Automatic Bottle Capping Machines Offer Speed and Reliability

At Liquid Packaging Solutions, we have seen just about every type of bottle closure imaginable and built capping machines for most of them! Preparing bottles by hand tightening caps can be not only a slow and tedious process but will more often than not result in less than consistent capping, with some being loose, some too tight, or some even cross-threaded. Automatic capping machines add efficiency to the packaging project while using a method that ensures consistent and repeatable sealing.

CAP DELIVERY SYSTEMS

The automation of capping machines starts with equipment to make closures available to bottles without the assistance of an operator for each item to be sealed. Delivery systems can take different forms based on the cap and bottle, but most will use a cap elevator, vibratory bowl or a sorting bowl. These systems orient caps to ensure that they are not only delivered to the capping machine but delivered in the correct orientation to ensure a reliable seal. Caps will usually travel from the sorting device down a chute to be presented to the bottles one at a time. Depending on the machine, caps may be stripped by the bottle, pressed into the bottle or set on the bottle. For example, spindle cappers strip the cap from the chute for tightening on the threads by the spinning disks on the machine, while corking machines will press the cork into place once presented to the bottle by the chute. Regardless of the type of capping machine used, the cap delivery system is an integral part of automating the process while ensuring reliable sealing.

INDEXING SYSTEMS

While not all bottle cappers will use an indexing system, those that do rely on the indexing to correctly place bottles for the packaging process. Automatic chuck capping machines, for example, need the bottles to be centered over the chuck head to ensure consistent torque is applied to tighten the cap. Indexing systems can vary based on the packaging project at hand, including simple pin or gate indexing for certain bottle corkers to screw or starwheel systems for chuck cappers or ROPP capping machines. Where proper positioning of the bottles is necessary for automatic capping systems, the indexing system ensures that the sealing of bottles stays consistent and repeatable.

METHODS OF TIGHTENING

At LPS, we manufacture automatic capping equipment to handle the specific type of closure used for any packaging project. Spindle cappers and chuck capping machines tighten continuous thread, or screw-on, type caps ranging from simple flat caps to pumps, trigger sprayers, sports caps and more. Snap capping machines, as the name suggests, use a belt or tamp head to snap caps in place on a range of containers. ROPP cappers allow aluminum blanks to be sealed to the bottle threads for tamper evident projects, and corking machines automatically press corks, T-corks and similar closures into place. While these machines make up a majority of the equipment manufactured for capping and sealing bottles, we also provide custom machinery for unique bottles or closures on a project-by-project basis. Each method of automatically capping or sealing bottles with specific closures ensures an efficient process with consistent, repeatable and reliable results.

To discover all the capping and sealing solutions offered by Liquid Packaging Solutions, visit our Capping Machines and Sealing Equipment page, or call to speak with an LPS Packaging Specialist today.