The practicality of the packaging is one of the main criteria that determines whether or not the Customer will purchase the product again. Whether the packaging is convenient and easy to use depends on a lot of things, including selecting the right components and their technical parameters. One of the key considerations is choosing the right dip tube length for the bottle closure (e.g. a lotion pump or a mist sprayer, etc.). Having the right dip tube length ensures that the product can be used conveniently and as many times as specified by its manufacturer. We have described this in detail here, but right now, we would like to show you a quick and easy way to measure the tube length with a plain ruler.

A ruler, preferably one made of flexible plastic, is all you need to get an approximate measurement of the tube length, although you will first need trim it to get rid of any thin margin to the left of the “0” point, i.e. so that the length markings begin right at the end of the ruler. If the ruler is a few centimeters wide, then the part under the start of the divisions on the left end needs to be cut out too in a way that will leave an inset, e.g. 4-6 cm long by 1 cm wide, as illustrated below.

This enables the ruler to be conveniently placed in the closure, so that an accurate measurement can be taken from its gasket. It is extremely important to note that, in most cases, the correct length we need to know is the length of the tube connected to the spray closure plus the length of the closure mechanism up to the gasket, and not just the length of the tube itself. Actually, most manufacturers refer to tube length as the FBOG (from bottom of gasket) measurement, which they consider binding. The whole process is illustrated step-by-step in the infographic below.

A measurement taken as described here is a quick and simple way of e.g. comparing the actual length with the stated one, or getting an initial estimation of the tube length. An approximate measurement of the length of the dip tube is good enough for preliminary discussions on particular spray closures and for preparing quotes.

However, it must be stressed that the ultimate length has to be verified with a proper measuring device, e.g. a depth gauge, and confirmed by conducting tests on the selected packaging. We hope that our suggestion proves interesting and helpful for obtaining preliminary measurements, and we will be more than happy to answer any questions you might have.