Recognize an Overlong Tube as an Assembly Question

Record the assembled geometry

Photograph the tube in the intended bottle and note whether it bends, twists or presses into a feature of the base. Identify the sprayer and bottle references and the closure's fully assembled position. A loose tube laid beside a bottle does not reproduce its final location.

Check whether all supplied samples show the same arrangement. If tube lengths vary, preserve representative pieces and their labels. Do not assume the bend is the cause of a dispensing complaint until the behavior and geometry are compared together.

Resolve the dimension before cutting

McKernan's reference guidance describes a bottom-of-gasket measurement convention. Confirm the convention used for the quoted tube and annotate the proposed dimension. The sample comparison should connect that dimension with its final position in the intended bottle.

If an alternative length is proposed, give it a separate reference and evaluate it on the intended bottle. Record pickup, near-empty behavior and any assembly difficulty. A hand-trimmed prototype should remain identified as a prototype rather than becoming an unrecorded receiving correction.

• Preserve an original tube and its label.
• Confirm the dimension datum with the supplier.
• Identify any proposed end-cut change.
• Compare assembled samples rather than loose dimensions alone.

Decide how the correction will be controlled

If the shorter sample performs acceptably, ask how production length and supply references will be specified. Agree which team is responsible for the tube arrangement delivered to filling. Avoid a vague instruction to trim as needed.

For SP-LP-200, the confirmed tube material is PP; that fact does not establish length, inside diameter or the correct bottle interface. Keep those details tied to the proposed assembly. A useful corrective decision closes the dimensional ambiguity and preserves the tested package reference.

Keep prototype cuts identifiable

If the supplier authorizes a hand-cut sample for investigation, label its actual preparation and retain a photograph. Do not describe it as a production part until the supplier confirms the orderable arrangement. This prevents a successful prototype from leaving purchasing with an unclear specification for the next delivery.