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Open for review: Optimised Paper Handling & Logistics guide

Draft chapters of a new best-practice guide for Optimised Paper Handling & Logistics, are open for review to those who would like to contribute to the project. The final version of the guide will be published later in 2016.

by Brian Veseling brian.veseling@wan-ifra.org | January 7, 2016

“World paper production is a big subject, equal to 400 million tonnes a year,” said Nigel Wells, the guide’s Editor and Project Manager. It has become essential for the industry to attack avoidable waste and damage across the value chain, he added, explaining how the idea for the guide was born.

Paper handled up to 16 times between mill and press

During a presentation at the World Printers Forum in Hamburg, Wells used a roll of newsprint to demonstrate that while paper is fairly robust, it is also highly vulnerable to water damage, damage from being dropped and so on.

This vulnerability is a major concern because paper is handled up to 16 times from the paper mill until it gets to the press, so there are a lot of opportunities for damage, he said.

In addition, there are issues such as reduced industry resources, which has been complicated by the mass retirement of those of the baby boomer generation as well as cost pressures to make everything last longer but often with reduced maintenance.

The unique cross-industry project combines synergies from suppliers, publishers and industry associations, including: ABP, Axel Springer, Goss, KBA, Stora Enso, The Times of India, UPM and WAN-IFRA among others.

“The subject is pretty big, so we’ve cut it up into several modules,” Wells noted.

Draft available and ready for review

The result has been published as an e-book draft of a “best practice manual” that is available free to all users.

“Best practices should not have any hinderances,” Wells said.

The objective of the guide is to improve both economic and environmental results. The scope covers all printing processes for rolls and sheets of paper.

For example, Wells noted, is the paper-cutter using the right tool or are they using a less appropriate tool that could easily damage 5-10 mm of paper? While that might seem like a small amount, it will progressively add up.

The completed draft is an easy-to-read, illustrated 192-page text that is aimed at production supervisors and their staff.

The Alpha version is now available, and those who are interested in the topic are encouraged to become a reviewer. The plan is to publish the final version at drupa.

For more information and to review chapters from the draft, click here.

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