Problem & answerK-16
Caps Not Tightened Evenly by the Capping Wheels
Also covers: Four capping wheels each side not set correctly
Likely causes
- One or more of the four capping wheels set too wide (cap not gripped: loose caps)
- Wheels set too tight (caps over-tightened, scuffed or cracked; bottles stopped)
- Left-side and right-side wheels set differently
- Wheel rubber worn, glazed or dirty
- Blue belt grip (first and last dial adjusters) not set, so the bottle turns with the cap
How to fix it
- 1Stop the capper and segregate bottles since the last good torque check.
- 2Read the dial indicator on each wheel adjuster and compare with the recorded setting for this cap.
- 3Set all four wheels on each side so the gap closes progressively onto the cap: the wheels must grip and turn the cap without squeezing it.
- 4Set the left and right sides to match.
- 5Use the first and last dial adjusters to set the blue belt grip so the bottle cannot turn while the cap is tightened.
- 6Clean the wheels; replace worn or glazed wheels as a set.
- 7Run test bottles and torque-test 5 bottles (Section 6.12).
Technical note
Screw caps are tightened by four spinning wheels on each side while the blue belts hold the bottle still. Every wheel must be set correctly. One loose wheel gives loose caps; one tight wheel over-tightens or damages caps. Use the dial readings to set and record each position.It is fixed when
Torque within specification on 5 bottles; caps straight and unmarked.
Stop it coming back
- Record the dial readings for every cap and bottle combination.
- Check all wheels at start-up and after any adjustment.
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