What kind of properties do users appreciate in a good office paper? – According to studies carried out by the Kangas Paper Mill of the Finnish Metsä-Serla Corporation, the answer is that it depends on application, particularly on the kind of printers and photocopiers used. No single grade can meet the needs of everyone.
As a result, the company’s new Amicus range of office papers comprises three grades for use with different copying machines and for various copying and printing volumes.

The Amicus project entered its practical stage of implementation last summer with the rebuilding of PM 4 in Jyväskylä in Finland. The machine is now equipped with the latest gap former, a Valmet Speed Former MB, which is reported to produce better formation at lower tensile ratios. As a result, the manufactured office paper qualities will have improved technical properties, such as runnability in printing machinery, which is one of the most important features for an office paper.
The development of the new paper qualities was based on end-user needs. A detailed study showed that almost every office requires three different grades of paper for various purposes. The main factors are expected sharpness of the print, what type of printers are used and how large the printing volumes are.
There are now three versions for different applications. The Personal range which features high print sharpness, is dedicated to ink-jet printers, laser printers and colour copying. The volumes in these printers are quite small. The second range, Amicus Office, is a general purpose office paper mainly meant for copying and printing office documents. Printing and copying volumes for this purpose is normally higher than for personal printing and copying.
The third range, Amicus Professional, is designed for tough professional use, where runnability and reliability are the key requirements. The grade is in its element in modern top-of-the-range copiers and fast, high-volume laser printers.
All grades are reported to be dimensionally stable, dust-free and accurately cut to improve runnability and minimise printer maintenance.
The end-user study also showed that office workers often complain about the ream wrapper and the ream boxes. Therefore, the new office papers have a new ream wrapper, which gives better protection against moisture and impurities, and is, thanks to a convenient pull stripe, easier to open than earlier wrappers. In addition, the reams are delivered in handy boxes, which are easy to open and close and give an easy access to the reams. The boxes have a pull stripe instead of the usual PVC strap and convenient handles for carrying.
All three grades have been granted the right to use the Nordic Environmental Label. The Office grade can also be made from TCF (totally chlorine free) pulp if necessary. The packaging boxes which are made of corrugated board can be recycled.
With the Amicus range, the Kangas Paper Mill aims to become one of Europe’s top three quality manufacturers of office papers. The production capacity of the mill totals some 215,000 tons yearly, of which 80 percent goes for export.
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Captions:
(1) No single paper grade can meet all the needs of an office. Therefore, the Kangas Paper Mill of the Finnish Metsä-Serla Corporation developed three grades of the new Amicus range of office papers for use with different printers and for various printing volumes. The reams are delivered in a new type of box which is easier to handle than conventional ream boxes.

(2) The whole Amicus range has been granted the Nordic Environmental Label. If necessary, the Office grade can be made from totally chlorine (TCF) free pulp. View from the Kangas pulp storage.
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For further information, please contact:
Kangas Paper Mill
Mr. Markku Uotinen, product manager
P.O.Box 148
FIN-40351 JYVÄSKYLÄ, Finland
Tel: +358 41 655 211
Fax: +358 41 655 310