A tissue paper manufacturing machine costs about $1,600 to $15,000 for napkin, facial tissue and toilet roll converting machines, about $25,000 to $190,000 for complete Chinese converting lines and small paper machines, and tens of millions of euros for industrial tissue machines from makers such as Valmet. The key decision is whether you convert bought-in jumbo rolls into finished products or make the tissue paper itself from pulp.
Two businesses with the same name
- Converting: you buy large “jumbo” or parent rolls of tissue paper and turn them into toilet rolls, kitchen towels, napkins or facial tissues with rewinding, embossing, perforating, folding, cutting and packing machines. Investment is low and you can start small.
- Papermaking: you turn pulp or waste paper into tissue paper on a paper machine with a forming section and a large heated drying cylinder (a Yankee dryer), then reel it into jumbo rolls. This needs much more capital, water, energy and space.
Most small-business searches are about converting, while most of the money in the industry is in papermaking.
Converting machine prices
| Machine | Price | Source and price type |
|---|---|---|
| Small serviette (napkin) folding and cutting machine | $1,600 | Made-in-China supplier listing |
| Two-colour table napkin machine | $2,500 to $4,200 | Made-in-China supplier listings |
| Small toilet roll slitting and rewinding machine | $4,400 to $8,500 | Made-in-China supplier listings |
| Napkin folding machine with colour printing | $6,000 to $15,000 | Made-in-China supplier listings |
| Semi-automatic toilet paper machine with embossing (1,880 mm) | $12,000 | NRC Machine, priced for US buyers, 2026 |
| 1,880 mm jumbo roll toilet tissue rewinder | $14,500 | Made-in-China supplier listing |
| Full automatic toilet paper line: rewinding, embossing, perforating, log saw, packing (1,880 mm) | $25,900 | NRC Machine, priced for US buyers, 2026 |
| Facial tissue production lines | $11,160 to $99,850 | Made-in-China supplier listings |
Papermaking machine prices
| Machine or line | Capacity | Price | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,880 mm toilet tissue paper machine | Small | $60,000 | Made-in-China supplier listing |
| 1,880 mm toilet tissue paper machine | 5 tonnes a day | $190,000 | Made-in-China supplier listing |
| Two Valmet Advantage DCT tissue lines with rewinders (China) | 120,000 tonnes a year in total | estimated EUR 20 million to EUR 30 million | Industry press estimate; Valmet did not disclose |
| Valmet tissue-making line, converting equipment and biomass boiler (Brazil) | 60,000 tonnes a year | typically around EUR 100 million for such an order | Valmet statement on the Suzano order |
Large modern lines are huge: a tissue line Valmet is supplying to Algeria’s Faderco Group in 2026 is 5.6 metres wide, runs at a design speed of 2,200 metres a minute and adds 65,000 tonnes a year, with stock preparation, two rewinders, automation and commissioning in the scope.
Our analysis: capital cost per tonne of capacity
Dividing price by annual capacity shows how differently the two ends of the market are built. These are our calculations from the figures above:
- Chinese 5 tonnes-a-day machine: assuming 330 operating days, about 1,650 tonnes a year for $190,000, or roughly $115 per tonne of annual capacity.
- Two Valmet lines in China: EUR 20 million to EUR 30 million for 120,000 tonnes a year, or roughly EUR 170 to EUR 250 per tonne of annual capacity, if the press estimate is right.
- Valmet’s Brazil-type order: about EUR 100 million for 60,000 tonnes a year, or about EUR 1,670 per tonne, but that figure also includes converting equipment and a biomass boiler, so it is not comparable on its own.
The cheap small machine is not dramatically cheaper per tonne than the large lines. What large lines buy is speed, energy efficiency, softer and more consistent tissue, and lower labour per tonne. Small machines suit local markets where low-cost, lower-grade tissue sells and transport costs protect local producers.
For converters, paper costs more than the machine
A full automatic converting line priced at $25,900 is rated by its seller at 6 to 12 tonnes of finished product a day. At 6 tonnes a day, it uses 42 tonnes of parent rolls a week. At any parent-roll price above about $620 a tonne, one week’s paper costs more than the machine. That is why converters need working capital for paper stock, reliable jumbo roll supply, and a sales plan before they need a faster machine. The other running costs are cores, glue, packaging film, power, labour and waste from trimming and breaks.
Used tissue converting and paper machines for sale
A large second-hand market exists, mostly in Europe. A nearly new toilet paper and paper towel production machine built in 2023, with about 1,300 operating hours, was listed in Poland in 2026 at EUR 210,000 plus VAT. Older Fabio Perini converting lines, some dating from the 1990s, and individual log saws and rewinders appear regularly on machinery marketplaces, usually priced on request. One marketplace says used paper winders in its listings generally sell for about EUR 15,000 to EUR 55,000.
Used lines can be good value because tissue converting equipment is robust, but check four things before buying: that the jumbo roll width and core size match the paper you can buy; that spare parts and embossing rolls are still available; the condition of the log saw blades and drives; and the cost of dismantling, shipping and re-installing the line, which can be substantial for a multi-machine set-up.
What changes the price
- Width: 1,092 mm, 1,880 mm and wider machines handle bigger jumbo rolls and produce more per hour.
- Automation: semi-automatic machines need operators to transfer logs; full automatic lines add core feeding, log saws and packing.
- Finishing: embossing, lamination, colour printing and perforation add cost.
- Papermaking scale: forming section, Yankee dryer size, stock preparation and effluent treatment drive the price of paper machines.
Questions to ask a supplier
- What is the real output in my product format, at my paper grade (GSM), not the maximum speed?
- Which functions are included: embossing, perforation, log saw, packing, core making?
- What jumbo roll width and diameter does the machine accept?
- For paper machines: what pulp or waste paper does it use, and how much water, steam and power per tonne?
- Is installation and training included, and are prices ex-factory, FOB or delivered?
FAQs
How much does a toilet paper making machine cost? Small rewinding machines cost about $4,400 to $8,500; full automatic converting lines about $25,900; machines that make the tissue paper itself start at about $60,000 to $190,000 for small Chinese models.
Is a tissue paper business profitable? It depends on local tissue prices, parent-roll or pulp costs, energy and transport. For converters, paper supply and working capital usually matter more than the machine.
See our paper bag manufacturing machine price guide, pulp molding machine prices and how we research prices.
Published November 2026. Sources: NRC Machine, Made-in-China toilet tissue machine listings, Made-in-China tissue machine listings, Pulp & Paper News on the Valmet Suzano order, Bioenergy International on Zhejiang Jingxing and Valmet press release, January 2026. Prices change; confirm with suppliers.
Updated November 2026 with used-equipment prices. Additional sources: Machineseeker listing, 2023 toilet paper and towel machine, Machineseeker used toilet paper machines and Exapro used paper winders.
