Web winding cores and method of manufacture thereof

A method of manufacturing a winding core for a winder, comprising the steps of:

• making a plurality of winding cores;
• forming each winding core of the plurality of winding cores to form a first severing cut which forms a first axial end of each winding core, which first severing cut is formed to have first grooves which deviate from a plane perpendicular to an axis defined by the winding core;
• further forming each core of the plurality of winding cores to form a second severing cut which forms a second axial end of each winding core, the second severing cut being formed to have second grooves which deviate from the plane perpendicular to the axis defined by the winding core;
• and
• wherein the formed first grooves of the first severing cut correspond to the formed second grooves of the second severing cut and wherein the correspondence is not complete such that the first grooves and the second grooves do not fully correspond to each other but the grooves on the first sides of the winding cores are unequal in depth to the grooves of the second sides, thereby providing axial play.