Corrugated & Folding Carton Rollers, PU Parts

Q: Why does starch glue destroy some polyurethane covers?

Starch glue is water-based, alkaline and hot: a polyester PU degrades in it by hydrolysis (the cover turns tacky). For those zones, we choose EPDM or polyether PU, and silicone for release.

In corrugated: grip, without crushing the flute

Corrugated is a severe application: paper and starch dust, water-based glues (starch) or hot melt/PVA, abrasion, high speeds and a real risk of marking. It all comes down to the balance: enough friction (grip) to drive the sheet without ever crushing the flute (low-crush).

At Soremag, we cover, grind and groove rollers and wheels in rubber or polyurethane, we make cast polyurethane parts (including anvil covers, subject to feasibility) and we repair cores, journals and geometries. The right choice depends on the machine position, the glue, the dust, the speed, the surface finish and the risk of marking.

Where Soremag works on a corrugated line

Onduleuse

Corrugator

Feed/pull rolls, nip rollers, transfer, no-crush wheels. The heated corrugating rolls stay steel (outside our scope).

Encollage

Glue unit

Nip and backing rollers that stand up to starch glue. The engraved applicator roll and the doctor roll stay metal.

Impression

Printer slotter / flexo

Pressure rollers, transfer, infeed/outfeed. The engraved anilox roll stays outside our scope.

Découpe rotative

Rotary die-cutting

Polyurethane anvil covers and wear parts — depending on the model and feasibility.

Pliage-collage

Flexo folder gluer

Feed/pull rolls, transfer, drive wheels and no-crush, polyurethane guides and cleats.

Sur mesure

Engineering

Reverse engineering, geometry adjustment (crown), grooving, journal repair.

Typical uses where our solutions make a difference

Alimentation / traction (feed & pull rolls) : grip élevé et fini contrôlé pour entraîner sans écraser — le fameux « low-crush ».
Découpe rotative : revêtements d'enclume (anvil covers) en polyuréthane haute résistance à la coupe, rotation régulière, longévité.
Anti-colle / encrassement : EPDM ou PU éther en zone d'amidon; silicone anti-adhérence pour les colles et le hot melt.
Impression flexo (postprint) : rouleaux de pression et de transfert stables, sans marquer (barring).
Stabilité à haute vitesse : rectification, faux-rond (TIR) et équilibrage contre la vibration et les marques cycliques.
Anti-poussière / abrasion : matériaux et duretés qui gardent leur grip malgré la poussière de papier et d'amidon.

The rollers, wheels and parts you find in corrugated

Feed & pull rollers (feed / pull rolls)

Controlled grip and low crush (low-crush) at high line speed.

Nip & backing rollers (backing)

Uniform pressure; in the glue section, a material compatible with starch.

Transfer / guide rollers

Sheet transport without marking; surface and concentricity.

Anvil covers (anvil covers)

In polyurethane for rotary die-cutting — depending on the model, the dimensions, the locking system and feasibility.

Feed & no-crush wheels (lead-edge / no-crush)

Sheet feeding without crushing the flute.

Pressure / transfer rollers (flexo)

Post-print printing: stable surface, no barring. Anilox excluded.

Sleeves (sleeves)

Fast replacement on the existing shaft, when the assembly allows it.

Polyurethane wheels & molded parts

Guides, cleats, pads, bumpers, wear parts; reverse engineering when the OEM part is unavailable.

Our solutions for corrugated

Soremag is a

leading supplier

of roller and wheel covering and cast polyurethane parts — for corrugators and box plants as much as for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), in Quebec and across North America. Since 1990, we formulate against paper dust and starch adhesive, the two things that finish a cover on these lines.

Rouleau presseur recouvert de caoutchouc pour ligne de carton ondulé — Soremag

Nip, press and laminating rollers

Nip, press and backing rollers: pressure that creases without crushing the flute.

Voir la page

Rouleau d'alimentation recouvert de caoutchouc pour onduleur — Soremag, Laval

Drive, pull and feed rollers

Feed and pull rolls: grip that survives the paper dust that polishes everything.

