This is EXPAK CP5004 K Cup filling production line; it consists of a screw lifter conveyor for auto coffee reloading, the main K Cup filling and sealing machine, a conveyor belt for delivering the finished pod to the next station, a stand-alone check weigher, and a simple solution as flip-flop diverter for auto bulk packaging. And other parts, such as the auger.
Beryllium copper sealer head, centrifugal head for chocolate, instant powder dosing.
Loading Cup
Horizontal Loading empty kcups, this is a 2.5m length of cup platform for kcups stack, with four detectors for inspecting the number of kcups. The detector is linked to an alarm system as a broadcast. When the cup is lower than this level, it will tell the actual sound, as please load cups to tell the operator to reload more cups for a continuous production run. The operator can review any faults on the interface and record them in real time.
The horizontal loading cup grabs one row of kcup and is placed into a tray of conveyor plates.
As you can see above the plate, there is one set of four detectors to check if kcups are in the tray; if they aren't loaded successfully, the filler station won't work on that lane, but it doesn't affect remain three lanes due to they are controlled separately.
And foreign detector to make sure nothing is on the conveyor plate before the coffee is filled.
We updated the new function to clean the conveyor plate; follow with me, please; four brushes to spin and clean the coffee remaining on a tray; when the plate is forward one time, the brush will insert one time to clean while the air blower blows one time to remove coffee and dust.
It keeps clean to production and product.
Doser/Filler
First, I recommend our screw lifter conveyor as an auto coffee reloading conveyor.
It is a mechanical way to use a screw inside a big pipe to lift the coffee and then into the filling machine hopper; you can see it has a bigger tank, but as it is a mechanical drive, it guarantees better coffee quality and keeps more aroma. The signal connection between the screw conveyor and the filling machine allows the conveyor to automatically keep delivering coffee to the machine hopper when the coffee level sensor detects that the coffee is below the recommended level line.
NOTICE: Recommended for espresso coffee as coffee is fine grinding, so by vacuum conveyor will lose more good aroma. At the same time, this screw system will keep the nice smell aroma of coffee to make a good coffee capsule.
Auger filler station: Four augers as volumetric dosing unit, driven by Schneider servo motor control the auger rotates; coffee is filled into the cup by auger rotates and compressed filler head. Compressed filler head to ensure cup full of coffee and no more coffee granule spills over the rim. The drill will have a limited length and can be easily disassembled for cleaning. Same as a hopper if you need to clean it.
Why we choose to serve motor to control auger spins to fill coffee:
Servo motor with brushless is better than stepper motors in coffee capsule production yield:
1 Better filling accuracy
2 Non-professional technology to maintain and don't need to replace the brush.
What's more, made a formula function so that operator can easily change any target weights on the touch panel. It automatically calculates the setting accordingly and outputs a volume that the servo motor system can recognize and work.
Nitrogen system
A significant part of fragrant coffee is the inert injection system; we build inject this stagnant air, such as Nitrogen gas or carbon dioxide, from the cup, loaded, filling station, and lid station until sealed. We made this a long and complete nitrogen gas environment to reduce the oxygen eating up the coffee.
Moreover, we also put a nitrogen injection port to the coffee material hopper, so
Protection gas like nitrogen could easily enter the hopper, reducing oxidation reaction to keep a good aroma as much as possible.
Tamper and Cleaner
The tamper station could make the filled kcup of coffee flat and uniform meanwhile vacuum cleaner removes the dust left around the cup edge to guarantee for sealing process.
Place Lid and then Lid Detection
There is a claw and rod, and the claw and the rod work together to drive the suction cup to grab the foil lid and place it on the cup; a specifically manufactured tray would fix the lid. This method can make the lid on the center not off.
The foil lid detector checks the amount of lid stacker. Broadcast voices the operator when the lid is lower than the sensor line," please reload the foil lid."
Double Heat Seal (seal by two steps for better sealing)
We apply twice heat seal stations to eliminate the unqualified product. And curve seal is recommended when it comes to a secondary heat seal.
We recommend a curve seal: The curve seal is stronger by making a circle that presses the lid melted into the cup's plastic material. While the aluminum film is sealed, it is engraved into a circle of a dent on the cover to ensure this seal is closed completely.
Especially in a single heat seal station, we admit visual of the flat seal will be nicer. However, it is recommended to use a stronger seal, which is a curved ring seal.
Stand-alone Check weigher
Check every capsule, and the customer can set a weight range; for example, the finished K Cup between 13.5g-14g is good capsules, and the machine will pass the good capsules to the next packaging. And automatically refuse all other bad capsules (less than 13.5 grams or over 14g); bad capsules will not be put on the belt but dropped into the Built-in trash bin of the machine.
A simple solution for auto bulk packaging: Flip-Flop Diverter
The flip-flop diverter is EXPAK patented; we provide this simple solution for bulk packaging, like 50pcs in one box or 100ct or any quantities in one box.
The operator sets a number on the touch controller, and there is a sensor counter and diverter; when the counter recognizes the number you set, the diverter will automatically turn to the other side and restart the count. Work in a cycle, so you place two boxes below this diverter.
The below functions are optional on this filling machine.
1. Centrifugal Filling System
Most capsules use a compressed filling system. But for some certain products such as chocolate powder, instant powder, and cut tea leaf, the centrifugal filling system can be effectively completed, especially the unique design of the filling head makes it not leak when the powder is filled, causing the edge of the cup and the mold plate to be dirty. While the compressed type filler cannot avoid the leakage problem when it should not be filling, material escape from the compressed type filler still.
2. Online Flavor Pump Dose System
It is a simple and highly cost-effective solution to help you drop precise flavor liquid (small drops like 0.05ml in each capsule) into every capsule online, usually after the coffee is filled (or before); this could replace the old mixing flavor powder tank with coffee. You don't need to wash and worry about flavor cross-contamination because you need to change each syrup hose/pipe when you produce different flavored coffee.
3. Online Remote Control
With an internet connection (WIFI or CABLE port), customers at any place, anywhere, as long as the internet is connected, can help customers a lot:
1 Real-time support without delay
2 Remote diagnose problems
3 Program upgrades online to reach customized or new functions
4 Machine running condition and regular maintenance remind
EXPAK suggests the Cable type, which is more stable.
4. Voice Speaker Alarm System
To better tell the operator of what is happening with the machine, EXPAK provides this optional function with a real voice speaking to remind the operator, such as:
Please reload the coffee; please reload cups, etc. So the operator doesn't need to wait by the machine all the time to observe the situation every moment. And no need to ask the special operator what is wrong, but they can understand what is needed as the machine is telling real words.
Publication Date: 12/5/2022
Category: Product Events
