Covering & manufacturing · rubber and polyurethane · Quebec450 664-4000·1 800 361-5588·EN|FR
Machine à carton kraft : grande bobine de papier kraft brun et nappe de carton défilant sur des rouleaux dans une usine
Industries · Carton ondulé & pliant

Rollers, wheels and polyurethane parts for the corrugated industry

Corrugator, glue unit, flexo printing, rotary die-cutting, folder gluer: a feed roll that slips, a wheel that crushes the flute, a worn anvil cover or starch dust that builds up will run your waste up and your output down in a hurry. We cover and refurbish your rollers, wheels and wear parts — without marking the sheet.

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

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.

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.

Problem observed → possible fix

Symptôme en usineCe qu'on ajuste le plus souvent
Le carton glisse à l'alimentationComposé grip + dureté + fini de surface (Ra) + nettoyage de la poussière + rainurage.
Le rouleau marque ou écrase la cannelureRecouvrement low-crush (dureté adaptée) + rectification + contrôle du TIR.
Accumulation de colle / d'amidonMatériau 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 cycliquesRectification, concentricité (TIR), équilibrage, réparation des portées.
Revêtement gommant en zone d'encollageÉviter 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), the
engraved 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.

Equipment and brands we see often

Even if your machines carry another name, describe the function: we will find our way around it.

BHSFosberMarquipWardUnitedBW PapersystemsBobstGöpfertSun AutomationIsowaMitsubishiBahmüller

Brands listed for reference only; Soremag is an independent manufacturer and repairer of rollers and elastomer/polyurethane parts, with no affiliation with these manufacturers.

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.

Marked board, slipping feed rolls or a worn anvil?

Talk to a Soremag expert: material, durometer, surface, profile, grooving, anvil cover or mechanical repair. Service in Quebec, Ontario and the Maritimes, with shipping available.

➔ Talk to a technical expert