Voir la page

Rouleau de guidage recouvert de caoutchouc pour transformation du carton — Soremag

Guide, idler and dancer rollers

Transfer and guide: keeping the sheet in line between stations, at full speed.

Voir la page

Manchon interchangeable recouvert de caoutchouc pour rouleau d'impression carton — Soremag

Interchangeable sleeves

The sleeve goes to the shop while your shaft stays right where it is on the machine.

Voir la page

Rouleaux, roues et pièces moulées recouverts en caoutchouc et polyuréthane — Soremag

All our products

Rollers, wheels and cast polyurethane parts — the full range, from nip rolls to wear pads.

Voir la page

Rectification d'un rouleau recouvert sur tour à meuler — services Soremag, Laval (Québec)

Our services

Grinding, grooving, metal fabrication and repair, reverse engineering, emergency service.

Voir la page

Sélection des matériaux

The right material for the glue and the position

Starch or hot melt adhesive, dust and abrasion, speed, finish and marking risk.

The dominant constraint in corrugated is the glue — and it dictates the choice. Aqueous, alkaline and hot at the glue unit; hot and sticky at assembly. The rest of the line is then chosen for dust and ink.

EPDM

Glue unit, starch adhesive

Excels in hot alkaline solutions and against ozone.

Keep it away from mineral oils, which it will not take.

SiliconeVMQ

Hot adhesives and sticky zones

Release and heat resistance.

Vulnerable to cuts and abrasion.

Polyether urethane

As soon as water is involved

The abrasion resistance of urethane without the hydrolysis risk.

The right call against hot wet starch.

Polyester urethane

Anvil covers, dry no-crush wheels

Excellent abrasion and cut resistance.

The classic trap: it degrades by hydrolysis in hot wet starch.

NitrileNBR

Printing and handling

Takes oils, greases and flexo inks well.

Good general abrasion resistance.

Nitrile PVCNBR/PVC

Feed rolls and pull rolls

More abrasion resistance and stable grip despite paper dust.

Better ozone and aging resistance than nitrile alone.

SBR

Transfer and everyday duty

Economical, good abrasion resistance — press and conveying rollers.

The default when no chemical constraint applies.

Natural rubberNR

Traction

Strong grip, high rebound, low heat build-up.

Avoid where there are oils, ozone or UV.

The starch trap

Starch adhesive is

aqueous, alkaline and hot

— the three conditions that break down a polyester urethane by hydrolysis. It is the most common specification error in corrugated.

The answer is

EPDM or polyether urethane

, with

silicone

for release. Durometer determined case by case.

Consulter le guide de sélection des matériaux

Problem observed → possible fix

Symptôme en usine	Ce qu'on ajuste le plus souvent
Le carton glisse à l'alimentation	Composé grip + dureté + fini de surface (Ra) + nettoyage de la poussière + rainurage.
Le rouleau marque ou écrase la cannelure	Recouvrement low-crush (dureté adaptée) + rectification + contrôle du TIR.
Accumulation de colle / d'amidon	Matériau compatible + fini facile à nettoyer + silicone anti-adhérence au besoin.
Revêtement d'enclume usé (découpe)	Anvil cover en polyuréthane haute résistance à la coupe — réusinage ou remplacement selon modèle.
Usure rapide (poussière abrasive)	Polyuréthane ou caoutchouc haute résistance selon le poste et l'humidité.
Vibration / faux-rond / marques cycliques	Rectification, concentricité (TIR), équilibrage, réparation des portées.
Revêtement gommant en zone d'encollage	Éviter le PU ester (hydrolyse) → EPDM ou PU éther adaptés à l'amidon.

Exemple terrain — écrasement à l'alimentation

A plant is losing box compression strength (ECT): its

feed rolls

, hardened and gummed up with dust, needed too much pressure to keep from slipping — and were crushing the flute. We recover them with an

NBR/PVC

compound at an optimized durometer and a

grooving

that clears the dust: traction restored, pressure reduced, flute preserved.

What we measure and validate: hardness (Shore A / D), surface finish (Ra), runout (TIR), cylindricity, profile / crown, grooving, dynamic balancing, condition and rebuilding of the journals, adhesion of the cover to the core, chemical compatibility (test on a sample).

