Why Traditional Paper is a Plague on American Manufacturing and How Synthetic Paper is the Cure

An inconspicuous, yet insidious, efficiency-sapping scourge has emerged in the American manufacturing work place.

Produced with 100-year-old technology, it silently drains manufacturing facilities of profit and safety in some of the strongest manufacturing communities across this great nation. Detroit. Murfreesboro. Schenectady. Oklahoma City. Tulsa. Grand Rapids. None are immune.

The insipid pestilence's name? Paper. Weak, traditionally-made paper. Seems benign, we know, masquerading as a useful business supply even!

But each year, hundreds of thousands of reams of ordinary, feeble paper fail under the harsh conditions demanded in manufacturing environments.

You've probably seen it in your plant. It's everywhere. Signage that rips or gets soaked by water and disintegrates. ID badges in frayed lamination that peel and fail. Blueprints that never recover from a spilled coffee.

But there is a cure for this papyral epidemic. This cure is durable, resists water and scoffs at tearing. It's impervious to chemicals and grease and even capable of withstanding severe fluctuations in temperature: It's name is synthetic paper!

And it's perfect for manufacturing facilities. Here's why:

1. Durable Safety Signage

Safety signage creates a hazard-proof work environment. You need to let people know that the floor may be slippery or that machinery is operating that could sever their faces if they're not careful. When you need noticeable signs for safety guidelines, you want a synthetic paper that is vibrant, bright and attention-getting.

Need to warn about biohazards? What about electrical hazards? Weight load limits on freight elevators? These scenarios demand communication through safety signage. Synthetic paper is ideal for this type of warning.

2. Synthetic Paper for Manuals and Blueprints

How many times has ham-handed Dan from engineering spread out blueprints of a new manufacturing machine only to dump his full cup of coffee across them, leaving a stained, soaked mess of lost opportunity? You know what's ham-handed Dan-proof? Blueprints printed on synthetic paper.

Blueprints for the products being manufactured need a wipeable, no-tear surface. Since these plans are in constant use, they have to stand up to frequent handling and spills.

Same goes for instruction manuals. If grease or chemicals are a fact of life in your manufacturing plant, you need to check out manuals printed on synthetic paper. You'll be able to wipe off pages and continue to use it, rather than having to replace the whole manual every year.

3. Lock-Out or Tag-Out Tags For Electrical Safety

When manufacturing equipment is being worked on, how do you keep the repair person from being exposed to a deadly electrical current?

To ensure equipment isn’t inadvertently powered up while it's being serviced, potentially harming the repair person, OSHA mandates lock-out or tag-out tags be used so equipment isn't turned on until the repair is complete and the tag removed. Synthetic paper is an excellent product to use for these tags.

4. Color-Coded ID Badges

When a decision needs to be made quickly, it's important to be able to find the right person, no matter what shift it is. When you don't recognize faces, you can always recognize colors. That's why the people on the floor who have decision-making authority should be wearing easy-to-see, color-coded ID badges. But not just bright, colorful badges. DURABLE, bright, colorful badges that won't fade when they're hung on a car mirror or tear every time they get caught in a locker.

5. Adhesive-Backed Signs and Labels That Stay Stuck

Sometimes signage needs to be temporary. Use adhesive-backed synthetic paper for temporary, but very durable, signage. It's also great for permanent adhesive crate or pallet tags that have to stay stuck to your manufactured products as they ship.

Marine Grade labels, with adhesive backing that adheres to drums in all conditions, gets the job done for if your container might encounter water or other fluids, including machine spills or grease. The labels will permanently adhere to the surface and can be wiped clean if need be.

So what do you say? Is it time to turn back the scourge of flimsy, unreliable, traditionally-made paper and say hello to synthetic paper for your manufacturing plant? We thought so.