VIB Tech Dictionary

A plastic mesh screen used to form the sheet on the Fourdrinier or former.

The pump used to deliver the slurry of stock, water, and additives to the head box

A shower used on the machine with a stream of water discharged in the shape of a fan. Used for felt wetting and lubrication on Uhle boxes.

The process of manually inspecting skids of paper for visible defects.

That property of a paper or dyestuff which renders it resistant to change in color. Depending on its use, a paper should be light-proof, alkali and acid-proof.

A woven endless belt used to carry the web of paper between the press and dryer rolls on the paper machine. The felt also provides a cushion between the press rolls and serves as a medium for the removal of water from the wet sheet. Felts are usually referred to according to use, as follows:
(1) bottom felt, (2) dryer felt, (3) pick-up felt, (4) press felt, (5) top felt, and (6) wet felt.

This is the warning palm located on the front and reverse of the felt or wire by a guide roll. Gives a warning if felt is running off the machine.

An imperfection in paper caused by some coarse or grainy character of the felt after it has become worn, or filled with extracted material disrupting its porosity, disturbing the uniform expulsion of water from the web of paper.

(1) On a Fourdrinier the side of the sheet which does not contact the fabric. On a twin wire former where both sides come in contact with the fabric, it would be the top side.
(2) The side of a sheet of paper opposite to the wire side of the sheet; this is the top side of the sheet when it is formed on the wire.

The percentage of hardwood and softwood fibers used to make sheet. Determined by counting the fibers under a microscope.

The unit cell of vegetable growth which is many times longer than its diameter and which is the unit of paper pulps. Fibers are sometimes divided into two classes, bast and wood, but they are best designated by means of the tissue or region in which they occur, as cortical fibers, pericyclic fibers, phloem fibers, wood fibers, leaf fibers, etc. Other types of fiber such as mineral, animal and synthetic are also used to a certain extent in making special types of papers.

A microscopic process of determining the constituents in a given sheet of paper.

The maximum width of paper that can be made on any given paper machine.

A synonym for loading; the minerals used to improve the printing properties of paper.

Paper materials used to fill spaces not occupied by paper.

Application of a light pigmented coating to provide a more uniform and smoother surface.

The liquid that is produced when a solution is filtered.

The process of removing suspended solids from water by settling through packed beds, or by mechanical screening.

Made of soft pulp or occasionally with unsized waterproof paper that has rag additive. Filtration speed and release capability (separation factor) are both dependant on the amount and size of the pores. They are additionally influenced by various degrees of pulp refining and by creping.

Very short pulp fibers on fiber fragments.

(1) A term used to differentiate between industrial papers such as bag and wrapping, and printing or writing papers.
(2) Writing papers which usually possess good pen and ink writing characteristics, such as Bond, Mimeo, Ledge, Duplicator and Manifold papers.

(1) The condition of the surface of the sheet in terms of smoothness and gloss.
(2) To "finish" paper is a term used to describe the cutting, counting, sorting, and packing of paper.
(3) To finish paper is a term used to describe the cutting, counting, sorting, trimming and packing of paper.
(4) The finish of a sheet of paper refers to the condition of its surface. A high finish gives a smooth, hard surface. A low finish gives a relatively rough, toothy surface.

Translucent spots caused by slime, undefibred portions of stock, or foreign materials which become glazed when the sheet is calendered.

A small piece of paper inserted in a reel or roll of paper so that it extends beyond the end to indicate the location of a splice or a defect.

A vessel used to lower the pressure on steam condensate causing the hot condensate to evaporate, or flash to steam, and separate the remaining liquid. The steam can be re-used in the system and the condensate can be returned to the boiler.

A dye used to give fluorescence and brightness to the sheet.

Single or multi-layered board made of primary or secondary fibre, sometimes coated on one side and capable of being channelled and scored. It must have the required stiffness needed for packing.

A test made on paper either by means of M.I.T. or the Schopper Folding Endurance tester. This test measures the number of double folds that can be given to a strip of paper clamped between two jaws before it will break.

A hard plastic blade on the fourdrinier or former which the fabric rides over. This action causes the water to be removed from the sheet as it crosses the blade.

The angle to which the edge of a foil blade is ground. Usually from 0° to 6°. Higher angles give more water removal and agitation.

The process of predicting the mill's production and profit by the use of standards.

An industrial truck equipped with forks to handle all types of palletized products.

The dispersion of a gas in a liquid.

(1) The appearance of the sheet after it is formed.
(2) Arrangement of the fibers in a sheet of paper. Irregular arrangement is "wild". Uniform formation is "close formation".

The wide piece of plastic located between the apron and breast roll on the Fourdrinier or former. The board is designed to give a uniform formation across the sheet.

A wide solid unit on the former where the top and bottom wires meet to force water to drain up through the top wire.

The forming part of the paper machine consisting of foil blades, foil boxes, forming board, flat boxes, fabric etc.

The name given to the wet end of the type of paper machine invented by Louis Robert, financed by Mssrs. Henry and Sealy Fourdrinier. It is usually applied to an entire modern paper machine, including the dry end, which, however, was not a part of the first paper machines.

An endless belt woven of wire suitable for use on the fourdrinier machine. On this belt the fibers are felted into pulp, board, and paper. The warp (lengthwise) wire is generally of phosphor bronze and the shute (crosswise of weft) wire brass. In recent years, other metals and non-metallic materials have been used. The regular or plain weave is formed by interweaving the shute wire over and under alternate warp wires; the twill weave is formed in such a way that the shute wire goes over two warp wires and under the third one, while the warps go under two shute wires and over one. Round, flat or twisted warp wires may be used. The wires after weaving are made endless by sewing, brazing, soldering, welding, or weaving. The number of warp wires per inch and the number of shute wires determine the mesh of the wire, the warp count varying from 8 to 225, the most common being 55, 60, 65, 70, and 75. The following are the meshes generally used: pulp, 18-40; building board, 8-40; board, 40-60; roofing, insulating, and wrapping papers, 18-70, newsprint, 55-70; ) book, 65-80; glassine, 65-75; sulfite bond, 65-75; rag paper, 60-75; tissues, 70-225.

(1) A term used by papermakers to indicate paper stuff which parts readily with its water, as contrasted to wet or well-hydrated stuff.
(2) A sheet of paper which contains no ground wood.

A measure of the degree of refining and drainage of a particular stock.

The tending side of the machine.

A chemical used to prevent the growth and development of slimes and moulds in pulp and paper equipment, tanks, and pipelines.

(1) A mixture of various pulps and minerals from which paper is made. Much the same as a recipe.
(2) The list of ingredients that make up a particular paper. To "furnish a beater" is to place in it the materials specified by the formula for the paper.

(1) Loose fibers and fillers on the surface of the sheet.
(2) Fibrous projections on the surface of a sheet of paper; caused by excessive suction, insufficient beating or lack of surface sizing.
Lint appears in much the same manner but is not attached to the surface.