The Oft Undervalued Role of Conveyors in Packaging Line Efficiency
When shopping for equipment or evaluating different machinery, packagers will typically focus on and ask questions about the different machines, from rinsing equipment to filling and capping machines. One component that rarely receives the same attention, until brought to the packagers attention, is the conveyor system. More than just a way to move bottles between machines, the conveyors play a critical role in the efficiency and reliability of the entire packaging line.
Engineers at Liquid Packaging Solutions understand that a liquid packaging line operates as a complete system. Even the best filling and capping machines will never reach their full potential without properly designed conveyors.
Conveyors as the Foundation of Efficient Packaging Lines
Think of the conveyors as the backbone of the packaging line, as the system could not stand on its own without these critical pieces of connecting equipment. But conveyors also pull double duty, acting as the circulation system as well, ensuring not just the transport of containers, but consistent and controlled flow of product through the multitude of machines. Not only do the conveyors move bottles, they provide smooth and stable movement with consistent spacing and timing, and balanced speed throughout the entire line. Improper design or use of the conveyors can result in bottle jams, bottle tipping and other unwanted downtime.
Unfortunately, businesses often take the view that any conveyor can get the job done, basing buying decisions on cost while turning a blind eye to differences in performance. As different conveyors offer different benefits, including designs to save space or reduce cleaning and maintenance time, focusing only on cost can cause issues such as inconsistent speeds between equipment, poor container control, and limited communication, all of which can cause an increase in operator interaction and production downtime.
Container Characteristics Greatly Drive Conveyor Design
While it is not all about the bottle, the size, shape, weight and even the material of a container can affect how that container moves down a line. LPS engineers will consider the weight of a bottle (think plastic versus glass), the height of container, bottle stability when empty and full, and other factors when designing a conveyor system for any given project. The weight of a container can help an engineer find the optimum speed while avoiding tipping, spilling, or splashing. The height of the container can help the engineer decide what extra, if any, guiderails may be necessary to ensure stability. Finally, engineers can use the different weights when empty and full to ensure smooth transitions from machine to machine across the entire packaging line. Accounting for all unique challenges from project to project ensures maximum performance by not just the conveyors, but each machine on the line.
Conveyor Design and Integration Impacts Changeover Efficiency
While a business may simply look to add conveyor length to a system to avoid bottle jams, this is an obviously inefficient solution. Instead, system-level design will help place sensors for communication, ensure simple and efficient guide rail adjustability with optimal conveyor height for infeed, discharge and movement, as well as easy accessibility for maintenance and cleaning. Crisp communication allows the conveyors to move at the best speed to maximize output, while simple adjustments and easy accessibility means changeover from one product or bottle to another keeps downtime to a minimum, with all of these design components leading to an increase in overall efficiency without having to overextend the conveyor system itself and take up precious production floor space.
Packaging engineers know that production success is not determined by any one machine, but how well the entire system operates as one. At LPS, we treat conveyors as a critical part of a fully integrated packaging system, helping a packager achieve better efficiency through reduced downtime and long-term scalability. This system-first philosophy ensures that every component from the conveyors to the rinsing, filling, and capping machines, work together to support reliable production from bottle loading to bottle packing.