Automation is not typically a one step process. That is to say, companies do not normally start up from day one with a complete packaging line that will automate the rinsing, filling and capping of bottles. Instead, automation for many companies will come in steps, with one or more processes being automated on an as needed basis until the complete line is formed. This automation may even take the form of semi-automatic equipment depending on need. However, established companies will often look to add complete, fully automated lines, or even replace older lines with new, complete systems. And if the contracts and demand are there, occasionally new companies and products will begin with fully automated systems as well. At VKPAK, complete lines are offered for just about any industry imaginable as well as for various production demands.

The ability to serve different industries and different production needs stems from the variety of machinery manufactured at VKPAK. Machines built at the Shanghai China plant are designed and manufactured for the specific project at hand, to ensure the needs of the individual packager are met. Rinsing machines, for example, may invert containers to remove dust and debris, or they may use a vacuum type nozzle where lifting and inverting containers is not feasible. The machines may rinse automatically or, for lower production facilities, an operator may place containers on the rinse nozzles and activate the air or liquid cycle.

Filling machines can also be set up to work automatically as well as with help from an operator in a semi-automatic manner. Different filling machines will be manufactured to handle different products, with some more suited to deal with water-like, free flowing liquids and others built to handle higher viscosities. Fill principles allow containers to be filled by volume, level or even weight. Special machines can be fabricated to work with molten products, explosive products and other unique fluid characteristics. By taking in to account the product properties as well as the needs of the individual packager, the best filling machine for any project can be determined and put in place.

Capping machines will be manufactured based on the type of closures used on any given project. From spindle and chuck cappers for screw-on type caps to bottle corkers for distilled spirits, olive oil and similar products, each capping machine will obviously need to work for the caps and seals used on the project. Almost every bottle capper is available, like the rinsers and fillers, in both automatic and semi-automatic models. Understanding the range of the caps as well as the need for speed will allow the best capper solution to be put in place.

Analyzing the needs of the unique project and combining these three types of packaging machinery allow for a complete solution for a great number of packagers. Of course, not everyone will use all three, nor will lines be limited to the machinery referred to above. But the rinse, fill and cap combinations referred to here allow VKPAK to design solutions that will work - both automatically and semi-automatically - for a wide range of packagers. From this base, additional equipment, such as labelers, coding equipment, conveyors, turntables and more, can be added to perfect the solution for the business at hand.