A modular filling line for cosmetics Compact and precise MODULAR FILLING LINE FOR COSMETICS COMPACT AND PRECISE

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1 1 MODULAR FILLING LINE FOR COSMETICS COMPACT AND PRECISE

2 2 Synopsis This article introduces a modular, compact line concept for cosmetic bottle filling. Performance features include a robot-supported gravimetric dosing system with a low filling error, a 50 percent smaller footprint, a puck-less line layout without conventional feed sections, as well as accumulation and gating devices. This paper highlights the underlying technology and system functionality, while providing an initial overview of new and highly innovative options for flexibility and dosing precision. The reader will learn what materials can be processed and in which areas of application this state-of-the-art technology may be used.

3 3 A MODULAR FILLING LINE FOR COSMETICS COMPACT AND PRECISE Large, loud machines fill fine cosmetics into bottles. An interesting contrast perhaps, but in the end it doesn t add to the costs. The large footprint of these conventional filling lines does however. Noise protection for employees also has its price. Moreover, the search for new concepts is driven by the low-level flexibility of many existing machines and the lack of efficiency in dosing systems. The time is ripe for a filling process that delivers significantly more digital intelligence. The standard solutions The extreme noise level experienced with conventional lines is a result of the feed system used for filling the containers a feed system that uses plastic pucks or carriers. During the queuing process, the carriers collide with each other, creating a non-stop clacking noise. For a system of average performance, several hundred pucks are in circulation, and the system required for this purpose takes up a considerable amount of floor space. This space is further increased when the line links individual process steps with accumulation and indexing devices. In practice, many cosmetic filling lines come with large space requirements. Hard-working mechanical systems There is another aspect that comes into play: a feed system with pucks and interfaces with mechanical equipment lead to a real lack of flexibility. Some accumulation conveyors and indexing devices can be converted more quickly and some less so, depending on the mechanics involved. In any case, their synchronization needs to be carefully tuned, or problems inevitably arise when the line is started up again. Depending on the product and the competitive situation, a filling line such as this can be enough to generate a positive return. However, the number of manufacturers who are unable to achieve an acceptable productivity level for their portfolio with this standard is growing as is the pressure to take action. Insufficient productivity tends to become even less profitable over time due to both market demand for flexibility and cost pressures. Volumetric dosing: a source of error The same applies to the dosing method. For many lines in the medium- to high-performance range, the volumetric process is used as standard. Although the technology is relatively inexpensive to acquire, the manufacturer has to be prepared to live with the limitations in terms of achievable accuracy. Dosing inaccuracies are basically related to the measurement method used. The volumetric process determines the filled quantity using volume measurement. If there are bubbles or turbulence in the liquid, the apparent volume falsely indicates that there is more liquid than there actually is, and this leads to inaccurate dosing. Unwanted topping up Industrial filling lines work with self-priming pistons which draw liquid into the stroke space and then expel it using the displacement principle. The piston stroke and cylinder diameter determine the filling volume, and unfortunately, air inclusions cannot be ruled out either. Since the individual pistons of multi-head dosing systems operate together, the regulation of an individual filling station s dosing quantity is either not possible or it comes at considerable expense.

