‘Bottle-to-Tube’ process opens new market

Non-recyclability: Laminated and coextruded tubes are not recyclable and will be subject to tax penalties in the near future.  

Barrier leaks: The tube’s head usually has a barrier leak due to being monolayer.  

High transport and packaging costs: Conventional tubes present significant transportation and handling challenges as they are open after production. Any deformation during transport can cause issues during the filling process. The filling nozzle must not touch the inside of the tube (which can occur if the tube is not perfectly round); otherwise, the tube will not be welded properly if the product is on the inside. To prevent such issues, tubes are typically packed in full-height quarter-pallet trays, covered with an inverted hood. This is a very expensive way of packaging that is also difficult to automate, further increasing handling costs.  

Inefficient filling: Traditional tubes cannot be filled completely, as a safety margin is needed to prevent product contamination of the weld seam. This results in 30 percent of the tube remaining empty.  

Leak testing issues: Since the top part of conventional tubes is welded only after filling, it is difficult to check the overall quality of the tube and weld once the tube is filled.  

With Delta Engineering’s Bottle-to-Tube process, however, oval ISBM bottles (with a standard neck) are transformed into tubes by clipping and welding the base.  

This innovative technology opens up a new market for blow molding companies and their bottle-filling customers, allowing them to produce or fill tubes in-house using their existing equipment for bottles.  

Consider the Advantages  

This new tube concept offers significant advantages over traditional tubes:  

• Higher filling efficiency: Packaging cost savings and sustainability 

With the Bottle-to-Tube technology, tubes can be filled just like regular bottles (using standard bottle-filling lines with pucks), allowing for a higher fill level compared to standard tubes, as there is no extra safety margin needed. This reduces material usage up to 30 percent, using less plastic for the same content volume. The lower weight leads to a reduction in material costs, transport costs and CO2 emissions.  

• Fully recyclable in existing PET recycling streams 

Unlike laminated and coextruded tubes, which are difficult to recycle, PET tubes from the Bottle-to-Tube process are 100 percent recyclable within current recycling flows.  

• Plasma coating for superior barrier protection 

As opposed to conventional tubes, the new tubes can be plasma-coated entirely instead of only the cylinder. Plasma coating provides a 100 percent oxygen barrier on PET –– or a solvent barrier on HDPE –– at a fraction of the cost of multilayer packaging, eliminating the barrier leak issues found in conventional tubes. This also minimizes product waste, as new packaging regulations mandate that the residual fraction remains below 50 percent of the total weight of the empty packaging. This makes the new Bottle-to-Tube technology an attractive and sustainable solution for packaging needs.  

•Flexibility in design with digital printing and embossing 

• Crystal-clear transparency 

Conventional PP tubes are opaque, preventing consumers from seeing the product inside. However, PET tubes can be completely transparent, allowing brands to showcase their product, offering an attractive “What you see is what you get” appeal to consumers.  

• Improved quality assurance 

With the Bottle-to-Tube process, the tubes can be leak-tested in their entirety (just like normal bottles) before the filling process, because they are already welded. This ensures consistent quality before the tubes reach the customer and avoids welding issues due to end-product contact.  

• Thinner walls 

PET is significantly stronger (with a higher density) than PP, which can easily crack at cold temperatures. This means that thinner PET walls can be used while maintaining strength, further reducing material consumption and the weight of the tubes.  

• More design flexibility: Beyond round tubes 

While traditional tube manufacturers usually produce round tubes, the Bottle-to-Tube process allows for non-round shapes, as well, such as oval, square or other custom shapes, offering greater product differentiation.  

• More economical way of packing tubes 

Whereas traditional tubes come with challenges in terms of transportation and handling, requiring expensive and complex packing, the new tubes can be handled like standard bottles, reducing packaging and transport costs.  

Creating New Opportunities  

Delta Engineering’s Bottle-to-Tube process allows blow molding companies to seamlessly produce tubes using the ISBM equipment and downstream equipment they use for bottles. This technology transforms blow molded bottles with a standard neck into tubes through clipping and welding. These bottles can be stored, trimmed, printed, conveyed in pucks and leak-tested using Delta Engineering’s existing standard range of machines for bottles.  

Moreover, as these tubes made from bottles can be handled like any “tottle” bottle, bottle fillers can fill the tubes using their standard bottle-filling lines with industry-standard pucks, eliminating the need for specialized tube-filling equipment.  

Delta Engineering also can provide solutions for the logistics of tube loading and unloading.  

Its Bottle-to-Tube technology is set to disrupt the tube manufacturing industry, providing a cost-effective, sustainable and high-quality alternative to traditional PP tubes. With the ability to produce crystal-clear, recyclable and plasma-coated PET tubes, this technology offers an unmatched opportunity for blow molding companies and bottle fillers to expand into the lucrative tube market using their existing bottle equipment.  

© 2025, Society of Plastics Engineers Blow Molding Division