What are the functions of tip-forming machine

Tip-forming machine is a critical secondary processing unit used after the extrusion of medical catheters. It processes the ends of cut, extruded tubing by precisely heating and softening the material, shaping it via a mold, and then cooling it (using air or water) to achieve the specific tip geometry required for clinical use. This equipment is commonly employed for devices such as urinary catheters, HSG (hysterosalpingography) catheters, drainage tubes, sheath catheters, and dilation catheters. In your GUM (silicone) catheter production line, this process takes place after the tubing has been cut to length, but before the punching (hole-forming) stage.

 

 

1. Tip Shaping and Deburring (Primary Function)
After standard cutting, the edges of a tube are often sharp and burred, which can easily lacerate mucous membranes or blood vessels upon insertion into the human body. Tip shaping transforms the tube end into a smooth, rounded, conical, or domed configuration. This ensures an atraumatic, seamless entry, improves the ease of catheter insertion, and reduces the risk of clinical injury.

 

2. Versatile Shaping Options (Achievable via Mold/Die Exchange)
- Conical reduction, bullet-shaped (rounded) tips, and fully sealed (closed) ends.
- Flaring, bell-mouthing, internal/external chamfering, and soft-tip bonding/welding.
- Beveled tips, pigtail (curved) tips, stepped diameter transitions, and lap-welding at the catheter end.
- Additional capabilities include the integration of radiopaque marker bands and the attachment of soft tips.

 

3. High-Precision, Stable Dimensional Control
Utilizing a PLC+PID closed-loop temperature control system, the machine allows for the storage of parameters such as heating duration, feed rate, and cooling sequences. This ensures high consistency in the outer diameter, taper length, and wall thickness of the tips within the same production batch, meeting the stringent tolerance requirements for medical devices and facilitating ISO 13485 process validation and traceability.

 

4. Tip Sealing
Certain catheters require a sealed distal end (with fluid delivery occurring only through side ports). The forming machine can thermally seal the tip, which—when combined with the cold-punching equipment you previously inquired about—allows for the creation of side holes in the catheter shaft. This configuration is commonly used for urinary catheters and HSG (hysterosalpingography) catheters.

 

5. Compatibility with Various Medical-Grade Polymers
The system is capable of processing a wide range of medical-grade tubing materials, including silicone (gum-stock silicone), TPU, PVC, PE, FEP, and PEBAX, with dedicated operating modes for both low-temperature and high-temperature forming.

 

 

Extrusion → Vulcanization → Cutting → Tip Forming → Cold Punching → Cleaning & Assembly
Tip forming is performed prior to punching to prevent thermal deformation and the shifting of hole positions that could otherwise occur during subsequent heating.

 

 

The formed tip features a smooth transition, resulting in lower insertion resistance. Consistent tip dimensions—ensuring uniformity rather than size fluctuations—help minimize issues such as resistance during insertion, fluid leakage, or cracking of the catheter wall. This enhances the clinical safety of the product and serves as a mandatory, compliance-driven process for medical catheters.

 

 

- ✅ Tip-forming machine: Heats and shapes the end of a tube—includes rounding off, chamfering, and reducing the diameter (thermal processing).
- ✅ Cold punching equipment: Punches holes into the sidewall of a tube at room temperature, without altering the shape of the tube ends.