How to Choose the Right Rinsing Machine for Fragile, Lightweight, or Custom Containers

Container cleaning is a critical step in packaging for businesses across industries, but especially for those preparing foods, beverages, pharmaceuticals, and similarly ingested products. Selecting the right machine for the job is a critical step in creating an efficient and reliable packaging process. The container characteristics must be considered in order to select the correct machine for any given project. Dealing with fragile, lightweight or custom containers can present unique packaging challenges.

Air Versus Water Rinsing Systems

Rinsing machines typically use one of two methods for removing debris from the inside of bottles and other containers. First, air rinsing machines will use clean air to loosen and remove dust, contaminants, and other unwanted particles. Wet rinsing systems will use water, cleaning solution, or other liquid to rid the containers of the debris. While each method offers benefits depending on the specific application, there does tend to be a move toward air rinsing as the method produces less waste and contributes to a more sustainable process. Air rinsing may also be a better choice when using fragile or delicate containers as they reduce the physical contact with the bottle and eliminate water or moisture related issues. Both air and wet rinses may be used for certain projects as well, to provide optimal cleaning results.

Automatic or Semi-Automatic Rinsing System

The choice between automatic and semi-automatic cleaning systems will typically be determined by production speed and output need, and generally speaking both levels of automation can handle all containers. Automatic systems will either invert bottles to rinse them or use a vacuum type of nozzle to do the same without turning them upside down. Semi-automatic rinsing machines will require an operator to handle each bottle to be rinsed, placing them into a nest where air or liquid can also be used to remove debris. Though unlikely to be a determining factor, packagers must understand how the container will be handled in each situation to make the right choice for their rinsing needs.

Container Handling Considerations

Automatic and semi-automatic rinsing machines handle containers in different ways, as touched on above. Semi-automatic containers require an operator to handle each container, picking it up and placing it into a nest to be rinsed or vacuumed. Semi-automatic rinsing machines can easily handle fragile or lightweight containers as long as the operator is careful with the same. As semi-automatic rinsing machines are custom manufactured to the containers to be run, even custom containers can usually be rinsed with this equipment.

Automatic inverting rinsing machines use a clamp to secure bottles and lift them off of the conveyor system, inverting them in the process and allowing debris to be rinsed following the blast of clean air or liquid media. For fragile or lightweight containers, the process of clamping and lifting containers may cause damage. For these unique circumstances, bottle vacuums provide an alternative that requires less handling of the bottles to remove debris. Bottle vacuums use special nozzles that will seal over the bottle opening and use clean air to loosen debris before vacuuming the debris from the interior of the container. This option removes the need to clamp and invert containers, with the reduction of physical contact keeping the containers safe through the cleaning process. The bottle vacuum also offers an option for extremely large, extremely small, or oddly shaped custom containers that may be difficult to secure and invert, providing a manner of rinsing without risk of breaking.

Choosing the right rinsing machine when working with fragile, lightweight, or unique custom containers requires more than a one-size-fits-all approach. By focusing on all of the containers to be cleaned, LPS manufactures rinsing equipment focusing on gentle handling where necessary, appropriate rinsing technology, and automation level to provide a process that will protect containers while removing debris and improving efficiency.