NJM Packaging's new Unisort 32 bottle unscrambler is suitable for pharmaceutical and nutraceutical manufacturers, food processors and contract packers.
The stainless steel Unisort 32 orientates and feeds round, rectangular or square plastic bottles, from 38 to 190mm in height and 19 to 102mm in diameter. With a throughput of up to 160 bottles a minute, based on 100cc bottles, the Unisort 32 integrates seamlessly with NJM’s Cremer CF-622 tablet counter, as well as other machinery.
Featuring a vertical elevator, the new machine offers a compact footprint that is 267cm long and 142cm wide, including the infeed hopper, for easy installation in tight production areas.
NJM, with headquarters in Lebanon, NH in the US and in Montreal, Quebec in Canada, designed the Unisort 32 for fast and easy changeovers. Quick-reference dial indicators for repeatable set-up and finger-touch handwheels replace what had been a manual adjustment of heavy belts on previous models. Unlike other unscramblers that require the operator to clear bottles from the drawer prior to the next run, the Unisort 32 is fitted with an automatic bottle evacuation at the exit belt. This tool-less changeover, which requires only one segmented change part, can be accomplished in less than five minutes.
Three large, interlocking Lexan guard doors improve ergonomics by easing access to the feed hopper for loading bottles, to the sorter’s centrifugal bowl change part for fast changeovers and to the front of the machine for maintenance. The large, 425 litre hopper offers a run time of 15–30 minutes between reloading, depending on the bottle size. NJM can equip the machine with an optional low hopper level light. To further ease use, the counter-rotating sorter automatically clears jams and restarts the system, while the AC motors and simplified transmission keep maintenance to a minimum.
An Allen-Bradley MicroLogix 1100 programmable controller handles machine functions, and an Allen-Bradley PanelView C400 colour touchscreen presents a simple user interface.
Stainless steel construction, sanitary welds, an FDA-compliant polyurethane belt, sealed motors, the elimination of open air jets for bottle orientation and control and GMP design maximise hygiene.
An optional air and dust collection vacuum system further improves sanitation by removing loose particles inside the containers.
