The multi-faceted disposable
May 1st 2005 How can disposable wipers prove useful to a seafood distributor, a spa bath company and a manufacturer of prosthetic limbs? Mark Riley of Tork manufacturer SCA Tissue Europe demonstrates the versatility of wipers by looking at some of the more unusual uses to which Tork non-wovens have been put over the years
When industrial companies buy wipers, they usually plan to use them for relatively mundane tasks such as mopping up spills, cleaning machinery and wiping the hands.
However, over the years we at SCA Tissue Europe have come across many ingenious new uses for our disposables. For example, they have been used as oven mitts, thermal insulators, medical accessories and even filters.None of our wipers are intended for these uses and we are not endorsing any of them. Nevertheless we have had excellent feedback about the effectiveness of our wipers in such situations.
Our strongest, most versatile wiper to date is Tork Premium Multipurpose Cloth 530.This is new to the market but its predecessor – Tork Strong – has been put to many odd uses over the years.
For instance, the neurological department of a major city hospital used to use it regularly as an absorbent pad during brain surgery.The fact that Tork Strong was particularly absorbent apparently made it useful for placing beneath the patient’s head during operations.Tork Strong has also been used in a factory where replacement body parts are manufactured, according to SCA key account manager John Budden.
“A wiper would be placed at the bottom of a large tank and prosthetic limbs and metal kneecaps stacked on top,” said John.“The cleaning solvents would then be flushed through the tank and any particles of dirt were absorbed by the wiper, which worked very well because it did not break up in the solvent.” A spa bath company has found Tork Strong to be ideal when wiping out baths after manufacture.“The company likes the fact that Tork Strong has a high absorbency rate and does not leave behind any lint,” says key account manager Anne Brake.“They also use the wiper for cleaning the ceramic areas around whirlpool baths.” Another unusual use for Tork Strong has been as a filter for cutting fluid.A machine company found that purpose-designed filters were proving very expensive, so they opted to use Tork Strong instead to filter out the swarf from their machining fluids.
A chain of bakers in the North of England has found a use for folded Tork Strong wipers as oven mitts.
Once the wipers have been employed for helping to remove baking trays from the oven, they are used to wipe off excess grease from the baking trays.
Tork Strong was also a vital component in the cleaning-up operation after an oil refinery explosion. Oxidisation had occurred in one of the vats at the Esso refinery at Fawley, near Southampton, leading to an explosion so violent that houses and cars several miles away were splattered with oil.
Tork Strong was used by oil refinery maintenance workers to clean up the soiled windows and car windscreens in the surrounding streets.
Tork Strong may well have been the most versatile wiper in the Tork assortment up to now, but it is by no means the only one that can be put to other uses. Our rag replacement Tork Premium Multipurpose Cloth 520, for example, is supplied to a company that carries out blood screening for diseases such as Hepatitis and Aids.The wiper is used for applications such as wiping medical slides and cleaning the process areas where blood is tested.
Meanwhile in Scotland, a company specialising in supplying prawns to food factories has an even more unusual use for the wiper. Staff wrap it around the live prawns to keep them warm during transit.
Versatility is a key characteristic of any good non-woven wiper. Our own relaunched range of non-wovens – which formerly comprised Tork Strong, E-Tork Soft,Tork Offset,Tork Extra Blue and Tork Multi - are now sold under the generic name Tork Premium Multipurpose Cloth with reference numbers and descriptions to distinguish them from one other.
Since their improved quality brings with it an even greater degree of versatility, Multipurpose will continue to be spelt with a capital “M” in the Tork assortment.
Tork Premium Multipurpose 530- formerly Tork Strong – has many other uses besides the obvious object-wiping applications More articles from SCA Hygiene Products UK Ltd: | 
