Quick Changeover Adds Efficiency to Packaging Process

Whether rinsing, filling or capping products, when it comes time to change from one bottle to another, the operators of the machines performing these functions will need to make some adjustments to the equipment. These changeover times put a stop to the production of finished product and can eat away at the efficiency of the packaging process as a whole. At Liquid Packaging Solutions, equipment is manufactured with simple and easy changeover in mind, allowing for maximum run time during the workday.

Tool-Free Adjustments

LPS equipment is designed to allow mechanical adjustments, such as those made to conveyor rails stabilizing bottles or the positioning of rinse or fill heads for different bottle sizes, without the use of tools whenever possible. The adjustments noted above will typically be made by simply loosening a hand knob, positioning the rails or machine heads, and re-tightening the knob. These quick and easy component adjustments reduce downtime when switching from one container to another, helping to maximize efficiency of the packaging process as a whole.

Centralized Controls

Centralizing controls allows for adjustments to be done quickly and easily from the control panel of the specific machine. For example, the control panel for a spindle capper will allow an operator to quickly adjust the machine height and turn components on and off, including the spindles, gripper belts, cap delivery system and the machine conveyor. The face of the spindle capper also offers simple dials and hand cranks to move the spindles and belts for different sized containers. Centralizing controls allows a single operator to quickly make the necessary adjustments when changing from one bottle to another.

Touch-Screen Interface

Found on most automatic rinsers and filling machines, the touch-screen interface allows for easy access to the machine setup for rinsing and filling containers. The touchscreen interface allows an operator to adjust duration and delay times that make up a rinse or fill cycle. While the settings may vary from machine to machine, operators can adjust indexing times, fill times, pump speeds, and more using the touchscreen. Continuing with centralized and tool-free changeovers, the touch-screen interface further maximizes production time of the equipment and the entire packaging process.

Recipe Screens

On the touchscreen interface, operators may have access to a recipe screen which will significantly reduce the time necessary for changeover. Found on most automatic rinsing machines and liquid fillers, as well as other packaging equipment, recipe screens store all the settings found on the touchscreen interface and allow the operator to save these settings with the push of a button. Once a container and product combination have been set up and run, the indexing times, fill times, pump speeds, conveyor speeds and other settings can not only be saved, but recalled the next time the same combination is run. In addition, if product and containers are provided to LPS during the manufacturing process, these recipes may be present upon delivery of the machinery. By saving and recalling recipes, only the tool-free mechanical adjustments noted above will need to be made during changeover.

While each machine will be manufactured for the products, containers, closures and other components specific to the unique project, LPS manufactures all of our packaging equipment to allow for maximum performance, which includes reducing the downtime for changeover whereever possible. To learn more about LPS equipment and the changeover process, contact a Packaging Specialist for a free consultation and discussion of your own packaging project.