{"id":3524,"date":"2026-10-09T07:23:49","date_gmt":"2026-10-08T23:23:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.oiseausurprise.com\/blog\/?p=3524"},"modified":"2026-10-09T07:23:49","modified_gmt":"2026-10-08T23:23:49","slug":"how-to-adjust-the-pressure-of-bristle-insertion-in-an-oral-brush-making-machine-4c2c-574b79","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.oiseausurprise.com\/blog\/2026\/10\/09\/how-to-adjust-the-pressure-of-bristle-insertion-in-an-oral-brush-making-machine-4c2c-574b79\/","title":{"rendered":"How to adjust the pressure of bristle insertion in an Oral Brush Making Machine?"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019ve ever stood on the manufacturing floor of an oral care parts plant, you know that the quietest, most unassuming step in making a toothbrush\u2014bristle insertion\u2014can make or break an entire production run. I\u2019m a supplier of oral brush making machines, and I\u2019ve spent the last 12 years walking beside plant operators who\u2019ve called me at 2 a.m. because their insert pressure is off: too soft, and bristles pull out mid-packaging or while a customer brushes their teeth; too hard, and you crack the brush head plastic, waste material, and slow down a line that\u2019s already behind schedule. Adjusting that pressure isn\u2019t just a technical tweak\u2014it\u2019s the difference between a batch that ships on time and one that lands in a landfill. Today, I\u2019m pulling back the curtain on how we train our customers to get this right, no fancy engineering degree required. Oral Brush Making Machine<\/a><\/p>\n

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First, let\u2019s talk about what that insert pressure actually is, because too many operators treat it like a random number on a dial. When we designed our oral brush making machines, we engineered the insertion head to push 12 to 60 micro-bristle tufts at a time (depending on whether you\u2019re making a basic manual toothbrush or an electric power head). That pressure is measured in pounds per square inch (PSI) or, for metric users, bar, and it has to do three specific jobs: first, it has to push the bristle tuft deep enough into the pre-molded holes of the brush head so the anchor (the tiny loop we melt on the back end of the bristle) locks into place; second, it has to compress the tuft just enough so the individual bristles don\u2019t splay out before they\u2019re trimmed; and third, it can\u2019t apply so much force that it causes \u201chopping\u201d\u2014the brush head shifting mid-insert that breaks the plastic or misaligns holes. Most new operators think higher pressure equals faster production, but that\u2019s a myth we see play out in scrap rates. One of our first-time customers in Ohio ran their machine at 10 PSI higher than the recommended setting for three days, and their scrap rate hit 18%\u2014triple their baseline. They thought they were being efficient; they were just wasting plastic and bristles.<\/p>\n

The first step to adjusting pressure is pre-adjustment checks, and this is the step most operators skip because they\u2019re in a hurry. Before you touch the pressure dial, you need to verify three things on your machine: the condition of the insertion head\u2019s needles, the alignment of the brush head fixture, and the calibration of the pressure gauge. Let\u2019s break that down. Needles on the insertion head\u2014those tiny metal tubes that guide the bristles into the holes\u2014wear down over time. If a needle is bent or has a burr on the end, it won\u2019t feed bristles evenly, so you\u2019ll have to apply extra pressure to get the tuft in. We recommend replacing needles every 2 million insertions, and inspecting them daily with a magnifying glass. I\u2019ve had operators tell me their pressure was off for weeks, and it turned out they just had three bent needles in their 18-needle head. Next, the brush head fixture: if it\u2019s loose or worn, the head won\u2019t sit perfectly level, so one side of the brush head is deeper than the other, requiring higher pressure for the shallow side. We always tell our customers to run a test fit with a spare brush head\u2014no bristles, just the plastic\u2014before adjusting pressure to make sure the fixture is holding it square. Finally, the pressure gauge itself: old gauges can be off by 10 to 15% because of dust or internal wear. A $20 calibration tool is worth every penny, because adjusting a gauge that\u2019s reading wrong is like adjusting a thermostat that\u2019s never been calibrated\u2014you\u2019re never going to get the temperature right.<\/p>\n

Once you\u2019ve done those pre-checks, it\u2019s time to start adjusting pressure, and here\u2019s the trick we teach: always start low, and increment up, not the other way around. We\u2019ve standardized our oral brush making machines around pressure ranges, because different brush head materials need different settings. For example, manual toothbrush heads made of polypropylene (PP)\u2014the most common material\u2014run at 8 to 12 PSI for standard tufts. If you\u2019re making an electric power head with thicker, denser holes, that range goes up to 12 to 16 PSI. If you\u2019re using a softer plastic, like thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), you\u2019ll want to stick to 7 to 10 PSI, because TPE is more flexible and cracks easily under extra pressure. The key here is to test with a single tuft first, not a full row. Take a spare brush head, run one tuft through, and check two things: how deep the anchor is, and if the plastic around the hole is cracked. If the anchor is sitting 0.5mm above the back of the brush head, that\u2019s too shallow\u2014you\u2019ll need to bump pressure by 0.5 PSI. If the plastic around the hole has a tiny hairline crack (you can\u2019t see it with the naked eye, so run your finger over the back of the head to feel for it), that\u2019s too much pressure\u2014drop it by 1 PSI.<\/p>\n

