What to Expect From Your Automatic Capping Machine
Automatic capping machines, often part of a complete packaging line, allow for bottles to be sealed continuously without the need for operator assistance during each cycle. The type of capping machine employed in any situation, however, will depend on the type of closure being used to seal the project. A capping machine for screw-on caps will look and perform differently than a capping machine for corks or T-corks. But even with their differences in look and design, capping machinery across the board will have a few features in common.
Cap Sorting and Delivery Devices
In order for a capping machine to work in an automatic fashion, the caps must be delivered to the bottles as quickly as the bottles are moving through the capping area. This is most commonly achieved using either an elevator or a vibratory bowl to deliver caps to a chute. The caps will travel down the chute once properly oriented, to be held in place until a bottle presents. Once the bottle picks up the cap, the tightening or sealing process begins. Operators of automatic capping machines, then, need only ensure bulk caps are available to be delivered!
Portable, Heavy Duty Stainless Steel Frames
Like most of the automated equipment manufactured by Liquid Packaging Solutions, capping machinery will typically be manufactured on a portable, heavy-duty stainless steel frame. The portable frame allows most capping machines to roll up to just about any conveyor for easy integration into an existing packaging line. Stainless steel frames protect against vibration or other movement to ensure consistent and reliable capping. While other materials are available, they are seldom necessary for capping equipment.
Easily Adjustable Sealing Assemblies
Whether spindles and gripper belts, chuck heads, a corking head or some other assembly, LPS capping machines are built to make the sealing assembly easy to adjust. Easy adjustment means that changing over from one bottle and cap to another can be done quickly to reduce the amount of downtime and increase the number of bottles that can be sealed in a given day. Most adjustments to the capping machinery can be done with a simple knob or hand crank, meaning tools are not necessary either! While the adjustments will depend on the type of capper, the ability to quickly and easily make the adjustments will normally be a feature of all bottle cappers.
Each type of capping machine will also have unique features that allow for quick and easy set up and operation. Whether starwheel indexing on a chuck capper or double gripper belts for support on a spindle capping machine, LPS will design the equipment to work specifically for the bottles or other containers being used on the project. To learn more about the features of the different machines, visit the Capping Equipment segment of the LPS website.