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The Future Printing Center (FPC), which started operating
at the beginning of 2004, is a unique testing and development
service in the printing field. The Center supports Finnish
paper expertise through a new type of specialist network.
"When the owners include a supplier to the paper industry
and customers in the sector, new opportunities and solutions
are created that improve the paper industry's competitiveness
globally," says Päivi Miettinen, the FPC's managing
director.
The FPC is located next to the Coating Technology Center
(CTC) in Raisio. The cooperation forms an important unit worldwide
that covers all stages of paper production from base paper
through coating and calendering to the finished product.
"Quick feedback for controlling the entire chain is
a major cost factor in quality development. The FPC allows
regular trial runs with which a paper mill can follow the
development of its quality. Also when complaints are made,
problems with the paper can be tested quickly."
Need for test production runs increases
The trend in the paper and board industry is towards improving
the properties in the end products i.e. paper and printed
products. International competition is becoming fiercer as
everyone is trying to develop new, better and more cost effective
paper grades. The need for trial runs is also growing with
new coating technologies and digital printing.
Globalization by the Finnish paper industry has exported
Finnish expertise and the way of conducting product development.
"The Finnish forest cluster plays a major role in the
development of coated printing paper. The FPC increases the
opportunities for developing the properties that affect products'
competitiveness in Finland," Miettinen says.
Customers have been highly interested in the FPC right from
the outset. Enquiries about trial runs for customers come
from North America and Canada as well as from central Europe.
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