Capping Machine FAQ's
Finding the right capping machine for your packaging project means peace of mind with consistent and reliable sealing and tightening of bottles or other containers. Capping machinery also takes away the stress of repeatedly hand tightening caps and the possibility of repetitive motion injuries in the workplace. At Liquid Packaging Solutions, packaging specialists help assist businesses in finding the best solution for their own project. While each project may have unique needs, below are a few of the most common questions received about capping machines.
Which capping machine will work for my closures?
Browsing the capping machinery section of the LPS website, packagers will find that there are a number of different capping machines. The options will quickly be limited however, as different capping machines are manufactured for different closures. Spindle cappers and chuck capping machines are built to tighten screw-on, or continuous thread type closures. Corking machines are made for corks, T-corks and other cork-like closures. Once a packager knows which type of closure they will use for their project, they can identify which capping machines will work with those closures.
Will the capping machine handle all of my bottles and caps?
As noted above, capping machines are built for specific closures. As long as the caps are all the same type of closure - screw-on, snap, ROPP, cork - the capping machine will work for a range of cap sizes. As to bottles, capping machines are manufactured with simple adjustments that allow a range of bottle widths and heights to be run on the equipment. Some custom capping machinery may even run multiple closure types, such as the spindle-snap capping machines that allows a packager to run both screw-on type closures and snap caps on the same machine.
How fast will the capping machine run?
Capping machines are built to run both automatically and semi-automatically. The speed of the automatic capping machine will depend in part on the type of capper that will be used for the project. Some inline automatic capping machines are capable of running over 100 bottle per minute. The speed of semi-automatic capping machines will depend in part on the operator of the machine. Semi-automatic cappers typically rely on the operator to place the cap and initiate the tightening or sealing process. While these machines can still add speed and efficiency over hand capping, the actual speed will vary with the worker.
How much space will the capping machine require?
Capping machines run from simple tabletop equipment to fully automatic inline machines. Tabletop cappers, as the name suggests, take up very little space and can be placed on a tabletop to complete the capping process. Automatic capping machines will include a conveyor and a cap delivery system, which will require more production space. The space available for the machinery will always be a consideration when assisting packagers in finding the best capping solution.
How easy is the capping machine to operate?
As alluded to above, almost all capping machines will include simple adjustments to handle different cap and bottle shapes and sizes. These controls include power or hand crank height adjustments, simple hand knobs and other toolless adjustments that keep changeover and downtime to a minimum. For automatic machinery, training and installation is always available to ensure operators understand the machine and the controls from Day One.
Of course, other factors may be taken into consideration when looking for the best capping solution for any specific packager. Each project, package and cap is unique and every component will be analyzed to find the machine that will add reliability and efficiency to the capping process.