This article provides comprehensive information about paper tubes, paper core and composite cans. You will learn how these paper and paperboard products are made and their materials of construction as well as paper tube applications, advantages and drawbacks.
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Paper tubes are cylindrical, hollow structures manufactured by spirally or convolutely winding multiple layers of paper or paperboard into a rigid form. Each layer is securely bonded using industrial laminating adhesives, creating a strong, lightweight structure with excellent load-bearing capabilities. The wall thickness and overall strength of a paper tube vary based on the number of paper plies used, the type of paper selected, and the winding method, allowing manufacturers to tailor tubes for specific performance requirements.
Paper tubes are widely recognized under several names, including paper cores, paperboard tubes, fiber tubes, fiber drums, paper cans, composite cans, wound tubes, and coreboard tubes. They are commonly—but inaccurately—referred to as cardboard tubes. Technically, cardboard consists of layered kraft paper with a corrugated inner medium, whereas paper tubes are formed from solid paper plies without corrugation. This distinction is important, as paper tubes offer superior structural integrity, dimensional consistency, and customization options for industrial, commercial, and consumer applications.
Paper tubes, paper cores, and similar products are manufactured by winding layers of high-strength paper or paperboard, most commonly brown kraft paper. Industrial paper tubes and cores can include one, two, or multiple plies to achieve the required wall thickness and structural integrity for varied uses, such as shipping, packaging, and converting processes.
The innermost layer, known as the liner, and the outermost layer, called the wrap, can be composed of durable materials like foil, polyester film, or specialty treated paper for added protection. These outer layers can provide important features such as moisture resistance, oil resistance, enhanced graphics or branding, high-gloss finishes, and custom colors. These protective properties make paper tubes and cores ideal for both consumer packaging and industrial use.
The two primary types of paper tubes and cores are spiral wound tubes and convolute (parallel wound) tubes. Spiral wound paper tubes are created by winding paper plies at a continuous angle around the tube axis, offering excellent uniformity, length control, and strength for everyday applications like mailing tubes, poster tubes, paper straws, and core inserts. Convolute wound cores and tubes, in contrast, are produced by wrapping the material edge-to-edge at a right angle or parallel to the axis. These convolute tubes excel in high-crush strength, rigidity, and dynamic load resistance, making them essential as heavy-duty industrial cores in manufacturing and converting operations.
In a spiral wound tube, the multiple layers are bonded with adhesives at an angle for superior column strength. This construction is especially suited for use as shipping tubes, protective packaging cylinders, and display poles. For convolute tubes, the parallel layering creates tighter bonds, offering increased compression strength and bending resistance. These characteristics are valuable for engineered paper cores in industries such as textiles, flexible packaging, paper mills, plastic film, and adhesive label production.
Typically, paper tubes have thinner walls and are primarily designed as lightweight containers or retail packaging for consumer goods, mailing, and specialty products. Adhesive tape cores, craft and hobby tubes, and paper cans for food packaging are common examples.
Meanwhile, paper cores have substantially thicker walls. This heavy-duty construction makes them indispensable as winding cores for converting operations where webs, films, textiles, nonwovens, carpets, foils, and industrial papers are produced as continuous rolls. These robust cores support the weight and tension of large-diameter or high-speed winding without collapse.
In papermaking, machines generate giant parent rolls—often called machine rolls, jumbo rolls, or tambour rolls—which are later converted, slit, or rewound into consumer-sized rolls using dedicated winding machinery and paperboard cores. Other industries, including flexible packaging, plastic films, textiles, and abrasives, also use these large-diameter converting cores to wind and process various materials efficiently.
Not all paper tubes are restricted to packaging—many serve as critical industrial machine components. For example, high-performance paper cores are engineered for use in rolling mills or film extrusion plants, where superior compressive strength, dimensional stability, and resistance to deformation are critical. These industrial paper tube solutions are tailored to handle heavy loading, high-speed processing, and demanding environments.
For smaller rolls, such as adhesive tape, labels, aluminum foil, tissue paper, or commercial film, thinner spiral wound packaging cores are favored for consistency and smooth handling during dispensing. These small-diameter products are commonly found in offices, households, retail, and specialty packaging sectors.
The production of custom paper tubes and cores leverages precise cutting techniques—such as rotary blade or saw methods—to manufacture a full range of finished products, including composite cans, eco-friendly shipping tubes, push-up tubes for cosmetics, pyrotechnic tubes, display poles, carpet cores, concrete column forms, and other specialty engineered paper products.
Large fiber drums, composite drums, and paper straws are also produced using a similar winding process. Convolute winders are preferred for composite and fiber drum production, creating sturdy but lightweight containers that are an eco-friendly alternative to steel drums for the shipping and storage of bulk goods and chemicals. Paper straws, recognized for their sustainability, are manufactured at high speeds with spiral winders to meet food safety standards and replace single-use plastic straws.
