Moving Your Product - Automatic Conveyor Systems

 

The process of packaging your product obviously involves moving product from one packaging phase to 

another in an efficient manner.  It would hardly be worth installing a completely automated packaging system if you were using manual labor to move bottles from the liquid filler to the capping machine and then from the capper to the labeler or other packaging machine.  Automatic conveyor systems allow product to move smoothly and quickly between packaging phases and help you get maximum production from your packaging line.  Power conveyors can be manufactured in a variety of materials, lengths and widths to assist in conveying product through your system.

 

 

Automatic conveyor systems can be manufactured using anodized aluminum, stainless steel or HDPE.  The material used for your automatic conveyor system should be matched to the product or products being packaged.  For example, an HDPE power conveyor would normally be ideal for acids and harsh chemicals that may not interact well with stainless steel.  Using HDPE versus stainless steel in this situation can extend the life and performance of the automatic conveyor system by offering resistance to spills, leaky bottles, drips and other issues that could otherwise cause undue wear and tear on the power conveyor.  

 

 

Though Liquid Packaging Solutions offers standard lengths and widths for automatic conveyor systems, a power conveyor can be manufactured in nearly any length and a variety of widths.  Of course, straight line packaging systems are not always feasible or desirable.  Space limitations on the production floor may not always allow for long, straight automatic conveyor systems.  This issue can be solved by using curved conveyor sections or serpenting conveyors.  Curved power conveyors can allow a horseshoe type packaging system leaving room in the middle of the system for operators if necessary.  Transfer turntables can also be utilized to allow ninety degree turns on an automatic conveyor system.  Serpentine conveyors can take advantage of vertical and horizontal space to allow accumulation or cooling of product.  In general, your power conveyor can take any shape - length, width and even height - necessary to get the job done.

 

 

At times, power conveyors may be required to perform a special or unique function.  Serpentine conveyors, mentioned earlier, can use multiple conveyor lanes and tiers to accumulate product.  In addition, if a product is run hot through a liquid filler, it will normally require a cool down period prior to being capped, labeled or coded.  A fan cooling system can be added to a serpentine conveyor to rapidly cool product and prepare it for additional packaging phases.  

 

Another example is the laning conveyor.  A laning conveyor is used to move bulk containers into single rows of bottles.  These single rows are then delivered to the take away conveyor and sent down the packaging line to be filled, capped, labeled and packed.  

 

For more information on power conveyors, automatic conveyor systems and custom conveyors, contact a 

Packaging Specialist at Liquid Packaging Solutions toll free today.