A tissue paper production line converts wood pulp, recycled fibre, or alternative raw materials into lightweight, soft paper products through a sequence of specialised stages — from stock preparation and sheet formation to Yankee drying with creping and, finally, converting. Each stage relies on purpose-built machinery designed for tissue's unique demands: very low basis weight (13–40 grams per square metre), high softness, controlled absorbency, and production speeds that can exceed 1,500 metres per minute.
What Is Tissue Paper and How Is It Different From Regular Paper?
Tissue paper is a lightweight, soft, and absorbent product manufactured at low basis weights (typically 13–40 GSM) using a specialised forming and drying process that includes creping on a Yankee cylinder. Unlike regular paper, tissue is engineered for single-use applications where softness, absorbency, and disposability matter most.
The key differentiator is the creping process. After the wet sheet forms and dries on the Yankee cylinder, a doctor blade scrapes it off the cylinder surface. This creates thousands of micro-folds that give tissue its characteristic softness, bulk, and stretch. Regular paper is dried on multi-cylinder dryer sections and is never creped.
| Property | Tissue Paper | Regular Paper |
|---|---|---|
| GSM Range | 13–40 GSM | 40–300+ GSM |
| Primary Fibre | Short-fibre hardwood | Long-fibre softwood or recycled |
| Drying Method | Single Yankee cylinder + hood | Multi-cylinder dryer section |
| Creping | Yes — creates softness and bulk | No |
| Machine Speed | 800–2,000+ MPM | 200–1,200 MPM |
| End Use | Facial tissue, toilet paper, napkins | Packaging, writing, printing |
What Are the Different Types of Tissue Paper?
Tissue is not one product but a family, each with distinct GSM, ply configuration, and performance requirements. Facial tissue demands the highest softness and typically uses short-fibre hardwood pulp. Toilet tissue must disintegrate rapidly in water. Kitchen towels need wet strength and deep embossing.
| Type | GSM | Plies | Key Properties | End Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Facial Tissue | 13–20 | 2–3 | Soft, strong when dry | Personal care |
| Toilet Tissue | 15–25 | 1–3 | Wet disintegration, soft | Bathroom use |
| Paper Napkins | 17–22 | 1–2 | Absorbent, printable | Dining, food service |
| Kitchen Towels | 20–30 | 2–3 | Wet strength, absorbent | Kitchen cleaning |
| Hand Towels | 25–40 | 1–2 | Strong, durable | Commercial washrooms |
What a Facial Tissue Production Line Actually Does
On the converting side, a facial tissue line is an integrated system that turns jumbo parent rolls of raw tissue into neatly folded, counted, and packaged facial tissues ready for consumer or commercial use. These machines form the core of tissue converting operations, streamlining every step from material preparation to final packaging.
The Converting Sequence
The process typically follows an automated sequence:
Jumbo Roll → Printing (optional) → Embossing → Folding → Counting → Stacking → Packaging
Unwinding: Raw tissue jumbo rolls are fed into the line under controlled tension.
Printing (Optional): Flexographic printing units apply branding, patterns, or logos directly onto the tissue.
Embossing: Enhances texture and absorption while adding visual appeal or custom logos.
Folding: Tissue is interfolded (commonly V-fold or N-fold) into sheet stacks.
Counting & Stacking: Finished tissues are automatically counted and stacked into preset quantities.
Packaging: Stacks are packed into soft plastic bags or carton boxes, depending on market format.
Output Formats You Can Produce
Interfolded Facial Tissues: The most common household and commercial output; sheets interlock for smooth, one-at-a-time dispensing.
Wallet Pack Tissues: Compact, travel-sized interfold tissues for cars, purses, and hospitality kits.
Soft Pack vs Box Pack: Soft packs are economical retail pouches; box packs offer premium presentation. Many lines support both through compatible downstream modules.
