Bartop Corking Machine Ideal for Distillers

As we prepare for the 2016 ADI Craft Spirits Conference and Expo, we would like to highlight one of our many products that is often an ideal solution for distillers packaging their own product. While overflow fillers and gravity filling machines are almost always used in the industry to fill products, the capping equipment in use tends to vary just a little bit more. However, a common closure used by distillers is the cork or T-cork. Liquid Packaging Solutions offers a bartop corking machine to efficiently, reliably and consistently seal bottles using these types of closures.

Bartop corkers are available in both semi-automatic and automatic versions, allowing the machines to handle a wide range of production needs. Semi-automatic bartop corkers require the operators of the machinery to place the corks or other closures on the bottles before they closure and container combination enter the sealing area. Depending on the type of machine in use, the operator may need to activate the sealing process via a foot or finger switch. Semi-automatic machines may use a power conveyor to move bottles in and out of the sealing area or they may also require placement by the operator under the corking head.

Automatic bartop corkers will use an automatic cork delivery system to supply corks or other closures for each bottle that enters the sealing area. For these machines, the operator will only need to supply bulk closures from time to time, usually emptying the closures into a hopper to supply the delivery system. The automatic models will work with a power conveyor to offer continuous sealing without the need for operator interaction with each cycle. Machines may use a pin indexing system or stabilizing system to hold bottles in place during the sealing process, after which the corked bottle is released to continue down the packaging system to a capsule spinner, labeler or other packaging machine.

The obvious advantage of the automatic bartop corker is the additional speed offered by the removal of constant operator interaction. However, not all distillers need the production output of the automatic equipment. In addition, the semi-automatic corker may be designed to allow for an upgrade to automatic operation in the future, allowing the machinery to grow as the company grows. Both machines offer simple operation and quick and easy changeover from one bottle or closure to another. While offering consistent and repeatable sealing, the machinery also takes the burden of repeatedly hand sealing bottles off of the operator of the machinery.

While not every distillery will use corks or T-corks to seal bottles, the machines are quickly becoming popular in the industry. Of course, Liquid Packaging Solutions offers other capping and sealing options for different closure styles as well. For more information on the bartop corker, or any of the capping options available from LPS, simply contact our offices to speak with a Packaging Specialist today.