While consumers may give little thought to how their products are packaged, manufacturers understand that capping and filling machines are critical components of their overall fulfillment system. These machines preserve product integrity, provide consistency between packaged products, maintain safety, and ensure quality. While manual filling and capping might be suitable for a small or low-volume operation, medium and large producers tend to use either semi-automatic or fully automated filling and capping machinery to streamline the efficiency of their packaging process
Capping Systems
It is not unusual for small startup businesses to initially fill and cap their products manually. While it can be less expensive for small batch production, manual capping is not easily scalable, nor is it sustainable for rapid growth or variable demand. Industrial capping equipment can be adjusted for different types of bottles and closure methods, such as screw caps.
Chuck cappers and spindle cappers comprise the two main types of capping machines:
- Chuck capper machines are better for standard threaded screw caps. With this type of capper, the bottle to remain stationary while the chuck head lowers over the bottle to apply the lid, after which the machine also applies torque to tighten it.
- Spindle capper machines accommodate unusually shaped tops or cartridges. Bottles or cartridges continuously move on a conveyor, stabilized by gripper belts. Chutes apply the caps and spindle wheels tighten them. Since spindle capping machines don’t stop the container’s movement through the processing zone, it is somewhat faster than chuck capping.
Some of the advantages offered by automated or semi-automated capping systems include:
- Time savings. Increasing production speed ultimately improves speed to market, helping a business remain competitive and drive growth in their target markets.
- Cost savings. Capping more containers in a shorter amount of time produces economies of scale, offering higher financial benefits as more containers get capped. Automating the process also reduces labor costs by eliminating tedious manual processes.
- Scalability. Capping systems can accommodate demand growth much more easily than a manual capping line.
- Calibrated torque. Consistent torque application between containers prevents loose or stripped caps and reduces the risk of human error.
- Safety. Using tamper-evident caps with your capping system will help to improve the safety of your end product for the consumer.
Filling Systems
Like capping machines, automated or semi-automated filling systems can save time, money, and effort while increasing quality and consistency. Filling machines may vary in their filling methodology, depending on the product that needs to get filled, such as pressure to fill cartridges with gas, gravity for filling containers with low viscosity liquid, vacuum for high viscosity liquids, or a piston in volumetric filling methods for pastes. As such, it’s important to choose the right machine for your needs.
Some of the benefits of using an automated filling system include:
- Time savings. Automation is much faster and cleaner than manual filling operations.
- Cost reduction. Faster filling leads to lower overall production costs, while the automated nature of the machinery also helps to lower labor costs.
- Scalability. Automated filling systems can quickly scale up or down for variability in product demand.
- Accuracy. Most automated fill systems have an accuracy of +/- 0.5%, significantly reducing waste and increasing quality.
- Consistency. Automated filling ensures consistency in fill volume, helping to avoid operational waste or damage to containers that can be caused by overfilling.
- Viscosity variability. The filling method varies significantly according to the product’s viscosity. Automated machines can fill by either volume or level according to your needs.
Accurate and Efficient Filling and Capping with Credence Filling Systems
Filling and capping are critical steps in any company’s fulfillment system. They remove the variability that comes with manual processes, ultimately decreasing the time it takes to bring products to market. Automation provides enhanced quality, consistency, efficiency, and cost savings, leading to increased profits.
When you are ready to take your production to the next level, you need quality precision automated filling and capping systems. Credence Filling Systems has been providing superior automation systems and engineering expertise to our customers for over 25 years. For more information on our systems and capabilities, contact us today.