The Use of Scientific Computing in the Pulp and Paper Industry

Abstract

Scientific computing can be broken down into many categories and uses. While attending Kalamazoo College, my study and use of scientific computing has been limited to learning basic concepts and working on small projects to help solidify the basic ideas of programming. Most of this was taught with the use of the language C++. I put the knowledge I gained in these classes to use in an internship at the Johnson Corporation in Three Rivers, MI. When I first made contact with my boss, Jerry Timm (a Kalamazoo College graduate), he said the job involved "scientific computing." As I looked further into this opportunity I was a little apprehensive since I had not taken many computer science classes, but it appeared to be something that would be interesting for a Senior Individualized Project (SIP). While working I was also able to get a first-hand view of the research and development department of the company and how scientific computing was implemented at this corporation. Much of the work I did for the company involved writing, testing, and implementing programs to model techniques used in the pulp and paper industry to optimize paper production. The actual programming language I learned and used was Delphi®, which is an adaptation of Pascal (with which I had no prior experience). I approached the internship like I would a class and used the time to teach myself much more about programming. I was able to witness how "scientific computing" is used by companies to survive in a highly competitive industry.