3.1 Monoblock installed for erotic products / lubricants

After long and thorough preliminary research, this Rotterdam-based company decided to purchase our 3.1 Monoblock filling and capping system in order to increase existing production efficiency, and to have no more than two operators using it. The capacity of this line was set at 1600bph maximum. The 3.1 Monoblock system is fitted with a 3-header servo piston filling system, which is connected via a direct stainless steel connection to the elevated IBC. As a result, the stainless steel tank with level control and supply pump became redundant, which made the system more economical and simpler to clean. A 1.3 collector was also fitted to accommodate the filling nozzles after production and to flush them under higher pressure.

Because of the huge range of twist-off caps, pumps and sprays, it was decided to select a semi-automatic capping machine to make the format change a breeze. Only the capping head needs to be exchanged, to suit each application, and can be easily positioned at an appropriate height, using a reference counter.

In order to be able to ensure a 100% accurate transfer of the filled and capped (not always very stable) PET and HDPE packaging to the labeling machine’s conveyor belt, a transfer belt was fitted to transfer the packaging seamlessly, irrespective of how unstable these are. This means the bottom of the bottles can also be coded during transfer between the conveyors.

At the beginning of January, this customer also decided to purchase a new labeling machine, which we integrated within 4 weeks.

This filling line processes 15 different bottle sizes and 12 different cap, spray and pump sizes. Different bottle sizes could be combined in one star format so that the number of format parts remained limited.

The filling line has been operational since the end of January 2018 and line 2, expanded with shrink sleeving, became operational in November 2019.

Due to its huge success, a completely new 3.1 Monoblock has been commissioned, with a configuration that is identical to the original filling line, so all existing format parts can be used on both lines. This new line was also fitted with a fully automatic and innovative shrink sleeve line, where the shrink process is completed using a combination of warm air/infrared shrink tunnel. A Ulisse 2000 sleeve applicator automatically places and positions the ‘full body sleeves’ over the different bottle sizes.

Machine line consists of:

• Round supply table
• 1 Monoblock machine
• Labeling machine
• Transfer conveyors
• Shrink sleeve system
• Round buffer table