For end-users and buyers in industries such as packaging, converting, manufacturing, and logistics, custom paper tube manufacturing delivers solutions tailored to precise size, performance, material, and environmental specifications. Leading paper tube manufacturers and paper core suppliers offer design, prototyping, and short-run options to support innovation and meet diverse industrial and consumer requirements.
Although most commercial paper tubes are designed with a cylindrical or round cross-section, advanced custom paper tube manufacturing capabilities enable the creation of tubes in a wide variety of shapes—including square, oval, hexagonal, triangular, and other geometric profiles—using specially engineered winding mandrels. These non-round paper tubes can be strategically designed to match product contours, maximize storage and shipping efficiency, and minimize the need for excess packing materials.
Tapered paper tubes or paper cones are manufactured with cone-shaped mandrels and are widely used as yarn carriers in the textile industry, as well as in carpet and fabric winding. Their unique shape offers stability and managed tension during high-speed unwinding operations, supporting smooth processes in spinning, weaving, and dyeing lines.
For specialized protection, paper tubes may be slit or cut longitudinally to create half-shells. These half-shell protective covers are invaluable for protecting large paper rolls, coiled metals, or other cylindrical products during shipping and handling. They can be easily secured with tape or connective H-profiles, streamlining large-format packaging solutions and reducing manual labor compared to traditional tube insertion methods.
Innovative applications in industries such as retail, food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, construction, textiles, and even fireworks manufacturing rely on the versatility of both round and custom-shaped paper tubes. Choosing the right paper tube shape and design ensures optimal product protection, branding, and process efficiency.
If you are seeking reliable solutions for shipping, specialty packaging, commercial winding, or custom manufacturing, partnering with a trusted paper tube supplier or industrial core manufacturer can help you achieve cost-effective, sustainable, and high-performance results tailored to your business needs.
Paper tube and core manufacturing is a precision converting process designed to produce durable, high-strength cylindrical structures used across packaging, shipping, and industrial applications. The process relies on controlled web slitting, continuous winding, and adhesive lamination to transform flat paper materials into rigid paper tubes and fiber cores. During production, multiple layers—referred to as plies—of paper or paperboard are spirally or convolutely wound around a hardened steel mandrel. Industrial-grade adhesives bond each layer together, creating a unified structure with excellent compression strength, dimensional stability, and load-bearing performance.
Ply widths commonly range from approximately 2 to 10 inches (50 to 250 mm), although wider plies—up to 20 inches (500 mm)—are used for larger-diameter or specialty tubes. Individual ply thickness typically falls between 0.008 and 0.050 inches (0.2 to 1.3 mm), depending on material selection and performance requirements. The total number of plies used in a paper tube can vary significantly, from a single layer to more than 50, with most industrial paper cores utilizing between 3 and 30 plies to balance strength, weight, and cost efficiency.
The overall strength and performance of a paper tube are engineered through several critical factors, including paperboard quality, adhesive formulation, ply thickness, overlap area, and winding tension. Paperboard plies may be manufactured as single dense sheets or laminated from multiple layers to enhance rigidity and crush resistance. This design flexibility allows manufacturers to customize paper tubes for demanding applications such as film and foil winding, textile rolls, carpet cores, mailing tubes, protective packaging, and heavy-duty shipping containers. As a result, paper tubes offer a versatile, cost-effective, and sustainable solution tailored to a wide range of industrial and commercial requirements.
| Process Steps in Manufacturing Paper Tubes | |
|---|---|
| Machinery Utilized | Paper Tube, Paper Core and Paper Tube Product Manufacturing Process Steps |
| OffRotary Slitting Machine | Jumbo Roll Unwound and Slit into Narrow Paper Strips or Plies |
| Winder / Unwinder | Winding of Narrow Paper Strips or Plies |
| Fork Lift Turk, Carts or Material Handler | Stacks of Paper or Paperboard Rolls Moved to Winder |
| Winder - Unwinder or Unwinding Stands | Multiple Rolls of Narrow Paper Strips Loaded on to Unwinder Spindles/Shafts |
| Winder - Adhesive or Glue Applicator | Adhesive Applied to Narrow Paper Strips |
| Winder - Wrapping & Forming Mandrel | Paper Ply Strips Wrapped on to Mandrel to Continuously from Spiral Tube |
| Inline Printing & Labeling Unit | Labeling Wraps with Printed Graphics Applied to Paper Tube in Inline Process |
| Inline Cutter | Spiral Paper Tube Cut into Shorter Lengths |
| Tube Drying Oven | Spiral Paper Tube Lengths Cured or Dried in Oven |
| Offline Printer or Label Wrap Applicator | Labeling Wraps with Printed Graphics Applied to Paper Tube in Offline Process |
| Recutter or Offline Cutter | Longer Tubes Cut in to Required Smaller Lengths for End Use |
| Conveyors, carts or Material Handler | Cut to Length Paper Tubes Moved to Secondary Finishing Cutting and Closeure Operations |
| Tube Finishing Machinery | Deburring, De-dusting, and Polishing or Skiving when Smoother Surface Finish Requited |
| Punching or Die Cutting Equipment | End Notching, Slotting, Window Cutting, Perforating, Embossing |
| Tube End Forming and Capping Equipment | End Forming, Plug Insertion, Capping or Flanging & Capping |
| Conveyors, Carts or Material Handler | Finished Tube Moved to Palletizing and Packaging Machines |
| Palletizer & Packaging Machines | Paper Tubes Stacked and Packaged on Pallets, in Boxed or On Steel Carts |
| Loading Docks and Trucks | Packaged Paper Tube Products Loaded onto Trucks and Shipped to Customers |
For those interested in the technical foundation of the paper tube manufacturing industry—including engineers, purchasing managers, and designers—reviewing related patents and technology definitions on the USPTO website can offer deeper understanding and specialized insights into how these durable fiber products are made to precise specifications for countless commercial and industrial uses.
