{"id":5584,"date":"2026-09-07T00:30:40","date_gmt":"2026-09-07T00:30:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/miyodamachine.com\/?p=5584"},"modified":"2026-09-03T07:36:25","modified_gmt":"2026-09-03T07:36:25","slug":"how-modern-toothpaste-tubes-are-manufactured","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/miyodamachine.com\/fr\/how-modern-toothpaste-tubes-are-manufactured\/","title":{"rendered":"How Modern Toothpaste Tubes Are Made: Full Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Hidden Science Behind Every Squeeze<\/h2>\n

Most people have squeezed thousands of toothpaste tubes in their lifetime without thinking about the engineering behind them. For the manufacturers, distributors, and agents who produce or supply them, that engineering is the entire business.<\/p>\n

The global plastic tube packaging market was valued at USD 12.4 billion in 2025<\/strong> and is projected to reach USD 21.8 billion by 2034<\/strong>, growing at a CAGR of 6.5% (DataIntelo<\/a>). The tube packaging market more broadly \u2014 covering all tube types \u2014 reached 55.69 billion units in 2026<\/strong>, growing at 5.17% CAGR to an estimated 71.64 billion units by 2031 (Mordor Intelligence<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Behind every one of those units is a manufacturing process. And that process \u2014 specifically the choice between extrusion molding<\/strong> and injection molding \u2014 determines your production speed, your material options, your compliance capability, and ultimately your profitability.<\/p>\n

This guide is written for clients investing in tube production machinery, and for the distributors and agents who support them. It explains what actually happens inside a modern tube production line, why extrusion dominates the industry, and what the technology choices you make today mean for your business over the next decade.<\/p>\n

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\"toothpaste<\/a><\/p>\n

A modern tube extrusion production line handles everything from raw resin feeding to finished tube sleeve output \u2014 in a continuous, high-speed automated flow.<\/em><\/p>\n

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The Evolution of Soft Tube Manufacturing: From Manual to High-Tech<\/h2>\n

Soft tube manufacturing has gone through three distinct generations in the past 50 years, and each shift was driven by the same pressure: brands demanding more from their packaging, faster and at lower cost.<\/p>\n

First generation (1960s\u20131980s):<\/strong> Aluminum tubes dominated the personal care market. They were formed by impact extrusion of aluminum slugs \u2014 a slow, labor-intensive process. They worked, but they could not be heat-sealed, they cracked when folded too many times, and they were expensive to decorate.<\/p>\n

Second generation (1980s\u20132000s):<\/strong> Plastic and laminate tubes replaced aluminum in most cosmetic applications. Early plastic tubes were produced by injection molding \u2014 melting plastic pellets into a mold to form a tube body. It worked for short runs and simple shapes, but the process had hard limits on multi-layer capability and cycle time.<\/p>\n

Third generation (2000s\u2013present):<\/strong> Extrusion molding<\/strong> displaced injection as the industry standard for high-volume cosmetic and pharmaceutical soft tubes. The shift was not arbitrary. It was driven by three forces: the need for multi-layer barrier structures (impossible to achieve cleanly with injection), the demand for faster output at lower per-unit cost, and increasingly strict regulatory requirements for pharmaceutical-grade tube materials.<\/p>\n

Understanding why that shift happened \u2014 and why it continues to define the industry \u2014 is what separates informed purchasing decisions from expensive mistakes.<\/p>\n

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Injection Molding: How It Works and Where It Falls Short<\/h2>\n

Before explaining why extrusion is the industry standard, it is worth understanding what injection molding does and why it became the first widely adopted method for plastic tube production.<\/p>\n

