Cosmetic tubes may look similar on the shelf, but the cosmetic tube manufacturing process changes with the body structure. PE plastic tubes are extruded from resin. PBL and ABL laminate tubes are formed from flat web material and joined along a longitudinal seam. Pure aluminum collapsible tubes are formed from aluminum slugs by impact extrusion.
After the main tube body is formed, production continues with the dispensing end, decoration, closure and inspection. Most conventional tail-filled squeeze tubes are decorated and capped before filling, while the opposite end remains open for the formula. The tail is closed after filling.
If you first need to compare PE, PBL, ABL and aluminum tube structures, see our collapsible tube packaging guide.
Cosmetic Tube Manufacturing Process at a Glance
The main difference appears at the body-forming stage. Plastic, laminate and pure aluminum tubes do not start from the same raw material or use the same forming method.
| Tube Construction | Starting Material | Body-Forming Process |
|---|---|---|
| PE / Co-Extruded PE | Plastic resin | Extrusion / co-extrusion |
| PBL / ABL Laminate | Laminate web | Sleeve forming and longitudinal seam joining |
| Pure Aluminum | Aluminum slug | Impact extrusion |
Once the body has reached its required shape and length, the tube moves through the operations needed to create usable empty packaging: head or neck finishing, decoration, closure assembly and inspection.
How PE Cosmetic Tubes Are Made
PE cosmetic tubes begin with plastic resin. Color concentrate can be blended with the resin when the tube body needs a specific color.
Inside the extruder, the resin is heated and pushed through sizing dies to create a continuous hollow sleeve. The sleeve is cooled, controlled to the required diameter and cut into individual tube lengths.
A mono-layer PE tube uses a relatively simple extruded wall. Co-extrusion forms several layers at the same time, allowing a multilayer tube to include a dedicated barrier material such as EVOH within the wall.
The cut sleeve then moves to heading. During this operation, the shoulder, thread and dispensing orifice are molded onto and bonded to the flexible sleeve.
Resin → Extrusion → Cooling → Cutting → Heading
After heading, the tube is ready for surface treatment, printing and closure assembly. Because the body itself is extruded, a conventional PE sleeve does not have the longitudinal side seam found on a laminate tube.
You can see this general structure in MUZHPACK’s 80ml body lotion squeeze tube, which combines a flexible PE body with a formed shoulder and screw closure.
How PBL and ABL Laminate Tubes Are Made
PBL and ABL tubes follow a different route. Their bodies begin as rolls of multilayer laminate rather than as resin extruded directly into a tube sleeve.
The laminate web is commonly printed before forming. It then passes through equipment that bends the flat material into a cylinder. The two longitudinal edges are joined to form a continuous sleeve, which is cut into individual tube lengths.
The shoulder, thread and dispensing orifice are then molded or joined to the laminate sleeve during heading.
Laminate Web → Printing → Sleeve Forming → Side Seam → Cutting → Heading → Capping
The visible longitudinal seam is therefore a normal part of laminate tube construction. It marks the point where the two edges of the web material are joined.
PBL and ABL use different barrier structures
PBL means Plastic Barrier Laminate, while ABL means Aluminum Barrier Laminate.
ABL contains an aluminum-foil barrier layer. PBL uses a plastic laminate structure and can use a polymer barrier such as EVOH.
Both are laminate tubes, but they should not be treated as the same material. Their barrier performance and squeeze behavior are separate selection questions. From a manufacturing perspective, the important distinction is that both begin as laminate web rather than as a conventional extruded PE sleeve.
How Pure Aluminum Collapsible Tubes Are Made
A pure aluminum collapsible tube starts with an aluminum slug rather than plastic resin or laminate web.
The slug is placed into tooling and shaped into a hollow tube by impact extrusion. The metal body is then trimmed to the required length, and the neck and thread are finished.
Impact extrusion work-hardens the aluminum, so the tube is annealed afterward to restore the softness and ductility required for a collapsible package.
A compatible internal lacquer can then be applied when the specification requires a protected product-contact surface. The exterior receives its base coating, printing and decoration before the cap is fitted.
Aluminum Slug → Impact Extrusion → Trimming & Threading → Annealing → Internal Coating → Exterior Coating → Printing → Capping
A pure aluminum collapsible tube is not the same as an ABL tube. ABL contains aluminum foil within a laminate wall. A pure aluminum tube has a metal body formed from aluminum itself.
What Happens After the Tube Body Is Formed?
Once the main body exists, production shifts toward the features that make the empty tube ready for branding, dispensing and filling.
Head, neck and dispensing opening
PE and laminate sleeves normally receive the shoulder, neck, thread and orifice during heading.
The dispensing opening is selected around the product format. A hand cream can use a conventional round orifice, while an eye treatment or targeted skincare product can use a narrower precision nozzle.