Subclass B31C in the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) offers cooperative patent classification (CPC) and technology definitions for paper and wound tube manufacturing processes. Specifically, B31C 9/00 refers to the "Simultaneous forming of cylindrical and conical shapes by winding separate webs, such as in the production of bottles." Understanding these standards can help you evaluate new proprietary manufacturing methods when seeking out custom or advanced paper tube solutions.
The paper tube manufacturing process can encompass web winding, folding, and precise bending, allowing the production of tubes and cores in a range of shapes—round, square, oval, or conical—to meet specialized packaging, storage, and product protection requirements.
In spiral wound paper tube manufacturing, wide jumbo rolls of paper, paperboard, and liner materials are converted into highly engineered narrow ribbons via a rotary slitting machine. These ribbons are critical to creating tubes with consistent wall thickness and superior crush strength for demanding uses, such as mailing tubes, carpet cores, textile tubes, and point-of-purchase display tubes. The narrow ribbons are precision-wound into "poker chip" stacks, then staged for transport to spiral winding machinery.
Once loaded, narrow ribbons from multiple rolls are simultaneously guided, adhered, and taped to the steel winding mandrel. By precisely offsetting the leading edge at an angle less than 90 degrees to the mandrel's axis, the ribbons form a continuous spiral, resulting in a high-integrity laminated tube. This advanced method produces tubes with superior roundness and uniformity—essentials in both automated and manual material handling.
The steel mandrel's outer diameter determines the inner diameter of the final tube, while the overall wall thickness is controlled by the number and thickness of plies, as well as adhesive distribution. These parameters are tightly controlled in high-volume production, ensuring that paper tubes, mailing tubes, and paper cores meet stringent customer tolerances.
During spiral winding, strong water-based or hot-melt adhesives are applied to the plies before winding. Various adhesive application techniques—such as roll coaters, reverse roll, slot die, extrusion, brush, spray, blade, and dip coaters—ensure a consistent, reliable bond and boost the tube's axial and radial strength.
Once plies are wound, a robust fabric-reinforced endless belt applies uniform pressure, compacting layers and advancing the tube with high friction. These tube forming belts (Nitta, Passaic, Rainbow) are engineered for strength and easy cleaning, with seamless construction to avoid tube marking—critical for high-speed, defect-free production.
The finished laminated tube is then cut to exact length—inline or offline—with rotary blade cutters or saws, addressing the needs of customers requiring tight tolerances, burr-free edges, and consistent lengths for applications like film, textile, or foil winding. Additional finishing such as deburring may follow to prepare for downstream use or packaging.
Versatility is another major strength of spiral tube manufacturing: different ply combinations allow for tailored product properties. Specialty liners (foil, waxed or coated paper, plastic film) can be applied to the inner or outer diameter to increase moisture, grease, or chemical resistance—ideal for food-grade paper tubes, protective postal tubes, and moisture-sensitive cores.
Custom-printed ribbons offer strong branding opportunities, while layer selection influences durability and printability. By collaborating with an experienced manufacturer, you can design custom tubes for specific packaging, shipping, or converting requirements, including heavy-duty spiral wound cores for steel or textile mills.
In convolute tube manufacturing, wide ribbons are wound around the mandrel parallel to its axis, producing a single longitudinal seam and maximizing beam strength. This method enables production of heavy-duty paper tubes and paperboard cores designed for industrial web handling—whether in paper, textile, film, or abrasive industries. Higher pressures and tensions during winding eliminate voids and optimize adhesive contact, resulting in extremely robust, dimensionally stable tubes and cores.
An external metal roll applies uniform pressure, increasing adhesive penetration and minimizing air entrapment. This enables production of beam-strengthening convolute tubes—often the gold standard for critical web winding, unwinding, and rewinding applications in industrial production lines.
Common high-strength convolute tube applications include:
When specifying a paper core, consider not only the dimensions and ply composition but also its function as a mechanical element—serving as a shaft, chuck, or spindle in industrial web handling and fabrication machinery. For lighter-duty applications, such as label and tape dispensing or mailing tubes, spiral wound tubes often suffice. For high-stress or heavy roll winding, convolute-wound paper cores provide the necessary rigidity and load-bearing capability.
The spiral and convolute tube manufacturing processes may be combined to engineer multilayer tubes with unique properties. For example, a spiral wound kraft tube may be finished with an outer layer of white paper or plastic via a convolute winding process, integrating full-color graphics, custom branding, or functional coatings for composite cans and premium packaging tubes. This hybrid approach is popular in retail, promotional, and luxury packaging sectors.
Paper tubes and cores are ubiquitous in daily life. They're integral to products such as paper towels, tissue rolls, aluminum foil, and plastic wrap. Open your kitchen cabinet and you'll likely find paper canisters, composite cans, and other reliable paper tube containers. The same core manufacturing technology is found in fiber drums, drinking straws, and disposable paper cups.
Machines for producing fiber drums, straws, paper cups, and composite cans utilize technology and design principles similar to those in automated paper tube winding. Innovations in these machines support higher production speeds, enhanced dimensional control, and specialized tube performance.
Leading paper tube manufacturers and original equipment manufacturers have developed patented and proprietary technologies for producing tubes and cores with superior strength-to-weight ratios, lighter weights, and tailored mechanical or chemical barrier properties—such as the SIRPAK® linear tube forming system for non-round composite cans.
After formation on a spiral or convolute winder, paper tubes are cut to the required finished lengths. This step is pivotal for producing packaging tubes, mailing tubes, or industrial cores that meet exact customer size requirements. Inline rotary blade cutters allow for high-speed, continuous cutting; for thicker or specialty tubes, offline saws or recutters are used. Inline cutting is ideal for long production runs requiring tight tolerances—important for packaging, protective mailing applications, and industrial core manufacturing.
Rotary blade cutting offers extremely clean, sharp edges and very low variation in length, making it well-suited to converter and printer customers who require consistent precision. For thicker-walled tubes, saw cutting is sometimes necessary—but it typically generates more dust and requires additional deburring. Understanding the available tube cutting processes is key when specifying custom tubes or industrial fiber cores for specific end uses.
The finished strength and appearance of a paper tube can be significantly enhanced by secondary surface treatments and finishing operations. Dip or immersion impregnation with wax, resin, silicone, or other waterproof coatings increases moisture resistance and food safety, crucial for packaging tubes, composite cans, and shipping containers. For specialty winding applications, machine operators may polish the internal and external tube surfaces, removing burrs for smoother loading and unwinding.
Custom printing, high-resolution graphics, and labeling wraps can be applied inline or offline, allowing brand owners and OEMs to differentiate their packaging and reinforce brand presence across product lines.
Depending on the application, tubes may be left open-ended for uses such as forms, spacers, or protective sleeves, or finished with specialty capping, flanging, or end-forming for conversion into paper cans, composite packaging, or sealed shipping containers. Tube end closures are a critical consideration in protective packaging, food packaging, poster tubes, and mailing tube applications.
Value-added manufacturing operations—like embossing, slotting, die-cutting, and window punching—support functionality for tape, label, and film winding. Side windows may be die-cut to create product viewing windows, while embossing boosts grip and handling in industrial tube or core use.
End closure options for paper tube packaging and product protection include:
Multi-part telescoping tubes—two-piece adjustable or three-piece premium designs—are often specified for high-end packaging such as wine, cosmetics, promotional kits, and valuable document storage. Rolled and crimped end closures offer distinctive product differentiation and improved performance in moisture protection and tamper-resistance.
Paper tube-based packaging isn't limited to dry goods. For wet or frozen products, such as frozen juice concentrates, flanged, sealed, and metal-capped ends provide reliable, leak-proof packaging. "Tin end" can seaming creates a hermetically sealed solution that meets FDA, food safety, and consumer protection standards.
Palletizing and packaging are final but vital steps in paper tube production that ensure products arrive safely and undamaged at customer facilities. Many manufacturers offer flexible palletizing solutions, including shrink-wrap, corrugated cartons, bundle strapping, and returnable steel carts to suit varying shipping, storage, and in-plant logistics needs. Robust packaging not only protects the product but also reduces costly damage during transit, improves warehouse efficiency, and enhances customer satisfaction.
