Paper cup layers and lining
The outer layer of a paper cup, i.e. the wall, is made of paperboard. This layer provides heat retention and insulation properties. In practice it keeps the beverage hot as long as possible, while still not being too hot to carry around comfortably.
For cold drinks, a single wall is enough. For hot drinks it is better to use double wall cups for extra heat protection. In addition to insulating heat, the second sleeve covering the cup allows to mix-and-match the embossing pattern and prints to create a variety of designs.
The paperboard is coated with a thin plastic lining, which is needed for safety reasons: it acts as a barrier to ensure food hygiene and to make the cup liquid-proof. Plastic is a suitable lining material because of its strength, resilience and excellent barrier properties. It is also very good in terms of material, energy and cost efficiency.
The manufacturing process:
- The foodservice paperboard is turned into reels.
- The reels are printed and cut into carefully measured cup sidewall blanks.
- The blanks are inserted into cup-forming machines that wrap the blanks into a cup shape and add the bottom.
- The seams of the cups are heated in order to make the cups liquid proof.
- Finally, the machine trims the cups into their final, round shape.
