Disinfectant solutions are not only essential in times of the coronavirus – they are also indispensable for hands and objects in everyday life.
Back in 2017, the Swiss Armed Forces invited tenders for a system for filling high-purity alcohol – including closure solutions for various bottle formats, including pump closures. The challenges: compact design, EX-protected with ATEX approval, and up to 50 bottles/min – all under the highest quality requirements.
Compactness is our strength
As specialists for compact system concepts, we accepted the challenge. Our solution: an in-line filler with six rotary lobe pumps for up to 500 ml filling volume, combined with the GSM500 automatic capper.
The bottles are fed in via a rotary plate and sorting bowl. To avoid contamination, the conveyor belt between the filling and capping station was completely enclosed.
The combination of fitting and screwing in a single step and the optimized motion control allow a high cycle output in a compact space. The pump closures are threaded through special pliers and then tightened with adjustable torque and holding time via the HMI.
Challenges
The low surface tension of the high-purity alcohol in combination with a very high fill level was particularly tricky. The aim was to avoid spillage between the filling and capping stations. This was ensured by perfectly coordinated movement sequences (“run on jam”, infeed into take-away nests, transport).
All stations were equipped with control functions. Naturally, we also supplied complete IQ/OQ/PQ documentation.
The Swiss Army Pharmacy is highly satisfied with the solution – we are currently building another system for them: a tube filling machine.
