Since its initial conception, the process of papermaking hasn’t changed all that much, and yet it has come a long way. The paper industry has responded to increasing ecological demands
and amended its production processes. Paper is a rewarding substance for engineers and technicians as it can take nearly any form and is extremely resilient. Paper isn’t only used SISTER-MAG.COM
to make books, but also book shelves, lamps, beds and chairs. A model maker even built a 1'2" fully functional mini V8 engine from paper and in Israel, and an equally functional bicycle made from cardboard is approaching production maturity. Even houses made from paper are no longer a utopian idea: In Switzerland, an architect is planning 400 residential units built from a material which at its core has a paper-based honeycomb structure. With an annual production of 22.4 million tons, Germany is the fourth largest paper manufacturer in the world, eclipsed only by China, the United States and Japan. Almost half of all this paper is used for packaging (49.5%). Graphical papers are the second largest group, making up 38.1%; only 6.5% comprises tissue and other hygienic paper. Special papers, including roofing and tar paper, photo and filter paper, as well as electrical insulating paper, only make up a similarly small portion of 5.9%.
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