COMPAX has been providing the highest quality and widest breadth of tube options for 25 years. We work with our customers to develop high-end tubes with unmatched decoration capabilities to make your brand stand out. With the endless variety of tube options, it can be difficult to select the right tube type and closure for your product. Here’s some more information about the different tube materials to help you in your decision making process:
Monolayer Plastic Tubes
Plastic tubes are formed through the extrusion process. A cylinder of plastic material is pushed through the required diameter cross section, for example 35mm, and cut to the desired length. Monolayer tubes are just as they sound– one layer! They can be made of a certain percentage of HDPE, LDPE, or LLDPE depending on how flexible you want the tube to be. A tube that has a higher percentage of HDPE (High Density PE) vs LLDPE (Linear Low Density PE) will be stiffer than a tube that is 100% LLDPE. If your formula doesn’t require a significant barrier, monolayer is a cost-effective solution for you!
Co-Ex Plastic Tubes
Co-Ex tubes are extruded just like monolayer tubes, but these have multiple layers. The most common co-ex tubes are 5-layer co-ex. The layers are most commonly PE-Adhesive-EVOH-Adhesive-PE. The EVOH layer increases the barrier properties of the polyethylene tube. This means you can have a soft, flexible LDPE co-ex tube with high barrier properties. Or, you may need to increase the barrier of HDPE to better protect your formula– a co-ex tube will allow you to achieve this.
Laminated Tubes
Laminated tubes are flat sheets of material (barrier layers, aluminum, you pick it) that are rolled over and welded together. If you require more barrier properties than a co-ex tube, this could be a good solution for you. However, laminate tubes are not able to be decorated at 360 degrees due to the seam.
Injection Molded Plastic Tubes
Injection molded tubes are made in an injection mold. The neck is made with the tube, and the tube can even be decorated– all in one manufacturing process! Molded tubes are made with polypropylene instead of polyethylene. Polypropylene has higher barrier properties than HDPE, so additional layers are generally not necessary to protect your formula. You can choose a traditional method of decoration, or can explore In-Mold Labeling. The decoration opportunities provided by In-Mold labeling for tubes are extensive, but the process does lend to higher price points and higher minimum order quantities.
Tube heads and closure options with COMPAX are extensive, and range from needlenose to airless pumps. MOQs for Monolayer, Co-Ex, Laminate, or Injection Molded Tubes all typically start at 10,000 pieces.
Interested in hearing more about decoration options, want to explore COMPAX’s tube catalog, book a meeting, or ready to see samples?
