How Does Plastic Tube Sealing Work?

Lots of businesses use plastic tubes for a range of products. From cleaning products to beauty products and much more, the plastic tube is a simple to use, customer-friendly packaging option. Perhaps the main consideration with it is how to seal the plastic tubes – and there are a few different options to handle this. Let’s take a look at the world of plastic tube sealing. Plastic tube sealing options There are lots of different materials currently used for packaging and storing products including laminate, injected moulded and more. There are also three main options when it comes to sealing them and which you choose depends on space, budget and your requirements. Hot air sealing Hot air sealing is perhaps the most commonly seen option when it comes to plastic tube sealing. These machines come in high speed fully automatic versions as well as slightly smaller, slightly more hands-on styles. The latter category are often termed as table-top because they are a size that means they can stand on a bench or worktable to operate. Typically they have speeds of 15 tubes a minute or upwards and can also come in metal fold versions that let you crimp aluminium tubes. These machines create professional seals on all plastic and laminate tubes. Often, they will use new resins that qualify as sustainable and can seal with hot air for fully recyclable in-mould label tubes. The machines are also lightweight and easy to move, using a standard electrical connection and can easily be changed between production runs to handle different packaging. Fully automatic machines The larger fully automatic machines can hold more tubes and will process around 40 tubes per minute. They do need a bit more time to change the type of tube being filled, sometimes around 2 hours so some planning is needed. They can often seal with date and lot coding and trim their own seals, producing over 10,000 lots a day. There is more training needed to operate these machines. Ultrasonic sealing With ultrasonic tube sealing, the tube is squeezed between heat generating high frequency ultrasonic sealing jaws. These machines will produce speeds of around 4-7 tubes a minute and can work on a variety of different plastic tubes. Sometimes there can be issues with some types of tubes such as the PP tubes so check this before buying if you plan to use them. They do require a more hands-on approach than the hot air sealing machines but if you aren’t sealing large quantities of tubes then this might be a better option. Thermal impulse sealing The simplest form of plastic tube sealing comes from thermal impulse sealing. These squeeze the tube between a hot element, a bit like using a hot iron which melts the tube and seals it. They will seal 2-5 tubes a minute and need a manual levelling to ensure the tube is in the right position. This is a low cost option if you want some simply tube sealing and don’t need to train staff too much to use it. It is more basic than other options. Getting the right equipment When you don’t work in the plastic tube sealing business, finding the right machine can seem a complex process. Therefore it is always good to work with a company who understands the different machines and can assess your needs to make a recommendation. MSD Ltd is experts in the different tube filling and sealing industry and can help walk you through the different options to see which one will be cost-effective and efficient for the needs of your business so you can be confident in the purchase you make. For more information on plastic tube sealing and how MSD can help you, get in touch today.

For more information on How Does Plastic Tube Sealing Work? talk to MSD Ltd (Manufacturing Support & Design)