SOP for Bottle Sealing Machine

Standard operating procedure of Bottle Sealing Machine.

1.0 OBJECTIVE:

To outline the Operating Procedure of Bottle Sealing Machine used for induction sealing and heat sealing of bottles after the capping stage.

2.0 SCOPE:

This Procedure applies to the Operating Procedure of Bottle Sealing Machine in the packaging area of the production department.

3.0 RESPONSIBILITY:

Packaging Operator & Shift Supervisor.

4.0 ACCOUNTABILITY:

Packaging Manager.

5.0 PROCEDURE:

5.1 Examine the packing area and the sealing unit. Ensure that the “CLEANED” tag is displayed on the machine prior to any work.

5.2 Record the start up details in the Equipment Usage Log. Note the operator, the shift, the date, and the start time.

5.3 Detach the “CLEANED” tag and mount the “UNDER PROCESS” tag on the machine.

5.4 Obtain the Line Clearance form from In Process Quality Assurance. Do not start work until this form is signed and dated.

5.5 Safety Cautions:

5.5.1 The sealing head reaches high temperatures during normal work. Never touch the head or the coil while the unit is powered on.

5.5.2 Electromagnetic induction units emit a strong magnetic field near the coil. Anyone with a pacemaker or metal implant must not operate or stand near the machine.

5.5.3 Keep metal tools, watches, and jewelry out of the sealing zone. These items can heat up fast and cause burns.

5.5.4 Do not override the thermal cut off. This device shuts the head down if the coil runs too hot for too long.

5.5.5 Turn off the mains and wait five minutes before any contact with the coil. The coil holds residual heat even after shutdown.

5.5.6 Do not attempt to clean the sealing head with water or damp cloths. Use only dry lint free wipes made for electronic parts.

5.5.7 Keep the work area dry at all times. Water near the induction unit can cause short circuits.

5.5.8 Operators must wear heat resistant gloves, safety glasses, a lab coat, and ear plugs during the run. The ear plugs protect against the cooling fan noise.

5.5.9 Perform the following safety verifications every week:

5.5.9.1 Test the main disconnect switch. All power indicators must go dark when the switch is off.

5.5.9.2 Trigger the e-stop and verify that the head drops to zero power instantly.

5.5.9.3 Check the earth continuity on the frame with a bond tester. The reading must fall below 0.1 ohm.

5.5.9.4 Confirm that the interlock on the safety shroud stops the coil when the shroud is lifted.

5.5.9.5 Sign and date the Safety Verification Log for each check completed.

5.6 Machine Build Up:

5.6.1 Infeed Conveyor and Bottle Spacer:

5.6.1.1 The infeed conveyor carries capped bottles from the filling line to the sealing station. The belt surface must be smooth and free of oil or spilled product.

5.6.1.2 Set the conveyor speed to deliver one bottle at a time under the sealing head. A rate of 30 to 60 bottles per minute suits most bottle sizes.

5.6.1.3 Fit the bottle spacer at the inlet of the sealing zone. The spacer pushes each bottle apart so the head seals one bottle per cycle.

5.6.1.4 Confirm that the spacer gap matches the outer diameter of your bottle. Too wide a gap lets two bottles pass together.

5.6.1.5 Watch the infeed during the run. Bottles should reach the sealing head without tipping or touching each other.

5.6.2 Sealing Head and Coil:

5.6.2.1 The sealing head holds a copper induction coil. When powered, the coil generates a magnetic field that heats the foil liner inside the cap.

5.6.2.2 Adjust the head height so the coil sits 3 to 6 mm above the cap. A wider gap weakens the seal. A closer gap risks contact and damage to the head.

5.6.2.3 Center the head over the conveyor line. Each bottle must pass directly under the coil with no offset to either side.

5.6.2.4 Inspect the coil surface for burns, cracks, or wear. A damaged coil gives uneven heating and weak seals.

5.6.2.5 The power setting on the head controls the strength of the magnetic field. Set this value based on the foil type and cap size listed in your batch record.

