Spindle Cappers and Disk Durometer
Spindle capping machines tighten continuous thread screw-on type caps of many different varieties. These may include simple flat caps like the type found on bottled water or more complex closures such as flip-tops or pumps found on some shampoos or sports caps found on certain beverages. So though all of the caps run through a spindle capper will be of the screw-on variety, the actual caps and bottles used for any project will differ greatly in other ways.
As an example, some containers may be glass, while others are plastic. Even the plastic bottles will vary in rigidity from project to project. In the same way, different caps will have different strengths and materials. The tightening process on a spindle capper is achieved by using matched sets of spinning disks, which are typically referred to as spindle disks. These disks contact the caps as they pass through the capping area, essentially spinning them down to tighten them. Anyone familiar with a spindle capper may already know that the disks come in a variety of colors. These colors, however, serve more than just an aesthetic purpose.
The different spindle wheel colors are matched to a different durometer, or hardness, for the disks. A hard, or higher number durometer, disk will work well with rigid containers and caps, while they may tend to scratch, mar or otherwise damage brittle bottles and closures. So when dealing with a less rigid container, a lower durometer, more flexible disk will be used to achieve the cap tightening without causing damage.
Once a spindle capping machine has been manufactured for a project, Liquid Packaging Solutions will test the machine on the production floor using sample bottles and closures from the customer to determine which disk will work best for that project. Though a majority of projects will use one or two disk durometers, custom disks are available for unique bottle and cap combinations that may lie outside of the normal range of hardness. When customer samples are not available, then once production begins on the customer floor, should the packager experience worn caps, smearing or smudging on caps or even inconsistent tightening, a different spindle disk may be necessary.
The most common disk durometers are kept in stock at LPS, as these components of the spindle capper are a contact and wear part, meaning they will require replacement after extensive use. To learn more about the spindle capping machine and the different disks used to tighten screw-on type caps, contact a Packaging Specialist at LPS today.
Spindle disks and spare parts for all of the LPS Packaging Machinery can be obtained by contacting the Liquid Packaging Solutions Parts & Service Department Toll Free at 1-888-393-3693. Those looking for packaging machinery parts can also use the quick connect found right here on the website to request quotations or ask questions, and all such inquiries will be directed to the Parts & Service Department.