Today, Guangzhou Tongyang shares how to choose the right specification of a round bottle labeling machine?

When choosing the appropriate specification of a round bottle labeling machine, multiple factors such as product characteristics, production requirements, labeling accuracy, efficiency and budget should be comprehensively considered. The following are the specific selection points and suggestions:

1. Clearly define the product features and labeling requirements

Bottle specifications (Key parameters)

Diameter range: It needs to match the minimum/maximum diameter of the round bottle supported by the labeling machine (e.g., 10mm to 100mm).

For small-diameter oral liquid bottles (with a diameter of 10-20mm), it is necessary to choose a model that is suitable for small diameters. Large-sized beverage bottles (with a diameter greater than 50mm) require equipment with wide conveyor belts and large turntables.

Height range: The height of the bottle will affect the labeling position (such as the middle of the bottle, the neck of the bottle or the bottom of the bottle). It is necessary to confirm whether the equipment supports adjusting the labeling height (e.g., 50mm to 300mm).

Material and shape: Material: Glass, plastic (PET/PE), metal, etc. The surface flatness is different. It is necessary to confirm the adaptability of the labeling machine to the material (for example, plastic bottles are prone to deformation, so a flexible labeling head is needed to avoid squeezing).

Shape: Pure cylindrical, conical bottle (thinner at the top and thicker at the bottom) or irregular bottle (elliptical/flat-round). The corresponding function model should be selected (for example, conical bottles need to be equipped with conical positioning devices).

Label specification

Size: The width and length of the label should match the width of the label head and the accuracy of the sensor of the labeling machine (for example, the width of the label head should be ≥ the width of the label + 5mm).

Material: Paper, plastic (PVC/PE), metal foil, etc. The adhesion and ductility of labels are different. It is necessary to confirm whether the equipment supports them (for example, metal foil labels require a higher labeling pressure).

Type: Single label (1 sheet per bottle), double label (2 sheets on both sides), neck label + body label combination. The model with the corresponding number of label stations should be selected (for double labels, double label heads or rotating label stations are required).

Ii. Production Efficiency and Degree of Automation

Capacity demand

Single-machine speed: Select the equipment based on the output per minute (for example, low-speed type: 20-50 bottles per minute; Medium-speed type: 50-150 bottles per minute; High-speed type: more than 150 bottles per minute.

For small factories with a daily output of less than 10,000 bottles, low-speed manual/semi-automatic models can be selected. Large-scale production lines require high-speed fully automatic models (for example, the beverage industry needs more than 200 bottles per minute).

Interactivity: When it needs to be connected with front-end and back-end equipment (such as filling machines, capping machines, and case packers), it is necessary to confirm whether the interface size and transmission speed of the labeling machine match (such as the height of the conveyor belt and the speed synchronization function).

Degree of automation

Manual/semi-automatic: Suitable for small-batch and multi-variety production, requiring manual bottle loading and parameter adjustment (such as in laboratories and small workshops).

Fully automatic: It features functions such as automatic bottle feeding, positioning, labeling, detection, and rejection, making it suitable for large-scale continuous production (such as in the pharmaceutical and food industries).

Intelligent flexible production: Supports rapid switching of product specifications (such as adjusting the position of the header and the width of the conveyor belt with one click), suitable for "customized" production scenarios with multiple varieties and small batches (such as different fragrance types of products in the daily chemical industry).

Iii. Labeling Accuracy and Quality Requirements

Precision requirement

Position error: In industries such as pharmaceuticals and electronics, the position error of labels is required to be ≤±1mm (for example, drugs need to be strictly aligned with the batch number area), and high-end models with servo motors and visual inspection should be selected. For the food and daily chemical industries, the width can be relaxed to ±2-3mm, and stepper motor models can be selected.

Flatness: To prevent the label from wrinkling or bubbling, it is necessary to confirm that the pressure of the labeling head is adjustable (such as the elastic sponge pressure wheel) and the label deviation correction function (such as the electric eye tracking the label edge).

Industry compliance

Pharmaceutical/food industry: It must comply with GMP, FDA and other standards. The equipment material should be 304 stainless steel or aluminum alloy, with an easy-to-clean surface and no dead corners (to avoid dust/bacteria residue).

Chemical/hazardous materials industry: Explosion-proof labeling machines (with explosion-proof motors and control systems) should be selected to adapt to corrosive environments (such as labeling pesticide bottles).

Iv. Equipment Performance and Reliability

Core component configuration

Motor type: Servo motor (high precision and fast speed, suitable for high-speed and high-precision scenarios) > Stepper motor (high cost performance, suitable for medium and low-speed scenarios) > Ordinary motor (only for manual equipment).

Sensors: Optical fiber sensor (for detecting transparent bottles), electric eye sensor (for detecting colored bottles), laser sensor (for high-precision positioning). The selection should be based on the material of the bottle.

Standard belt drive: Synchronous belt drive (stable and low noise) is superior to gear drive (suitable for heavy-duty scenarios).

Durability and maintenance

Material: The body frame is made of aluminum alloy or stainless steel (corrosion-resistant and vibration-resistant) to prevent deformation over long-term use.

Easy maintainability: Components such as the label head and conveyor belt should support quick disassembly and cleaning (such as the snap-fit design), and consumables should be easy to replace (such as one-click loading and unloading of the label reel).

V. Budget and After-sales Service

Cost control

Initial investment: Manual/semi-automatic models (10,000-50,000 yuan) < fully automatic standard models (50,000-200,000 yuan) < high-speed customized models (over 200,000 yuan).

Long-term costs: Consider the cost of consumables (labels, ribbons), energy consumption (models with lower power are more energy-efficient), and maintenance expenses (the repair cost of imported components is higher).

Supplier selection

Industry experience: Give priority to suppliers with mature cases in the target industry (for example, in the pharmaceutical industry, manufacturers with pharmaceutical machinery certification are required).

After-sales service: Confirm whether installation and commissioning, operation training, regular maintenance and emergency fault response (such as 24-hour on-site service) are provided.

Customization capability: If there are special requirements (such as irregular-shaped bottles, labeling in high-temperature environments), it is necessary to choose a manufacturer that supports non-standard customization.

Vi. Testing and Verification

Sample trial application: Provide actual bottles and labels to test the application effect (position accuracy, flatness, bubbles, etc.) and confirm whether it meets the requirements.

Simulated production capacity: Observe the continuous operation of the equipment at the supplier's site for more than 2 hours to test its stability (such as whether there are faults like paper jams or missed labels).

Guangzhou Tongyang Intelligent Equipment Co., Ltd. is located in Guangzhou City, specializing in the development and production of industrial automatic filling machines, capping machines, labeling machines, hot melt adhesive labeling machines, rotary labeling machines, and round bottle labeling machines. As well as the supporting equipment combined with automatic labeling on the production line and the related system integration project.

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