Packaging Equipment for Small Containers Versus Large Containers

As we have mentioned previously, almost every packaging line or machine manufactured by LPS is custom manufactured due to the differences in each project. These differences may stem from varying products, to unique packages, the space available and many other factors that can change from project to project. One factor that comes in to play on a pretty common basis is bottle or container size. While many machines built by LPS can handle a wide range of container sizes, from small to large, when those container sizes reach extremes, different machines may provide better solutions.

For companies that are packaging extremely small bottles, such as vials, tubes or other containers in the range of an ounce or less, an inline packaging system may still be used to prepare products for the shelf. However, many times a monoblock packaging system may be substituted and offer an increase in efficiency for a couple different reasons. First, containers like vials are often not flat bottomed, easily conveyed shapes. An inline system may require pucks to transfer containers from one packaging machine to another, where a monoblock system could take advantage of starwheel indexing that allows containers to be dropped in to a slot and indexed around the starwheel to be filled, capped, labeled and otherwise prepared. Less space is also necessary for a starwheel based momoblock than for a system of conveyors with the necessary machinery spaced along that system. In the end, either an inline system or a monoblock may work for a number of projects, but the specific needs and characteristics of each project may make one a better solution than the other.

Similarly, extremely large bottles, such as three, four or five gallon bottles used for water, could theoretically be packaged on an inline system using a conveyor to move containers from one machine to another. However, the large amount of fluid being pushed into each container is these situations would make this a slow and tedious process while also requiring petty big modification to conveyor and machine designs to accommodate the greater size of the containers. Instead, a custom machine for bottled water can be built that will allow each large bottle to be cleaned, filled and capped as it passes through a single piece of equipment. Much like the monoblock, each of the necessary stages of packaging can be done in a smaller space to add efficiency to the project as a whole and the need for an entire conveyor system is removed, though a single conveyor will be used to run bottles through the machine.

Just as the product itself can have an effect on the type of filling machine that will best suit a packagers needs, so does the size of the package have the same effect. To learn more about packaging solutions for extremely small and extremely large containers, contact the Packaging Specialists at Liquid Packaging Solutions today.