Packaging Equipment and Parts: A Guide to Machines and Key Components

When it comes to creating, setting up, and maintaining a packaging line, not only are the right machines essential for efficient and reliable operation, but the right parts will help to keep the line running smoothly while reducing downtime. Understanding the major categories of packaging equipment along with the key replacement or wear parts that keep them running will help to ensure both smarter purchasing decisions and peak performance.

Filling Machines

Filling machines dispense liquids both thick and thin based on volume, level, or even net weight. Liquid Packaging Solutions manufactures bottle fillers for everything from water and other beverages to oils, chemicals, creams, and more. The most common types of liquid fillers include:

• Gravity Fillers: Simple gravity fed machines for filling free-flowing liquids by volume.
• Overflow Fillers: Fills low to medium viscosity liquids to a level.
• Pump Fillers: Matches pumps to products to fill a wide range of viscosities by volume.
• Piston Fillers: Ideal for filling thick, viscous products by volume, but also flexible in handling a variety of viscosities.
• Net Weight Fillers: Uses scales to allow products to be filled to a specific net weight.

While replacement or wear parts can vary based on the type of filling machine being used, key parts include filling nozzles, seals, O-rings, gaskets, pump components, sensors and even scales. The LPS parts department can work with new or existing customers to identify the key replacement parts for specific equipment.

Capping Machines

Whether screwing on, snapping into place, or tamped down like a cork, closures ensure that product is safe when it reaches the consumer. Capping machines manufactured by LPS tighten or secure a range of different closures in a reliable and repeatable manner. The most manufactured capping machines include:

• Spindle Capper: Continuously tighten screw-on caps as they move down a conveyor belt, including trigger sprayers and pumps.
• Chuck Capper: Alternative to the spindle capper that also handles screw-on type closures and offers more efficient semi-automatic options.
• Snap Capper: Presses on snap-on lids with a belt or tamper in a precise manner.
• ROPP Capper: Rolls aluminum proof caps to create threads offering a tamper-proof seal.
• Bottle Corker: Tamps down corks, T-corks and similar closures typically found on wines and distilled spirits.

Replacement parts for capping machines depend in large part on the type of bottle capper being used on a given packaging line. Key replacement parts may include belts and grippers to aid with stability, spindle wheels, chucks or chuck inserts, clutches, motors, or even sensors for cap delivery systems. Just like with specific filling machines, the LPS team can help find the best parts to keep on hand for smooth and efficient capping and sealing.

Container Cleaning Equipment

Dust and debris can enter containers during their production, while in transit, or even while sitting in storage. Container cleaning equipment from LPS can use air or water to remove such debris using an inverting process or by vacuuming debris from the bottles. The most common rinsing machines include:

• Air Rinsing Machines - Inverts bottles and uses compressed air to blow dust and debris from the bottles or other containers.
• Wet Rinsing Machines - Inverts bottles before using water, product, or other cleaning solution to rinse bottles.
• Bottle Vacuums - Ideal for hard to invert bottles, vacuum nozzles seal on the bottle, blast air to loosen debris, and vacuum debris from the bottle.

Key replacement parts for container cleaning equipment will also depend on the type of machine that is being used to rinse bottles. However, keeping rinse nozzles, seals, hoses, and filters in house will help to ensure continuous rinsing of containers while limiting downtime.

Of course, packaging lines may consist of more than just a rinsing machine, filler, and capper. Packagers may also want to keep conveyor belt, guide rails, and even motors or controllers on hand to ensure the movement of the bottles stays smooth and effective. Remember that even the best packaging machinery will consist of wear parts, such as seals and belts, which will require replacement from time to time to ensure continuous production. At Liquid Packaging Solutions, we not only manufacture the packaging equipment to make up your system but also stock the parts and provide the expert support necessary for maximum efficiency. Whether looking for a new system, a single machine, or replacement parts for existing equipment, the LPS team is here to help with all of your packaging machinery needs.