4 4 To comply with fill quantity tolerances required by law, the manufacturer must therefore top up the product after filling. Especially when high-value cosmetics are involved, the cost implications can be considerable. Time-consuming cleaning Depending on the product and cleaning specifications, cleaning conventional filling systems utilizing pistondosing can be very time-consuming. Some of these systems even need to be almost entirely disassembled prior to cleaning. As a result, line efficiency drops dramatically, with the filling line spending too much time at a standstill. Where do we go from here? It s time for a new solution Instead of measuring volume, it would make sense to measure liquid quantity according to weight. This well-known method is called gravimetric dosing. The requirements for a cosmetic filling line with greater efficiency and productivity should therefore include: A gravimetric dosing system A compact line A conveyance device without pucks Extensive container flexibility (size and shape) Quick format conversion and cleaning Gerhard Schubert GmbH in Crailsheim, Germany has developed such a filling line and introduced it to the market. However, it doesn t involve a single filling line or even different versions of one. Following a modular principle, the company builds robot-supported packaging lines using seven standardized system components. What this means is that Schubert can fully customize a filling line s layout and scope of functionality. Schubert calls these lines TLM packing lines or Top-Loading Machines. All functions under a single roof A modular TLM filling line can include any number of sub-machines, and depending on the required capacity, it can be outfitted with one or more dosing units. On request, the TLM filling line can integrate all the customer s packaging steps all the way through to the pallet. Possible functions include: Separating and feeding containers Separating and feeding all required closure elements Filling containers Labeling/marking Cartoning / Casepacking (shelf-ready, shipping carton, etc.) Palletizing Each TLM line includes intelligent, rail-based transport robots referred to as Transmoduls. In a TLM filling line, these transport robots not only render puckbased conveyor devices obsolete, but they also enable gravimetric filling, as shown below. A TLM filling system integrates all sub-functions into a single compact line. The line illustrated here comprises eight sub-machines.

5 5 An introduction to the new digital filling technology To demonstrate how TLM filling technology works, an example featuring a line filling the current bottle size with product will be used. Two closure elements a stopper and a cap will be applied. The containers are fed from a hopper bin to a wide product belt in several lanes. When the separated bottles reach the next station, scanners detect their location and orientation. Four-axis TLM-F4 robots pick up the bottles and place them on waiting Transmoduls. The Transmoduls carry size plates with corresponding carrier pockets for the bottles. A TLM-F4 robot positions caps on the Transmodul s format plate. Gravimetric filling A tank with the respective product is located above the machine in the filling station. A TLM-F2 robot carries a tool with filling needles connected to the tank with hoses. As soon as a Transmodul reaches the intended position below the robot, the filling process begins. A vision scanner detects incoming PET bottles. A TLM-F4 robot picks up the bottles and places them in format parts fixed atop a Transmodul When a Transmodul has received the intended number of bottles, it moves on and connects to a group of transport robots. This group moves continuously through downstream sub-machines, where further robots equip the size plates with the corresponding number of stoppers and caps to match the number of bottles. A TLM-F2 robot (marked in yellow here) carries a tool with filling needles connected to the main product tank with hoses. Brackets connected to individual load cells determine the filling weight of individual bottles on the Transmodul. The robot pulls the filling needles back as the level rises. Each filling position is regulated individually. This means that once the bottle has reached the desired filling weight, the respective valve closes. Through the use of robot technology, filling can be carried out both above and below the surface of the liquid.

6 6 For gravimetric dosing, the filling weight of the bottles must be measured and monitored. For this purpose, scale brackets (i.e. positioning motors with a load cell) lift individual bottles off of the Transmodul together with their individual carriers. Then the bottles are tared, which renders manufacturing-related tolerances in the weight of the carriers irrelevant. Angle-precise closure Once the bottle is capped, the TLM-F2 robot places it on the discharge belt. During the filling process, the filling needles are moved upward depending on the product (above-surface or below-surface). When the filling process begins, the TLM-F2 robot lowers the filling needles into the bottles. The valves open and the product flows into the bottles as a result of pressure in the tank. At the same time, the robot pulls the filling needles back as the filling level rises. Through the use of robot technology, filling both above and below the surface can be achieved. As the dosing cycle comes to an end, the filling process is slowed down for fine dosing. For this purpose, small positioning motors can be continuously adjusted and therefore optimally programmed for the respective product to be filled. This technology enables a wide variety of different media to be dosed with a single filling needle. Each filling position is regulated individually: once the bottle has reached the desired filling weight, the respective valve closes. When the filling process is complete, the Transmodul moves to the next sub-machine where closure elements are positioned. A TLM-F2 robot first puts the stoppers in place. Another TLM-F2 robot screws on the caps. Schubert can program torque freely to ensure angle-precise closure. For the highly discerning packaging of high-value cosmetics, this capability is one of the line s top quality features. Intelligent transport robots After a robot has removed the closed bottles for cartoning from the Transmodul, the now emptied Transmodul moves to the end of the rail section where a turning unit rotates the Transmodul by 180 upside down. The Transmodul transport robot then returns to the beginning of the line while suspended underneath the main track A TLM filling line therefore requires neither pucks nor a space-wasting feed system. The filling process is handled without accumulation conveyors or indexing devices. All functions are carried out while the containers are positively controlled on the Transmodul transport robot. Once the bottles are placed on the Transmodul by the four-axis robot, they are not removed again until the cartoning process.

