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Bottling Beer
Case Packing
Case packing is done manually or by case packers. Two people standing at a discharge table can pack up to 100 bpm. This assumes that empty cases are within easy reach and that another person closes and stacks the case. For rates above 100 bpm, an automatic case packer is required. A case packer has a linear collection table on which the bottles are automatically placed in ranks that match the packing pattern in the case. A conveyor supplies the packer with the empty shipping cases, and from the packer the conveyor carries the filled cases to the palletizing area.
There are two types of case packers, "drop packers" and "pick and place packers." Drop packers are more reliable, as the bottles are dropped through flexible fingers that are inserted into each cell of the receiving case. Pick and place packers depend on pneumatic grippers that lift the bottles off the collection table and then lower them into the case. If the receiving box is not perfectly aligned, bottles may not be properly placed and there may be some resulting label damage. The advantage of pick and place packers over drop packers is that they have a smaller foot print.
Click on the following topics for more information on bottling beer.