How Injection Molding Works<\/h3>\n

Injection molding for soft tube components follows four steps:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Melt:<\/strong> Plastic resin pellets are fed into a heated barrel and melted into a viscous liquid<\/li>\n
  2. Inject:<\/strong> The molten plastic is injected at high pressure into a closed metal mold \u2014 typically forming the shoulder, nozzle, or cap component<\/li>\n
  3. Cool:<\/strong> The mold is held closed while the plastic solidifies around the mold geometry<\/li>\n
  4. Eject:<\/strong> The mold opens and the finished part is ejected<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    This process works well for rigid, discrete components: tube shoulders, caps, and closures are still injection-molded today. The problem arises when you try to use injection molding to produce the tube body<\/em> \u2014 the cylindrical sleeve that holds your product.<\/p>\n

    Why Injection Molding Fails for High-Volume Soft Tube Bodies<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
    Limitation<\/th>\nPractical Impact<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
    One part per mold cycle<\/strong><\/td>\nCycle times of 15\u201345 seconds limit output to 80\u2013240 parts\/hour per mold station<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Runner waste in cold-runner systems<\/strong><\/td>\nUp to 30\u201340% of material in each shot is runner material that must be recycled or scrapped<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Tooling cost<\/strong><\/td>\nInjection molds cost $10,000\u2013$100,000+; extrusion dies cost $1,000\u2013$15,000 (DFMA Extrusion Cost Guide<\/a>)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Limited multi-layer capability<\/strong><\/td>\nCreating a co-extruded 5-layer barrier tube via injection is technically complex and commercially impractical<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Wall thickness consistency<\/strong><\/td>\nAchieving uniform wall thickness in a thin-walled tube body via injection requires tight mold tolerances and constant process monitoring<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
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    Glossary \u2014 Injection Molding:<\/strong> A manufacturing process in which molten plastic is injected under pressure into a closed mold. When the plastic cools and solidifies, the mold opens and the part is ejected. Well-suited for complex, discrete components but limited for continuous tube body production.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    For a production line targeting 500,000+ tubes per month \u2014 the minimum scale at which most cosmetic and pharmaceutical tube operations become financially viable \u2014 injection molding tube body production cannot compete with extrusion on speed, cost, or material flexibility.<\/p>\n

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    Extrusion Molding: The Industry Standard Explained<\/h2>\n

    Extrusion molding is the process of continuously pushing molten plastic through a shaped die to produce a tube of consistent cross-section. Unlike injection molding \u2014 which produces one part per cycle \u2014 extrusion is a continuous process. The tube does not stop forming between parts.<\/p>\n

    Here is exactly what happens on a modern cosmetic tube extrusion line:<\/p>\n

    Step 1: Resin Feeding<\/h3>\n

    Raw material pellets \u2014 LDPE, HDPE, MDPE, EVOH, or tie resin layers \u2014 are loaded into separate hoppers for each extruder in a co-extrusion setup. Each hopper feeds one layer of the final tube wall. A 5-layer tube<\/strong> (the most common pharmaceutical and premium cosmetic configuration) uses five separate material feeds running simultaneously.<\/p>\n

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    Glossary \u2014 Co-extrusion:<\/strong> The simultaneous extrusion of multiple plastic layers through a single die, producing a tube with two or more distinct layers bonded together. Enables barrier, aesthetic, and structural properties to be designed independently into each layer.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    Step 2: Melting and Homogenization<\/h3>\n

    Each extruder barrel heats the resin pellets from solid to a controlled melt temperature \u2014 typically 160\u2013230\u00b0C depending on material type. Screw rotation drives the melt forward while homogenizing it to eliminate cold spots or unmixed material. Temperature zone control in modern extruders maintains melt consistency within \u00b11\u00b0C across the barrel length.<\/p>\n

    Step 3: Parison Extrusion Through the Die<\/h3>\n
    \n

    Glossary \u2014 Parison:<\/strong> The continuous hollow tube of molten plastic that exits the extrusion die. Think of it as the raw tube before it is cut, sized, and finished.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    The homogenized melt from each extruder is combined in the co-extrusion die head, where all layers merge into a single multi-layer parison. The die geometry determines the tube’s outer diameter and layer thickness distribution. Miyoda Packaging Machinery’s spiral runner die design ensures uniform distribution of each layer with no fusion lines \u2014 eliminating the structural weak points that cause burst failures or delamination under squeeze pressure.<\/p>\n

