The key advantage of the tube as a package is that it allows to measure needed quantity of the product (for example, glue), striping it in the place of application.
Tube has high barrier properties. On the one hand, it protects product in the tube against outdoor environment – impact of light, oxygen, bacterial pollution etc. On the other hand, tube content is not released into the environment and manufacturer can be sure that consumer will receive exact content that was laid in the tube. Different types tubes have various barrier properties.
Different tubes decoration techniques: the simplest design is mixed colors printing in 3-4 colors. Complicated variants may consist of CMYK printing, foil stamping, 3-D image printing, lacquering, transmission holes in tubes body…
Tubes are economical, allowed almost completely use packaged product.
World’s modern tendency is increasingly environmentally friendly production of plastic tubes. Presently, up to 80% of plastic tube sleeves might be produced of recycled plastics (labeled as post-consumer recycled – PCR). Also manufacturers work on reduction of plastics used for caps manufacturing – produces more light caps. Tubes and caps are also developed of bio-degradable materials.
Tubes types
There are three types of modern tubes: metallic, plastic and laminate- Metallic tubes are manufactured of aluminium.
- Plastic tubes are produced of different types of polyethylene. Such tubes might be single-layer and multi layers (coextrusion tubes).
- Laminate tubes иhave several layers of complicated composite material. Laminate might be with barrier layer of aluminium (ABL-laminate) or plastic (PBL-laminate). Laminate (ABL) tubes combinates barrier properties of aluminium tubes with possibilities of plastic tubes design.
- Injection tubes - relatively new technology of press molding a single tube of polypropylene. Decoration performed on printed label placed to the press mould.
Production
- Plastic tubes manufacturing is performed by extrusion and co-extrusion processes.
- Aluminium tubes pressed of work materials – slug (rondelle) – under high (from 60 to 250 tons/m) compression – result is monolithic, weldless tube.
- Laminate tubes welds from layered material – laminated plastic.
Aluminium tubes
Aluminium tube – cylindrical vessel for packaging of spreadables. Aluminium tubes used in manufacturing of drug ointments, cosmetical creams, washing and cleansing pastes, glues, hermetics, hair colors, repellents etc. Contents are placed into the tube through the tailing side and closed by sealing. Barrier properties of aluminium tubes protects products from contacts with outdoor environment. Under deformation aluminium tubes do not returns to initial state, as a result air does not enter the tube and product is not undergo oxidation.Application:
- pharmaceutical
- food
- home care
- • cosmetic
Technical capacity:
- outer surface coated by sterile ground coat enamel
- printed image of different colors
- tubes with regular thread and long spout
- neck is open or with membrane, long nose
- latex ring
- different types of internal lacquering
- possibility of shoulder coloring
- caps of various shapes and coloring
Plastic tubes
Plastic tube (or extrusion-type) – weldless - comfortable, practical, attractive package of soft polyethylene (PE) for gel- and spreadable materials. Used for packaging in cosmetic industry.Extrusion tubes provide great opportunities for external design – pattern can be applied in 8 colors by offset printing or in 4 colors by silkscreen printing. Whereby the image can be overprinted on formed tubes, which allows to receive packaging with continuous pattern throughout the surface.
Due to the elasticity of material, plastic tubes are not deformed during usage. After pressing, plastic tube inlet air and takes original appearance. Such “elasticity” – the absence of permanent deformation – does not always have a beneficial effect on packaged products. After all, in such tube penetrate bacteria with the air. It must be noted low barrier properties of plastic tubes – oxygen and water vapor easily penetrate through the plastic. Therefore, many types of products, for which required high protective properties (for example, in pharmacy), are not packaged in plastic tubes.
Plastic tubes might be single-layered and multi-layered (EVOH barrier layer). If used a multi-layered plastic tube with EVOH protective layer, the packaging in plastic tubes is also possible for pharmaceuticals, oral hygiene products, foodstuffs and household chemicals.
Application:
- elite cosmetic,
- repellents,
- household chemic
- Different colours printingи
- Silkgraph
- Foil printing – gold and silver, colour-printing
- Glossy and matt lacquer
- Tubes body is white, transparent or colored
- Discharge opening might be closed by membrane
Tubes are supplied complete with caps, packed in PE bags and corrugated box.
Laminate tubes
Laminate tubes with a lid are manufactures of multilayer composite material. Commonly, outer layers of laminate material is polyethylene.Due to the barrier aluminium layer, the product in the laminate tube is protected against external environment. The effect of permanent deformation of laminate tubes does not allow air to penetrate to the tube, as a result, product is not deteriorate.
Application:
- cosmetics
- tooth paste
- pharmacy
- food products
- household chemicals
- Different colours printing
- Glossy and matt lacquer
- Spot-warnishing
- Foil printing – gold, silver and colour-printing
- Discharge opening might be closed by membrane
- ABL laminate is white or silver