"Beyond simple development, this is an important opportunity to advance Korea's pulp mold (mold) technology to the next level."
Director Shin Dong-jun of Moorim P&P's pulp product development team shared this impression after taking part in the Seoul Center for Creative Economy & Innovation's SME Technology Innovation Development Program.
Director Shin entered this field after seeing new industrial opportunities that pulp could create. Moorim P&P is a new materials corporations with Korea's only integrated pulp and paper production process. Pulp, the basic raw material of paper, is made by extracting only the fiber component from wood, and Moorim P&P produces natural pulp molds and more based on its accumulated pulp technology.
He said, "Discovering new products and businesses based on pulp remains an area with many opportunities," adding, "In particular, demand for precision manufacturing technology is rising for pulp molds, making it essential to secure the underlying technologies to address this."
Moorim P&P is currently joining forces through the SME Technology Innovation Development Program with K-labs, a 3D printing manufacturing company, Kraf Solution, a startup developing automation solutions in the mold field, and the Korea Institute of Machinery & Materials (KIMM) to raise precision in the pulp mold manufacturing process.
Pulp molds are products made by placing pulp mixed with water into a three-dimensional mold, then pressing and drying it. In the past they were at a simple level like egg trays, but recently they have expanded into high value-added areas such as tableware and packaging for cosmetics and electronics, requiring precision technology.
Director Shin began by saying, "This project differed from conventional government project methods." He said, "When a demand-side corporations proposed the needed technology, corporations able to implement that technology naturally gathered."
He went on, "We learned about this program through promotion by the Seoul Center for Creative Economy & Innovation, and a team capable of implementing the demand-side technology was formed using the startup infrastructure and the SME infrastructure of the Korea Technology and Information Promotion Agency for SMEs (TIPA)," adding, "We are developing technologies together with specialized corporations that would have been difficult for our company to attempt alone."
Typically, teams are assembled to meet predetermined goals, but this time, small and medium-sized companies and startups with expertise gathered for the technology Moorim P&P needed.
Director Shin noted, "The pulp mold industry is growing rapidly, but there were limits in precision manufacturing technology and process control technology," and added, "We had to find ways to solve these problems."
Moorim P&P is working with startups and others to develop a 3D printing-based "hybrid mold" that can compensate for the limits of conventional aluminum molds. It is also advancing "post-process mold technology" to enhance functions such as trimming product edges uniformly or creating fastening structures like cup lids. In addition, it is pursuing development of "sensor signal-based mold operation technology," which controls temperature, pressure and drying time by product by mounting sensors on molds.
Director Shin explained, "Three organizations with different capabilities—3D printing-based mold technology, precision mold design, and equipment technical prowess—have come together, making a technical response possible." He added, "We are collaborating from June this year through June 2027," emphasizing, "It is a significant achievement that we can develop precision mold and process control technologies along with the capabilities of specialized corporations."
Interest is high within Moorim P&P as well. Developing a new technology alone can entail considerable staffing and expense burdens, but with this SME Technology Innovation Development Program enabling cost reductions and collaboration with specialized companies, expectations are rising for technology implementation.
Director Shin emphasized, "In the global market where environmental regulations are tightening, this will enhance Moorim P&P's competitiveness and serve as a good example of growing with startups," adding, "We will continue to innovate to lead the eco-friendly industry based on pulp materials."