Conveyors for Movement, Machines and More

Conveyor systems are almost always a must for automatic packaging systems. They serve as the circulation system to move bottles and other containers from one machine to another, allowing for the rinsing, filling, capping and other preparation without repeated operator interaction and without removing bottles from the conveyor itself. However, power conveyors can be used for more than just moving bottles. Below are a few examples of other power conveyor uses on a packaging line.

Loading

While several different options exist for loading bottles on the front end of a packaging line, loading conveyors serve a particular purpose when other options may not work. These conveyors include a loading table that allows for boxes or sheets of bottles to be quickly placed on in rows for delivery to the main power conveyor. Loading conveyors are ideal for containers that may not work well with a turntable, bottle unscrambler or other loading option. For example, square, glass bottles may tip or jam on a turntable, and may break if placed in an unscrambler. Loading, or laning, conveyors allow bottles to be quickly placed into adjustable rows for delivery to the main conveyor, which then delivers them to the various packaging machines.

Cooling

Due to viscosity, some products must be heated in order to be filled, in order to lower the viscosity and allow for flow into the containers. In these and similar situations, the products may require some time between being filled and capped to avoid damage to bottles or closures. Cooling conveyors are used to provide this dwell time between filling and capping to ensure that product is properly prepared for the consumer. These conveyors may simply be an extension of the regular conveyor system or can be set up as a serpentine or even layered conveyor to provide the necessary cooling time. These machines may also be manufactured to use a fan system to reduce the necessary dwell time.

Diverting

Whether for quality control or other reasons, a packager may want to divert certain products from the main flow of production. Conveyors can be used to divert and collect a sample of products or, with added sensors, to divert those products that may have issues, such as a missing cap or label, allowing problem products to be removed from production and keeping them from the end user.

Accumulating

Finally, like loading, several different options exist to accumulate finished product at the end of the line. An accumulating conveyor with packing tables can be used at the end of a packaging line to help with packing and shipping preparation. Accumulating conveyors may also be used within a packaging line for quality control checks. Other packagers may combine automatic and semi-automatic machinery and use an accumulating conveyor as a way of gathering product after one task is completed. For example, filled bottles may be gathered on an accumulating conveyor to allow manual labor to apply and tighten caps.

While conveyors are most noted for movement, they can assist in adding efficiency to a packaging line in a number of different ways. To learn more about all of the conveyors offered by Liquid Packaging Solutions, contact a Packaging Specialist at LPS today.