Raw Materials Used in Tissue Manufacturing
Three primary fibre categories dominate the industry: virgin wood pulp, recycled fibre, and alternative fibres. Bleached hardwood kraft pulp provides the short fibres (0.7–1.2 mm) that create softness, while long-fibre softwood pulp (2.5–4.5 mm) adds tensile strength — typically 15–30% of the blend. Recycled fibre (deinked pulp) goes through deinking to remove inks and contaminants. Bagasse, a sugar-cane byproduct, is abundant in tropical markets.
| Raw Material | Fibre Length | Softness | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eucalyptus BHKP | 0.7–1.2 mm | Excellent | Facial tissue, premium toilet paper |
| Softwood (NBSK) | 2.5–4.5 mm | Low | Strength component in blends |
| Recycled / DIP | Mixed | Moderate | Budget toilet paper, napkins |
| Bamboo | 1.5–2.5 mm | Good | Eco-premium tissue products |
| Bagasse | 1.0–1.7 mm | Moderate | Cost-effective tissue in tropical markets |
How Is Tissue Paper Made? The 7-Step Process
A tissue production line transforms raw fibre into finished parent rolls through seven sequential stages.
Step 1 — Stock Preparation: Pulping and Fibre Processing
Raw material enters a pulper that breaks it into individual fibres suspended in water. Virgin pulp is pulped at 4–6% consistency; recycled fibre uses high-consistency pulping at 15–16% to dislodge inks and contaminants.
Step 2 — Cleaning and Screening
Fibres carry contaminants — sand, glass, metal, plastic films, adhesives — that must be removed. Cleaning uses centrifugal force to separate heavy particles; screening uses slotted baskets to reject oversized debris.
Step 3 — Refining for Softness and Strength
Refining controls the balance between softness and strength — the most critical trade-off in tissue manufacturing. For tissue, the target is minimal refining, just enough to hold the sheet together during forming and creping. Typical tissue freeness runs 400–550 CSF, far higher than the 250–350 CSF used for writing paper.
Step 4 — Approach Flow System
The approach flow bridges stock preparation and the tissue machine: consistency regulation (diluting from 3–4% to 0.1–0.3%), air removal to prevent pinholes and foam, and final screening. It also enables grade changes without stopping the machine.
Step 5 — Sheet Formation on the Crescent Former
The crescent former is the heart of a modern tissue line. The headbox injects diluted fibre suspension (0.1–0.2% consistency) into a nip formed between two fabrics. Water drains through the forming fabric, leaving fibres deposited onto the felt. Crescent formers deliver better formation, support speeds up to 1,500 MPM, and transfer the sheet directly to the felt, eliminating breaks at high speed.
Step 6 — Yankee Drying and Creping
The Yankee cylinder (12–16 ft diameter) dries and crepes simultaneously. Steam heats the shell to 90–100°C while a hot-air hood (300–500°C) accelerates evaporation, taking the sheet from 40% to 94–97% dryness in a single revolution. A doctor blade then scrapes the sheet off, creating the micro-folds that define tissue.
Step 7 — Converting: Embossing, Perforation, and Rewinding
The tissue machine produces a large parent roll. Converting transforms it into finished products through multi-ply lamination, embossing, perforation, rewinding onto cores, and folding or packaging for interfold products.
Complete Machinery for a Tissue Production Line
From stock preparation through converting, each stage has a defined role:
| Stage | Equipment | Function |
|---|---|---|
| Pulping | Hydrapulper | Breaks raw material into fibre |
| Cleaning | High-density cleaner | Removes heavy contaminants |
| Screening | Pressure / fine screen | Removes oversized debris |
| Refining | Twin-disc refiner | Controls fibre bonding |
| Forming | Crescent former + headbox | Forms the wet tissue sheet |
| Pressing | Suction press roll | Transfers sheet to Yankee |
| Drying | Yankee cylinder + hood | Contact + convective drying |
| Creping | Doctor blade | Creates softness via creping |
| Reeling | Reel (parent-roll winder) | Winds parent rolls |
| Converting | Rewinder, embosser, packer | Finished product conversion |
Choosing the Right Facial Tissue Machine Configuration
Facial tissue lines come in fully automatic and semi-automatic configurations. The difference lies in the level of automation across folding, counting, transferring, and packaging.
