Facial tissue machinery follows four distinct production processes that transform raw jumbo rolls into consumer-ready tissue packages. The facial tissue production line mainly consists of preparing jumbo rolls, getting the rolls interfolded by the interfolder machine, getting facial tissue cut by log saw cutting machine, and packing with paper napkin packing machine.
Understanding these processes helps you optimize production efficiency, maintain consistent quality, and choose the right machinery configuration for your business needs. Each step serves a specific function that directly impacts the final product’s softness, durability, and market appeal.
Step 1: Raw Material Handling and Unwinding
The raw material handling and unwinding process begins facial tissue production by preparing jumbo rolls for processing. The tissue jumbo roll is placed on the unwind stand by hoisting device, and each unwind stand is equipped with an independent motor to drive the web forward.
Loading and Positioning: The process begins with unwinding large tissue parent rolls, often called jumbo rolls or mother rolls. The tissue parent roll is loaded onto the unwinding stand using a pneumatic paper loading system, where it’s securely positioned by a cylinder.
Tension Control Systems: The unwinding machine is equipped with tension control systems to maintain consistent pressure on the paper, preventing tears or wrinkles. These systems include automatic and manual tension control types that can be switched based on production requirements.
Alignment and Feeding: Sensors and guides are used to align the paper accurately as it feeds into the next stage, ensuring the edges are straight and even. Each unwind stand operates independently with its own motor to control web movement forward.
Quality Monitoring: During unwinding, operators monitor the web for defects, tears, or inconsistencies. The machine carefully unrolls tissue paper, ensuring it remains free of tears and maintains consistent tension throughout the process.
Speed and Control: The process begins at a low initial speed, not exceeding 5 meters per minute, to allow for operational checks. Once the machine is confirmed to be running normally, the operator gradually accelerates it to a stable production speed of 80-120 meters per minute.
This foundational step ensures that raw jumbo rolls enter the production line with proper tension, alignment, and quality control, setting the stage for consistent processing in subsequent converting operations.
Step 2: Crosscutting and folding
The converting process transforms unwound paper into interfolded facial tissues through embossing, cutting, and vacuum adsorption folding operations. facial tissue machine use tissue jumbo roll to process folded into “V” type paper processing equipment using vacuum adsorption principle and auxiliary manipulator folding.
Embossing Operations: During the web forwarding process, it’s firstly embossed by an embossing unit. The machine comes with edge embossing and full embossing of two kinds of flower embossing functions to meet various customers’ production requirements. Some customers require pattern embossing where the web passes through pattern embossing stations before entering edge embossing units.
Cutting Process: Then it’s cut by rotary sheet cutting blades set, and the cutting position is determined by the expansion sheet size, which is preset on the touch screen. The cutting uses Curved spiral knife technology to achieve precise dimensional control.
Vacuum Adsorption Folding: Then fold the expansion sheet into a half-folded sheet through vacuum folding roller, including adjustable vacuum air valve at both ends. This part folds the paper into a V shape which is essential for efficient use when packed, ensuring minimal contaminants while using auxiliary manipulator folding technique for better efficiency.
Sheet Handling and Counting: A sheet separating manipulator transfers half-folded sheets to curved stainless steel guide plates. The automatic counting device calculates the number of half-folded sheets during the shifting process, ensuring accurate quantity control.
Waste Management: During operation, waste generated is absorbed by vacuum adsorption fans and discharged, preventing waste from affecting machine operation and ensuring smooth production progress.
Quality Control: Three servo motors control the whole action to ensure folding length consistency and interfolding effects, with high precision ensuring the first and last papers maintain identical dimensions.
Step 3: Cutting and slitting
The tissue log cutting process precisely transforms folded tissue stacks into uniform consumer-ready dimensions through automated saw cutting technology. The log saw cutting machine mainly realizes the function of cutting stacked paper into standard finished tissue sizes, improving production capacity and finished product quality.
Precision Cutting Technology: The whole machine adopts servo drive technology and frequency control of motor speed to enhance cutting stability and improve cutting precision of tissue. The facial tissue paper length can be set via touch screen control with control precision reaching 0.1mm, and length-adjustable cutting range of 50-300mm.
High-Speed Operations: The stable production speed is more than 200 cuts per minute, with some machines achieving maximum speeds of 320 cuts per minute.
