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There are many ways to get bottles onto a packaging line and the method used is somewhat dependent on how the bottles come to the line. Bottle orienters will work however they come. They are designed to receive bottles in bulk, into a hopper then orient them neck up and single file onto the packaging line.
Virtually all bottle orienters begin with a hopper into which the bottles are dumped. The hopper is usually floor mounted with an elevating conveyor to raise the bottles to the orienter’s sorting disk. In other cases, the hopper is mounted above the orienter, sometimes on a second floor or mezzanine and feeds by gravity.
Bottles are metered into the rotating sorting disk and single-filed with neck either leading or trailing.
As they exit the disk, they are converted so the necks are all in the same direction, leading or trailing depending on the machine design. Some do this by capturing the bottles in grippers. A photo eye detects the bottle position and flips them over as needed.
Other common designs use a hook or, sometimes, a loop. If the neck is leading, it catches on the hook and the bottle flipped over. If the base is leading, the hook can’t catch and the bottle remains base leading. After the hook, all bottles are turned upright.
Still another style uses the centrifugal disk to orient lengthwise but has a series of cutouts profiled to the bottle. The bottles are directed into the cutouts and then fall vertically into a chute with the neck up, regardless of orientation in the cutout.
Small bottles may be fed using vibratory feeders. The feeder orients the bottle either in the bowl or using a secondary mechanism as the discharge. These are excellent for use in cleanrooms as vibratory feeders have no moving parts.
Several companies make orienters using robots and vision systems. One design uses a 3D camera in the robot arm to pick randomly oriented bottles out of a box or gaylord container. The camera directs the robot how to orient the bottle vertically before placing it on a conveyor.
Another design feeds the bottles onto a belt conveyor. The camera shows the robot the location and orientation of the bottle. The robot picks it and places it correctly onto the conveyor.
Some non-symmetrical bottles, such as “F” style bottles or bottles with distinctive fronts and backs will need secondary orientation. The bottles are oriented neck up onto a conveyor but the neck may be on the leading or trailing side of the bottle. An axial orienter is used to rotate bottles 180 as needed.
Pace, Model BAO 200, secondary, bottle orientator / spacer capable of speeds up to 180 bottles per minute – depending on materials and application. Equipped with 80" Long x 4½" Wide vacuum belt conveyor with product sensor and servo driven orientator arm which helps orientate the container and has 34½" to 37" in feed and discharge height. Control panel with AB controller and touch screen HMI.
OAD: 92"L x 41"W x 60"H
Posimat Model Giramat B, In-Line bottle orientator rated from 80 to 200 bottles per minute – depending on materials and application. Equipped with 120" long x 4" wide vacuum conveyor with adjustable guide rails, bottle turner / orientor and interlocking lexan safety guarding. Mounted on base frame with height adjustable legs.
OAD: 120" L x 36" W x 64"H
New England Model S05, secondary, bottle orientator and spacer rated from 20 to 300 bottles per minute – depending materials and application. Equipped with 72" long x 10" wide plastic delron bottle conveyor belt, with adjustable width 24" long x 2" wide side belt product assit in feed conveyor, 32" long x 4" wide top compression belt with product sensor and hook which helps orientate container to proper position and adjautable width 24" long x 2" wide side product discharge conveyor belt. Start / e-stop push button controls and lexan safety guarding. Mounted on height adjustable (4) leg base frame.
OAD: 96" L x 28" W x 78" H
Posimat Model Giramat-D, in line, servo, bottle orientator rated from 40 to 200 bottles per minute – depending on materials and application. Equipped with 130" long x 3-1/2" wide product vacuum conveyor with adjustable guide rails, bottle turner with orientor and blower package. Swing arm control panel with start, stop and e-stop push button controls with interlocking lexan safety guarding and statis light bar. Mounted on base frame.
OAD: 130" L x 34" W x 100" H
New England Model SO5, secondary, bottle orientator and spacer rated from 50 to 350 bottles per minute – depending on materials and application Equipped with 72" long; 10" wide tabletop conveyor, adjustable 26" long; 2" wide side belt product in feed conveyor, 32" long; 4" wide top compression belt with product sensor which helps orientate the container, 26" long; 2" wide side belt discharge conveyor with 38" in feed / discharge heights and mounted on 4 leg height adjustable frame with lexan guarding.
OAD: 36" L x 96" W x 78" H
New England Model NERO-6, automatic, 6 head, rotary bottle orientator with number of containers per minute – depending on materials, application, number of heads and size container. Container size per application. Equipped with 36" OD turret that has (6) 6" OD container pedastals set on 15" centers, with 36" long worm screw to star wheel product infeed / discharge and is capable of rotating containers at 90, 180, or 270 degrees based on number of sureface sides. Control panel has A/B PLC. Mounted on heavy duty base frame with leveling legs and interlocking safety guarding.
OAD: 68" L x 72" W x 73" H
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