protege’

08 Nov 2017 TAPPI’s ‘Mentor Match’ program is making a difference for young professionals in our industry. Should protégé enrollment be part of YOUR company’s onboarding experience? Is your mill or company interested in strategies for retaining the best and brightest new hires? Building leadership skills, gaining process knowledge, and collecting sage advice are all benefits associated with having a mentor. Mentors can also help their protégés gain that almost intangible “feel for the industry” that can lead to higher job success and satisfaction—two keys to employee retention.

Museum Restoring Rare Model Fourdrinier

01 Nov 2017 Many AOTC readers remember their first glimpse of a running paper machine—and the awe of seeing how much technology and engineering expertise goes into a simple sheet of paper. For some, viewing that first operating machine is the moment that cements a lifelong commitment to a career in the pulp and paper industry.

Nonwoven’s next act

25 Oct 2017 BY SESHADRI RAMKUMAR What drives the nonwovens sector? Consumer goods that enhance health and improve lifestyles. Products such as diapers, wipes, and hospital goods have been the main pillars of the industry. In addition, nonwovens are used in semi-durable and durable goods, such as products for construction, infrastructure, and automobiles, to name a few.

A Week to Celebrate Forests and Print

18 Oct 2017 It’s commonly accepted science that leaves turn color in the autumn when changes in air temperature and sunlight hours trigger a chemical process during which the leaves cease their food-making, causing the green chlorophyll in the leaves to break down and reveal the carotenes and xanthophyll pigments lying beneath.

Award Spotlights Innovations in Cellulosic Applications

11 Oct 2017 BY MARK RUSHTON AND JAN BOTTIGLIERI A new award category in the prestigious annual PPI Awards competition is designed to honor industry innovation. For this inaugural run, the judges have selected five project finalists that expand the limits of what can be done with renewable cellulosic materials.

Print and Paper Packs a Punch in a Digital World

04 Oct 2017 BY PHIL RIEBEL Results of an international survey by Two Sides provides unique insight into how print and paper is viewed, preferred, and trusted by consumers around the globe. In June 2017, a survey of over 10,700 consumers was commissioned by Two Sides and carried out by leading research company Toluna. Nationally representative surveys were undertaken in ten countries: Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Four technologies poised to disrupt the specialty paper market

27 Sep 2017 In its latest research, Smithers Pira has identified four novel technologies that are set to increase capacity and enable new product opportunities for manufacturers of specialty papers across the next five years. The new report—The Future of Speciality Papers to 2022—provides a comprehensive overview of this important sector of the paper industry. It incorporates both higher volume applications, like flexible packaging and label stocks, and more niche segments like electrical insulation, filtration, and security papers.

‘Make in India’ vs. Making Paper in India: A Balancing Act?

20 Sep 2017 This is an excerpt from an article originally published in the Jun-Jul 2017 issue of Paper Mart India magazine (www.papermart.in). With the incessant and nagging challenges of raw material availability, adherence to environmental norms, and competing with swiftly increasing cheaper imports, India’s pulp and paper industry has the arduous target of creating 1,000,000 tonnes (metric tons) of integrated capacities in pulp, paper, and paperboard to meet consumption demands—a daunting task without conducive policy environment. Does the Indian government’s “Make in India” campaign take stock of challenging manufacturing conditions in this vital industry? The editors of Paper Mart India interviewed experts in India’s growing pulp and paper industry to learn more.

Survey Will Spark New Standards For Tissue and Towel

13 Sep 2017 As the global population continues to expand, the tissue sector (along with packaging) has been a top performer among pulp and paper industry grades. Demand for tissue and towel products, in both the at-home and away-from-home markets, continues to grow. A report from paper industry intelligence provider Fisher International predicts that, by 2025, the global tissue industry will have more than 1000 newly-built tissue machines producing a wide variety of tissue and towel products.

Ready to Compete for Another Century

06 Sep 2017 BY GRAEME RODDEN Note: The full version of this article will appear in the forthcoming September/October issue of Paper360°. This excerpt is offered here as a “sneak peek” for AoTC readers.