    Step 4: Vacuum Sizing and Cooling<\/h3>\n

    The hot parison exits the die and passes immediately into a vacuum sizing calibrator<\/strong> \u2014 a precisely dimensioned sleeve with vacuum ports that hold the tube’s outer diameter against the calibrator wall as it cools. This step is where OD precision is set.<\/p>\n

    Wall thickness precision on modern extrusion lines reaches \u00b10.02 mm<\/strong> \u2014 the standard on Miyoda’s tube extrusion machine<\/a>. That level of consistency means every tube in a production run seats correctly in downstream filling and sealing equipment, with no orientation failures or sealing defects from dimensional variation.<\/p>\n

    Step 5: Cutting to Length<\/h3>\n

    The continuous tube exiting the cooling section is cut to finished tube length by a servo-driven flying cutter \u2014 a blade that moves with the tube at line speed to make a clean, square cut without stopping production. Modern servo-driven cutting systems maintain length tolerance within \u00b10.5 mm at production speeds up to 10\u201315 meters per minute<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    Step 6: Shoulder Injection and Neck Finishing<\/h3>\n

    The cut tube sleeve is transferred to a tube heading machine<\/strong>, where the open end is heated and a shoulder, nozzle, and threading are injection-molded onto the tube body. This is one of the few steps where injection molding remains essential \u2014 the shoulder is a discrete, complex component that must be precisely formed. The tube body and shoulder bond together at this stage, completing the structural tube.<\/p>\n

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    Glossary \u2014 Tube Heading Machine:<\/strong> A machine that forms the shoulder, neck, and orifice of a soft tube by injection-molding a plastic shoulder onto one open end of an extruded tube sleeve. The result is a complete tube ready for filling.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    Step 7: Real-Time Quality Inspection<\/h3>\n

    Before tubes leave the production line, automated vision systems and dimensional gauges inspect every unit: OD, length, wall thickness at multiple points, surface print quality, and shoulder seating integrity. Out-of-specification units are automatically rejected before they reach the packaging stage.<\/p>\n

    Step 8: Output Stacking and Downstream Integration<\/h3>\n

    Finished tubes are stacked, oriented for downstream capping and printing, and transferred automatically to subsequent production stations \u2014 or packed and prepared for shipment to a tube filling customer.<\/p>\n

    \n

    \"toothpaste<\/a><\/p>\n

    The co-extrusion die head merges up to 6 material layers simultaneously \u2014 each serving a distinct function in the finished tube wall structure.<\/em><\/p>\n

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    Why Extrusion Outperforms: 5 Key Advantages for Your Business<\/h2>\n

    Advantage 1: Higher Output Rates<\/h3>\n

    A modern cosmetic tube extrusion line produces tubes at 10\u201315 meters per minute<\/strong> of continuous tube output. At a standard tube length of 150 mm, that translates to approximately 67\u2013100 tube sleeves per minute<\/strong>, ou 4,000\u20136,000 per hour<\/strong>, from a single extrusion line \u2014 before downstream heading and printing.<\/p>\n

    Injection molding of comparable tube body components achieves approximately 80\u2013240 parts per hour per mold station. For a production target of 5 million tubes per month, the capacity math is straightforward: extrusion requires fewer machines, less floor space, and less energy per unit.<\/p>\n

    Advantage 2: Lower Material Waste<\/h3>\n

    Extrusion is a continuous process with no runner system. There is no material sprued, gated, or channeled that needs to be removed from the finished product. Scrap on a properly set extrusion line comes primarily from startup and shutdown transitions, and from the rare dimensional reject.<\/p>\n

