Industry Specific Packaging Lines

A liquid filling machine that is used to fill a food or beverage product may not be the same as the liquid filler used to fill oils or lubricants.  Similarly, a conveyor system to move a pharmaceutical product through a packaging line may be built differently than a belt conveyor to move a cosmetic or personal care product.  While many different packaging machines will work for any number of industries, there are some characteristics that will normally be present on packaging machinery for a specific industry.  This is, however, a general rule, as even products within a specific industry can vary greatly.  

Certain industries will include certain packaging machinery in thier packaging line out of necessity.  One good example of this situation is container cleaning equipment.  Bottle rinsers and bottle washers should almost always be found on packaging lines in the bottled water industry, the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industry and the food and beverage industry.  The reasoning behind the inclusion of container cleaning machines in these industries is actually fairly simple.  Bottle rinsers and bottle washers are used to remove dust and debris from containers prior to the packaging process.  Rinsing the bottles before introducing the product into the containers helps to avoid contamination of the product.  This cleansing step on a packaging line becomes even more critical when the products in question are consumables, which covers the industries mentioned above.  Though the rinsing machines and bottle washers themselves may vary, any packaging line for food, drink, medicine or other products to be ingested should include this container cleaning equipment.

Food and beverage packaging lines will also be more likely to include a nitrogen purge system.  These systems will be found either right before or after the filling machine or immediately prior to the capping machine.  Nitrogen purge equipment actually replaces oxygen inside a container with nitrogen.  Removing oxygen from the container itself, or even from the headspace on a filled container, can prolong the shelf life of a product while also retaining the flavor, texture and color of that product.

Other industries will include specific construction materials for conveyors, filling machinery and other packaging equipment out of necessity.  Industrial cleaners will often include harsh chemicals in the product, or sometimes the chemicals themselves will need to be packaged.  When working with cleaners and chemicals, HDPE packaging equipment will be used to counter these harsh chemicals.  The HDPE is used where these chemicals would otherwise react with stainless steel in a negative manner.  The HDPE construction is used to prolong the life of the packaging equipment in these situations.

While the above examples show that some industry driven packaging lines will almost always include certain packaging machines, other industry packaging lines will be more product driven.  Oils and lubricants can vary greatly in viscosity.  For this reason, the filling principle used when dealing with these products will depend on the viscosity of the product itself.  Overflow fillers, pump fillers or even piston fillers may be used for oils and lubricants depending on the product, the package and the production rate required.

Similarly, personal care and household products can vary greatly in viscosity and packaging method.  From thin, water-like products such as glass cleaners to thicker items like shampoo or even toothpaste, the products and packaging of these items run the gamut.  For this reason, packaging lines for the personal care and household products industries may include any different number of packaging machines again based on the product itself, the package being used and the production rate required.  Besides the various filling machines, these industries may use spindle cappers or chuck cappers, and any number of labeling machines, including wrap labelers and front and back labelers.  

Though some industries are always likely to include certain packaging equipment, there are always exceptions to the general rule.  If you are uncertain about which packaging machines would work the best with your specific product, simply call a Packaging Specialist toll free at 1-888-393-3693 for the solution!