The Paper Machine is a very large piece of machinery. A typical machine is about the length of two football pitches and around 4 metres wide. It can run up to speeds of 2000 m per minute - or 60 miles per hour! The machine itself consists of 7 distinct sections. The flow box, wire, press section, drier section, size press, calendar and reeling up.

The first section of the machine is called the 'Wet End'. This is where the diluted stock first comes into contact with the paper machine. It is poured onto the machine by the flow box which is a collecting box for the dilute paper stock. A narrow apperture running across the width of the box allows the stock to flow onto the wire with the fibres distributed evenly over the whole width of the paper machine.