    Modern extrusion lines with closed-loop parison control and regrind recycling achieve scrap rates under 3%<\/strong> (E2 Global, ABL vs PBL Guide<\/a>). Injection molding scrap rates for tube body production regularly run 5\u201312% when runner waste is included \u2014 and can reach 9%+ when real production conditions are tracked against quoted rates (PrintForm Injection Molding Scrap Analysis<\/a>).<\/p>\n

    On a 10-million unit annual production run at $0.04 raw material cost per tube, the difference between 3% and 9% scrap is $24,000 per year in material savings<\/strong> \u2014 before counting the machine time and labor associated with running and processing the higher scrap volume.<\/p>\n

    Advantage 3: Multi-Layer Barrier Capability<\/h3>\n

    This is the capability that makes extrusion non-optional for pharmaceutical and premium cosmetic tube production.<\/p>\n

    A 5-layer co-extruded tube \u2014 the standard configuration for oxygen-sensitive pharmaceutical ointments, retinol-based skincare, and active-ingredient cosmetic formulations \u2014 has the following architecture:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
    Layer<\/th>\nMaterial<\/th>\nFonction<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
    Outer<\/td>\nLDPE or HDPE<\/td>\nPrintability, aesthetics, structural flexibility<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Tie Layer<\/td>\nAdhesive resin<\/td>\nBonds PE to EVOH without delamination<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Core Barrier<\/td>\nEVOH<\/td>\nOxygen transmission rate (OTR) < 0.1 cc\/m\u00b2\/day<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Tie Layer<\/td>\nAdhesive resin<\/td>\nBonds EVOH to inner PE layer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Inner<\/td>\nLDPE<\/td>\nChemical compatibility with product formulation<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

    The EVOH barrier layer \u2014 at just 0.01\u20130.02 mm<\/strong> thickness \u2014 reduces oxygen transmission to levels that protect sensitive pharmaceutical actives for shelf lives of 24\u201336 months (mPack EVOH Barrier Guide<\/a>). This performance is only achievable through co-extrusion. It cannot be replicated with injection-molded tube bodies.<\/p>\n

    Advantage 4: Design Flexibility<\/h3>\n

    Extrusion tooling \u2014 the die \u2014 costs $1,000\u2013$15,000 versus $10,000\u2013$100,000+ for an injection mold of comparable size. Lower tooling cost means lower barriers to producing custom tube diameters, custom layer configurations, and new neck finishes for specific product requirements.<\/p>\n

    The practical implication: a tube producer using extrusion can offer their cosmetic brand clients a new tube diameter or layer configuration with a 4\u20136 week tooling lead time<\/strong> and a manageable tooling investment \u2014 rather than a 10\u201314 week mold development timeline and a $30,000+ commitment before a single tube is produced.<\/p>\n

    Advantage 5: Lower Maintenance Costs and Fewer Moving Parts<\/h3>\n

    An extrusion line moves material continuously in one direction. The primary moving component is the rotating extruder screw. Compare that to an injection molding press, which cycles between open and closed mold positions under high clamping tonnage \u2014 typically 50\u2013500 tons<\/strong> \u2014 thousands of times per production shift.<\/p>\n

    The mechanical wear profile of an extrusion line is significantly simpler. Screw and barrel wear is gradual and predictable. The primary maintenance events on modern extrusion lines are scheduled: screw inspection, thermocouple calibration, die cleaning, and vacuum calibrator maintenance. Most extrusion line suppliers \u2014 including the equipment team at Miyoda Packaging Machinery<\/a> \u2014 provide remote diagnostic capability that flags parameter drift before it becomes a production stoppage.<\/p>\n

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    Material Compatibility: Matching Your Process to Your Product<\/h2>\n

    One of the most common specification errors in tube production line procurement is selecting the right process for the wrong material \u2014 or the right material in a configuration the machine cannot consistently produce.<\/p>\n

