Paper straw machines

A paper straw machine winds three or four glued strips of food-grade paper around a mandrel into a continuous tube, then cuts it to straw length inline. Packaging converters and food-service suppliers use one to make drinking straws; the lines are compact, need one or two operators and draw only a few kilowatts.

How a paper straw machine works

Narrow paper reels sit on an unwind stand, one per layer. Each strip passes a glue station that coats one or both sides, then the strips are wound in a spiral around a fixed mandrel to form an endless tube. A flying cutter travels with the tube and cuts it to length without stopping it, and the straws drop onto a collector or conveyor.

The two catalog machines show the range. The Gaoda GDM-30 winds three or four layers with servo-driven winding and cutting, cuts with nine pneumatic knives that track the tube on a servo-synchronised carriage, and splices new paper reels automatically. The Jota JT-50D has two winder heads for one to three layers and a numerically controlled servo cutter with six knife sets.

Output: from metres per minute to straws per minute

Winders are rated in metres of tube per minute. To get straws, multiply the speed in m/min by 1,000 and divide by the straw length in mm. Gaoda's own example is about 400 straws per minute at 80 m/min for 197 mm straws. The table applies the same arithmetic to three example lengths, before splices, breaks and start-up waste.

Jota quotes the JT-50D at around 12,000 straws per hour, or 200 per minute, without stating a length. Gaoda's page gives two figures for the GDM-30, 3 to 110 m/min in the specification table and a maximum of 120 m/min input and 95 m/min output elsewhere, so ask for the sustained speed on your straw size.

How to choose

• Diameter. The GDM-30 covers 3.5 mm minimum inner diameter up to 12 mm; the JT-50D covers 5 to 11 mm. Thick drinks need wider straws, so list every diameter you plan to sell and check that each is in range, with the tooling quoted.
• Wall thickness and layers. 0.2 to 1 mm with three or four layers on the GDM-30, 0.3 to 1 mm with one to three layers on the JT-50D. More layers and heavier paper make a stiffer straw that lasts longer in a drink, at a higher paper cost per straw.
• Length. 90 to 1,580 mm between blades on the GDM-30 and 100 to 800 mm on the JT-50D.
• Automation. Automatic reel splicing keeps the winder running through reel changes; without it, every change is a stop.
• Downstream. Jota offers a single straw wrapping machine and conveyors that link machines into a line. If your customers want individually wrapped straws, plan the wrapper into the layout from the start.

Paper and glue

Straw paper comes in jumbo rolls and is slit to narrow reels; one paper maker lists 60 and 120 gsm grades from virgin wood pulp, slit to widths of about 13 to 15 mm. A common three-ply build, according to straw equipment supplier PaperStrawTech, is two layers of 60 gsm with a 120 gsm outer layer, and long-fibre virgin pulp generally gives better wet strength than short-fibre or recycled paper of the same weight.

The glue is usually water-based. H.B. Fuller, which makes paper straw adhesives, says its water-based grades are designed for three hours of liquid resistance, that hot melts suit very fast lines, and that the paper maker, grade and colour all affect the choice. It also describes a fully compostable straw adhesive as very challenging. Test your paper and glue together on the machine before you commit to either. For food contact, Health Canada places responsibility for packaging safety on the seller, and PFAS are being assessed as a class under federal rules, so ask your paper and glue suppliers for written food-contact and PFAS statements.

What the plant needs

• Floor. The GDM-30 itself is 4.25 m long, but Gaoda asks for a working area of 9.5 x 3.5 m; Jota asks for 11 x 6 m around the JT-50D. The extra space takes the reel stands, cutter, collection and walkways.
• Power. The GDM-30 is rated at 6.15 kW (13.5 A full load) on 380 V three-phase, with 60 Hz or 220 V versions available. The JT-50D lists a 3 kW main motor, a 1 kW servo and a 3.7 kW inverter on 380 V three-phase. For Canadian supply, see 600 V power for imported machines.
• Compressed air. The JT-50D calls for 0.6 MPa, and the GDM-30's pneumatic knives also need a clean, dry air supply.
• Weight and staff. 1,350 to 1,500 kg. Gaoda says one operator runs the GDM-30; Jota says one or two for the JT-50D.
• Hygiene. Straws go in the mouth, so keep the winding area clean and apart from dusty processes, with rules for lubricants and hand contact.

Running costs and consumables

• Paper for three or four layers per straw, slit to width, which is the main material cost.
• Glue, bought with food-contact documentation.
• Cutter knives, which dull and need replacing to keep straw ends clean.
• Wrapping paper or film and cartons for packed straws.
• Waste at reel changes and start-up, lower with automatic splicing.
• Power, small next to bag or cup lines, which draw tens of kilowatts.

Demand and who buys

As of 2026, federal regulations prohibit the manufacture, import and sale of single-use plastic straws in Canada, with exceptions for flexible straws under certain conditions, and the regulations remain in force after a January 2026 Federal Court of Appeal decision. Paper is one of the main alternatives in food service; Canada's single-use plastics rules sets out the details. Buyers are packaging converters, food-service distributors and suppliers to beverage chains, often adding straws next to paper cup machines for the same customers; see food packaging and disposables. The paper packaging start-up guide shows how straws fit a wider product range.