Finger and Foot Switch Activation For Packaging Equipment

While Liquid Packaging Solutions manufactures automatic packaging lines, the company also builds equipment for smaller packagers who may not quite be ready for a fully automated system. These semi-automatic machines can take many different forms, from tabletop frames to full, portable frames to even a few manual hand-held pieces of equipment. In order to make the semi-automatic equipment both efficient and easy to use, finger and foot switches are used to activate rinses, fills and even capping in some situations.

These switches can work differently on various machine types. Rinsing machines are likely to use a foot switch to begin the rinsing process. In other words, once the bottles have been placed on the rinse nozzles, the operator of the semi-automatic machine simply steps on the footswitch to begin rinsing, whether with air, water or other rinse media. Timers will typically be used to stop the rinse after a set amount of time.

Filling machines can be set up in the same manner. Once the operator lines up bottles under the fill nozzle, a simple step on a foot switch will start the fill. However, certain filling machines may employ one or more finger switches instead of the foot switch described above. An overflow filler, for example, may utilize two finger switches. The first switch would dive the heads in to the bottle and create a seal, necessary for the overflow machine to work correctly. The second finger switch would begin the cycle to fill the bottles. Different filling principles may use foot and finger switches in different ways.

Semi-automatic capping machines may not always include a switch, however, using a foot or finger switch is an option for certain machines. A tabletop capping machine may allow an operator to position a bottle before stepping on a switch to activate the capping process. However, for capping and sealing machines that work with one bottle at a time, the more common solution provides a sensor and a positioning nest. When the bottle is in place, the sensor will "see" the container and activate the capping or sealing process.

Such switches may be used on other packaging machinery as well, including custom equipment. While the most common uses are described above, equipment is manufactured on a case-by-case basis to provide the best solution for any given process. To learn more about finger switches, foot switches, rinsers, fillers and cappers, or to discuss your own project with a Packaging Specialist, contact Liquid Packaging Solutions today.