February 17, 2023

Hot air tube sealing nozzles across the industry are typically CNC machined from stainless steel alloys such as 304 or 316L. This is true for both OEM parts and aftermarket OEM-compatible options. When it comes to CNC nozzles, the diameter, shape, and pattern of the air holes have restrictions in relation to the size of the bit used to drill the holes.

Recent advancements in additive manufacturing have made metal powder printing even more viable for end-use products. By 3D printing our hot air sealing nozzles, we can include a higher number of optimally shaped air holes. Our nozzles use two rows of air holes, one with teardrop shaped holes and the other with diamond shaped holes. The inside of the nozzle is also designed to direct air smoothly up and out of the holes.

The additional features found on our 3D printed hot air nozzles make it easy to attain high-quality, professional seals for your plastic squeeze tubes. With traditional hot air nozzles, the air has a very turbulent flow coming out of the air holes and exits perpendicular to the tube walls. Our 3D printed nozzles allow for smoother air flow that exits directed towards the open end of the tube. This optimized air flow ensures no product is blown out of the tube and the tube walls are heated evenly. Evenly heated tube walls that are clear of obstructions are key to the cleanest and strongest possible plastic tube seals.

Another benefit of our hot air sealing nozzles is the interchangeable tips and heads. As demonstrated in the video above, there are three CNC machined head sizes that, together, fit the full range of 13mm-55mm 3D printed tips.

Change parts can sometimes be prohibitively expensive for smaller startup operations. Our interchangeable nozzles can help reduce that expense by allowing customers to run a wider range of tubes on the same CNC machined head. 3DP tip ranges for the CNC heads are 13mm-19mm, 22mm-30mm, and 32mm-50mm, with certain tips fitting on more than one head (see video).

Feel free to reach out and contact us with any questions.