Helping Paper Tube Manufacturers Create New Value with In-Line Pressure Sensitive Adhesive Technology
- Jul 1
- 3 min read
At HAR, many of our best projects begin with a customer asking a simple question:
"Is there a better way?"
Recently, one of our paper tube manufacturing customers came to us with a challenge that had become increasingly difficult to ignore.Their customer required pressure sensitive adhesive to be applied to the finished tube to create an easy, reliable roll start. The existing process relied on applying a water-based pressure sensitive adhesive after the tube was manufactured. While the process worked, it created several ongoing challenges. It was messy, labor-intensive, relatively slow, and added cost to every tube produced. More importantly, it limited production efficiency and made it difficult to keep pace with growing customer demand.
Like many manufacturers, they weren't simply looking for a new adhesive. They were looking for a better process.
Working together, our team evaluated the entire application—not just the adhesive. By combining HAR's application expertise with ITW Dynatec adhesive application technology, we developed an innovative in-line solution that applies hot melt pressure sensitive adhesive during the tube winding process, before the tube is cut to length.
The result was transformational.
Instead of adding adhesive in a secondary operation, every finished tube now leaves production with a precise adhesive zone already in place. The process eliminated unnecessary handling, reduced labor, improved consistency, and simplified production. Just as importantly, it created a cleaner manufacturing environment and delivered a more consistent product to the customer's end users.
The benefits didn't stop there.
The tube manufacturer now offers a value-added product that helps their customers eliminate manual adhesive application, reduce setup time, improve roll starts, and increase production efficiency. What began as a process improvement quickly became a competitive advantage, opening the door to new business opportunities and expanding their market.
Stories like this reinforce something we believe every day at HAR:
Innovation doesn't always require inventing something new. Sometimes it comes from looking at an existing process differently.
The paper tube industry has always been driven by practical innovation. Manufacturers continue to improve quality, increase productivity, and find new ways to create value for their customers. This in-line adhesive application process is simply another example of that ongoing evolution.
It may not be the right solution for every tube or core application, and that's exactly why every conversation begins by understanding the customer's process, production goals, and end-use requirements. There is rarely a one-size-fits-all answer.
At HAR, we don't begin with equipment or adhesive recommendations. We begin by listening.
If your customers require pressure sensitive roll starts, or if you're evaluating ways to reduce labor, improve consistency, or create additional value in your tube and core products, we'd welcome the opportunity to share what we've learned from this successful implementation.
Sometimes the best opportunities aren't found by changing what you manufacture.
They're found by improving how you manufacture it—and helping your customers succeed in the process.
Contact us today to get started:
About the Author
Chaz Downing is the General Manager and Co-Owner of HAR Equipment Sales. He has over a decade of experience in the adhesive application equipment industry and previously served as a helicopter pilot in the United States Marine Corps.
Readers are invited to use the links below to find and contact a local adhesives representative that can help with your company's industrial adhesives needs: HAR Adhesive Technologies has a presence in seven distinct states, uniquely focused on serving the adhesives, adhesive application, and equipment needs of each region in: Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia
