LPS Packaging Machinery for Contract Packagers

Contract packagers may focus on certain industries or products to the exclusion of others, but regardless of a focus, they will all package more than a single product. These products may vary in viscosity as well as other characteristics such as foaminess, particulates and more. Of course, both product and containers can have an affect on production depending on the piece of equipment in question. Again, contract packagers are more likely than other packagers to see a wide range of containers, closures and labels as well as products. Different packaging equipment can handle a different range of products, containers and components and machinery for contract packagers will often be customized to meet this need.

BOTTLE FILLERS

Different fillers are built to handle different viscosity products. Generally speaking, overflow and gravity fillers are the best choices for thin free-flowing products while pump and piston fillers better handle thicker liquids. However, each of these machines can handle a range of viscosities. Where that range is extremely wide, the piston and pump fillers can sometimes handle the thinner products as well. On rare occasions other solutions are necessary, up to and including combining to types of filling machines into a single unit.

BOTTLE CAPPERS

The type of capper used for any packaging project will always depend on the type of closure to be used on the containers. So contract packagers will often require unique solutions, or multiple machines, when many different closure types are used for the products they prepare. Luckily, many industries and products still use screw-on type caps, and with certain modifications, spindle cappers can handle a range of screw-ons, from simple flat caps to sports caps, trigger sprayers, flip tops and more. While snap caps, ROPP caps or cork type closures may require another machine, there is the possibility of combining capper types into a single unit as well, like the spindle-snap capper offered by LPS.

LABELING EQUIPMENT

Labeling machines can apply stickers in a number of different ways, from a simple front label to a sticker that wraps around the bottle. Of the pieces of equipment discussed here, the labeler is probably causes the least trouble for a packager running a variety of containers and label types. A single labeling machine can actually handle front, front and back, wrap and even panel wrap applications. The issue for contract packagers stems from budget, as the more different styles of application necessary, the more customization necessary and the higher the cost of the machine. But in most cases, a single labeling machine will be able to handle all of the containers run by a contract packager.

These three machines will likely get more use by contract packagers than other packaging equipment, though other machinery will likely be found on a contract packagers production floor, dependent on the projects acquired. To learn more about packaging equipment for contract packagers, call LPS to speak with a Packaging Specialist.