Most buyers spend their time choosing the machine and almost no time choosing the paper. That order is backwards. The paper cushion machine is a fixed investment with a defined capability, and the paper is the variable that determines whether that capability translates into protection, reliability, and cost per order. The paper specification on the Aircosan RA10 is narrow and specific, and understanding why is what allows a buyer to get the result they expected.
The machine's paper requirement is standard 32CM roll paper, with 40CM roll paper available as a customization. It runs three-fold paper at 70gsm or 80gsm. That is the specification, and it is not a suggestion. Using paper outside the specification is the most common cause of feeding problems, inconsistent pads, and premature wear on the gears, because the internal gears are calibrated to the thickness and fold pattern of the specified paper.
Start with the fold structure, because it is the part most buyers do not think about. Three-fold paper means the paper is folded into three layers before it enters the forming gears. The fold is what gives the finished pad its structure: the creases created by the gears form compressible space, and the layers give the pad enough body to hold that space under load. A single-layer paper would produce a pad that collapses under the weight of the product, because there is not enough material to hold the crease. A two-layer paper would be better but still marginal. Three-fold is the structure that produces a pad with enough resilience to cushion a real shipment, and it is why the machine specifies three-fold only.
Now the grammage. 70gsm and 80gsm are both three-fold, but they behave differently in the pad and in the machine. A 70gsm paper produces a pad that is lighter and softer, which conforms more easily to irregular product shapes and is well suited to products that need gentle cushioning rather than rigid support. An 80gsm paper produces a pad that is stiffer and holds its shape better, which is suited to products that are heavier or that need a pad that does not compress under load. The difference is not about quality; it is about matching the pad to the product.
The grammage also affects how much paper is consumed per box. A stiffer pad can achieve the same protection with less material, which means the 80gsm paper can be more economical per shipment even though it costs more per roll. A softer pad may need more volume to achieve the same protection, which means the 70gsm paper can cost more per shipment even though it costs less per roll. This is the same logic as the machine-versus-pre-made-fill comparison, applied at the paper level: the unit price is not the cost.
The grammage also affects machine behavior. Heavier paper puts more load on the gears and the cutter, which increases wear and may require more frequent maintenance. Lighter paper is easier on the machine but may feed less consistently if it is too light for the gears to grip. The 70gsm and 80gsm range is the range the machine is designed for, and staying within it is what keeps the machine reliable.
The roll width matters for a different reason. Standard 32CM roll paper is the default, and 40CM roll paper is available as a customization. The forming width of the machine is 10cm±2cm, which means the pad width is determined by the machine rather than by the roll width. The roll width determines how much paper is available per roll and how often the roll needs to be changed. A wider roll means fewer roll changes per shift, which matters for throughput. A narrower roll means more roll changes, which matters for labor.
The paper also affects the safety features. The low-material warning prompts refilling before the paper runs out, and the warning is calibrated to the roll's remaining length. A roll that is outside the specification may not trigger the warning at the right point, which means the machine runs out mid-shift and the packing flow is interrupted. The material-out alarm stops the motor and cutter automatically when paper runs out, which prevents damage, but it does not prevent the interruption.
There is a quality dimension that is harder to specify but matters in practice. Paper that is inconsistent in thickness or moisture content feeds unevenly and produces pads that vary in stiffness. The variation is not visible in a single pad, but it shows up across a shipment as inconsistent protection. Aircosan's paper is specified for the machine, which means the thickness and behavior are consistent, and consistency is what allows the pad specification to be trusted.
Power and deployment are unaffected by paper choice. The RA10 runs on 110V or 220V, draws 350W, and operates on 50-60HZ. Machine dimensions are 930mm*763mm*1378mm, net weight 130kg, gross weight 150kg, package dimensions 1500mm*1000mm*1000mm. The machine has a dual-opening cover for maintenance and debugging, a cover-open alarm that prevents starting when the guard is open, and casters at the base for movement between workstations. None of this changes with the paper, but all of it depends on the paper being within specification for the machine to work as designed.
The honest limitation is that paper choice cannot compensate for a machine that is wrong for the line, and machine choice cannot compensate for paper that is wrong for the product. The two decisions are linked, and they need to be made together. A buyer who chooses the machine and then buys whatever paper is cheapest has made half a decision, and the half that is missing is the half that determines whether the pads protect the product.
The practical takeaway is to specify the paper at the same time as the machine, and to match the grammage to the product rather than to the price. Aircosan evaluates paper width, daily usage, packing scenario, and space conditions before recommending a configuration, which is the conversation where the paper decision should be made. Most buyers skip it, which is why some machines produce pads that are too soft or too stiff for the products they are meant to protect, and the buyers conclude that paper cushioning does not work, when in fact the paper was never matched to the job.