2020 Product Review: Automatic Inverting Rinsing Machine

A number of different industries, for different reasons, need to ensure that during the packaging process the product being prepared is not contaminated. In most cases, these products will be foods, beverages, pharmaceuticals and other products that are ingested by the end user in one way or another. However, some chemicals may be weakened or broken down when contaminated as well. Packagers from many different industries may use an automatic inverting rinsing machine to guard against such contamination.

Bottles may accrue debris from several different sources prior to reaching the filling machine and accepting product. The manufacturing process may leave debris in the bottles from the making of the containers. Debris may accumulate during the loading or shipping process as well. And in some cases, bottles will be left in storage for extended periods of time, which can also cause the build-up of dust and other debris. The rinsing machine uses air, water, product or other cleaning solution to wash away such debris, helping to ensure product is filled into a clean container.

Inverting air rinsing machines allow containers to enter the rinse area on a power conveyor, with indexing allowing containers into the area each cycle equal to the number of rinse heads on the machine. Once in place under the nozzles, bottles are clamped to hold them secure while they are lifted off of the conveyor and inverted over a rinse basin. The rinse duration and other settings on the machine can be pre-set on a touchscreen operator interface, which also allows operators to save all settings for specific bottles, making recall as easy as touching a button and saving time on changeover for packagers running multiple bottles. Once rinsed, bottles are returned to the power conveyor, released from the clamp and then move to the next packaging stage, which will typically be the filling machine.

While the automatic inverting rinsing machine will handle most projects, other types of bottle rinsers are also available. Semi-automatic rinsers require an operator to place bottles and initiate the rinse with each cycle. These machines can be cost-effective solutions for packagers with lower production demand or output. Bottle vacuums are available for containers that may not be easily inverted due to weight or shape. Bottle vacuums allow containers to remain on the conveyor and use special nozzles to loosen and vacuum debris from the inside of the containers prior to filling.

To learn more about any of the rinsing options, visit the Container Cleaning section of the Liquid Packaging Solutions website, or contact a Packaging Specialist at LPS today.