Why honeycomb paper tears, and how to find the cause
Honeycomb paper tearing? Read where the tear starts, run a 15-minute swap test on paper, dispenser, packer and storage, then fix the real cause.
Honeycomb paper usually tears for one of four reasons: too much drag or a jerky pull at the dispenser, paper that is too weak for the job, a poor cut from a worn die, or damage to the roll before it was ever used. You find out which by looking at where the tear starts, and then by swapping one thing at a time: the packer, the roll, then the dispenser. Fix the cause you find, not the one you suspect.
Tearing is not a small nuisance.
Worked example, with round numbers for illustration: a line packs 500 orders a day, and one sheet in ten tears. That is 50 extra pulls every day, about 1,000 in a 20-day month, each one paper and packer time you pay for twice.
A torn sheet means a second pull, and often a second wrap. Buyers who switch to a cheaper roll usually come back to us for exactly this reason. The weaker paper tore, packers wrapped twice, and the paper used per order went up.
Read the tear first
Before you change anything, look at the torn sheets. Where the tear starts tells you a lot.
| Where or when it tears | What it usually means | First check |
|---|---|---|
| On the first pull of every sheet | Too much drag, or a jerky start | Ease the dispenser tension a little, and teach a smooth start |
| Only near the end of the roll | A spindle brake pulling harder as the roll shrinks | Ease the setting at half roll |
| Along one edge only | Crushed roll edge, or the roll rubbing a side plate | Look at the roll ends, re-seat the roll |
| At the same spot on every sheet, in a repeating pattern | Something in the cut, because the cut repeats | Compare with a roll from another lot |
| On every roll from one lot | The paper or the cutting of that lot | Lot number, photos, call the supplier |
| Mostly in the monsoon or in the morning | Damp paper | Where the rolls are stored |
| When the store is very dry or heated | Dry, stiff paper that stretches less | Let rolls settle in the packing room first |
| On the product, at corners or sharp edges | The product cuts the paper | Tissue, a corner protector or a heavier grade |
| When the tail is pressed down | Pressing too hard, or a sheet that was over-stretched | Lighter hand, check the tension |
The 15-minute swap test
This is the quickest way I know to separate the causes.
Change one thing at a time, and pull five full sheets after each change.
- Same roll, same dispenser, a different packer. If the tears stop, the cause is the pull, not the paper.
- Same packer, same dispenser, a roll from a different lot. If the tears stop, the cause is in the first roll.
- Same packer, same roll, a different dispenser. If the tears stop, look at the first dispenser's brake pad and setting.
- A roll that has spent a day in the packing room against one straight from the store. If only the store roll tears, the store is the problem.
Write down the result of each step.
If you need to call your supplier, those notes save everyone a week of back and forth. Bring notes like these to us and we will start looking in the right place, instead of guessing.
Causes on the paper side
Some tears are the paper's fault. I will say that plainly, as a paper maker.
- GSM too low for the job. Lighter paper is cheaper per metre and fine for light items, but it is weaker at the slits. Under a heavy product or a hard pull, it gives way. We make 50 to 120 GSM so the grade can match the product.
- Damp paper. Paper takes moisture from the air, goes soft and tears more easily. Our guide to storage and humidity explains how to keep rolls dry.
- Very dry paper. The opposite end matters too. Paper that has dried out in a heated store or a desert summer is stiffer and stretches less before it breaks. A day in the packing room often helps.
- A worn cutting die. Blunt blades leave rough or incomplete slits. Some cells do not open, and the paper tears at the bridges instead. No dispenser setting fixes this.
- Crushed or damaged roll edges. A roll dropped on its end, or squeezed in transit, tears along that edge.
This is why our checks begin with the raw paper. Every reel is tested for GSM, moisture and strength before it is cut, and every honeycomb lot is checked for cut quality and moisture before it ships. The quality page has the full list. Even so, if one of our lots tears, I want the lot number.
Causes on the packing side
Most of these are quicker to fix than paper problems, and none of them needs a new supplier.
- Dispenser tension too high. A frequent cause of tears on the first pull. Our guide to setting dispenser tension walks through it step by step.
- A jerky pull. A heavy full roll resists a sudden start, and the paper breaks first.
- Pulling at an angle. Paper pulled up or sideways loads one edge more than the other. The pull should run straight out of the dispenser, level with the bench.
- A worn or dusty brake pad. The drag comes and goes, so packers tighten the knob to make up for it, and then it grabs.
- Over-stretching. A packer who pulls each sheet very hard opens the cells into thin slits and leaves the paper close to breaking.
- Sharp products. Corners and edges of metal, stone or rigid boxes can cut through a single turn. Use tissue or a corner protector first, or a heavier grade.
What to send your supplier
If the swap test points at the roll, contact the supplier the same day. Send:
- The lot number from the roll label, and the delivery date.
- Photos of the torn sheets, and of both ends of the roll.
- A one-metre torn sample in a sealed bag, if they ask for it.
- Your dispenser model and its tension setting.
- Where and how the rolls were stored since delivery.
- The results of your swap test.
A good supplier will want all six.
We certainly do. It turns "your paper tears" into a problem someone can actually find and fix.
Prevent it next time
Keep a reference piece from your approved sample, and compare each new lot against it on arrival. Our guide to comparing honeycomb paper samples shows a simple way to test a roll before it reaches the line.
If tearing is costing you paper now, write to us through our contact page. Tell us what tears, where, and what you have already tried. I will tell you honestly whether I think it is the paper or the bench, even if you buy your paper elsewhere.
Questions buyers ask
Is some tearing normal?
The odd torn first pull on a new roll, yes. Tears that are part of every shift, no. That is a cause waiting to be found, and it is costing you paper and time on every order.
Will a heavier GSM stop the tearing?
Often it helps, because heavier paper is stronger at the slits. But if the cause is the dispenser setting or a worn cutting die, heavier paper only hides the problem for a while. Find the cause first.
Can I use the torn sheets for anything?
Yes. Crumple them and use them to fill corners or gaps in the box. Do not use them as the main wrap on a fragile item.
Does honeycomb paper get weaker as it ages?
Kept dry and wrapped, it holds up well. Kept damp, it goes soft much sooner. If an old roll tears and a new one does not, look at where the old one was stored.
