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Automation in the Paper Industry
Paper is an invention, the paper was invented centuries ago by mixing hemp, rags, and bark with water and then combining it into pulp, the liquid extracted from the pulp was dried in the heat of the sun in the form of huge thin mats, and all this done manually with the skill of hands. Paper kept developing itself from papyrus to book paper. We find quite a variety of blotting paper, business card paper, acid-free paper, lining paper, archival paper, etc. which distinguish themselves from each other uniquely
“Today, paper has become a part of our everyday lives, but it is not possible to produce paper with the traditional methods used in manufacturing”.
Due to the massive paper production quantity, paper mills require high-technology tools to meet the growing demand. These technologies also include wireless communication and virtual reality to sync well with the industrial demands of globalization and innovation. With the concept of sustainability, paper manufacturing has adopted green initiatives to keep up with production. IPM and several other firms have adopted the reform to source raw materials from authorized counter partners.
Paper manufacturing makes use of machinery during various stages of production, it involves a lengthy and complicated process of pulp extracting, diluting paper fibers, pressing, drying, winding, and quality control. Modernization in the paper industry has thus contributed to saving cost and value time in paper production. Paper manufacturing has evolved to add automation to the production process, and huge machinery and supplies are used to cater to the growing demands. High and low-voltage motors, processing equipment for winders and cutters, and thermal pulpers have implied automation in the process, the logistics of paper uses automated factory control systems to monitor the stock and cargo post-production. The paper industry has pervaded automation into the system to cater to the continuous innovation in this industry.
If we focus on digitalization in the paper world, we must say that paper has grown to become E-paper and has been able to fit into the small screens in our hands. But this comprises only a small portion of the writing and printing paper industry.
“Paper is widely demanded in packaging, wellness, hospitality, construction, FMCG, logistics, and entertainment industries which cannot be replaced with E-paper”.
And to cater to the demands of these industries paper industry is constantly automating its processes to captivate these opportunities. Automation in the paper industry has acted as an amalgamation of technology and product. Automation has bought an evolution with enormous benefits to the paper industry.
Benefits of Automation
An impactful advantage of the implication of automation is cost reduction. Automation has set its footprint steady by cutting unnecessary capital expenditure.
Since the production of paper requires huge machinery and plant, automation has benefited the industry with automation in material handling, people management, WIP management, logistics, and supplies enabling the machines to run faster and produce larger quantities.
Paper manufacturing units also need to deal with storage and warehouse to protect the finished product from moisture, implementation of the ASRS – Automatic storage and Retrieval system which helps in transaction management, reel order management, and tracing and tracking of the materials.
Automation in the paper industry also monitors waste management. In production, a lot of raw materials are subject to waste, automation process efficiently monitors the process resulting in loss reduction.
Evolution of Paper
The paper production industry has progressed towards sustainability. 100% recyclable paper is being manufactured by every mill. Eco-friendly paper is used for office printing and general purposes and is produced from agricultural waste.
Uncoated paper is the natural format of paper without any chemical application, this paper is light in weight and burns faster, and can be easily recycled without emitting harmful materials.
The logistics industry is making use of biodegradable packaging materials which are made from wood pulp. The fashion industry uses cotton paper which is produced from scraps of jeans and other textiles. Paper has adopted sustainability in all its forms to acknowledge the importance of sustainability.
From automating the methods of paper production to digitalization and using sustainable methods in paper manufacturing, the paper industry has set its ground for innovation and adaptability.
“Paper mills have inclined towards this transition and are contributing immensely to a sustainable environment”.
Automation in Paper has made many manual tasks of stocking, logistics, manufacturing unit systems, and machine handling controllable. Automation has the potential to revolutionize the paper industry by increasing efficiency, reducing costs, and improving product quality. Automated systems can handle repetitive tasks with precision and speed. We thus have witnessed the spread of automation in paper and dwell further to reap the fruits of automation.
