250ml Plastic Lotion Bottle are one of the most popular dispensing methods for viscous (thick liquid) products in the personal care and beauty industries, and they come in various shapes and sizes. When used as designed, the pump dispenses the correct amount of product again and again. But do you want to know what function in the lotion pump makes it work? Although there are hundreds of different designs on the market today, the basic principles are the same. The "Packaging Crash Course" breaks down one of the lotion pumps to outline these components and how they contribute to the overall function of the pump . The product goes from the bottle to your hand.
Generally speaking, a lotion pump consists of the following components:
Pump Actuator Actuator: An actuator or pump head that the consumer presses to draw the product out of the container. The actuator is usually made of PP plastic and can have many different designs-and often has a lock or lock function to prevent accidental output. This is one of the component designs that can separate one pump from another in terms of appearance design, and it is also a part where ergonomics plays a role in improving consumer satisfaction.
Pump ClosureClosure: Screw the entire assembly to the neck of the bottle. It is identified by common neck dressing destinations, such as 28-410, 33-400. Usually made of PP plastic, usually designed as ribbed or smooth sides. In some cases, a shiny metal casing can be installed to give the lotion pump a high-end, elegant appearance.
Pump seal outer seal: the seal is usually fixed inside the bottle cap by friction fit, and acts as a seal on the joint area of the bottle to prevent product leakage. According to the manufacturer's design, this outer gasket can be made of many materials: rubber and LDPE are just two of the many possible options.
Pump housing shell: Sometimes referred to as the housing of the pump assembly, this assembly keeps all the pump components in place and serves as a delivery cavity that sends the product from the dip tube to the actuator and ultimately to the user's hand. This part is usually made of PP plastic. Depending on the output and design of the lotion pump, the size of the housing may vary greatly. Please note that if you pair the pump with a glass bottle, because the side wall of the glass bottle is thick, the width of the bottle mouth may not be large enough to accommodate the casing-be sure to check its installation and function first.
PumpStem/piston/spring/ball internal components (internal components inside the housing): These are the components that vary according to the design of the lotion pump. Some may even have additional components to assist the flow of the product, and some designs may even have additional housing components that isolate the metal spring from the product channel. These pumps are often referred to as having a "metal-free channel" function, in this case , The product will not come into contact with the metal spring-eliminating potential compatibility issues with the metal spring.
Pump immersion tube immersion tube: a long plastic tube made of PP plastic, extending the range of action of the lotion pump to the bottom of the bottle. Depending on the bottle paired with the pump, the length of the dip tube will vary. You can learn about a three-step immersion tube measurement method here. A correctly cut dip tube will maximize product use and prevent clogging.
How does it actually work?
Lotion pump parts
The function of the lotion pump is very similar to the suction device, although the law of gravity is opposite, the breast pump still pulls the product from the bottle into the consumer's hand. When the consumer presses down on the actuator, the piston moves to compress the spring, and the upward air pressure pulls the ball with the inside of the product upwards into the dip tube, and then into the chamber. When the user releases the actuator, the spring returns the piston and actuator to their raised position, and the ball returns to its rest position, thereby sealing the chamber and preventing the liquid product from being poured back into the bottle. This initial period is called "startup". When the user presses down on the actuator again, the product already in the chamber will be drawn out of the chamber through the rod and the actuator, and then dispensed from the pump to reach the consumer's hand. If the pump has a larger chamber (common for high-output pumps), additional priming may be required before the product is dispensed through the actuator.
Lotion pump output
The output of the plastic emulsion pump is usually in cc (or ml) as the unit. Usually in the range of 0.5 to 4 cc, some larger pumps have larger chambers and longer piston/spring assemblies, and their maximum output can reach 8 cc. Many manufacturers provide multiple output options for each lotion pump product, so that product sellers can fully control the dosage. For more information on pump output, see other "Monday Quick Questions" articles here.