Sustainable fiber components

Swedish start-up PaperShell has developed a unique cellulose fiber composite that it calls “wood metal” and which can be shaped into flat or complex-shaped components. It is hard, strong, heat and water resistant and has an exceptionally low climate and environmental impact – all properties that make it an extremely interesting alternative to artificial composites, metal and some plastics. Some of PaperShell’s targeted customer segments are the automotive industry, architects and manufacturers of sporting goods, interior design and electronics.

“We turned to AP&T in 2020 for several reasons – first and foremost because this is a Swedish company with solid experience in meeting the stringent requirements of the automotive industry,” says Fredrik Westerberg, Production Manager at PaperShell. The first steps in the exciting collaboration between the companies were taken when the Research Institutes of Sweden (RISE) used a servo-hydraulic press from AP&T for test forming of biocomposites. Westerberg, who was employed at RISE at the time, worked with the AP&T team on the development of a plant concept for the large-scale production of biocomposites. Westerberg intensified these efforts when he became Head of Production at PaperShell.

Fully automatic, flexible and energy-efficient

Taking into account the specific properties of the new material, PaperShell and AP&T have developed a fully automated, flexible and energy-efficient system concept that enables the rational and efficient production of components for many different applications on the same system.

“We really believe in PaperShell and its new material. It is very exciting to be involved in the realization of a production solution, from the test environment to industrialization, while dealing with the challenges of process control and flexibility. The fact that we can now contribute to the production of sustainable components and products is fully in line with our own sustainability goals,” explains Patrik Haglund, Business Development Manager at AP&T. Today, a production line for test production is already running at the PaperShell plant in Tibro. Operations will be scaled up in the course of 2024 by putting additional lines into operation to increase capacity. The manufacturing process is fully automated. Reinforced paper on rolls is used as the raw material, which is cut into “blanks”, pressed and formed at high temperatures. According to Haglund, the magic lies in the combination of heat, pressure and a bio-based binder. To minimize the need for intermediate storage, labelling, cutting, stacking and inspection are carried out on the same line, under the supervision of the line’s process monitoring system, which ensures that the end products are of the right quality. “The technical level of the system corresponds to that of the most modern press hardening systems that we deliver worldwide. This lays the foundation for a stable, safe and extremely energy-efficient process,” he says.

Great growth potential

Thanks to the modular design of the systems, they can be adapted to every need and requirement. There are many people interested in this versatile material and there are always new ideas for possible areas of application. This indicates that there is great potential for international growth. “Over the years, we have accompanied many of our customers out into the world. As an established global company, I would say that AP&T is well positioned to accompany PaperShell on its journey too. I personally enjoy and find it challenging to work with a client that is not only fast, innovative and professional, but also knows what it takes to grow fast!” Anders Breitholtz, CEO of PaperShell, and his team are also very satisfied with the collaboration: “AP&T is an exemplary supplier and development partner in many respects, not least when it comes to working intelligently on sustainability issues. When we presented our challenge, AP&T quickly found a solution that drastically reduced our energy consumption. We are expanding as planned and are excited to see what we can achieve together in the future.” Web: aptgroup.com