Packaging Equipment for Spirits and Liqueurs
As we head into the weekend, Liquid Packaging Solutions wanted to say Happy National Liqueur Day! For those unfamiliar with the nuances of spirits, liqueurs and similar products, liqueurs are generally distilled spirits that are sweetened with flavors, extracts or oils of some kind. Spirits such as whiskey or rum will serve as a base for a liqueur product.
With the boom of craft distillers and distilled spirits products in recent years, LPS has seen a significant increase in interest for products that assist in packaging spirits and liqueurs. From filling machines to corking and other sealing equipment, distillers have become a large part of the family of packagers served by LPS and LPS equipment. Below are a few of the more popular products manufactured by LPS for the spirits industry.
Filling Machinery
Liquid fillers for spirits-based products will typically consist of either an overflow filling machine or a gravity filler. First, both fillers are ideal for thin, or free-flowing products, which is a characteristic of most, but not all, of the products in the industry. Second, these two machines give packagers in the industry two different principles to choose from in filling bottles.
Gravity filling machines are basically time based fills that allow for an accurate volumetric fill. Each bottle will receive the same volume of product, even where multiple fill heads are used. Overflow filling machines, on the other hand, will fill each bottle to the same level, allowing clear containers to achieve a consistent line when sitting on the shelf! Different projects may use either machine based on the key factors of the project as well as the desire and need of the packager as well.
Bottle Corkers & Cappers
Many spirit-based products will use a cork or T-cork to seal containers. Corking machines, while used in other industries, are extremely popular when dealing with spirits. These machines can work on a semi-automatic or automatic packaging line and makes securing the corks in the bottles simple.
Other capping machines, such as spindle cappers for screw-on type closures and ROPP cappers for aluminum blanks will be used based on the type of closure chosen for any given project. In fact, the type of capping machine used in any project will be driven by the type of closure chosen by the packager. LPS also offers other sealing equipment such as neck banders and capsule spinners that are often seen in the industry.
Bottle Rinsers
Like any food or beverage product, producers of spirits and liqueurs do not want their products to be contaminated by dust or other debris that may be present inside a bottle. Such contaminants may exist due to the manufacture of the bottle, from shipping or even from simply sitting in storage waiting to be filled.
Bottle rinsers can be manufactured to clean containers using air, water or even product. Air rinsers tend to be the most popular choice in the industry as the rinse leaves no additional waste other than the debris cleaned out of the bottle. For a wet rinse, a product rinse is the typical choice over water, simply to avoid diluting the product if any water residue remains after the rinse. Most rinsers will invert bottles over a rinse basin before the cleaning process takes place. However, LPS also manufactures a bottle vacuum for heavy, odd-shaped or other unique bottles that would be difficult to invert.
Of course, other equipment may be used on a line for spirits or liqueurs, depending on the needs of the packager, the product and the package itself. For more information on packaging machinery for spirit-based products, contact an LPS representative today. Or just grab your favorite liqueur and enjoy National Liqueur Day today and call LPS tomorrow!