Troubleshooting Automatic Capping Machines - Missed Caps

Automatic capping machines will, by definition really, require some type of cap delivery system.  Though different types of capping machines exist for different types of closures, missed caps on any machine can slow production or cause spills, splashes and other issues.  Regardless of the type of equipment being used, there are a few common areas to check for solutions to missed caps.

 

Most automatic capping machines will use a chute to deliver caps to the bottles or other containers to be sealed.  The chute presents a single lid to each individual container.  For our purposes, a "missed" cap does not necessarily translate to a missing cap, but also to cross threaded, crooked or other erroneously placed closures.  For the transition from chute to bottle, the cap delivery equipment and the capping machine itself must be properly aligned.  The positioning of the delivery equipment is always the first place to check if a production run results in an increased number of missed caps.  For the trickiest of closures, a simple bump or nudge, or in some cases a strong vibration, can throw off that alignment, causing improper sealing.  Operators of a packaging line should check for a smooth transition, as well as proper alignment of the chute fingers that hold the lid in place for the oncoming bottles.  Many times a simple realignment will solve a missed cap issue.

 

In addition to the transition from cap delivery equipment to the machine itself, another simple adjustment should be checked to resolve bad seals or closures.  Bottle changeover will often require a height adjustment to the capping machine.  The height adjustment may control chucks, spindle wheels, gripper belts or other components of a capping machine, but if capping heads or stabilizing components are not properly set up, uncapped bottles can result.  Capping heads that do not cover the bottle may not apply enough torque, while unstable bottles may vibrate or tip, causing cross threads or loose caps.  If the chute is properly aligned, the operator of the packaging machinery should next repeat the set up process for a given bottle to ensure all tightening and stabilizing components are accurately adjusted for the bottle and closure being run.

 

Finally, for some capping machinery, conveyor and component speed can be an issue.  For example, a spindle capper that uses gripper belts to hold a bottle steady needs those belts to run in time with the power conveyor.  A high conveyor speed with a low belt speed can cause bottle tipping, leading to problems with the sealing.  The same is true of a snap capper using gripper and snap belts.  Operators of packaging machinery should try to adjust and align the speeds of the conveyor and components to see if such adjustment has an effect on the reliability of the sealing.

 

While these are some common areas to check when capping issues arise, each type of capping machine will also have unique components and adjustments as well.  Spindle cappers may require wheel adjustment, chuck cappers might need different sized inserts or a replacement of the insert.  While the issues discussed above will usually solve a majority of missed cap issues, LPS technicians are always available to assist when unique dilemmas present themselves.