Packaging Machine Flexibility - Rinsing Machines

Container cleaning equipment includes rinsing machines that can be manufactured in many different ways.  While the packager can choose from air, water or some other cleaning liquid to rinse bottles, it is up to the manufacturer to ensure that all of the bottles used by the packager can be run on the machine.  In other words, the rinsing machine must be flexible enough to meet the needs for the specific packaging project for which it is built.

 

Many rinsing machines, both wet rinsers and air rinsers, will invert bottles over a rinse basin in order to remove debris from inside the container.  In order to invert the bottles, a clamp is necessary to keep containers in place under the nozzles and avoid falling and breaking bottles.  During the manufacturing process, the clamp must be fabricated to allow for adjustment to handle different widths and heights.  For this reason it becomes extremely important for the manufacturer of the container cleaning equipment to have samples of every bottle that will be cycled through the rinser.  If the manufacturer is given the tools to build the clamping system correctly, changeover on the production floor will be simple in a majority of cases, relying on tool-free adjustments for quick production re-starts.

 

Other rinsing machines will vacuum debris out of bottles and containers.  These machines will not require the bottle to be inverted, removing the need for a bottle clamp.  However, the machine must still be manufactured will nozzle adjustments to ensure that all bottles can be run.  Bottle vacuums use unique nozzles that first use an air rinse to loosen debris inside a bottle and then use a vacuum to remove that debris.  One nozzle performs both the rinse and the vacuum on these machines, so those nozzles must also be flexible enough to create a seal on the smallest bottle, the largest bottle and every bottle in between.  Again, sample bottles allow the manufacturer to run tests and fabricate the nozzles to work on each and every container to be used, allowing for quick and easy adjustment and changeover.  

 

Whether inverting rinsing machines, bottle washers or bottle vacuums, sample containers are always a good idea when manufacturing container cleaning equipment.  If you have questions regarding the best machine for your product, contact a packaging specialist at LPS today.