The Best Replacement for 3M Brushlon® 321B Is Here

For decades, 3M Brushlon® 321B was considered the gold standard surface material for vibratory bowl feeders. Its angled nylon fibers provided excellent part movement while reducing noise and preventing damage to delicate components.

Then production stopped.

As existing inventories disappeared, bowl manufacturers and automation integrators found themselves searching for an alternative that actually performed like the original.

Today, Feedall Automation is proud to offer what many manufacturers have been waiting for—a true drop-in replacement.

Through our exclusive North American partnership with Mink Bürsten, Feedall now supplies the Mink Slide-Brush®, engineered specifically as a replacement for Brushlon® 321B. The brochure identifies it as a replacement for the discontinued 3M material and highlights benefits including uniform conveying, noise reduction, improved productivity, and soft bristles that protect parts.

Why Was Brushlon® So Popular?

Brushlon became the preferred material because it solved several problems at once:

• Gentle handling of delicate components
• Reduced metal-to-metal contact
• Lower operating noise
• Consistent part movement
• Long service life

Whether feeding screws, bearings, stampings, plastic components or medical parts, Brushlon became a standard material across thousands of vibratory feeding systems.

Unfortunately, after 3M discontinued production, the industry relied on remaining inventories that have now become increasingly difficult to source.

Introducing the Mink Slide-Brush®

Rather than searching for remaining inventory or accepting lower-quality substitutes, Feedall partnered with one of Europe’s leading industrial brush manufacturers.

Mink Bürsten developed the Slide-Brush® specifically to replace Brushlon® 321B.

According to Mink, the Slide-Brush offers:

• Uniform conveying in both linear and spiral tracks
• Up to 40% noise reduction
• Soft fibers that reduce scratches and product damage
• High flexibility for easy installation
• Improved conveying performance
• Angled fibers capable of producing up to three times faster conveying speeds under the right conditions

More Than Just a Vibratory Bowl Material

One reason Feedall selected Mink is because we use these same materials inside our own Feedall Flex Feeders.

Instead of a one-size-fits-all surface, Feedall Flex uses interchangeable Modular Surface Kits that optimize part movement based on the application.

Available options include:

• Slide-Brush®
• Heavy-Duty Slide-Brush®
• Food Grade Slide-Brush®
• Soft Brush
• Anti-Roll surfaces
• Thermoplastic wear surfaces

These modular kits allow customers to quickly optimize feeder performance without replacing the entire feeder. The Feedall Flex brochure identifies Slide-Brush®, HD, Food Grade, Soft Brush, Thermoplastic, and Anti-Roll as available modular surface kits for different part types.

Why Quality Matters

Not every Brushlon replacement is manufactured the same.

During Feedall’s evaluation of available alternatives, we found significant differences in:

• Brush fiber density
• Backing material construction
• Fiber retention
• Overall manufacturing quality
• Durability under production conditions

These factors directly affect part movement, service life, and long-term reliability inside production equipment.

For manufacturers running 24/7 automation, seemingly small differences in brush construction can have a meaningful impact on uptime and maintenance.

Exclusive North American Distribution

Feedall Automation is the exclusive North American distributor for the Mink Slide-Brush® product line.

We currently offer multiple configurations, including:

Whether you’re replacing worn Brushlon inside an existing vibratory bowl or designing a new feeding system, Feedall can help identify the right material for your application.

Why Feedall?

For nearly 80 years, Feedall has specialized exclusively in part feeding.

Today, we provide:

• Vibratory bowl feeders
• Flex feeders
• Bin picking systems
• Part elevators
• Robotic feeding systems
• Feed track replacement materials
• Engineering support and testing

Our goal isn’t simply to sell brush material—it’s to help manufacturers achieve higher throughput, lower maintenance, and more reliable automation.

Continue Learning

You may also find these resources helpful:

• How to Choose the Right Flex Feeder
• Why Flexible Parts Feeding Is Replacing Vibratory Bowl Feeders
• Feedall Flex vs. FlexiBowl: Capabilities That Matter
• What Makes a Great Vibratory Bowl Feeder?
• When Should You Upgrade an Existing Vibratory Feeding System?
• Understanding Modular Surface Kits for Flexible Feeding
• How Feedall Engineers Complete Robot Feeding Systems

Conclusion

The discontinuation of 3M Brushlon® created a significant challenge across the automation industry. Fortunately, manufacturers no longer need to rely on shrinking inventories or compromise on performance.

With the Mink Slide-Brush®, Feedall offers a proven replacement designed specifically for vibratory feeding applications—and backed by the engineering expertise of a company that builds feeding systems every day.

If you’re looking for a Brushlon replacement or evaluating materials for your next vibratory bowl or flex feeder, contact Feedall. We’ll help you select the right surface for your application.