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Forest Biomaterials Short Courses

Principles and Practice of Paper Coatings

Upcoming Training Events

  • Contact Dr. Lokendra Pal (lokendra_pal@ncsu.edu or call at +1 919-515-6622) for future course dates and availability

Workshop Overview

North Carolina State University, a leader in the field of paper science and engineering, will host a paper coating short course. This course will bring industry and academia experts together to teach the basic principles and practices of paper and functional coatings. The course features classroom instruction and laboratory workshops.

Who Should Attend

This course is designed for the newcomer to the paper coating industry, as well as those with experience who wish to broaden and update their knowledge and understanding of the basics of coating materials, process technology, coating property, and coated substrate testing. This is a three-day course with an optional (additional fee) hands on laboratory testing experience offered on the fourth day.

Learning Objectives

Individuals taking this course should learn the following:

  • Raw materials used in the preparation of coatings
  • Principles of coating formulations to meet desired end-use requirements
  • Coating equipment and operations
  • Paper coating and coated paper test methods
  • Printing methods and operations including digital printing
  • Coating and printing defect terminology, causes and solutions
  • Basics of converting equipment and operations

Workshop Materials

Participants will receive a set of course notes and access to the lecture files. A course banquet and lunches for all three days are included in the registration fee.

Workshop Locations

The course presentations will be held at NCSU campus, Department of Forest Biomaterials, Paper Science and Engineering Program, Biltmore Hall, Corner of Western Blvd and Dan Allen Drive. The course will start at 8:00 AM on Tuesday and will end on Thursday at 4:00 pm. The recommended dress code is casual.

CEUs

Each participant will receive three CEUs after successful completion of this course.

Preliminary Workshop Schedule

The following is a tentative outline of the planned activities. 

Day One

8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

  • Review of Coated Printed Grades
  • Pigments
  • Synthetic Binders
  • Natural Binders
  • Additives
  • Formulation Principles
  • Coating Makedown and Handling

Day Two

8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

  • Contour Coaters
  • Blade and Rod Coating
  • Size Presses and Transfer Roll Coaters
  • Drying
  • Calendering
  • Converting

Day Three

8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

  • Barrier and Functional Coatings
  • Overview of Printing Processes
  • Production Digital Printing
  • Print Demands on Coated Papers
  • Testing and Troubleshooting

Registration

The regular registration fee is $1595. This registration fee includes tuition, training, materials, a certificate, refreshment breaks, lunches, and a dinner banquet. Lodging is not included in the registration fee. The registration fee should be received no later than two weeks prior to the course starting date. The registration fee cannot be refunded. Substitute participants can be sent, or the fee can be applied to a course on a later date.

The number of students in the course will be limited to 36 individuals for maximum effectiveness. Registrations will be accepted in the order they are received.

Hotel

Participants are responsible for their own hotel arrangements which is not included in the registration fee. We recommend the following hotel accommodations due to their close proximity to NC State University.  Hotels located on the free Wolfline bus service provide daily transportation to and from your hotel and the College of Natural Resources.

Additional Information

For answers to questions related to this course, please contact  Dr. Lokendra Pal (lokendra_pal@ncsu.edu, 919.513-6622).

Dr. Lokendra Pal is an Associate Professor in the Department of Forest Biomaterials at North Carolina State University. Dr. Pal has over 14 years of industrial experience in the research and manufacturing of paper-based materials and professional experience in managing and collaborating with industrial partners worldwide. Dr. Pal has filed 30 patent applications and been granted 10 patents.  Before joining NC State, Dr. Pal spent 9 years working with Hewlett-Packard in the Media Supplies and Solutions group. He lead new product development and cost reduction programs. He obtained his Ph.D. in Paper and Imaging Science and Engineering from Western Michigan University. He is a certified Lean Six Sigma (LSS) Black Belt and Quality System Assessment (QSA) Auditor. Dr. Pal is a member of TAPPI and ACS. His current research efforts focus on developing functional coatings, printed electronics/sensors, 3D printing processes, and sustainable materials.