Using Bottling Equipment

Make the most of technology by using bottling equipment that fits your business budget

Bottling machines are used in a wide variety of businesses. While water bottling equipment may be the most widely used, it is far from the only use for bottling equipment. From soap to salsa to beer, bottling needs vary widely depending on your product and the size of your business. Also, there are several different machines that fall under the category of bottling equipment. While many business in need of a bottling system will use all of the various machines, some--especially small businesses--may find that sourcing a job to a machine isn't the most cost-effective solution.

The most common bottling machinery used are filling machines, bottle capping machines, and labeling machines. By educating yourself on how each of these are used, you can best determine if they are advantageous to you. Questions to consider are:

1. Are exact quantities and weights important?
2. Will my desired packaging mesh well with available bottling equipment?
3. What kind of look am I hoping to achieve?
   

 

Use filling machines and other automated bottling machinery for exact results

For many food and beverage, as well as health and body applications, a filling machine is a highly advantageous tool. It will quickly deliver a uniform product, making your product reliable and production amounts more predictable. However, if your product cannot withstand a lot of handling or is complex to package, you may need to fill manually and allow capping and labeling to be handled automatically.
Try: Busch Machinery offers an explanation of each type of filling machine to ensure you find a machine to match your product type. Accutek Packaging also gives in depth explanations of the various filling machines, highlighting the product types each machine best works with.

Ensure your packaging is compatible with existing filling, labeling, and bottle capping equipment

Unique packaging makes your product memorable to the consumer and may add useful features. However, it may also make convenient capping and labeling more difficult. Using options such as hand-held capping machinery, as opposed to water bottling machine types, may enable you to keep the packaging you desire while still taking advantage of the productivity of automated machinery.
Try: Inline Filling Systems gives a thorough description of different types of capping machines, including hand-held models. Liquid Packaging Solutions offers a wide variety of automatic and semi-automatic bottle capping machines as well as specialty capping and sealing machines to meet more specific needs.

Determine if a bottling system will result in the appearance you desire

If you want a clean and uniform look to your product, automated bottling machinery is a perfect fit for your business. If you desire a more homespun look to your product, you may want to incorporate automatic filling and capping and leave the labeling to manual application. You can also use a variety of labels and work in batches with slightly different application positions to take full advantage of the automated bottling process while still maintaining a unique look.
Try: CVC Technologies offers in depth discussion on labeling machines, including a checklist to use when comparing labeling machinery and a pictorial explanation of several labeling machine features. QuickLabel Systems offers a semi-automatic labeling machine that is a convenient compromise between speed and personalized touches. This machine is designed for low to medium volumes and aids in the flawless application of a variety of label types and quick changes.

 

• The initial investment in a bottling system may at first make it seem like manual assembly is the better choice. However, if your business is growing, the productivity factor should be seriously considered. The extra amount of product you will be able to package and ship in a short amount of time can more than pay for the initial cost of the machinery.

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