The Bottle Capper for Smaller Business

While it would be nice if every packager could install an automatic capping machine on their production floor, this solution simply is not feasible.  Some packagers may not have the space, for some it may be a matter of economics and for others it just may not be necessary.  Smaller businesses with lower production demands, or even larger businesses with small runs for special projects, need an alternative to the full sized, high output capping machines used on automatic lines.  For these situations, manual and semi-automatic bottle cappers provide that alternative.

For some packagers with a smaller production demand or daily output, the move to a bottle capping machine is not necessarily all about increasing speed.  Hand held chuck cappers for screw on type caps may or may not allow for an increase in the number of bottles sealed each day, depending on the different project and process.  However, these manual capping machines offer consistency in the tightening process, an advantage over using manual labor to hand cap bottles.  While three different employees may twist caps to three different levels of tightness, arming each with a hand held capper will eliminate such a problem, stopping loose caps, over-tightened caps, leaks and spills along with the inconsistency.  

Like the hand held capper, tabletop bottle cappers will offer consistency to the capping process.  However, these machines also have more potential to speed up the packaging process as a whole.  Operators of tabletop cappers will place the cap on the bottle and simply slide the bottle into a positioning nest.  Once in place, the machine takes over, tightening screw on type caps, snap caps and other types of lids or seals.  Though efficiency may be improved through the use of a tabletop bottle capper, these machines will have limits when it comes to growth.

For companies on the verge of automating their packaging, or companies expecting substantial growth in the future, semi-automatic portable bottle cappers may be the best choice.  These machines can be manufactured to work with a conveyor system, but still require the operator of the machine to place caps on the bottle prior to the sealing process.  However, the machines are built on the same frame as automatic cappers, leaving extensive opportunity for upgrading.  

 

Portable capping machines can be turned into automatic bottle cappers with some modification to the control panel and a cap delivery system, such as an elevator or a vibratory bowl.  The ability to upgrade these machines means that as the company and production grow, so can the bottle capper.

 

Many different types of capping machines are manufactured by LPS, in varying levels of automation.  For more information on any of these packaging machines, browse the LPS website or call our offices today.