|
ISO-certified, quality assured testing from Paprican During PaperWeek International 2004 in Montreal in January, the Pulp and Paper Research Institute of Canada, Pointe Claire, QC, said it has clients, across 27 countries, using its Quality Assurance (QA) Services for their testing. Paprican says it provides the link between process and product quality with all its physical testing and quality assurance standards being ISO Guide 25 accredited so that they comply with its clients ISO 9000 quality assurance requirements. The services have been offered separately before, but now they are integrated into a special group, with increased customer focus and service. Five groups make up the QA services at Paprican. They are: Standardized aluminum foil; standard reference pulp; pulp, paper and board monitor programs; Canadian Standard Freeness calibration; optical calibrations. The aluminum foil is used for measuring the bursting strength of paper (or fabric). The foil, which comes in 13 grades, is also a highly stable standard material for verifying the calibration of burst testers. The standard reference pulp is a reference material for calibration and validation of a mill’s test results. It is characterized for fibre properties, unbeaten and beaten pulp properties as well as chemical properties. The four Monitor programs mean that clients can position their lab results against those of Paprican and other participants in the program. Participant identities and position are totally confidential, and Paprican’s own results are the reference. Says Brad White of Georgia-Pacific’s Leaf River Pulp Operations, “We use Paprican’s bleached pulp monitor program as the main method to verify the calibration of our PFI mills.” CSF calibration means better control of a client’s process and pulp properties. Robert Mitchell Inc. manufactures new testers for worldwide distribution. “We always rely on Paprican’s meticulous work to provide this calibration service,” says Johanne Dubuc of Mitchell’s Production Control. Paprican’s Optics Laboratory is one of only five worldwide that are ISO-author-ized. Staff provide reference materials for calibration of mill reflectometers to measure ISO brightness and color. These accurate measurements help mills meet customer specifications. Mills can have direct benefits from using these Paprican Quality Assurance Services. They can: Validate their lab’s test results; calibrate automated and on-line testing equipment; support mill QA programs with total confidence; minimize product variability. Alan Davis of NorskeCanada, Powell River,
says “I have found that the Paprican Monitor Program for paper testing
provides me with a valuable and comfortable verification of the accuracy of
our testing equipment, calibrations and procedures.” PI |
|
|