Spindle Cappers Custom Built for Specific Packaging Projects

As we have discussed in the past, filling machines will be designed and modified to work specifically with the product being packaged.  From the filling principle to the number and type of fill heads being used, each project will have unique characteristics that will require some adjustment from what may be termed a standard filling machine.  The same is true of capping machinery, and specifically the spindle capping machine.  But instead of manufacturing modifications based on the product, the changes made to the spindle capper will depend on the bottle and cap being used for any given packaging run.

Spindle cappers use a certain number of sets of spinning disks to tighten caps onto bottles or other containers as they pass through the capping area.  As a rule of thumb, the spindle capper will be manufactured with three sets of spindles and disks, with the third set utilizing clutches to allow for greater control of the torque applied.  Normally, each set of spindles will sit slightly lower than the previous set, allowing the cap to be tightened, or threaded, a little more as it passes each set.  This is only a starting point for engineering or designing the capper, however.  

Spindle cappers are used for screw on type caps.  If you pay attention to the products you purchase, you are well aware that screw caps are used for closures on a great number of products, from soft drinks to salad dressings, medicine, motor oil, window cleaner and more.  Screw caps can vary greatly in both the way that they are threaded and the type of closure they provide.  Many screw caps are simply flat caps that are easily threaded onto a bottle.  Others provide flip top openings, trigger sprayers, sports caps for squeeze bottles or any other number of methods for opening the bottle.  It is the variation in threading and the different types of caps that require the modifications be made to the spindle capper.

Thread on screw caps may take one or two turns to tighten securely or they may require twice that or more.  The amount of torque necessary will depend on the length of the thread and the type of cap being used.  Starting from the standard capping machine with three sets of spindles, some cappers will add or remove sets to achieve the consistent and reliable closure required.  Caps with short threads may simply require two sets of spindles to secure the closure.  Tall caps, or caps with long threads, may require an additional set of spindles, with the fourth set including the clutches for more torque control.  Each project will be analyzed and tested to determine the necessary and correct number of spindle sets.

Cap type and shape can also lead to other modifications on a spindle capping machine.  Almost every spindle capper will include a stabilzer bar to assist in keeping the cap in place and help in avoiding cross threading or improper tightening.  The stabilizer bar can differ from capper to capper based on the width, height or even weight of the cap being used.  Similarly, automatic capping machines will use a cap delivery system - an elevator or a bowl - to provide closures to the packaging machine.  Modifications to these capping accessories will be made based on the type of cap being used.  

Like fillers, our website offers visitors the features and benefits of a standard spindle capping machine.  But also like the filling machines, each spindle capper is in some sense a custom designed packaging machine in that it will be designed for continuous, reliable capping based on the unique bottle and cap being used for each specific project.