The customer needed a method of spacing small dropper bottles for downstream inspection. The bottle inspection infeed system had to accommodate three bottle sizes: 20 mm diameter x 52 mm tall, 25 mm diameter x 57 mm tall, and 25 mm diameter x 72 mm tall. All bottles were full, capped, and presented in backlog conditions, requiring controlled container metering into the inspection process.
Morrison Container Handling Solutions designed a compact timing screw metering system to feed a downstream inspection system. The single micro timing screw drive unit accepted a single lane of backlogged containers and metered them into a controlled flow for dropper bottle spacing ahead of inspection. Two timing screws accommodated all three container sizes. The screws were designed so the drive system remained fixed during container and screw changeovers, simplifying adjustments between formats. All hardware mounted directly to the customer’s existing conveyor, and the complete assembly measured 24 inches in length.
The timing screw metering system was constructed using anodized aluminum timing screw bracketry and white UHMW timing screws. Drive components included an AC Nord gearmotor with a 5.31:1 ratio and 230/460 V configuration. Additional gear reduction inside the drive bracket provided a 4.0625:1 ratio. The compact container metering assembly also incorporated a mechanical overload clutch.
The timing screw metering system consistently achieved speeds of 180 containers per minute while metering the dropper bottles to 1.5-inch spacing for downstream inspection.
Contact Morrison to discuss your container metering application.
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