Paper tubes, mailing tubes, and industrial cores are commonly shipped in:
Some paper tube manufacturers also provide contract filling, assembly, and direct packaging services, allowing users to integrate their finished goods into paper-based packaging, reduce supply chain complexity, and improve sustainability initiatives through the use of recyclable and biodegradable packaging tubes and cores.
The majority of paper tubes and paper cores are manufactured using durable, high-strength materials such as kraft paper and paperboard, which are derived from sustainable wood pulp, cellulose fibers, or reclaimed recycled content. These materials provide an excellent strength-to-weight ratio, making paper tubes well-suited for packaging, converting, winding, shipping, and protective storage applications. By industry standards, paperboard is typically defined as material measuring 12 points (0.012 inches) or thicker under TAPPI classifications and exceeding 250 g/m2 under ISO standards.
Kraft paper is the most widely used material for producing high-strength paper tubes and industrial paper cores. Its long-fiber composition delivers superior burst strength, dimensional stability, and resistance to crushing and compression under heavy loads. These performance characteristics make kraft paper ideal for demanding applications such as industrial cores, mailing tubes, protective packaging, and spiral or convolute wound products exposed to storage and transportation stresses.
Coreboard paper is another commonly used construction material and is often manufactured from 100% recycled fiber. This specialized grade of paperboard is engineered for high-performance tube and core applications where strength, sustainability, and cost efficiency are critical. Environmentally responsible options such as uncoated recycled board (URB) are increasingly selected for eco-friendly packaging, shipping, and industrial uses.
Each paper tube is built from one or more paper plies, typically arranged as follows:
Paper tubes can be engineered with single-ply or multi-ply constructions and customized using specialized materials. These may include moisture-resistant liners, vapor barriers, foil or plastic films, food-safe papers, or decorative outer wraps designed for retail packaging and branding.
Common liner and wrap material options include:
In more demanding applications, manufacturers may incorporate non-paper ply materials such as electrically insulating papers, phenolic-impregnated kraft, aramid fibers (including Nomex and Kevlar), or fiberglass webs. These engineered constructions enable paper tubes and cores to meet stringent requirements for electrical insulation, high temperatures, and mechanical performance.
Through careful material selection and ply configuration, paper tubes can be tailored to meet niche performance requirements such as electrical conductivity control, corrosion protection using VCI paper, high-voltage dielectric strength, flame resistance, or enhanced aesthetics for luxury and specialty packaging.
Three commonly specified specialty paper tube types include:
Specialty adhesives and bonding systems further enhance customization options. Most paper tube adhesives are water-based, such as polyvinyl alcohol or dextrin, while hot-melt or thermoset resins may be used for higher-performance requirements. Tubes can also be impregnated with waxes, resins, silicones, or polymer coatings to impart moisture resistance, improved mechanical strength, or electrical properties—expanding the functional range of paper tubes, cores, and composite cans.
Whether used for shipping, industrial winding, packaging, retail display, or protective storage, understanding available materials, manufacturing techniques, and finishing options allows buyers and engineers to specify paper tube solutions that deliver optimal strength, sustainability, branding potential, and regulatory compliance.
Paper tubes are specified and ordered based on three primary dimensions: inner diameter (ID), wall thickness, and overall length. For packaging, shipping, or containment applications, the tube’s inner diameter and length should be carefully matched to the size, shape, and handling requirements of the product being packaged.
The product should fit securely within the paper tube to prevent shifting or damage during transportation, while still allowing sufficient clearance between the product and the tube’s inner diameter (ID) to ensure easy loading and removal.
For products such as powders, granules, chemicals, or grease, the required internal volume of the paper tube or composite canister determines the appropriate tube dimensions. In these applications, the inner diameter and length are critical, while the outer diameter is generally less important for mailing tubes or paper tube containers.
In general, wall thickness directly impacts a paper tube’s flat crush resistance and overall structural strength. The wall must be thick enough to withstand compression, stacking, shipping, and handling forces, but not excessively thick, as over-engineering increases material costs and reduces the lightweight advantages of paper tubes.
Paper cores used in heavy-duty converting and winding applications typically require thicker walls to endure the radial and axial stresses generated during winding operations. The required wall thickness depends on the width, weight, and diameter of the web material being wound. For example, a narrow adhesive tape core for retail packaging can use a relatively thin wall, whereas a core designed to wind large rolls of tape, film, paper, foil, or textiles converted from jumbo rolls requires significantly greater wall thickness.
The dimensions of concrete form tubes or piling tubes are determined by the required diameter of the concrete column, footing, or structural support. These applications commonly specify large inner diameter (ID) paper tubes designed to maintain dimensional accuracy during concrete placement and curing.
