The 'swing-top transfer unit' provides approximately 3,800 swing-top bottles per hour with a porcelain cap and rubber ring. Bottles without clips are fed in on one side, while the swing tops are fed in from the other side. Before the tops can be positioned, a sensor detects where the hole in the bottleneck is, as the bottle rotates. Based on this measurement, the bottles are rotated into the correct position via a servo motor located underneath. Afterwards, the swing-top transfer unit positions the swing top while the bottle is rotated again, so the swing top can first be pressed into one and then into the other hole. The finished bottles are then transported to the filling line.
Read the full article in the February issue of DPA