Development of Advanced On-Machine Calendering for Film Coated LWC Papers, 2003 Spring Technical Conference Proceedings

The recent trend toward on-machine manufacturing of lightweight coated (LWC) printing papers has been enabled by substantial developments in both coating and calendering technology. In particular, when compared with the prior art of off-machine supercalendering, today’s advanced on-machine calendering can be characterized as breakthrough technology. The impacts of this breakthrough on the paper industry are both economic, as producers reap huge rewards from on-machine manufacturing, and technical, as the characteristics of the papers being sold and the machines producing them have undergone fundamental change. The success of this process breakthrough has depended on the development of the on-machine calendering process as a whole, and not just the development of this new type of calender. Much supporting technology has undergone parallel development. Further, these development efforts continue, as the experience and learning gained from operating machines continue to present us with challenges and opportunities in process improvement and optimization.