7 7 Using the patented Transmodul makes the line considerably more compact as well. Compared to conventional filling lines, the actual space saved is about 50 percent. Individual functions run with minimal mechanical components, or even better, none at all. In the time it takes to begin adjusting components on a conventional line, you ll have already selected a different program on the control panel with Schubert technology. In the case of a TLM filling line, the actual format parts are limited to the robot tools and the Transmodul size plates. Video of a TLM-bottling machine: This opens up attractive possibilities to handle a wide variety of formats. Whether a bottle is round, angular, asymmetrical or oval and whether it holds 100 ml or 1,000 ml is irrelevant thanks to the clever use of robot technology. Schubert even provides solutions for head-standing bottles (tottles) and can set up lines for glass or plastic. Cleanliness without disassembly The TLM line provides an automatic clean-in-place program (CIP). Components of the filling system do not need to be removed and disassembled in order to clean the line or change the product. The TLM-F2 lowers the filling needles into cleaning troughs, making it easy to remove product buildup. A spray ball in the main product tank releases a cleaning fluid for the entire CIP program. With the valves open, the cleaning agent or rinse water runs through all the filling unit components. Flexibility and quick size changes A TLM line can fill low-viscosity products such as toners, as well as shampoos and high-viscosity shower gels and rich creams. The manufacturer can therefore fill bottles with a wide variety of different products using a single TLM line. With efficiencies of over 95 percent, flexibility pays for itself in no time. Reduce overfilling, save costs Having described the dosing process, here are some performance data. By using gravimetric dosing for cosmetics, Schubert achieves a filling error rate less than 0.2 percent across all filling positions. With the CIP program, the manufacturer can convert the line for a new product in about 30 minutes, depending on the product to be filled. How flexible is the system in terms of containers? Company founder Gerhard Schubert s guiding principle, which the TLM technology implements through to the last detail, comes to life here: For maximum flexibility, combine intelligent software with reduced mechanical components. The filling performance per minute depends on the line equipment. In late 2013, one large German cosmetic manufacturer began production with a TLM filling line featuring eight sub-machines, where two filling stations fill up to 120 bottles per minute. For extremely viscous cosmetics, it fills around 100 bottles per minute. The filling error for this brand-name company s various cosmetics lies between 0.05 and 0.15 percent.

8 8 This customer also noted that compared to the previous solution, the TLM line reduced the time required for cleaning by about 30 percent. In fact, the company reduced its annual consumption of cleaning fluid by 800 kg and its water consumption by 150,000 liters. The TLM filling line: an all-new level of performance for filling cosmetics High overall efficiency Gerhard Schubert GmbH Gerhard Schubert GmbH is a medium-sized family business, currently employing 1,050 people worldwide. Schubert builds highly flexible packaging and filling machines, plus thermoforming, filling and closing machines for products of any type from a variety of industries. Packaging any product is easy and manageable using TLM lines from Schubert. The abbreviation TLM stands for Top-Loading Machine. Schubert also provides a comprehensive service program for its TLM packaging machine systems. One operator interface for all sub-functions Space savings of close to 50 percent Filling error less than 0.2 percent (depending on product and bottle size) Wide variety of bottle shapes and closure types Format changeover: twice as fast as with conventional systems Contact Author Werner Schäfauer / Sales w.schaefauer@gerhard-schubert.de Gerhard Schubert GmbH Verpackungsmaschinen Industriegebiet Südost, Germany Hofäckerstraße 7, Crailsheim Phone +49 (0)79 51/ Easy, fast cleaning (CIP) Gentle handling preserves bottle quality No pucks, low-noise