Kunststofftubenfüller

A plastic tube filling machine is a tube filling and sealing machine specifically configured for flexible plastic tubes made from PE (LDPE, HDPE), PP or co-extruded materials. Unlike aluminum tubes — which require fold-crimp sealing — plastic tubes are sealed by heat welding the open tail using hot-jaw or ultrasonic sealing. Key characteristics of plastic tube filling machines: seal station — hot-jaw heat-seal (120°C–200°C) or ultrasonic welding (no external heat, 20–40 kHz vibration); filling system — servo piston, same as aluminum tube machines; tube materials handled — LDPE, HDPE, PP, co-extruded barrier tubes; laminate tubes (ABL/PBL, which have a plastic outer and inner layer) are also sealed with heat-seal, not crimp. Applications: hand cream, body lotion, shampoo and conditioner (HDPE tubes); sunscreen and facial care (LDPE soft squeeze tubes); hair colour and developer (HDPE barrier tubes); food condiments — mustard, mayonnaise, ketchup (food-grade PE tubes); pharmaceutical topical creams in plastic tubes (cost-sensitive markets); contract packing for retail cosmetic brands using unprinted tubes.

The primary difference is the sealing mechanism: aluminum tubes use fold-crimp sealing (mechanical, no heat); plastic tubes use heat-seal or ultrasonic sealing (thermal). Aluminum tube filling machine: seal station — crimp wheel (mechanical fold-crimp); no heat required for sealing; produces a flat rectangular tail crimp; suitable for: ointments, adhesives, premium cosmetics, food pastes requiring maximum barrier; tube cost — aluminum tubes are more expensive than plastic. Plastic tube filling machine: seal station — hot-jaw or ultrasonic (thermal weld); requires precise temperature control; produces a flat rectangular heat-sealed tail; suitable for: cosmetics, shampoo, food condiments, general personal care; tube cost — PE/PP plastic tubes are lower cost than aluminum. Shared features: both use the same piston fill system (±0.5% accuracy); both handle the same fill volume range (5ml–500ml); both require tube orientation (photo-sensor + servo); both can be configured for semi-automatic or fully automatic operation. Note: laminate tubes (ABL/PBL) look similar to plastic but contain an aluminium foil barrier layer — they are sealed with heat-seal (like plastic), not fold-crimp (like aluminum). Most plastic tube filling machines can also handle laminate tubes with the same seal station.

Hot-jaw heat sealing is the standard method for permanently sealing the open tail of plastic and laminate tubes. Process: (1) After filling, the tube is positioned at the seal station with the open plastic tail facing upward. (2) Two heated metal jaws (temperature 120°C–200°C depending on tube material) press together against both sides of the flattened tube tail. (3) The heat and pressure fuse the plastic material at the seal interface, welding the tail shut. (4) Immediately after the hot jaws open, cooling jaws clamp the same area to rapidly cool and solidify the weld, setting the seal flat and straight. (5) The sealed tube is discharged. Seal parameters: jaw temperature — typically 130°C–160°C for LDPE and HDPE; 150°C–170°C for PBL and ABL laminate. Dwell time — 0.5–2.0 seconds per seal. Seal width — typically 8–12mm. Seal quality indicators: peel strength 20–80 N/15mm depending on tube material and application. Cosmetic tubes: 20–50 N/15mm. Food tubes: 40–80 N/15mm. Hot-jaw parameters (temperature, dwell time, pressure) are stored per product recipe in the PLC. Ultrasonic sealing is an alternative — ultrasonic vibration generates heat at the material interface without external heated jaws; faster, cleaner seal edge, no heated tooling — but higher machine cost.

Standard plastic tube filling machines handle: LDPE (low-density polyethylene) tubes — the most common for cosmetic hand cream, body lotion, sunscreen. Soft, flexible, good squeeze-back. Seal temperature ~130°C. HDPE (high-density polyethylene) tubes — slightly stiffer than LDPE. Used for hair care, shampoo and conditioner, food condiments. Seal temperature ~135°C. PP (polypropylene) tubes — stiffer than PE, used for cleansers and some food applications. Higher seal temperature: ~160°C. Co-extruded barrier tubes (EVOH or nylon barrier layer inside PE) — used for oxygen-sensitive food products (tomato paste, mustard) and premium cosmetics. Seal temperature same as outer PE layer ~130–140°C. ABL laminate (aluminium barrier laminate) — aluminium foil sandwiched between PE outer and inner layers. Used for toothpaste, pharmaceutical creams, premium cosmetics. Heat-sealed (not crimped) at ~160°C. PBL laminate (polyester barrier laminate) — PET film barrier instead of aluminium. Used for toothpaste and cosmetic creams where a metallic appearance is not required. Heat-sealed at ~150°C. Note: aluminum (collapsible metal) tubes are NOT handled by plastic tube filling machines — aluminum tubes require fold-crimp sealing with a different seal station.

Plastic tubes are the most common tube format for personal care and food products due to their low cost, recyclability and flexibility: cosmetics and personal care — hand cream and body lotion (LDPE/HDPE, 5,000–30,000 cP); face cream and moisturiser (LDPE, 5,000–50,000 cP); sunscreen SPF 30/50 (LDPE, 1,000–20,000 cP); eye cream and eye gel (LDPE, 5,000–30,000 cP); BB cream and tinted moisturiser; hair colour cream and developer (HDPE barrier tube); body wash and cleanser (HDPE); shampoo and conditioner (HDPE, high-viscosity). Pharmaceutical — topical ointment in cost-market segments (HDPE or LDPE); wound gel; anti-fungal cream. Food — tomato paste (HDPE or co-extruded barrier tube); mustard and ketchup; mayonnaise (small portion packs); anchovy and fish paste (barrier tube); processed cheese. Industrial — lubricant paste (food-grade PE for food equipment); grease cartridge pre-fill. Viscosity range that plastic tube filling machines handle: 500 cP (thin lotion) to 500,000 cP (toothpaste and dental paste) — the fill system is sized accordingly.

Plastic tube filling machine investment (all prices USD): semi-automatic plastic tube filler with hot-jaw heat-seal (10–30 tubes/min): $10,000–$22,000. Automatic single-head plastic tube filling and sealing machine (20–50 tubes/min): $22,000–$55,000. Automatic 2-head plastic tube filler (40–100 tubes/min): $50,000–$95,000. High-speed rotary plastic tube filler (80–200 tubes/min): $85,000–$200,000. GMP cosmetic or pharmaceutical plastic tube filler with validation documentation: $40,000–$120,000. Ultrasonic seal version (higher machine cost but faster cycle): add $5,000–$15,000 to automatic machine price. Complete plastic tube filling line with date coder, vision inspection, checkweigher and cartoner: $120,000–$400,000. Investment is similar to aluminum tube filling machines; the difference is the seal station (heat-seal vs crimp) and the mandrel tooling (to match tube diameter). Contact us with tube material, diameter, fill volume, product viscosity and daily production target.