Making Bottle Changeover as Simple As Possible
Liquid Packaging Solutions understands that most packagers will use bottles or other containers of varying sizes to prepare product for their customers. While it does happen, packaging one product in one bottle size is not the norm. For this reason, LPS not only manufactures packaging machinery to handle a range of bottle sizes, but also works to make changeover from one bottle size to another a simple process.
On both rinsing and filling machines, adjusting nozzles for different bottle sizes will almost always be as simple as loosening a hand knob, sliding the nozzle to the correct position and tightening the knob. This can be achieved by simply placing the bottles to be run on the conveyor and positioning the nozzles over them. With bottles lined up, certain indexing types may also need to be adjusted.
Imagine a bottle with a six-inch diameter and switching to a bottle with an eight-inch diameter on a filling machine. A packager that wants to fill eight bottles with each cycle will need to adjust the indexing pins by sixteen inches. This will usually be accomplished by simply loosening a nut on one of the indexing pins and sliding it along to the desired position before securing it.
On automatic machinery, these simple adjustments may be the end of the physical changes necessary to run bottles. Fill times, rinse times, indexing times and more can be saved to the PLC and instantly recalled for specific bottles using a recipe screen. LPS will enter the recipes for the rinse and fill cycles whenever bottles and product are supplied for the manufacture of the machine. So on rinsers and fillers, machine prep for different fillers can usually be accomplished with a couple of quick adjustments and the press of a button on the operator interface.
Capping machinery may require a few more adjustments depending on the type of bottle capper and closure being used. For instance, a spindle capper may require adjustment of the gripper belts, the spindle wheels and the cap delivery system for different sized screw-on type caps. However, in almost all cases, these adjustments can also be made with simple hand knobs and cranks, allowing for a quick changeover.
Even when custom rinsing, filling or capping equipment is manufactured for unique packaging projects, machines will be engineered with quick changeover in mind. LPS understands that time used changing from one bottle to another is time lost in production and that changeover is a component of machine efficiency. To learn more about the necessary adjustments for any packaging machine, contact LPS today to discuss your own project with a Packaging Specialist.