Fabric & Roll What is being wound

Fabric Length m

Fabric Width cm

Fabric Weight g/m2

Fabric Thickness mm

Core Diameter mm

Handling Limits What the roll has to fit and what it has to be lifted by

Maximum Roll Diameter mm

Maximum Roll Mass kg

Roll Diameter

— mm

Outside diameter at this wound length

Mass, Build & Limits

Roll Mass: — kg
Mass against the Handling Limit: — %
Length at the Diameter Limit: — m
Build Thickness: — mm
Wraps on the Core: —
Roll Density: — kg/m3
Fabric Area: — m2
Metres per mm of Build: — m/mm

The spiral model assumes uniform thickness through the build, which winding tension violates - the inner wraps are compressed by everything above them, so a real roll is slightly denser at the core and this reads marginally large on diameter. Thickness must be the effective wound thickness rather than a flat measurement, particularly for napped, pile or lofty fabric where the difference is substantial. The wrap count is a geometric average and does not correspond to a countable number on a real roll. Mass excludes the core, which on a heavy cardboard or steel tube is not negligible when checking against a lifting limit. Handling limits are entered as inputs because they depend on local regulation, on the equipment available and on whether the lift is manual or mechanical.

Fabric Roll Diameter, Mass & Handling Limit Calculator — free, with the formula and a worked example, at Textile School.