STAR

TIP 0304-25 "Understanding formaldehyde management" (Revision)
TIP 0304-26 "Common curtain coating problems: causes, detection and correction" (Revision)

Special note: Documents appearing in the TAPPI online version of the Standards and TIPs are updated once a month (usually around the 15th). So it is possible that there is a delay between the publication announcement and the posting online. If you are a subscriber to the online access to Standards and TIPs and you are in a hurry for new documents that have not yet been posted, you can send a request to standards@tappi.org.

The TAPPI Standards regulations require public review of standards that are up for ballot. TAPPI members can view any drafts that are in ballot by logging in to the TAPPI web site (www.tappi.org), clicking on "My TAPPI," and then clicking on the "Standards Public Draft Review" link on the left side of the page. If you would like to review and comment on any draft and are not a member of the corresponding Standard-Specific Interest Group (SSIG), you may view the draft online or you may request a copy of the draft being balloted, by writing to standards@tappi.org. TAPPI members may join SSIGs as permanent members; go to the Subject Category page to download forms for this purpose. Nonmembers of TAPPI may join any SSIG as a voting member; to do so, send a message to standards@tappi.org to receive a copy of the draft and a ballot.

Listed below are TAPPI Standards that have recently gone out for ballot to the corresponding Standard-Specific Interest Group (SSIG). The date in parentheses is the closing date for voting.

T 1015 sp-06 "Fiber glass mat uniformity (visual defects)" (July 30, 2010)
T 1016 om-06 "Average fiber diameter of fiber glass mats" (August 2, 2010)
T 803 om-06 "Puncture test of containerboard" (proposed reclassification as a Classical Method; August 2, 2010)
T 545 om-07 "Cross-machine grammage profile measurement (gravimetric method)" (August 16, 2010)
T 830 om-04 "Ink rub test of containerboard and corrugated board" (August 23, 2010)
T 809 om-06 "Flat crush of corrugating medium (CMT test)" (August 27, 2010)
T 804 om-06 "Compression test of fiberboard shipping containers" (August 30, 2010)

In 1991, the TAPPI Useful Methods were published in a book which was, at the time, intended to be the final publication of Useful Methods. This book has been available for purchase since that time because, although no new Useful Methods have been published since 1991, many of the ones previously published are still being used or referenced in the industry.

When the Quality and Standards Management Committee (Q&SMC) received a request that some type of test methods category be developed to allow publication of methods that could be used in a plant operation setting without having to go through the formal procedure to develop a TAPPI Standard, a task force was put together to study the request. The task force concluded that reinstating the Useful Method category might be the best way to accommodate this request. A survey went out to determine which UMs are currently being used in the industry.

The task force developed a set of guidelines for new UMs. The task force has also reviewed the list of UMs from the 1991 book and has determined which ones meet the new requirements and which do not. Those that are in compliance will remain in the "new" Useful Method category. The UMs that do not meet the new requirements will not be part of the UM set until a technical group within TAPPI can revise it and submit it for republication under the new rules.

A spreadsheet was put together that lists the UMs along with the recommendations from the UM Task Force. This spreadsheet is available for anyone to review; to obtain the spreadsheet, send a message to the Standards Manager at standards@tappi.org.

Any TAPPI members who may have an interest in revising and reinstating any UMs that may be pulled from the set should notify the Standards Manager (standards@tappi.org) of their interest in reinstating the Useful Method. The minimum requirement is that a group of at least three TAPPI members from different organizations must agree to have their names listed as contributors to the UM. When the revision and the group have been properly submitted, it will become a part of the UM set.

The UM Task Force encourages all TAPPI members to consider participating in bringing back Useful Methods that are needed in the industry as well as developing new ones under the new guidelines. The Standards Manager can provide any additional information upon request. More information will be forthcoming in the next few months in the STAR newsletter as to the progress toward adding this new UM collection to TAPPI’s set of technical documents.

For details on these commonly-used acronyms in the development of TAPPI Standards and TIPs, please see the Standards Guidelines and the TIP Guidelines, or send your questions to standards@tappi.org.

TIP = Technical Information Paper
Q&SMC = Quality and Standards Management Committee
SSIG = Standard-Specific Interest Group
SARG = Standards Advisory Review Group
WI = Work Item
WG = Working Group
WGC = Working Group Chairman
om = Official Method
pm = Provisional Method
sp = Standard Practice
cm = Classical Method
ss = Standard Specification
sg = Standard Guideline
gl = Standard Glossary
wd = Withdrawn Standard
UM = Useful Method

Details on how to search and order TAPPI Standards and TIPs can be found on the TAPPI website's Search and Order page.

All individual TIPs or Standards are available for electronic or paper delivery. For electronic delivery, the documents are e-mailed in PDF format. Hard copy documents can be mailed or faxed, but shipping and handling costs will apply.

For Individual TIPs, order Item Number: 0108____ (Insert TIP number).
For Individual Standards, order Item Number: 0104T____ (Insert Standard number).
List price: $49; TAPPI member price: $32. There are no shipping or handling charges for electronic documents.

The 2010-2011 collection of Standards, published in March of 2010, and the 2009-2010 collection of TIPs, published in March of 2009, are available on CD. An Individual or Company License for access to the continually updated collection of Standards and TIPs via the web, is the best way always to have a current set of documents accessible. A print-on-demand version of either the Standards or the TIPs set, current and updated as of the date printed, is also available.

For information and quotes on company licenses, contact Lisa Stephens at lstephens@tappi.org or +1-770-209-7293. For regular orders (including individual online licenses), contact Member Connection at 1-800-332-8686 (US), 1-800-446-9431 (Canada), or +1-770-446-1400 (international), or order online at www.tappi.org.