If purchased, pulp arrives in dried sheets. Otherwise, it would be too expensive and heavy to ship. Dry sheets have only 10% moisture. The beatermen put the sheets in the beater. The beater both cuts and separates the bundles of fibers in the pulp.

The beater is an elongated tub divided by a fence-like partition to produce a channel, similar to a race track. A roll with steel bars or knives rotates in the tub and comes in contact with steel bars on the bedplate, thus separating the softened fibers, creating a slurry.