Pulp trays are made from paper pulp using a simple and cost-effective process that involves adding agents to waste paper pulp, immersing a porous mold in the pulp, and using a vacuum to draw water through the mold and adhere the paper fibers to its surface. The resulting trays are environmentally friendly, versatile, and widely used in packaging applications. The process uses recycled waste paper and optimizes water usage.
A pulp tray is an effective packaging item manufactured from paper pulp. Molded paper pulp products are made by reducing waste paper into pulp in a process that includes the addition of various property-enhancing agents. A porous mold is then immersed in the pulp where water is drawn through it by a powerful vacuum. This caused the paper fibers in the pulp to adhere to the outside of the mold, effectively taking its shape. The printed paper part is then removed from the mold, dried and packaged for distribution.
The ubiquitous pulp tray is one of the most common packaging materials in general use and is encountered in applications as diverse as cushion inserts in high-end electronics packaging to beverage trays in fast food restaurants. Products can be made to absorb or contain fluids and can be made in a wide range of shapes, colors and textures. The pulp tray is also an excellent example of an environmentally friendly product, as most of it is made using recycled waste paper in a process geared towards optimizing water usage during production. The process used to produce paper pulp items is also quite simple, leading to exceptional costs compared to other packaging solutions.
The pulp tray manufacturing process begins with the collection of waste paper, including corrugated packaging and newsprint. The paper is made into a pulp by adding water and exposing it to a reduction process, during which stabilizing and binding agents such as soluble wax and aluminum sulfate are added. Once the pulp is ready, a mold of the desired product is dipped into it. The molds are porous and connected to a powerful vacuum source and a wastewater cross-linking system.
Once immersed, the vacuum is activated, which draws water through the mold over its entire surface. This action causes the paper fibers suspended in the pulp to stick to the outside of the mold as the water passes through. The water that passes through the mold is then collected and circulated back to the pulping process for reuse. When the adherent fiber layer reaches the desired thickness, the mold is removed from the pulp. The pulp tray, which closely mirrors the mold surface, can now be removed using a transfer mold and placed into an electrical element or thermal fluid dryer where they are slowly dried ready for dispensing.
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