Packaging machines - Bottled liquids

Wrapping and packaging require highly sophisticated machines that can handle high speeds of dosing, filling, labeling, grouping, etc., especially in the food industry. Every food consumer uses several different types of packaging every day. What's more, due to the concentration of companies, large factories producing beverages, cookies, sweets, rice, etc., produce hundreds of thousands of units every day.

Medium- and high-speed machines have made considerable progress since the 1980s. They employ modern automation techniques, although the entire process is still largely based on mechanical systems.

Liquids and viscous or special products, both food and non-food, can be packaged in a variety of materials: glass (new or recycled/returnable), PVC, PET, polyethylene, cardboard-based laminates and plastics.

Depending on the desired output, pack size, viscosity and type of liquid (with or without dissolved CO ₂ , food or non-food), there is a very wide range of machines on the European market. This abundantly illustrated study presents each type of machine for bottling mainly food liquids, with its operating principle, medium or high speeds and the work it can do.

Liquid foodstuffs include water, wine and spirits, sparkling wine, beer, carbonated beverages and oils. They are packaged in bottles made of new or recycled glass, PVC, new or recycled PET, and cartons made of cardboard-based complexes. Packaging is generally aseptic to guarantee food preservation.

For non-food liquids, let's just mention the case of cleaning products (solvents in plastic bottles, liquid chemicals that may be corrosive or even harmful), for which we use the same type of filler and capper as for food liquids, making sure that all materials used for machine construction are stainless steel, and that elastomer seals are resistant to chemicals (silicones) or are systems without flexible seals. In addition, plugs must be safety plugs.

This article is the first in a series dealing with medium and high-speed packaging machines:

• packaging food liquids (or semi-liquids) in glass or plastic containers [AG 6 600] ;

• packing and packaging of dry products, solids, powders, small objects, in bags, sachets, cardboard cases, bagged trays, trays ;

• end-of-line machines: conveyors, grouping of various types of packaging, overwrapping, case packers, robots, palletizers, wrapping, marking, adhesive tape, etc., and metal packaging of liquid, pasty or solid products