Modern Two-Way Radio Comms in the Pulp/Paper Industry

The pulp and paper industry is an interesting combination of the great outdoors and modern industrial techniques. Hardy workers spend their days in the woods gathering the raw materials and transporting them to the mill, where other employees use state-of-the-art technology to transform them into the paper products we use each day. The one thread that ties these two disparate activities together is communication.

Modern two-way radios connect the logging crews to their supervisor, who directs and guides them in their work. Logging is a noisy, dangerous task, with powerful machines working in an unstable environment. It is critical for everyone involved to stay constantly in touch in order to avoid accidents and lost time in the field. Once the wood and brush is harvested and ready to go, the crew leader can use his radio to call in the trucks that will haul it away. Drivers get the message and proceed to the site in a timely fashion, then load up and leave, calling ahead to let the plant know they're on the way.

The processing plant and paper mill uses two-way radio communication to manage every aspect of their operations. The plant managers are in constant contact with the crews in the field, directing their work and determining the right amount of raw materials to be harvested. They keep the truckers organized and moving in order to provide a smooth flow and keep the plant fully engaged. Once the raw materials arrive at the plant, the receiving crews unload the wood and move it into the production process. Every step is monitored and controlled via two-way radio, as the raw wood is prepared and reduced to pulp.

Chemicals are added to bleach the raw pulp and it is squeezed, pressed and otherwise handled in order to make it into basic paper stock. The paper mill is a noisy place, and ear protection is mandatory.

Convenient two-way radio headsets allow equipment operators and supervisors to stay in touch while not removing their focus from the work at hand. Radio communication moderates the production process from end to end. The paper stock is further processed to meet current orders ? folded, shaped, dyed and packaged, ready for delivery. Even at this stage, radios are necessary as the finished paper products are packed, stacked and loaded into delivery trucks, ready to meet the needs of a paper-hungry world, all mediated through the wonders of modern two-way radio communication.