Fully Automatic vs Semi-Automatic
Fully Automatic: Best for large-scale or export-focused operations. Integrates unwinding, folding, counting, automated transfer, and sealed or boxed packaging. Benefits: consistent quality, minimal labour, high throughput.
Semi-Automatic: Suitable for smaller factories or low-investment start-ups, with some manual intervention in counting, transferring, or packing. Often upgradeable as volume grows.
Inline Printing and Embossing Modules
Tissue branding has become essential in competitive markets. Inline flexographic printing (1–4 colour stations) applies logos and patterns in real time. Embossing uses steel-to-paper rollers for softer facial tissue textures or steel-to-steel rollers for deeper premium emboss. Both enhance absorbency, softness, and visual branding.
Packaging and End-of-Line Integration
Tissue is not finished until it is packed. Soft-pack machines wrap stacked tissues into film or pouches; carton box packers place them into rigid boxes for premium presentation. Specialist suppliers such as SOONTRUE engineer high-speed facial tissue packing machines and case-packers designed to synchronise with upstream folding lines — a different segment from the paper machine itself, but governed by the same line-balancing logic.
Define Your Production Requirements
Before specifying a line, define what your market actually demands.
Daily Output and Production Speed
Capacity is measured in sheets per minute per lane and number of production lanes. Low-to-mid speed lines run 200–500 sheets per minute per lane (2–3 lanes) and suit smaller operations. High-speed lines run 600–1,000 sheets per minute per lane, with multi-lane machines (5 or 10 lanes) multiplying total output for export-driven converters.
Product Type and Size Flexibility
Support the fold types your customers need — V-fold (half fold) for soft packs, N-fold for dispenser boxes, interfold for one-sheet-at-a-time dispensing. Sheet sizes are often customisable (e.g., 180 × 200 mm, 200 × 210 mm), and machines may support 1-ply, 2-ply, or 3-ply configurations with adjustable tension and lamination.
Raw Material Compatibility
Match your line to the right base paper. Machines typically support a grammage range of about 13–18 GSM for facial grades, with thinner paper requiring more delicate tension and feed control. Confirm that your unwind and roll-preparation setup aligns with the parent rolls you intend to run.
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ
What is the difference between tissue paper and regular paper?
Tissue uses a crescent former and a single Yankee cylinder with creping for softness, targets 13–40 GSM, and optimises for softness rather than strength. Regular paper uses a fourdrinier former, multi-cylinder dryers, and no creping, and prioritises strength and printability.
What machinery is needed for a tissue paper production line?
A complete line includes a pulper, high-density cleaners, fine screens, refiners, a headbox and crescent former, a Yankee cylinder and hood, a creping system, a reel, and converting equipment (rewinder, embosser, folder, packer).
What is creping and why does it matter?
Creping is scraping the dried sheet off the Yankee cylinder with a doctor blade, creating micro-folds that give tissue its softness, bulk, and stretch. The creping ratio controls the softness–strength balance and is central to product quality.
What are the main types of tissue paper?
Five common types: facial tissue (13–20 GSM, 2–3 ply), toilet tissue (15–25 GSM, 1–3 ply), paper napkins (17–22 GSM, 1–2 ply), kitchen towels (20–30 GSM, 2–3 ply), and hand towels (25–40 GSM, 1–2 ply).
How do I choose between a fully automatic and semi-automatic facial tissue line?
Choose fully automatic for large-scale or export operations that need consistent quality and minimal labour. Choose semi-automatic for pilot projects, test markets, or niche formats where lower capital and simpler operation matter — many semi-auto lines are upgradeable later.
