Polestar - Print Dynamics on the web (for the visually impaired)

Wood fibre is the basic raw material for paper making whether from virgin fibres or from the recycling of paper. Virgin fibres are produced from trees harvested from traceable sources using sustainable forestry. Wood is composed of the basic elements of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin and there are different trees used depending upon the properties required. In the finished paper. Hardwoods give short fibres which are used for bulk, opacity, softness and printability – from Birch, Eucalyptus, Acacia and Aspen.Softwood long fibres for strength and run ability – from Spruce and Pine.

Chemical pulp mills are energy self sufficient as the wood material dissolved in the liquor is collected and used as fuel. The process is fed with wood chips and the cooking process extracts the fibres separating them from the lignin binder which is the agent which turns paper yellow with age. Because Chemical pulp is free of lignin it is the best paper to use for archiving material. After cooking the pulp is bleached to remove any remaining impurities and improve its whiteness and brightness.
If the paper mill uses chemical pulp but does not manufacture any or enough itself then they will have to buy the material in. Chemical pulp mills will sheet and bale dried pulp for external use, and the consuming mill will have to slush the pulp, storing it in towers before use in the stock preparation process.

Chemical pulp is more expensive to produce than mechanical pulp not least because only around 60% of the raw material is converted into pulp. It is naturally brighter than mechanical and easy to bleach, the longer fibres lead to a stronger product and the absence of lignin means that the pulp is resistant to ageing (seen as yellowing with mechanical pulps).

1. Forestry

Trees are the basic raw material for paper making and these are harvested from traceable sources using sustainable forestry. There are different trees used depending upon the properties required.

2. Forestry

Tree harvesting machines are specially designed to fell trees in otherwise inaccessible areas with its articulated chassis and combination of chains and tyres for good grip on poor surfaces.

3. Forestry

The harvesting machines are equipped with GPS to aid location of the area to be harvested

4. Forestry

Once cut to length the logs are stored at the roadside within the forest.

5. Forestry

Logs can be despatched by road or rail.

6. Forestry

In areas such as Finland, where there is a direct water link from the area being harvested to the paper mill itself, logs can be transported by water.