Dimensional tolerances are another important consideration when specifying paper tubes and cores. Tight tolerances should only be requested when required by the application, as overly restrictive tolerances can increase manufacturing costs without adding functional value. Because paper tubes are formed on precision steel mandrels, manufacturers are able to maintain excellent control over the tube’s inner diameter (ID).
Paper tubes and cores are hygroscopic materials, meaning they can absorb and release moisture from the surrounding environment. Changes in humidity can cause slight expansion or contraction, affecting dimensional stability over time. Resistance to moisture absorption, liner selection, and storage conditions all influence how well a tube maintains its specified dimensions.
Blade-cut paper tubes generally maintain tighter length tolerances and cleaner edges than saw-cut tubes. This distinction is especially important when paper tubes are used for spacing, masking, or protecting threaded components, shafts, spindles, or precision mechanical parts. The difference between smooth blade-cut ends and rough saw-cut edges is clearly illustrated in the image above.
| Dimensional Manufacturing Capability of Several Leading Paper Tube Suppliers | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leading Manufacturers of Paper Tubes and Cores | ID Range (inches) | Wall Thickness Range (inches) | Length Range (inches) | |||
| Min | Max | Min | Max | Min | Max | |
| Ace Paper Tube Corporation | 0.25 | 10 | - | 0.5 | - | - |
| Chicago Mailing Tube | - | - | 0.025 | 0.75 | 0.25 | 350 |
| Heartland Products Group LLC | 0.375 | 20 | 0.03 | 0.0725 | 0.5 | 60 |
| Paper Tubes & Sales | 0.51 | 30 | 0.03 | 0.75 | 0.25 | 53 |
| Valk Industries, Inc. | 1 | 16 | 0.018 (2 piles) |
0.75 (23 piles) |
0.375 | 50 |
| Wes-Pac Inc. | 0.5 | 10 | 0.025 | 0.5 | 0.25 | 300 |
| Western Container Corp. | 0.31 | 24 | 0.024 | 0.75 | 0.25 | 300 |
Understanding the capabilities of paper tube manufacturers can help determine what sizes are available and feasible. The table above reviews the manufacturing capabilities of several leading paper tube and core suppliers. Here is a summary of the dimensional manufacturing capabilities of these top suppliers:
While the table shows the range of available sizes, it is essential to contact the manufacturer to confirm whether they can produce a paper tube with your specific dimensions on their winders and cutters. For example, a paper tube with an inner diameter of 0.25 inches, a wall thickness of 0.75 inches, and a length of 0.375 inches may not be feasible.
Even if your project falls outside a manufacturer’s current capabilities, new tooling or machinery can be acquired and amortized for high-volume projects with sufficient annual order quantities. Paper tube tooling is generally less expensive than tooling for other manufacturing processes, such as injection molding or extrusion.
When ordering paper tubes, paper cores, or other paper tube products, it is crucial to discuss the end-use or application with the manufacturer. Their engineers and experts can recommend the appropriate materials and strength requirements (such as flat crush, radial crush, dynamic, or burst resistance), as well as any additional features or modifications needed to meet your specific application demands.
For instance, paper concrete form tubes must support the weight of the liquid concrete. If you are pouring concrete to a greater depth, the wall thickness and strength of the tubes must be adequate to handle the increased pressure.
Typically, commercial-grade form tubes can support concrete pours up to 20 feet in depth, while contractor-grade tubes are suited for pours up to 12 feet. Concrete form tubes are available in diameters as large as 60 inches, but the most common sizes are 6, 8, 12, 15, 16, 18, 20, 24, and 36 inches.
Paper cores for converting or winding web materials are commonly available with inner diameters of 3 or 6 inches, and come in various performance or strength levels. Higher-strength or higher-grade cores are suitable for larger finished roll sizes, heavier weight rolls, and higher winding or unwinding speeds.
The table below displays the paper core grades from the Graphic Communications Association (GCA) and the Composite Can and Tube Institute (CCTI). It outlines the minimum performance requirements for each grade. Additionally, CCTI offers Automated Paper Mill Core guidelines in an Excel spreadsheet to help determine the recommended core grade for your specific application.