Pure aluminum tubes follow a different metal-forming route, so their neck and threaded area are finished during aluminum tube production rather than by molding a plastic head onto a sleeve.
Printing and decoration
Cosmetic tubes can use decoration methods such as offset printing, silk-screen printing and hot stamping.
The artwork has to fit the tube diameter, printable area and closure orientation. Print registration, color and surface finish should be approved on the physical sample rather than judged from the artwork file alone.
Caps, nozzles and applicators
The closure must match the finished neck, thread and orifice.
Common options include screw caps and flip-top caps. Targeted skincare and treatment tubes can also use precision nozzles or other applicator structures.
Once the basic construction is clear, buyers can compare actual capacities, closures, nozzles and decoration options in MUZHPACK’s collapsible tubes range.
When Are Cosmetic Tubes Filled and Tail-Sealed?
For conventional tail-filled squeeze tubes, packaging production and cosmetic filling are separate stages.
The empty tube can be supplied with:
- the tube body completed;
- the dispensing end finished;
- the artwork printed;
- the cap installed;
- the opposite tail still open.
The filler introduces the formula through the open tail. Plastic and laminate tubes are normally closed by heat sealing after filling; ultrasonic sealing is also used on compatible filling lines. Pure aluminum collapsible tubes are closed by folding or crimping the metal tail.
Plastic and laminate tubes are typically sealed after filling, while pure aluminum tubes are closed by tail folding or crimping.What Should Buyers Approve Before Mass Production?
The approved sample should define the specification used for the production order. Looking correct in a photograph is not enough.
Tube structure
Confirm whether the body is PE, co-extruded PE, PBL, ABL or pure aluminum. These names describe different constructions and should not be used interchangeably.
Size and capacity
Approve the tube diameter, body length and target capacity. These dimensions affect the proportions of the package, the available closure options and the filling setup.
Dispensing assembly
Check the neck, thread, orifice, nozzle and closure as one assembly. A correct tube body paired with the wrong opening or cap is still the wrong package.
Color and decoration
Use the physical sample to approve:
- tube color;
- logo size and position;
- print registration;
- hot-stamp or metallic details;
- matte, glossy or other surface finish;
- closure color and orientation where relevant.
Filling and tail closure
Confirm that the open-tail area and tube structure match the intended filling and sealing equipment.
When the formula is part of the approval scope, evaluate the filled package against the actual requirements: seal integrity, leakage, dispensing, visible material change and end-of-use performance.
The approval should state what must pass before production is released rather than ending with a vague instruction to “test the package.”
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the steps involved in the manufacturing process of cosmetic tubes?
The first step depends on the tube structure. PE tubes are extruded from resin, PBL and ABL tubes are formed from laminate web and joined along a side seam, and pure aluminum tubes are formed from aluminum slugs by impact extrusion. The tube then moves through head or neck finishing, decoration, capping and inspection before filling and tail closure.
How are plastic cosmetic tubes manufactured?
PE resin is heated and extruded into a continuous hollow sleeve. The sleeve is cooled and cut to length, then the shoulder, thread and dispensing opening are formed during heading. Multilayer plastic tubes can be produced by co-extruding several material layers together.
Are ABL and PBL tubes made the same way as PE tubes?
No. A conventional PE tube body is extruded from resin. ABL and PBL bodies begin as flat laminate web that is formed into a cylinder and joined along a longitudinal seam before heading.
How are aluminum collapsible tubes manufactured?
Pure aluminum tubes begin as aluminum slugs. Impact extrusion forms the hollow metal body, followed by trimming, threading and annealing. Internal and external coatings, printing and capping follow according to the final tube specification.
When are cosmetic tubes filled and sealed?
Conventional squeeze tubes can be supplied with the tail open. The formula is filled through that opening and the tail is closed afterward. Plastic and laminate tubes are normally sealed after filling, while pure aluminum collapsible tubes use a folded or crimped metal tail.
Preparing a Custom Cosmetic Tube Project
Once the tube structure is selected, the remaining specification becomes practical: capacity, diameter, dispensing opening, closure or applicator, color, artwork and filling method.
Before requesting a sample or quotation, prepare as much of the following information as you already have:
- formula or intended product type;
- target capacity;
- preferred tube structure;
- diameter, if already determined;
- closure, nozzle or applicator requirement;
- artwork or reference design;
- expected order quantity.
You do not need to have every specification finalized before contacting us. Share the requirements, reference images or artwork you already have, and we can use them to narrow the tube structure and sampling direction.
Discuss Your Cosmetic Tube Project
Send your project details through the inquiry form below. Information about the formula, capacity, tube structure, closure and artwork will help us identify a practical starting specification for sampling.
