Servo spindles differentiate NEM Inc.'s new servo capper 

Driven by the rigorous requirements of pharmaceutical packaging, New England Machinery’s (PELV Booth C-409) new rotary servo cappers also answer the broader market’s desire for added flexibility, efficiency and performance.

Validated, consistently accurate capping torque

In pharmaceutical capping applications, the servo feedback is used to validate that proper capping torque is achieved. The ELAU (Booth S-5414) servos are also well known for their consistent, order-of-magnitude greater torque accuracy and faster, automated torque adjustment compared to clutches or variable frequency drives. But that is only the beginning of the performance benefits.

Easy, recipe-based changeovers

Pitch ratio and format changes don’t require gearing to be resized, they are simply programmed into a recipe that is selected from the operator panel. The capper can handle a great variety of caps, including child resistant caps and tamper lock collars.

The company has been demonstrating to customers how easily a mechanic with no servo skills can prepare a new recipe from the operator panel.

Exceptional range of components and sizes

The servo spindle provides a “huge difference” in controlling the vertical axis of each capping head. A full 8 inches of automated spindle travel allows NEM to handle a very wide range of container shapes and sizes, as well as dip tube insertion.

With a mechanical cam, dropping a dip tube into a container impacts throughput, but the servo drives the tube into position under positive control to optimize the capping process.

Before servo spindles, a change in bottle height required mechanical adjustment of the cap chute and extensive change parts for the star wheel system. With servo, all heights remain fixed because capping head height is automatically adjusted. A minimum number of change parts are all quick-connect designs.

More throughput from smaller machines

Bottom line: New England Machinery is achieving more throughput with fewer heads because spindle speed is so well controlled that the turret can be run faster. Likewise, accurate capping torques are achieved faster, contributing to increased speed. In some cases, a 6-head capper is achieving the same performance as a conventional 8-head machine. Not only is the footprint smaller, but NEM is also shrinking headspace.

Future is bright for servo capping

There are more servos in the future for New England Machinery. Soon, the helix, star wheels and main drive will all be servo controlled. And with ELAU’s Intelligent Servo Modules, those servos can be readily added with minimal cabling and without increasing size of electrical cabinets.

About New England Machinery

NEM is the world's leading designer and manufacturer of both standard and custom engineered packaging machinery, including unscrambling, capping, orienting and transferring systems. New England Machinery has helped major packaging companies around the globe with their innovative designs and total customer service.

For more information, visit www.neminc.com or email This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it .

About ELAU

ELAU equips over $1 billion worth of packaging machines annually, with over 35,000 PacDrive systems already deployed in packaging machinery worldwide. PacDrive is the first truly integrated automation architecture, capable of performing the functions of PLC, motion control, robotics, temperature control, PLS, MES data interface and more in a single, standards-based software environment.

For more information, visit www.packagingautomation.com, www.elau.com or email This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it .

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