Firework Tube Material: What Goes Into a Moulded Tube

1. The four ingredients in a moulded block

A moulded firework tube is not made from a single material. It is a pressed blend of fibre, mineral powder and binder, with a small amount of processing aid so the mix presses cleanly. Questions about firework tube material usually arrive from a technical file or an import declaration, so we list all four ingredients in full.

We publish the ingredients, not the mix ratio. The proportions of fibre, powder and binder are part of how each mould is set up, and they are tuned per model rather than fixed once across the range. If your file needs the ingredient list in writing, ask for it with your enquiry and we will confirm the same four names.

That list also tells you what the part is not. Moulded tubes are non-explosive components: an inert pressed part that carries no pyrotechnic composition. We supply components only — no finished fireworks, and no retail sales.

2. From mix to finished block: the press process

Every model in the range follows the same six steps, in our own plant in Shangli County, Jiangxi — one of China's four main fireworks-producing regions (about our factory). What changes between a 20-shot block and a 100-shot block is the mould and the pressing settings, not the sequence.

• Intake and screening. Fibre and powder are checked in and screened, so oversize material does not reach the mixer.
• Dry blending. Fibre, stone powder and starch are blended dry first — an even dry mix is what keeps a block from developing a soft side later.
• Water and mixing. Water goes in and the mix is worked until the starch has taken it up and a handful of mix holds together.
• Filling and pressing. The mix is loaded into the mould and pressed. Pressure and dwell are set per model: a dense bore pattern needs different numbers from a small block with wide walls.
• Curing. Pressed blocks cure under controlled conditions. This is the step that decides whether a block still measures the same tomorrow as it did coming out of the press.
• Demoulding and trimming. Blocks are released from the mould, loose moulding flash is removed, and the bore array is checked against the model drawing.

3. Bore, wall and height: what the mix allows

Three specifications are set by the mix and the mould together, and they are the three buyers ask about most.

• Bore. Our moulded range is built on a 20 mm nominal bore — the D20 in D20*36F*180H. Nominal is the operative word: the mould is made to that bore class, and the finished bore, outer diameter and base depth are fixed on the model drawing. If your jig clearance or shell fit depends on exact figures, ask for the drawing of the size you are considering.
• Wall. Stock blocks are pressed with walls in the 3–20 mm range. For combination firework blocks our published reference for the wall between adjacent holes is 3 mm or more for holes up to 20 mm, 4 mm or more for 20–30 mm holes, and 5 mm or more at the outer edge. Wall tolerance matters as much as the nominal wall: a tube whose wall varies does not seat the same way in a jig.
• Height. Blocks in the current range are 180 mm tall, and we produce tube lengths up to 1.2 m. If you need a different height, give us both the finished tube height and the block height you want — they are separate numbers, and the mould decides which combinations are possible.

4. How each batch is checked before it ships

Consistency is usually the reason a buyer asks about material in the first place, so here is what gets checked and what travels with the goods.

• Pressure test, every batch. Each batch is pressure-tested before packing, and the test report ships with the goods rather than staying in our office.
• Dimensions against the drawing. Block footprint, bore position and height are checked against the model drawing — not against the last block that came off the press.
• Mould wear. The models in the range are pressed on stock moulds, which is what makes dimensions repeat from order to order. Drift is tracked against the drawing so a worn mould is caught early instead of being worked around.
• What arrives with the pallet. Export cartons as standard; full-container loads are palletised and wrapped at no extra charge.

5. Custom bores, walls and moulds

If the stock models do not fit your cake design, the limit is the mould rather than the material. Custom work is quoted subject to tooling.

• Custom bore. Our custom mould service covers inner diameters from 25 mm to 300 mm. The bore is the first number to confirm, because it sets the mould.
• Custom wall and height. Wall thickness and tube height can be specified within what the mould can hold, and printing on the block is available on request.
• Tooling and quantities. MOQ is 1,000 pcs per size when we press from a stock mould, and 5,000 pcs where a custom mould has to be made. Samples are free of charge, with freight collected.

The blocks in production today are collected in the molded firework tube range, and the wider specification and packing detail sits on our resources page.

6. Send us your specification

If you are specifying a block, three numbers get you a firm answer: bore, finished tube height and annual volume. Send those and we will confirm the block size, the packing and a firm FOB quote — we aim to reply within 24 hours. If the bore or the wall is the open question, tell us what your jig needs and we will say what the mould can hold.

Commercial terms are quoted FOB Shanghai or Ningbo, with CIF and DDP quoted on request. The questions we are asked most often — payment terms, lead time, packing and sampling — are answered on our FAQ page.