Two Closure Systems: Crimp and Screw
The most overlooked thing when choosing a perfume bottle is its neck. However beautiful the bottle, a pump that does not fit the neck will leak or will not go on at all. This article explains how to choose a perfume spray pump by neck standards.
There are two main systems. A crimp pump is permanently pressed onto the bottle neck with a crimping machine; it does not open and does not come off. It is the standard for luxury perfumes: slim appearance, secure leak-tightness, tamper resistance. The trade-off is that it requires a crimping machine and a collar of the right size.
A screw pump is turned by hand onto the bottle's threaded neck. No machine is needed, filling is easy at small scale, and the pump can be replaced. The trade-off is that it looks more "commercial" and that thread compatibility varies from supplier to supplier.
The FEA Standard: 13, 15, 18 and 20 mm
For crimp pumps, the neck size is defined by the FEA standard (the abbreviation of the European federation of aerosol and perfume packaging standards). The number gives the outer diameter of the bottle neck in millimetres.
| Standard | Neck outer diameter | Typical use | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| FEA 13 | 13 mm | Small bottles, samples and travel sizes, 5–30 ml | Narrow neck; small dosage |
| FEA 15 | 15 mm | The great majority of perfume bottles, 30–100 ml | Most common; widest choice of pumps and caps |
| FEA 18 | 18 mm | Large perfume bottles, body mist, 100–200 ml | High-dosage pump options |
| FEA 20 | 20 mm | Room spray, large-volume products | Rare in perfume |
Neck diameter alone is not enough; the height and inner diameter of the bottle neck also determine how the pump seats. On the technical drawing these values are given under "neck finish"; two bottles from a supplier with the same FEA number give different results with the same pump if the neck height differs.
In the screw system the size is written differently: "18/415", "20/410" and so on. The first number is the neck diameter (mm), the second is the thread profile standard. An 18/415 pump does not seat properly on an 18/410 bottle; the numbers look close, but the thread height differs.
The Pump's Own Properties: Dosage, Tube, Gasket
Once the neck size matches, the pump's own properties are chosen. Four values determine the user experience of the product.
Dosage (output per stroke). Given in microlitres (µl); in perfume pumps 50–140 µl is common, and 70–100 µl the most used. Low dosage is chosen for small bottles and intense scents, high dosage for body mist and light scents. Dosage also determines how many strokes a bottle gives: a 50 ml bottle with a 100 µl pump gives roughly 500 strokes.
Dip tube. It is cut to a length that ends a few millimetres short of the bottom of the bottle; a tube that is too long bends and cannot draw the last millilitres, a tube that is too short draws air before the bottle is half empty. Tube length is ordered according to the internal height of the bottle; there is no such thing as a "standard" length.
Gasket and internal parts. The pump gasket that contacts the fragrance oil must be resistant to alcohol and fragrance oil; nitrile, Viton and polyethylene are common. Fragrance oils high in limonene swell some gaskets. Gasket compatibility is covered in a separate article.
Collar and cap fit. The pump's visible metal or plastic collar sits on the bottle shoulder and the cap fits over this collar. If the collar height and diameter do not match the cap, the cap either will not seat or will wobble.
The Selection Process: Step by Step
Pump selection is made at the same time as bottle selection; looking afterwards for "a pump that fits this" usually leads to compromise.
- Choose the system: crimp or screw?
Crimp if you want luxury perception and tamper security and have the machine investment; screw if you want small scale, hand filling and flexibility. Do not mix the two in the same range.
- Read the bottle's neck standard from the technical drawing
FEA number or screw size (18/415 etc.), neck height and inner diameter. If there is no drawing, do not choose that bottle.
- Set the dosage by product
70–100 µl for EDP and intense scents; 100–120 µl for EDT and light scents; 120–140 µl for body mist. 50 µl for small sample bottles.
- Ask for a tube length to suit the bottle
Take the bottle's internal height from the drawing; ask for the tube to end 2–3 mm above the bottom. If the supplier knows the bottle code, they will usually give the right length.
- Take samples, run three tests
On a filled bottle: see the spray pattern on paper, weigh ten strokes to verify the dosage, and leave the bottle upside down for a week to check leak-tightness.
- Verify the cap fit
Does the chosen cap seat on the pump collar, does it hold, does it wobble? Try the cap on a bottle with the pump fitted, not on a bare bottle.
- Write the specification
Bottle code, neck standard, pump code, dosage, tube length, gasket material, cap code. This line is the recipe for the next order.
Frequently Asked Questions
The most common questions about pump selection.
What does FEA 15 mean?
Can I fit a screw pump to a crimp-neck bottle?
Is a crimping machine expensive?
How do I measure pump dosage?
The dip tube is longer than the bottle; can I cut it?
My pump runs empty on the first strokes; is it faulty?
Will my fragrance oil damage the pump gasket?
Does the same FEA 15 pump fit every 15 mm bottle?
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