Dimensional Control: High precision positioning maintains length error of ±1mm, ensuring consistent finished product dimensions. The cutting range adaptability includes length 50-300mm, width 80-120mm, and height 20-120mm for facial tissue applications.
Advanced Control Systems: Machines adopt independent servo motor drive and PLC control system with automatic trims removal capabilities. The equipment integrates high-precision sensors, programmable logic controllers, touch screens and other advanced components for precise operation control.
Blade Maintenance: Fixed automatic knife grinding wheel angle ensures sharpening knife quality. Knife grinding places often blow compressed air for cooling and can match special cooling fluid. The machine is equipped with dust blowing devices to avoid contamination by steel powder from automatic sharpening.
Quality Assurance: The cut surface’s verticality tolerance and length tolerance both maintain 1mm precision, ensuring best cutting quality and improving flatness and beauty of finished tissue paper. Two lanes with independent drive can cut two sizes simultaneously for increased production flexibility.
Safety Features: Equipment safety covers have built-in iron nets and organic glass for observation, providing safety protection. PLC program control allows operators to set and adjust parameters through touch screens for convenient equipment operation.
Step 4: Packaging
The packaging process completes facial tissue production by wrapping cut tissues into multiple consumer formats using automated sealing, bundling, and quality control systems. After embossing, cutting and folding process, stacks of folded paper are sent to packaging sections where tissue paper stacks undergo various types of packaging depending on their final application.
Single Packing (Plastic Film Packaging):
Single pack wrapping uses flow wrapping technology where tissues are wrapped in continuous plastic film sheets. The processes of tissue arrangement, counting, diverting, insertion, bag feeding, bag opening, sealing and cut off are all controlled by servo drives. Machines adopt film wrapping, folding and sealing form, which is compact and beautiful with intelligent heat sealing systems that accommodate various packaging materials.
Individual packs typically contain 80-200 sheets per pack, packed in plastic film which will be perforated, with self-adhesive labels glued creating opening and closing mechanisms. Maximum stable working speeds reach 180 bags per minute with photoelectric sensors automatically detecting servo tracking for accurate bag feeding.
Medium Packing (6 or 8 Packs per Case, Plastic Bag):
Medium pack bundling automatically sets facial packs into 1 column or 2 columns (1-5 packs for each column) by touch screen, then pushes them into bundlers. Automatic facial tissue bundling machines can pack 3, 4, 5 or 6, 8, 10 single pack facial tissues in 1 bundling bag using 2 lanes with servo-controlled operations.
The bundling process includes automatic conveying, single head operation, auto feeding, and auto sealing with automatic discharging when feeding conveyors are full. Double temperature controlled sealing and cutting systems ensure perfect sealing quality and prevent film bag breakage.
Packing (Carton) or Large Package (Plastic Film/Plastic Bag):
Large packaging involves big bundler or carton packing systems with bag-folding feeding parts, automatic carton packing, carton sealing or big bag packing capabilities. A predefined group of individual packs is placed in bags and later in cardboard boxes for dispatch.
Carton packing includes automatic feeding of tissue stacks, automatic unwinding of packaging materials, forming complete production processes of automatic feeding, packing and discharging. Quality control features include bag open detect functions, automatic rejection of unopened bags, air source management, fault alarms and display functions, plus servo overload protection.
Automation and Control:
All packaging systems use PLC and servo motors where drive rolls, belts, fetching bags, positioning, in-feed bags and sealing portions are driven by servo motors. Product transfer, feeding, pushing, bag fetching, bag opening, and trim collection operate fully automatically with human-machine interfaces for easy operation and parameter setting.
Conclusion
The facial tissue production process involves four integrated steps that transform raw jumbo rolls into consumer-ready packages through sophisticated machinery and precise control systems. Each step serves a critical function in ensuring product quality, production efficiency, and market competitiveness.
Raw material handling and unwinding establishes the foundation with proper tension control and alignment systems. Converting operations add value through embossing patterns and vacuum adsorption folding that create the characteristic V-fold structure consumers expect. Precision cutting ensures dimensional accuracy and consistent product sizing. Finally, versatile packaging systems accommodate multiple market formats from individual packs to bulk cartons.
Understanding these processes helps manufacturers optimize equipment selection, troubleshoot production issues, and maintain consistent quality standards. The integration of servo drives, PLC controls, and automated systems across all four steps enables high-speed production while minimizing labor requirements and maximizing efficiency.
