Papiertechnische Stiftung services

Research Availability

Owing to the restricted availability of natural resources for papermaking, the aspiration to ensure sustainability, to expand the variety of usable resources and to find and develop new sources of raw materials has become the cornerstone for the future viability of the paper industry.

Fibre Raw Materials

The paper industry needs additional sources of fibre – new sources have to be found, old sources rediscovered and exploited. Annual plants hold enormous potential for the paper industry. Novel fibres promise to provide better or even entirely new product properties. – PTS is your partner in the search for a reliable fibre and pigment supply.

Consultancy

Product Development

We use the results obtained from publicly funded research projects to create new fibre-based solutions and improve the properties of existing products - together with the companies concerned. From brainstorming, to laboratory testing up to our pilot plants.

Product Simulation

PTS develops numerical simulation models to compute the behaviour of natural fibre materials under specific mechanical and climate loads. Joint research with universities and other institutes leads to the development of anisotropic viscoelastic-plastic constitutive laws on various scales (fibre network, semifinished product or product). The models are validated and verified by means of analytical methods from the field of material testing. Simulation results based on Finite Element Method (FEM) are used to optimize the mechanical properties of paper and fibrous materials and develop innovative fibre products.

Process Development

Optimised processes are sustainable, make efficient use of raw materials and guarantee a constantly high product quality. Those are the objectives we adhere to when optimising your processes.

Innovation Consulting

New materials may open up new markets and offer additional possibilities to develop new products based on the knowledge accumulated in the paper industry. A strategic analysis of the company’s potential is essential to establish such new market positions. That implicates the structured analysis of its own strengths and weaknesses, the assets, analysis of the market environment regarding competitors and customers as well as the identification of constructive approaches for developing new products.

Measuring and Testing

Materials Testing

The chemical and physical laboratories at PTS are equipped with conventional and innovative equipment for testing and analysing paper materials, semi-finished and finished products. The samples are subjected to comprehensive testing and subsequent evaluation by a skilled staff with long years of experience in this sector. PTS not only provides reliable measured values. Upon request, customers also receive solutions for operational troubleshooting.

Material-Mechanical Characterization

Methods from the fields of applied, experimental and continuum mechanics play a key role in the engineering process of new products. PTS investigates and develops new material-mechanical characterization methods for applications in the field of lightweight construction. For this purpose, we use both classic constitutive laws and our own developments in combination with suitable test equipment. The results of numerical product or product component simulations are used to derive further design layout variations.

Solutions with Analytics

With more than 60 years of experience, PTS has gained an excellent reputation as a provider of physical and chemical testing services for paper, fibres and packaging. In many cases, conventional measuring methods work well. But often it takes more than this: complex issues may demand comprehensive solutions and wide-ranging concepts, or make it necessary to explore the various paths of interpretation offered by measurements. In such cases, a lot of creativity is needed to find and apply the most suitable analytical method. Our internal and external networks of excellent specialists enable us to complete even the most challenging tasks. The PTS department of analytical services acts as one-point contact and co-ordinator for customer projects in the field of analytics.

Research & Innovation

Contract Research

The results of our research and consultancy work provide trendsetting answers to the challenges of today’s market conditions. Your competitive position may be improved significantly, particularly in the following areas: Development of innovative paper products, e.g. by nanotechnology or fibre composites, Finishing and functionalisation of surfaces, Improving product properties,e.g. papers for various printing processes, Product design with optimised material selection, Quality management by sensor-controlled measuring and control technology, Cost-optimised production processes, above all stock preparation, recycling, wet-end, water circuits, Increasing energy efficiency, Tagging potentials for energy savings.