What we leave to the specialists

To be straight with you: some corrugated components are not covered rollers. The heated corrugating rolls on the corrugator (chrome-plated steel / carbide), theengraved glue applicator roll and the doctor roll, plus the anilox (laser-engraved ceramic) remain specialized metal parts, serviced by their own specialists. Soremag works on everything around them: covered rollers and wheels, anvil covers and polyurethane wear parts. Need help choosing the material? See the material selection guide.

Frequently asked questions — corrugated

Do you cover the corrugating rolls on the corrugator? +

No. Corrugating rolls are metal (chrome-plated steel or tungsten carbide). We work on the covered rollers and wheels around them: feed/pull rolls, nip rollers, no-crush wheels, transfer and wear parts.

Do you make polyurethane anvil covers? +

Yes, it is a good application for polyurethane in rotary die-cutting — depending on the model, the dimensions, the locking system, the durometer and feasibility. We also make the related polyurethane wear parts.

Why does starch glue destroy some polyurethane covers? +

Starch glue is water-based, alkaline and hot: a polyester PU degrades in it by hydrolysis (the cover turns tacky). For those zones, we choose EPDM or polyether PU, and silicone for release.

My feed rolls are marking or crushing the board: what should I check? +

Usually nip pressure that is too high to make up for a lack of grip. We review the compound, the durometer, the finish (Ra), the runout (TIR), cleanliness and sometimes grooving: a low-crush cover brings back traction without crushing the flute.

Which material stands up best to paper and starch dust? +

Polyurethane is excellent for abrasion and cutting; some rubbers (NBR/PVC, NR) give better grip. The choice depends on the position, the glue, the humidity, the speed and the marking risk.

Do you work with post-print flexo and anilox rolls? +

Yes for covered pressure, drive, transfer, infeed and outfeed rollers. Engraved anilox rolls (laser ceramic) and specialized printing cylinders stay outside our scope.

Do you do custom grooving? +

Yes: grooving helps grip, dust evacuation and surface behavior. The pattern is chosen according to what the roller does.

My bearing journals are damaged: do I have to scrap the roller? +

Not necessarily. We can repair, build up and remachine the journals to the original tolerances before covering.

Can you remake a part if the OEM one is not available? +

Yes, depending on the part: through reverse engineering, we remake wheels, guides, cleats, pads and cast polyurethane parts.

Rollers, wheels and polyurethane parts for the corrugated industry

In corrugated: grip, without crushing the flute

Where Soremag works on a corrugated line

Corrugator

Glue unit

Printer slotter / flexo

Rotary die-cutting

Flexo folder gluer

Engineering

Typical uses where our solutions make a difference

The rollers, wheels and parts you find in corrugated

Feed & pull rollers (feed / pull rolls)

Nip & backing rollers (backing)

Transfer / guide rollers

Anvil covers (anvil covers)

Feed & no-crush wheels (lead-edge / no-crush)

Pressure / transfer rollers (flexo)

Sleeves (sleeves)

Polyurethane wheels & molded parts

Our solutions for corrugated

Nip, press and laminating rollers

Drive, pull and feed rollers

Guide, idler and dancer rollers

Interchangeable sleeves

All our products

Our services

The right material for the glue and the position

EPDM

SiliconeVMQ

Polyether urethane

Polyester urethane

NitrileNBR

Nitrile PVCNBR/PVC

SBR

Natural rubberNR

The starch trap

Problem observed → possible fix

What we leave to the specialists

Equipment and brands we see often

Frequently asked questions — corrugated

Do you cover the corrugating rolls on the corrugator? +

Do you make polyurethane anvil covers? +

Why does starch glue destroy some polyurethane covers? +

My feed rolls are marking or crushing the board: what should I check? +

Which material stands up best to paper and starch dust? +

Do you work with post-print flexo and anilox rolls? +

Do you do custom grooving? +

My bearing journals are damaged: do I have to scrap the roller? +

Can you remake a part if the OEM one is not available? +

Marked board, slipping feed rolls or a worn anvil?