Filling systems and lines for glass bottles

Glass bottles offer advantages for the beverage industry and filling companies. Glass bottles offer a high standard of hygiene and a long shelf life for the end product. They also stand for sustainability and are an essential part of the circular/ recycling economy.

AUTEFA Solutions supplies complete lines for filling companies such as breweries, wine bottlers and juice bottlers - from material receiving to fully automated storage systems with integrated dispatch provision. Depending on requirements, multi-axis high-performance machines are used for depalletizing, packaging, palletizing or stacking. Fully automated gripper heads and feeders streamline the process by significantly reducing set-up times, among other things. In the case of customer-specific requirements or special space conditions, the machine is adapted to povide an optimum solution for the respective application.

Glass bottles are used in many industries, particularly where the material properties of glass are advantageous. Here are some of the main industries where glass bottles are used:

  • Food and Beverage Industry
    • Wine and Spirits: Glass bottles are the preferred packaging material for wine, beer, whiskey, vodka, and other spirits because they are inert and do not affect the taste.
    • Soft Drinks and Juices: High-quality juices and soft drinks are often bottled in glass to preserve freshness and taste.
    • Oils and Vinegars: Edible oils (e.g., olive oil) and vinegars are frequently packaged in glass bottles as glass protects the product from oxidation.
  • Pharmaceutical Industry
    • Medications: Many liquid medications, syrups, injection solutions, and vaccines are packaged in glass bottles to ensure their stability and purity.
    • Laboratory Glass: Glass bottles are used in laboratories for storing reagents and chemicals because they do not react with most substances.
  • Cosmetics and Personal Care Industry
    • Perfumes and Essential Oils: High-quality perfumes and essential oils are often bottled in glass to protect the aroma and prevent the volatile components from escaping.
    • Cosmetic Products: Creams, lotions, and serums are frequently offered in glass containers to ensure the quality and durability of the products.
  • Canned Food Industry
    • Jams and Preserves: Glass is a popular material for packaging jams, preserves, and honey because it protects the contents from contamination.
    • Pickled Vegetables and Fruits: Glass containers are used for preserving pickled vegetables and fruits to maintain freshness and flavor.
  • Dairy Industry
    • Milk and Dairy Products: In some regions and for certain markets, milk is bottled in glass to emphasize the freshness and quality of the product.
  • Chemical Industry
    • Solvents and Reagents: Glass bottles are essential for packaging and storing many chemical reagents and solvents due to their high chemical resistance.
    • Perfume Production: High-purity solvents and fragrances are often stored in glass bottles to avoid contamination.
  • Homebrewing and Hobby Brewing
    • Beer and Wine: Homebrewers and small breweries often use glass bottles for bottling their products to emphasize authenticity and quality.

Sweep-of depalletizer

The optimal glass filling line starts with the AUTEFA sweep-off depalletizer equipped with the No-Broken Glass Device. The device holds the entire layer of bottles securely on all sides during the sweep process to minimize bottle breakage.

The AUTEFA sweep-off depalletizer can process trays, flat intermediate layers or cardboard lids. The empty pallets are also stacked by the handling head. The bottle flow is individually separated by a back-pressure optimized bottle transport system and fed a single line to the downstream units.

Case palletizer for plastic crates

With the AUTEFA depalletizer, the plastic crates are gripped or clamped layer by layer from the empty pallets in returnable lines and placed on a layer station. Depending on the layer pattern, the plastic crates are then separated and, if necessary, turned into a uniform orientation before being fed to an unpacker.

Row depalletizers are used for lower line outputs. If space is limited, mixed depalletizers/palletizers with additional empty pallet handling are also possible.

Pick and Place Robot PP und PPK

For resublabe lines, the Certant PP and Certant PPK are available for unpacking round, oval or square bottles or wide-mouth jars from plastic crates. 

The CERTANT PP packer is the flexible machine for the medium to high output range. The CERTANT PPK packer is the economical solution for companies in the low to medium output range. Different bottle diameters can be processed without changing the gripper head. Format changeover is carried out in the shortest possible time using format sets. For limited spaces, mixed depalletizers/unpackers are also possible.

Filler

With the filling technology using weight measurement (net weight filler) from the Serac range, rinsers, fillers and cappers are also available for the realization of ultra-clean or aseptic filling lines. The rinser/decontamination, filler and capper combinations meet the highest standards of cleanliness and hygiene. To ensure optimum sterilization, Serac relies on various sterilization solutions such as hydrogen peroxide, pulsed light, peracetic acid and the innovative BluStream® process for containers and closures.

Bottle transport

The bottle transport system is supplied and controlled by AUTEFA. This means that our customers have a single point of contact for the realization of a complete line and the certainty that all system components are optimally coordinated. We suggest additional units from partner companies or integrate the customer's preferred suppliers. AUTEFA Solutions coordinates all interfaces between the suppliers and offers complete lines based on the respective specifications and performance data.

Labeling Machine

The dried bottles are fed in a single lane to the labeling machine, where they can be labeled according to individual design requirements. We leave the choice of labeling machine manufacturer entirely up to our customers. AUTEFA is responsible for the bottle transport interfaces.

Wrapaorund or Pick & Place Robot PP and PPK

The CERTANT PP case packer ( pick & place robot) is used to pack round, oval or square bottles or wide-mouth jars in plastic crates or crates, in cartons with or without compartments or in trays. Depending on the system design, outputs of up to 40,000 bph can be achieved.  

Wherever many different types of bottles are used in the brewing and wine industry, the CERTANT PP case packer is the ideal machine thanks to its flexibility and cost-effectiveness. 
The CERTANT PPK case packer is an economical solution for companies in the small to medium capacity range. If a wrap-around packer is to be used, the suitable system is selected in close consultation with the customer, taking into account the variety of types to be packed.

Container/ bundle conveyor

The container conveyor is supplied and controlled by AUTEFA. This means that our customers have only one contact for the realization of a complete line. Additional units from partner companies are offered or the customer's preferred suppliers are integrated. AUTEFA Solutions manages all interfaces between the suppliers and offers complete lines based on the respective specifications and performance data.

Palletizer

AUTEFA has 2-, 3- or 4-axis, modular robot systems in gantry design for palletizing cartons, trays, shrink packs, returnable plastic crates and similar containers, whereby individual containers, rows or entire layers can be processed.
The infeed to the palletizer is either single or multi-lane, depending on the output. Empty pallets and intermediate layers are fed automatically. Finally, the pallet is securely fixed by means of a wrapper, strapper or shrink hood.

AUTEFA Solutions- customized filling lines for glass bottles

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