Project Background
A UAE-based distributor supplying the Gulf shisha (hookah) retail channel needed a reliable upstream source of food grade aluminium foil, slit to the exact widths used on their repacking lines. The order was placed as 26 tons of 8011-O aluminium foil, 0.033mm thickness, slit to two widths - 120mm and 265mm - wound on 75mm cores with a roll outside diameter of 500-600mm.
The specification was not negotiable. Shisha foil touches tobacco and the user's hands directly, so food contact compliance, pinhole performance and consistent gauge were the three conditions on the purchase order.
Why 8011-O for Shisha Foil
8011 is the standard alloy for food contact foil in the Gulf market, and O temper is the only realistic choice for this application.
| Parameter | Specification | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Alloy | 8011 | Iron and silicon additions give strength at very thin gauge; the standard alloy for food grade foil |
| Temper | O (soft, fully annealed) | Dead-soft foil wraps without springback and tears cleanly by hand - essential for the shisha user |
| Thickness | 0.033mm (33 micron) | Thick enough to resist pinholes and hold shape, thin enough to stay economical per sheet |
| Width | 120mm and 265mm | Matched to the customer's two repacking formats, no trimming on their line |
| Core | 75mm (3 inch) board core | Fits standard unwinding shafts on high-speed repacking machines |
| Roll OD | 500-600mm | Long run time between roll changes, while staying within the machine's roll cradle |
| Standard | Food grade, food contact compliant | Required for tobacco-contact and food-contact use in the Gulf retail channel |
| Quantity | 26 tons total | Single shipment covering the season's repacking plan |
Food Grade Compliance
Shisha foil is a food contact material in practice, because it sits against tobacco that goes into the mouth and is handled directly by the end user. Our 8011-O foil for this order was produced and packed under the following controls:
- Food grade alloy 8011 with controlled iron, silicon and impurity levels
- Rolling oil fully removed - no residual oil, no odour, no transfer to the tobacco
- Mill certificate confirming chemical composition and mechanical properties per lot
- Heavy metal and migration test reports available on request for the customer's own compliance file
- Clean-room grade slitting with no lubricant contamination on the slit edge
Gauge and Pinhole Control at 0.033mm
At 33 micron, small process variations show up immediately as pinholes or gauge bands. The order ran with the following checks:
- Thickness measured across the full width of every coil, tolerance held within the agreed band
- Pinhole inspection on a light table before slitting
- Slit edge quality verified - no burr, no edge crack that could tear during repacking
- Wound tension controlled so the roll does not telescope or block during unwinding at speed
Slitting and Winding to the Customer's Line
The two widths were produced from the same parent coils, which keeps gauge and temper consistent between the 120mm and 265mm formats:
- 120mm width - the narrow format used for single-use shisha foil sheets
- 265mm width - the wider format used for larger sheets and multi-layer wrapping
- 75mm core - matched to the customer's existing shafts, so no machine changeover was needed
- 500-600mm outside diameter - maximises running time per roll while fitting the unwind station
Packing and Shipment to UAE
- Each roll suspended in a carton with protective end caps, preventing edge damage and telescoping in transit
- Rolls stacked on export wooden pallets, stretch wrapped and strapped, moisture barrier applied for the sea leg
- Total shipment 26 tons, loaded from Qingdao to a UAE port with full container load
- Documents issued with the shipment: mill test certificate, packing list, commercial invoice, certificate of origin
Results for the Customer
- No repacking line stoppages - slit width and core size matched the existing shafts exactly, so no changeover or re-slitting was needed
- Stable yield - consistent 33 micron gauge and controlled pinholes kept the repacking scrap rate low across the full 26 tons
- Compliance file complete - alloy, mill certificate and food contact documentation satisfied the customer's own retail-chain audit
- Repeatable specification - the same 120mm / 265mm, 75mm core, OD 500-600mm format can now be re-ordered as a fixed item, which simplifies their season planning
Ordering the Same Specification
We supply 8011 and 1235 food grade aluminium foil from 0.006mm to 0.05mm, slit to any width from 50mm, on 75mm or 152mm cores, with roll diameter set to your machine. Send us your alloy, thickness, width, core size and tonnage, and we will confirm price, lead time and loading plan within one working day.