Industry is a fascinating thing. If humans can make it, they can build an entire company around the production of any product. Take film core suppliers, for example. These companies focus their time and energy producing tubes around which the world's paper, plastic wrap, foil, etc., are wound. Now, if your company focuses on making products that require winding up for better storage, you are inclined to purchase film cores from the suppliers that make them. Here is what you typically need to tell the supplier when placing your order for film cores.

The Type of Film Core

​Cores can be cardboard, plastic, glazed cardboard (to make it easier to remove all of the product from the roll), and custom/specialty cores. Being familiar with what consumers might expect and what they want helps you decide which cores to use for your product(s). Whatever you choose, you will need to tell your supplier exactly what you want in terms of film core material.

The Diameter of the Film Cores

​The wider the diameter of these tubes, the bigger the roll of product. At least, that is how it is typically done. Your film cores also have to fit the packaging you have chosen, if the cores are to be rolled and packaged into individual boxes. The diameter of any film core ranges from less than an inch across to several feet across, depending on what you are rolling and the type of product your company is producing.

The Length of the Film Core

​Film cores can be as short as three inches or as long as eight to ten feet. Again, it depends on the product you are placing on the core. Ordering the wrong length of cores results in a lot of product unsupported by the core, or too much core sticking out both ends of the rolled product. Determine the functional length of the product your company wants to package and sell, and then select and order the length of film cores based on that figure. 

The Number of Cores

​Do you want several hundred gross cores? Maybe you are rolling up a limited edition product and you only want twelve gross cores? It also helps to know how much product your company churns out daily, and whether or not you have enough room to store all of the extra cores you need in a month. Discuss this particular need with the supplier, who can help you further.