    Here is a practical compatibility reference:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
    Material<\/th>\nExtrusion Compatible?<\/th>\nNotes<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
    LDPE<\/strong> (Low-Density Polyethylene)<\/td>\n\u2705 Yes<\/td>\nStandard cosmetic tube material. Excellent flexibility and printability.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    HDPE<\/strong> (High-Density Polyethylene)<\/td>\n\u2705 Yes<\/td>\nStiffer wall for products requiring tube shape retention.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    MDPE<\/strong> (Medium-Density Polyethylene)<\/td>\n\u2705 Yes<\/td>\nBalance of flexibility and stiffness. Less common than LDPE\/HDPE.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    EVOH<\/strong> (Ethylene Vinyl Alcohol)<\/td>\n\u2705 Yes (co-extrusion)<\/td>\nBarrier layer in 3, 5, or 6-layer configurations. Cannot be extruded alone \u2014 requires bonding tie layers.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    PP<\/strong> (Polypropylene)<\/td>\n\u2705 Yes<\/td>\nHigher heat resistance, common in hot-fill applications. Less flexible than PE.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    PCR<\/strong> (Post-Consumer Recycled Resin)<\/td>\n\u2705 Yes<\/td>\nCompatible with twin-screw extruders. Quality depends on PCR resin specification and blend percentage.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Bio-based PE<\/strong><\/td>\n\u2705 Yes<\/td>\nChemically identical to fossil-based PE, compatible with same extrusion parameters. Market valued at USD 345.6M in 2025 (Future Market Insights<\/a>).<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Aluminum Laminate (ABL)<\/strong><\/td>\n\u2705 Yes (laminate line)<\/td>\nABL tube bodies use a laminate sheet welding process, not co-extrusion. Requires a dedicated laminate tube making machine.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
    \n

    Glossary \u2014 ABL (Aluminum Barrier Laminate):<\/strong> A tube material construction using layers of polyethylene laminated around an aluminum foil core. Provides complete light and oxygen barrier. Processed on laminate tube making lines \u2014 a distinct machine category from co-extrusion lines.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    For clients unsure whether their product formulation requires co-extruded PE\/EVOH or full ABL barrier protection, the decision rule is practical: if your formulation is oxygen-sensitive or requires light blocking (common in pharmaceutical ointments and photosensitive cosmetic actives), specify ABL. If recyclability is a commercial requirement and barrier performance is moderate, specify co-extruded PE\/EVOH. A tube production machinery supplier with both co-extrusion and laminate tube making capability \u2014 such as Miyoda Packaging Machinery \u2014 can model the material options against your formulation and volume requirements before you commit to a line configuration.<\/p>\n

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    Quality Control in Tube Production: Ensuring Consistency at Scale<\/h2>\n

    A tube that passes visual inspection but has a wall thickness 0.08 mm below spec will fail under the squeeze pressure of a high-speed filling machine nozzle. That failure does not happen in incoming inspection \u2014 it happens mid-production, contaminating the fill nozzle, stopping the line, and generating a non-conformance report that in pharmaceutical production may require batch quarantine.<\/p>\n

    Modern extrusion lines prevent this with three layers of in-line quality monitoring:<\/p>\n

    Real-Time Dimensional Gauging<\/h3>\n

    Laser micrometers<\/strong> measure tube OD at multiple cross-section points thousands of times per second<\/strong> as the tube passes through the cooling section. Any deviation beyond tolerance triggers an automatic parison control adjustment \u2014 modifying the die gap to correct wall thickness in real time, without stopping production.<\/p>\n

    This closed-loop control is what makes \u00b10.02 mm wall thickness precision achievable at 15 meters per minute. Without it, thermal drift, resin viscosity variation, and ambient temperature changes would accumulate into dimensional variation that shows up as production rejects rather than process corrections.<\/p>\n

    Vision Inspection Systems<\/h3>\n

    Automated camera systems inspect every tube sleeve for:<\/p>\n