The Right Packaging Equipment for Your Product Presentation

There are many questions to ask when packaging a new product, but with any project, some consideration must be taken for how the product will be presented to potential end users.  This is especially important for new, or not yet well-known products, as the packaging may be the first introduction to the product for many consumers.  Deciding how the product should be presented will, in turn, help answer a second question important question, which is what packaging equipment should be used to rinse, fill, cap and otherwise prepare the product.

 

To demonstrate, let's assume that a company has come up with a new beverage and is ready to take the same to market.  The beverage comes in several flavors, meaning the product varies in color.  The company wants to take advantage of the colors to market the product, so has chosen a clear plastic bottle.  The cap is a simple to use screw on cap that can be resealed for the convenience of the consumer.  Being a new product, the company is also relying on multiple, flavor specific labels on the bottles to assist in marketing the product.  Once we know how the beverage will be packaged and what the packager expects, we can look to the best packaging machine for the job.

 

In dealing with a beverage that will be ingested by the end user, contamination becomes a priority.  A bottle rinsing machine will likely be employed to remove dust and debris from containers before the product ever reaches them.  The bottle rinser can use air, water or some other cleaning solution to prep the containers.  As many new products may not have a high demand from the outset, these machines can be manufactured as both semi-automatic and automatic equipment to serve all needs.  With a clear bottle, the rinsing machines also ensure that the consumer will only see product when placed on the shelf, meaning these machines add both sanitary and aesthetic value to the packaging process.

 

As for the machine that will move product into the bottles, the clear container leaves one liquid filler as the best choice, though others could be used.  An overflow filling machine allows each and every bottle to be filled to the same level.  The advantage that the overflow filler has over other machines when using a clear container is the ability to fill each bottle to the same level, regardless of small variations in the interior volume of the containers.  In other words, the overflow filler always fills to the same point, helping to create a standard and consistent appearance on the shelf.  When not using a clear container, other fill methods may be more apt, such as filling by volume or net weight.  Just like the rinsing machine, filling equipment can be manufactured to handle low and high production demands.

 

Once product is in the bottle, the type of cap or closure to be used will narrow the selection for the capping machine.  In out example, a pretty standard screw on type cap is being used, leaving the packager with a few options for consistently and reliably sealing the beverage.  In many cases, smaller production facilities will opt for a chuck capper, in either a handheld or tabletop configuration.  Operators of this equipment simply place the cap on the bottle and allow the chuck head to tighten down the cap.  These capping machines remove the inconsistencies of hand capping a product while being efficient in both use and cost.  For higher production demands, many companies will use a spindle capping machine, which allows for continuous capping of bottles with very little demand put on the operator.  Spindle cappers will usually employ an elevator or bowl to supply the machine with caps, the spinning wheels on the spindles tightening down the cap as it moves through the machine.  The operator, then, only needs to replenish bulk caps from time to time.

 

Finally, the label must be applied to the bottles in some manner.  While hand placing labels may be cost efficient for small production facilities, there is always the danger of improperly or inconsistently placing the labels, as well as the likelihood of creating wrinkles on the labels.  Labeling machines provide repetitive, smooth, consistently placed labels on every bottle, again enhancing the aesthetic appeal of the beverage once it reaches the shelf.  Like the other equipment, different automation levels are available for different projects.

 

Keep in mind that the above example presents only a few of the numerous pieces of equipment that can be used on a packaging line.  Each and every project will bring with it unique characteristics and packaging challenges.  Shrink wrapping, bottle unscrambling, nitrogen purging and coding could all be added to the simple example set out above, if the packager so desires.  If you know how you want to present your product to your customers, contact a Packaging Specialist at LPS to discuss how to make that presentation possible.