Capper puts the closure on damage, claims manufacturer
and providing a more consistent closure, its manufacturer claims.
NJM/CLI said its beltorque Capper achieving a more consistent torque due to the simplified mechanics involved with belts. Such a system could reduce leakers and product contamination, while also cutting down on out-of-tolerance rejects and the associated labour of re-working them. The beltorque Capper also increases line productivity by shortening changeover times and reducing unplanned downtime, the company claimed. "Like the beltorque Retorquer introduced in 2006, the new beltorque Capper now being introduced synchronises the linear displacement speed of the container and the rotating speed of the closure, even when the cap stops turning," the company stated. The method achieves high torque application without scuffing caps, the company stated. The method controls torque with minimal tolerances while offering bottlers the flexibility to adapt the machine to a wide variety of closures and containers, NJM/CLI stated. The Capper handles round, oval, square and rectangular containers from 50mm to 305mm (2in to 12in) in height and from 12 to 175 mm (0.5in to 7in) in diameter with caps up to 75 mm (3in) in diameter at speeds up to 200 caps per minute. The beltorque Capper can be changed over in five minutes, and no tools and no container parts are required for the operation, the company claimed. Torque is controlled via a single point adjustment. The machine also features an integrated cap elevator and cap chute that leads to the two-station capper, which applies and tightens the caps. "Using belts to tighten caps eliminates the damage to the cap knurling and cap finish that can occur with conventional disc- and spindle-based cappers," the company stated. By eliminating cap damage, companies can avoid the creation of urethane or plastic particles on the line, the company stated. Using belts also reduces slippage allowing bottlers to achieve more constant torque values. The capper is designed with one drive that synchronises the container-handling belts with the cap-tightening belts. The design simplifies operation, reduces maintenance and requires less time to validate than conventional cappers, the company claimed. "Synchronizing the movement of the container with the cap-tightening speed stabilises product to reduce container jams and maximise production efficiency," NJM/CLI stated. The continuous-motion, in-line beltorque Capper features a stainless steel cabinet and support frame, and a polycarbonate front guard with keyed interlock. The self-contained system can be installed over an existing tabletop conveyor and requires 3,048mm by 1,626 mm of floorspace. The company can also provide an optional color touchscreen control panel and an motorised height adjustment module to further ease changeover. An optional programmable logic controller is equipped with an Ethernet port and torque monitor that can collect data and produce a variety of reports for quality control and process control purposes. As an option, the capper can even display the applied torque on each cap. An optional reject system assures product quality by automatically removing containers with out-of-tolerance cap torque from the production line. The beltorque Capper is targeted at the food, beverage, pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, cosmetics and personal care products sectors.