5.6.3 Cooling System:

5.6.3.1 The coil and the power module both need active cooling. Two separate loops handle this task: one air loop and one water loop.

5.6.3.2 Check the water level in the chiller reservoir before start up. Low water triggers a fault and blocks the run.

5.6.3.3 Confirm that the chiller set point sits at 15 to 20°C. Warmer water fails to cool the coil during long runs.

5.6.3.4 Listen to the cooling fans at start up. A rattle or grinding sound points to a failing bearing.

5.6.3.5 Clean the chiller filter on a monthly basis. A clogged filter drops flow and overheats the coil.

5.6.4 Seal Detector and Reject Arm:

5.6.4.1 A seal detector sits just past the sealing head. The detector uses a capacitive sensor to confirm that each bottle has a complete foil seal.

5.6.4.2 Teach the detector with a known good bottle before the run starts. This sets the baseline reading for a passing seal.

5.6.4.3 The reject arm engages when the detector flags a bad seal. The arm pushes the failed bottle into a side channel and away from the good line.

5.6.4.4 Test the reject arm with a dummy bottle that has no foil liner. The arm must push this bottle off the line on the first pass.

5.6.4.5 Inspect the reject chute for jams at the start of each shift. A blocked chute stops the arm and halts the full line.

5.7 Induction Sealing Process:

5.7.1 Induction sealing works by heating the aluminum foil liner bonded inside the cap. The heat melts a polymer layer that then bonds to the bottle neck for an airtight seal.

5.7.2 The foil liner must match the cap and bottle material. Glass bottles need a different liner than plastic bottles.

5.7.3 Each bottle must pass under the head at the correct speed. Too fast gives no seal. Too slow can scorch the liner and weaken the bond.

5.7.4 Dwell time under the head depends on the foil thickness. A standard foil needs 0.3 to 0.8 seconds of exposure to reach seal temperature.

5.7.5 Run a seal test on the first 10 bottles of each batch. Peel the foil back with a blunt blade. A good seal shows a full ring of polymer bonded to the bottle neck.

5.7.6 Perform a vacuum test on one bottle per hour. Place the bottle upside down in a water bath under vacuum. No bubbles should rise from the cap area.

5.7.7 Document all seal test results in the batch record. Any failure triggers a hold on the affected bottles.

5.8 Heat Sealing Mode:

5.8.1 The machine also supports direct heat sealing for foil pouches, laminate closures mounted on the bottle neck, and ROPP style metal caps that need a sealing press.

5.8.2 Switch to Heat Seal mode on the HMI. This changes the head from induction to a contact heat plate.

5.8.3 The heat plate presses directly onto the seal material for a set time. Typical settings use 150 to 180°C for 1 to 2 seconds.

5.8.4 Confirm that the plate temperature stabilizes before the run starts. A cold plate gives weak seals on the first bottles.

5.8.5 Inspect each bottle after the heat seal step. The seal should show a clean uniform edge with no burn marks or wrinkles.

5.8.6 Replace the plate surface if it shows wear or residue build up. A worn plate transfers heat unevenly and causes seal defects.

5.8.7 Heat seal runs produce some fumes from the seal material. Check that the extractor hood above the station is active before you start.

5.9 HMI Interface:

5.9.1 Power up the control panel with the main key switch and the secondary enable button.

5.9.2 The HMI main view shows six navigation buttons: Dashboard, Profile, Run, Diagnostic, History, and Settings.

5.9.3 The Dashboard gives a live summary of machine state. It shows head power draw, coil temperature, chiller status, and the live seal count.

5.9.4 The Profile screen stores up to 50 sealing recipes. Users can load, copy, edit, or archive a profile from this screen.

5.9.5 The Run screen holds the production controls. Start, Stop, Hold, and Single Cycle are the four main keys on this screen.