| GCA and CCTI Paper Core Grades and Test Performance | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper Core Inside Diameter(ID) (inch) | Paper Core Grade | Minimum Test Performance for the Grade Code | ||||
| GCA Code | CCTI Code | Harmonized or Combined Code | Flat Crush(lbs./4 inch.) | Dynamic or Cyclic Load Test(KN/10cm) | Flexural Stiffness or Bend Strength Test (kN-sq.m) | |
| 3 | L | 4 | 3-L4 | 600 | 15 | 6 |
| 3 | M | 6 | 3-M5 | 850 | 25 | 10 |
| 3 | F-Fiber | 9 | 3-F9 | 850 | 25 | 10 |
| 3 | H-Hight Strength | 12 | 3-H12 | 1000 | 35 | 12.5 |
| 3 | X-Extra High Strength | 14 | 3-X14 | 1200 | 42 | 15 |
| 3 | U-Extra High Strength | 16 | 3-U16 | 1400 | 50 | 17.5 |
| 6 | L | 4 | 5-L4 | 350 | 25 | 32 |
| 6 | M | 6 | 6-M6 | 400 | 35 | 35 |
| 6 | F-Fiber | 9 | 6-H12 | 750 | 60 | 55 |
| 6 | H-Hight | 12 | 6-H12 | 750 | 60 | 55 |
| 6 | X-Extra High Strength | 14 | 6-X14 | 800 | 70 | 60 |
| 6 | U-Extra High Strength | 16 | 6-U16 | 850 | 80 | 65 |
In addition, a paper tube or core inquiry or request for quote (RFQ) should include an estimate of the number of paper tubes or cores required and how often they will be reordered. Many custom paper tube manufacturers have minimum order quantities.
Moisture absorption and water resistance are critical performance properties for many paper tube and paper core applications. Cobb testing is commonly used to quantify the moisture absorption characteristics of paper and paperboard materials. A paper tube’s ability to maintain dimensional stability—by resisting moisture absorption or excessive drying—is especially important in demanding industrial and converting environments.
Shrinkage or swelling caused by moisture fluctuations can lead to warping, distortion, or out-of-round conditions. These defects are particularly problematic in paper core applications where web materials are wound under tension. A bent, warped, or non-cylindrical core can introduce wrinkles, tracking issues, and surface defects in materials such as adhesive tape, paper, plastic film, foil, or textiles.
A TAPPI survey found that approximately 50% of web breaks in paper mills were attributed to roll or core-related defects. In high-volume operations, a single defective core can rapidly turn an entire production run into scrap if straightness, roundness, or strength specifications are not met. Maintaining consistent paper tube quality is essential for minimizing waste and ensuring efficient converting operations.
Surface smoothness and spiral winding grooves can also affect winding performance. Grooves created during the spiral winding process may cause wrinkles in the web material, while external burrs from saw cutting can further exacerbate surface defects. To minimize these issues, manufacturers may request that outer paper core surfaces be skived and polished to improve smoothness and winding performance.
Low-quality paper cores can result in web breaks, core collapse, or exploding rolls—events that may cost paper mills or plastic film plants thousands of dollars per incident and potentially damage equipment or endanger personnel. To prevent these failures, multiple mechanical and performance tests are used to evaluate the strength and suitability of paper tubes and cores for specific applications, including flat crush, radial crush, flexural strength, ring strength, and dynamic load testing.
The industrial test methods outlined in this standard are divided into two parts. The first part determines the flexural modulus and bending stiffness of a paper core using modal analysis and three-point bending test procedures. The second part provides a method for calculating the theoretical critical speed of paper cores used on printing presses and high-speed web converting equipment.
Flexural stiffness testing evaluates performance under bending stresses and roll vibration during winding and unwinding. Flexural strength is also a strong predictor of resistance to core explosions. Bend strength tests measure a core’s resistance to sagging when a load is applied at the center of its length. Excessive sagging or distortion can cause vibration, roll deformation, and uneven winding.
This test evaluates the crushing resistance of a paper tube or core during handling, stacking, and transportation of rolls wound around the core. Flat crush testing applies compressive force using two parallel plates or anvils against the outer walls of the tube to determine side-to-side crush strength. Flat crush strength is particularly relevant for paper tubes and composite cans used in packaging and shipping applications.
For paper cores used in winding applications, the radial crush test more accurately simulates the load conditions experienced during winding. This test measures the core’s ability to withstand inward radial forces generated by web tension and roll weight.
This test evaluates performance under cylindrical loading conditions during winding and unwinding in paper mills, plastic film plants, and other web converting facilities. Dynamic load testing measures the maximum roll weight a core can support between core chucks over its operational lifetime, expressed as the number of revolutions before failure.
In practice, materials often fail at lower stress levels under cyclic loading than under static loads. Dynamic strength testing replicates the effects of cyclic forces generated by web tension and high-speed rotation, providing a more realistic assessment of core performance during actual operating conditions.
Large rolls of paper, film, and other web materials generate substantial momentum during winding. When rolls are accelerated or decelerated, torque is transferred to the paper core through the core chucks and web tension. Over time, this can cause chuck chew-out—where the inner diameter of the core tears or degrades due to repeated stress. Chew-out remains a critical failure mode, and improved test methods are essential for accurately predicting real-world performance.
Two primary standards organizations—the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the Composite Can and Tube Institute (CCTI)—provide recognized test methods for evaluating paper tube and core performance. ISO 11093-6:2005 covers testing of cores, including determination of bending strength using the three-point method. CCTI standards address flat crush testing (CCTI T108), dimensional measurement, dimensional stability, water vapor permeability, and warpage evaluation for composite cans, paper tubes, and cores.
The Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry (TAPPI) establishes standards for the paper and paperboard raw materials used in the manufacture of paper tubes, paper cores, paper discs, paper caps, end caps, and paper spools. These standards ensure consistency, quality, and performance across paper-based converting and packaging products.
A wide variety of industries consume paper tubes to meet several different end use functions including:
Containing and packaging is probably the largest application segment for paper tubes. Mailing or shipping tubes are used to package large documents with folding such as maps, posters, prints of artwork, original paintings, blueprints or engineering drawings and architectural plans.
Powder tubes are designed for holding dry goods and granulated materials. They frequently feature rotary shaker or sifter tops to aid in dispensing, similar to disposable salt and pepper shakers.
Frozen lemonade and cookie dough are packaged in food-grade paper tube cans, which include liners and sealed ends to ensure the safe containment of the food products. Telescopic tubes are commonly used for packaging wine bottles, perfumes, and cosmetics.
Push-up tubes with oil-resistant liners are ideal for dispensing lip balms, lubricating grease, caulks, adhesives, deodorants, and repair compounds.
Chemicals, active pharmaceutical ingredients, pesticides, and fertilizers can be packaged in paper tube cans and composite drums by first lining the container with a plastic bag.
Another application that I find particularly intriguing is the use of paper tubes in construction. Large-diameter, spiral-wound paper tubes are employed to form concrete pilings by pouring concrete into the tube, which often includes rebar and remesh for reinforcement. Smaller-diameter paper dowel sleeves are used to create voids or channels within cast concrete, allowing space for communication cables, electrical wiring, and plumbing. Additionally, some architects have explored using paper tubes as framing materials for emergency or temporary shelters.
Paper tubes naturally dampen vibrations thanks to the fibrous structure of the paperboard. Additionally, they offer superior thermal insulation compared to metal tubing.
Specialized dielectric crepe or kraft papers can be used to create electrically insulating or dielectric paper tubes. Engineered papers and saturation with specially formulated resins can enhance either thermal conductivity or insulation properties.
Paper tubes are utilized to safeguard various mechanical components, including spindles, bolt threads, polished shafts, end mill teeth, plug gauges, and drill bits. By covering spindles or bolt threads with a protective tube, you can prevent impacts from other metal parts that might otherwise nick or distort the threads.
Paper tube masks are slid over threads or shafts to enable the targeted application of coatings or adhesives while protecting the areas covered by the mask from being coated.
Paper tubes serve as display poles to support signs in stores and exhibits. They are also used as spacers in packaging to prevent movement and protect products from damage. For example, paper tube spacers are employed to position and safeguard automotive wheel hubs during shipment. Additionally, paper tube spacers can function as reinforcing corner posts and supports within various packages.
Paper cores, paper cones, and paper spools are commonly used for winding, carrying, and dispensing materials such as wires, cables, tubing, foils, yarn, rope, and other roll stock. A paper spool typically features a paper core with two chipboard flanges. In the agricultural industry, paper cores are even utilized to roll up sod.
Paper tubes and cores have several advantages compared to plastic or metal tubes:
Paper tube and cores have drawbacks compared to similar products made from metals, plastic or glass:
| Paper Packaging Has Low Density | |
|---|---|
| Packaging Material | Density (Ib/ft³) |
| Kraft Paper | 43 |
| Aluminum | 168 |
| Glass | 157 |
| PET Plastic | 87 |
Industries across manufacturing, packaging, and distribution are increasingly adopting eco-friendly and sustainable packaging solutions such as paper tubes to reduce their carbon footprint and strengthen their environmental responsibility initiatives. As sustainability becomes a key purchasing factor, many consumers actively prefer environmentally responsible packaging, making paper tubes an attractive option for both branding and compliance.
The marketing advantages, consumer acceptance, and cost efficiencies associated with paper tube packaging are well established. In addition, paper tubes can help manufacturers reduce costs and risks related to environmental compliance compared to plastic or metal packaging. Paper tubes are naturally free from volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and heavy metals—substances that are frequently regulated and restricted in many regions.
Customers purchasing paper tube products generally have fewer compliance concerns related to:
Paper tube and core manufacturing is widely regarded as an environmentally sustainable and eco-friendly process for several key reasons:
Collection and Reuse Programs - Many paper tube manufacturers operate collection and reuse programs that recover used paper cores from customers as well as paper and paperboard waste from local communities, supporting circular economy initiatives.
Natural / Eco-safe Material – Paper tubes and cores are manufactured from natural, plant-based materials and are considered environmentally safe because they do not contain toxic chemicals or heavy metals. When buried, paper tubes can compost within one to two months, returning organic matter and nutrients to the soil.
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