Packaging Machinery Height Adjustments
From rinsing and filling machines to a variety of cappers and even conveyors and turntables, every piece of packaging equipment will allow for some type of height adjustment. Many machines, however, will actually include more than one adjustment for height. The how and why of that statement might surprise a few people.
First and foremost, not only will the type of machine affect the height adjustment, so will the level of automation for any given machine. For example, a tabletop overflow filler will normally include a simple hand crank to raise and lower the fill head assembly. A fully automatic overflow filler, however, will include a simple switch on the control panel that allows the operator to move the switch one way to raise the fill head assembly and the other way to lower it. On each of these machines, however, there exist secondary height adjustments that are available, even if some are almost never used or considered. On the overflow filler, both the tabletop and automatic version will have some type of leveling leg or device on the bottom of the frame. Used to level the machine, these legs can also add or subtract small amounts from the actual height of the entire machine! Similarly, overflow fillers fill each container to a specific and consistent level with each fill cycle. The nozzles for these machines include spacers which can adjust the fill level in the containers. The adjustment for fill levels can be thought of as a secondary height adjustment, in that while it does not change the level of the fill heads, but it does change the height of the fill itself!
Capping machines are similar in the way that height is adjusted, though again each type of capper will differ. On a spindle capper, the power height adjustment again allows the operator to flip a switch left or right to raise or lower the capper assembly, which includes the cap elevator and the spindle disks that do the tightening. However, gripper belts are used to hold bottles steady as they move through the capping area. The height adjustment for the gripper belts will normally consist of a simple wheel to move the belts up and down. And just like above, capping machinery also includes leveling legs with the main goal of allowing for a level machine, but that also allow a small adjustment to the overall height of the equipment.
As shown above, these secondary height adjustments will not always have a primary goal of, well, actually adjusting height! But they do allow for fine tuning of the packaging equipment to ensure that performance reaches a peak. If these adjustments seem foreign or complicated to you as a new or inexperienced packager, keep in mind that all equipment comes with an operator's manual after being manufactured to be as user friendly as possible. LPS also offers both installation and training, and our Packaging Specialists are always just a phone call away to help with technical issues!
To learn more about any specific piece of packaging machinery manufactured by Liquid Packaging Solutions, simply browse our website or call Toll Free at 1-888-393-3693.