5.9.6 The Diagnostic screen flags active faults along with help text for each fault code. Always read the help text before you clear a fault.

5.9.7 The History screen keeps the last 30 days of run data. Select a date to view the shift output, fault events, and seal pass rate for that day.

5.9.8 The Settings screen holds user level controls like time zone, units, and language. Only the plant engineer has full write access here.

5.9.9 Alarms appear as a flashing red bar at the top of the screen. The bar holds the fault code, the time, and a short description.

5.9.10 Log off the HMI at shift end. A locked HMI protects the settings from unwanted changes during shift change.

5.10 Running the Machine:

5.10.1 Confirm the control panel is powered up and the HMI is logged in under your user ID.

5.10.2 Open the Profile screen and choose the sealing profile for your batch. Each profile stores the head power, dwell time, conveyor speed, and detector threshold for one product.

5.10.3 Validate each profile value against the signed batch packaging record. Any mismatch requires a call to QA before the run starts.

5.10.4 Wait for the cooling loop to reach its set temperature. A green status light on the chiller panel confirms ready state.

5.10.5 Place a trial bottle under the head and trigger a Single Cycle from the Run screen. Inspect the seal by hand to confirm proper setup before full production.

5.10.6 Press the Start button on the Run screen. The conveyor will engage and bottles will feed through the sealing zone.

5.10.7 Monitor the first 30 bottles at the outfeed. Check the seal quality, the cap alignment, and the appearance of the foil edge.

5.10.8 The Dashboard displays the cycle count, the seal pass rate, and the machine uptime in real time. Keep an eye on the pass rate during the run.

5.10.9 Any sharp drop in pass rate signals a process drift. Press Hold on the Run screen, test a trial bottle, and adjust the power setting if needed.

5.11 Defect Sorting:

5.11.1 Bottles that fail the seal detector drop into the reject tray. Sort these bottles within 15 minutes of rejection to reduce rework delay.

5.11.2 The common defect types are:

5.11.2.1 Partial seal – foil bonded on one side only.

5.11.2.2 No seal – foil liner missing or not bonded at all.

5.11.2.3 Burn through – hole in the foil from too much power.

5.11.2.4 Misaligned cap – cap tilted or cross threaded before sealing.

5.11.3 Partial seal and no seal bottles can often go back through the machine. Loosen the cap, check the liner, and send the bottle through the line again.

5.11.4 Burn through bottles must be discarded. The foil liner is damaged beyond repair and cannot be sealed a second time.

5.11.5 Misaligned caps need rework at the capping station. Do not force a new seal over a bad cap.

5.11.6 Log each defect type with a count in the Reject Register. Trends in defect types help the engineering team fix root causes.

5.12 Closing Steps:

5.12.1 Press Stop on the Run screen and let the line clear before any other action.

5.12.2 Power down the sealing head. Leave the chiller running for 10 more minutes to cool the coil fully.

5.12.3 Shut off the chiller and the air supply once cooling is complete.

5.12.4 Turn the key switch on the main panel to OFF. Lock out the panel if the machine will sit idle for more than one shift.

5.12.5 Attach the “TO BE CLEANED” label to the machine body.

5.12.6 Clean the Bottle Sealing Machine as per the defined cleaning SOP.

5.13 RECORDS:

5.13.1 Equipment Usage Log.

5.13.2 Batch Packaging Record.

5.13.3 Seal Test Log.

5.13.4 Safety Verification Log.

5.13.5 Reject Register.

5.13.6 Cleaning Record.

6.0 ABBREVIATIONS:

6.1 SOP: Standard Operating Procedure.

6.2 HMI: Human Machine Interface.

6.3 QA: Quality Assurance.

6.4 IPQA: In Process Quality Assurance.

6.5 PPE: Personal Protective Equipment.

6.6 ROPP: Roll On Pilfer Proof.

6.7 BPR: Batch Packaging Record.