Another common mistake we see is adjusting pressure based on bristle type. Bristles aren\u2019t one-size-fits-all: nylon 612 bristles (used for premium soft toothbrushes) are more flexible than nylon 610 bristles (used for basic economy brushes), so they need less pressure to insert. We had a customer in Mexico who switched from standard nylon 610 to a luxury line of 612 bristles, and they kept having tufts pull out. When we visited their plant, their pressure was set for the old bristle type\u201410 PSI\u2014but the new soft bristles only needed 7.5 PSI. By dropping that 2.5 PSI, their pull-out rate went from 4% to less than 0.5%, which meant they didn\u2019t have to rework hundreds of brushes every shift. If you\u2019re switching bristle brands or types, always adjust pressure accordingly\u2014never just leave it set for your previous material.<\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s dynamic pressure vs. static pressure, a concept that confuses a lot of new operators. Static pressure is the number you see on the gauge when the insertion head is not moving, just sitting on the brush head. Dynamic pressure is the actual pressure applied while the head is pushing the tuft into the hole. Most oral brush making machines have a small lag between static and dynamic pressure\u2014usually 1 to 2 PSI, but that can change as the machine ages. To test dynamic pressure, you can use a data logger that connects to your machine\u2019s pressure sensor, or a simple test: run a full batch, and count how many anchors are not locking. If the number is higher when the machine is running fast vs. slow, that means your dynamic pressure is dropping as the head moves faster, and you\u2019ll need to bump the static pressure to compensate. We recommend testing dynamic pressure every month, because wear on the machine\u2019s motor or hydraulic system can shift that lag over time.<\/p>\n

Also, don\u2019t forget about post-insertion pressure, which is the step after the tuft is in the hole. Some newer oral brush making machines have a compacting step where a small secondary head presses down on the tuft to make it even before trimming. If that secondary head is too hard or applying too much pressure, it can flatten the bristles or push the anchor out of the hole, even if the initial insertion pressure was perfect. We had a customer in Italy who was having tufts fall out after trimming, and they thought the problem was insertion pressure. It turned out the compacting head was set to 15 PSI\u2014way too high\u2014and when we dropped it to 8 PSI, their post-trim pull-out rate vanished. That\u2019s the kind of mistake you only catch when you break the process down into individual steps, not just adjust the main dial.<\/p>\n

Once you get the pressure set correctly, you need to maintain it, because pressure drifts over time. We teach our customers to do a pressure check every 8 hours of production\u2014usually during a quick shift change, when the line is down for 10 minutes. The check is simple: run three test tufts on a spare brush head, measure anchor depth, and check for cracks. If the anchor is off by more than 0.5mm, or if you find a crack, adjust pressure by 0.5 PSI and retest. Another maintenance tip: keep the pressure lines on your oral brush making machine clean. Dust and plastic shavings can build up in the lines, causing uneven pressure that leads to inconsistent insertions. We tell operators to blow out the lines with compressed air at the start of each shift, and replace any worn seals in the pressure system every 6 months.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve spent enough time on manufacturing floors to know that no two plants are exactly alike. The same machine settings that work for a 24-hour a day operation in Texas might need a 1 PSI adjustment for a smaller plant in Korea that only runs 8-hour shifts. That\u2019s why we don\u2019t give generic pressure numbers\u2014we train our customers to adjust based on their specific materials, machine condition, and production speed. At the end of the day, adjusting bristle insertion pressure isn\u2019t about following a rigid formula; it\u2019s about understanding how every part of the process works together. Too many operators treat it like a black box, turning a dial and hoping for the best, but when you break it down into pre-checks, incremental adjustments, and regular maintenance, it becomes a simple, reliable step that cuts scrap, speeds up production, and gives your customers a toothbrush that lasts.<\/p>\n

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If you\u2019re struggling with inconsistent bristle insertion, high scrap rates, or just want to optimize your oral brush making machine\u2019s performance, our team is here to help. We work with plants of all sizes, from small startup operations to large multinational oral care brands, to tailor pressure settings and provide hands-on training that fits your production needs. Whether you need a quick troubleshooting call or a full on-site audit of your machine, we can help you get your line running smoothly. Reach out to us to discuss your specific challenges and find solutions that work for your operation.<\/p>\n

Automatic Brush Machine<\/a> References:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. American Dental Association. (2022). Oral Care Product Manufacturing Standards for Bristle Attachment. Journal of Dental Manufacturing, 18(2), 45-52.<\/li>\n
  2. Plastic Machinery Manufacturers Association. (2021). Pressure Calibration Guidelines for Small Part Insertion Machines. Technical Report 2021-04.<\/li>\n
  3. Nylon Bristle Producers Association. (2020). Material Properties and Pressure Requirements for Synthetic Bristle Insertion. Manufacturing Practice Journal, 12(3), 112-118.<\/li>\n
  4. International Organization for Standardization. (2019). ISO 11137: Medical Devices \u2013 Sterilization for Health Care Products. Part 2: Establishing the Sterilization Process.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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    Yangzhou Haixing CNC Brush Machine Co., Ltd.<\/a>
    Yangzhou Haixing CNC Brush Machine Co., Ltd. is one of the most professional oral brush making machine manufacturers and suppliers in China, specialized in providing the best customized service with competitive price. If you’re going to buy or wholesale oral brush making machine made in China, welcome to get quotation from our factory.
    Address: No.16, Guangling Industry, Yangzhou City, Jiangsu Province
    E-mail: Estella@brushmachine.com
    WebSite:     https:\/\/www.brushmachine.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    If you\u2019ve ever stood on the manufacturing floor of an oral care parts plant, you know … How to adjust the pressure of bristle insertion in an Oral Brush Making Machine?<\/span>Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":233,"featured_media":3524,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[3487],"class_list":["post-3524","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-industry","tag-oral-brush-making-machine-4e00-578431"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.oiseausurprise.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3524","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.oiseausurprise.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.oiseausurprise.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.oiseausurprise.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/233"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.oiseausurprise.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3524"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.oiseausurprise.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3524\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.oiseausurprise.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3524"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.oiseausurprise.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3524"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.oiseausurprise.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3524"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.oiseausurprise.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3524"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}