Primus Wafer Paper

Primus Wafer Paper has been the market leader in wafer (eating paper), based on potato starch, since 1916. A privately family-owned business, it is the only edible paper mill of its kind in the entire world. They produce rolls of paper for manufacturers of fruit bars, granola bars, nougat, coconut macaroons, calissons and Lebkuchen. If all the rolls for customers are rolled out from Oostzaan in the Netherlands (cut to size using robot technology), you will get as far as Osaka in Japan. They also make edible print sheets for cake decorations, and labels for edible marketing on bread, fruit and much more. They export this all over the world. Primus is working hard. Through its “Primus goes Prime” strategy, they are trying to make the paper stronger and more flexible so that it becomes suitable as a sustainable organic packaging solution.

The making of wafer is a specialized process with specific requirements, which calls for special lubricants that can meet these requirements. The rollers, between which the batter is processed, are heavy. The production process involves high pressure and temperatures. With the current lubricant, lubrication problems arose in the bearings. The high temperatures caused grease accumulation and lumps in the grease, which caused the lubricant to lose its lubricating effect. This required a lot of extra time during the weekly maintenance. That is why Primus came to us for an alternative lubricant.

In addition to the specific process requirements, Primus also had to deal with the strict requirements of the food industry. All lubricants that could come into contact with the production process must be NSF H1 certified. “There is always someone at the other end of the line who is willing to brainstorm with us about what could be done better, what is on the market, and how we can be assisted in this,” says Mr. Moorman, Head of Technical Services at Primus Wafer Paper.