Before the bottles are transferred for additional processing or packing, caps are placed on them by bottle capping machines after filling them with the product. The substance is kept contained and safe during storage and transportation thanks to the lids, which seal the contents of the container.
Automation-enabled models automatically modify the torque to meet the requirements of the particular capping application. Also, they contribute to lowering labour weariness and increasing manufacturing efficiency by reducing the need for manual labour. Applying several types of caps, such as screw caps and child-resistant closures, is possible with the help of these devices.
Essential Equipment for Bottle Capping Lines
To ensure full bottles are properly capped, bottle capping lines may incorporate several units performing different jobs. The following are a few pieces of equipment frequently used in bottle capping lines:
Cap Sorters
Cap sorters are made to handle huge loads of caps, ensuring they are oriented and placed correctly for the following phase in the capping process. Several types include vibratory feeders, elevator sorters, and centrifugal sorters.
A cap feeder
The purpose of cap feeders is to select and insert caps into the capping device. Elevator feeders and air tunnel feeders are some of the available types.
Cappers
Cappers are tools used to screw, press, or put caps onto bottles that have been filled. There are various types, such as automatic wheel pluggers, spindle, snap, and chuck cappers.
Capping Tighteners
When the cap has been put on the bottle, cap tighteners make it tighter. They grasp the bottle and tighten the lid as needed.
Semi-automatic vs Automatic
To accommodate various bottle capping activities, cap sorters, cap feeders, dropships, and cap tighteners are offered in automated and semi-automatic varieties. Each machine has unique benefits and drawbacks, making it appropriate for various purposes. For instance:
- For capping tasks involving large caps that must be positioned vertically to avoid cross-threading on the bottle, automatic cap placers are a cost-effective alternative.
- Machines that automatically cap chucks are slow and expensive. They do, however, provide exceptional repeatability and dependability.
- Automatic cap tighteners are appropriate for tightening and retightening activities in capping lines with an upstream manually or mechanically controlled cap-putting device.
Automatic capping machines are typically suitable for more extensive bottle capping operations, which demand consistent motions and actions throughout a run. On the other hand, smaller and more specialized bottle-capping functions can benefit from semi-automatic capping devices.
Bottle-capping machine types
Many bottle-capping machines are available, each appropriate for various caps and goods. The four most typical are:
Spindle Cappers
Threaded caps can be used with spindle cappers. They operate by dropping a still cap onto a rotating bottle. The bottle spins, tightening the lid and creating a reliable seal.
These machines cannot be used for capping procedures requiring thin liquids since they cap loaded bottles by rotating them. The product could splatter or spill out of the container due to the bottle rotating.
Snap Cappers
Snap-on caps can be used with snap cappers. They function by lowering and pushing the lid into the top of the filled bottle once it has been placed underneath.
Chuck Cappers
Chuck cappers work well with threaded caps, just as spindle cappers. But instead of rotating the bottle like spindle cappers do, they turn the cap. Because of this functional difference, they are more suited for capping processes involving thin liquids.
How Cap Closing Machines Operate and What They Are
The primary purpose of a capping machine is to precisely and securely attach a plastic or metal threaded lid, click, or cap to a container and bottle. Devices that close caps are crucial elements of bottling automation. Plugs, as well as other similar closures, are processed by capp closing machines as well. These systems provide hygienic working conditions, rapid production rates, and reasonable manufacturing prices.
Cap Closing Machines
A typical capping system has several essential components, including the following, even if each plan is tailored to match the requirements of particular applications:
- Cap Elevator
- Cap Hopper
- Cap Sorter
The system (caps, plugs, lids, etc.) begins with a box of closures. The cap hopper receives closures from a feeder system. The cap elevator then assumes control and starts feeding closures into the sorting bowl. A sorting bowl makes the cap delivery mechanism more quick and effective. Before being delivered to the capping machine when affixed to a container, closures in a sorting bowl are orientated. A cap sorter and hopper may be employed in some situations to replace the requirement of a sorting bowl.
There are two sorts of cappers that businesses frequently employ:
Rotary Chuck
These people apply caps to bottles before running the portion through the machine to seal it to the bottle. The device has moving components that rotate the bottle or cap to close them tightly. Since the line continuously moves with these systems, they are called continuous motion assembly machines.
Single Head
While rotary chuck cappers and these cappers are similar, they shouldn't be used interchangeably. These systems can be made with a star wheel, which removes the cap and bottle from the line for security before reintroducing them to the bar. Containers are stopped at stations and capped by a single-head clincher. Inline designs for these systems are also possible.
Conclusion
Cap closure machines partially assemble many of the products we see and utilize daily. As their name implies, they are used to attach and tighten caps on bottles and other containers. Applying threaded caps, snaps, lids, or plugs—made of either metal or plastic—to another closure of a similar type is done using these automated assembly machines. Both slow and fast speeds can be used for this process (depending on production requirements). Although designing and deploying cap closing devices is expensive up front, most companies immediately recognize the potential long-term financial and time savings. Purchasing these devices is a serious investment in your company's future and your workers' well-being.
