Zalkin Custom Development

Roll-on Aluminum Closures For Aluminum Bottles

When the carbonated soft drink and beer industries saw an opportunity for aluminum beverage bottles, they faced two significant challenges…

• What cap do you put on this new container?
• How do you apply it at high speeds?

No existing closure or capping systems were suitable, so the industry turned to Zalkin for a solution.

Zalkin’s product development team collaborated with engineering and operations teams from two customers, one from the beer industry and one from the carbonated soft drink industry, to define specifications and requirements and to ultimately define, design, test, qualify and implement the selected solutions.

Based on this intensive collaborative process, the teams determined that a new version of roll-on capping technology for aluminum closures like those used with glass wine bottles would be the most effective solution.

The biggest challenges related to adapting Zalkin’s proven roll-on capping technology to this new application were:

1. applying a roll-on aluminum closure without damaging the aluminum bottle,
2. effectively sealing the aluminum closure to smaller, more shallow neck threads than those found on glass bottles, and
3. creating a closure and application process that would survive the pasteurization process

Zalkin and the customer teams overcame these challenges by adapting current ROPP technologies to the new application and developing an entirely new cam profile concept that proved to be one of the keys to success. The entire process required multiple iterations and prototyped concepts, and collaboration with the customer teams was essential to the eventual success of the process.

The result is that leading beer and carbonated soft drink brands have very successful aluminum bottle production lines and that Zalkin is the recognized industry leader for aluminum bottle capping systems.

We welcome the opportunity to collaborate with you on your challenging capping application.

Torque-On Pilfer Proof (TOPP) Caps (Screw-on + Roll-on)

The wine market is extremely competitive, and vintners and their packaging suppliers are always pursuing new and innovative approaches for adding value to their brands.

Several wine closure manufacturers developed and introduced a new hybrid closure that incorporated the premium image of a cork closure with the twist-off & on convenience and tamper evidence security of a roll-on closure.

Initially this closure required a separate and distinct application process with two capping heads. The first capping head used screw-on pick and place technology to apply the closure and the second head used roll-on technology to create the tamper evident feature on the closure skirt. These two individual operations were performed on separate capping turrets.

Zalkin supplied two-head systems to the industry but customers expressed a strong desire for a simpler, less costly single-head solution.

Zalkin began collaborating with wineries and closure manufacturers to develop, test and implement a dual function, or hybrid system that could complete the screw-on and roll-on process steps with a single capping head.

Zalkin’s innovative solution was introduced in a two-phase process that was focused on the principles of continuous improvement.

In Phase I, Zalkin successfully developed and qualified a single head solution (VS150) for new rotary capping turrets and new free-standing capping systems.

This development was well received by the market but many wineries with an installed base of Zalkin capping systems were keen to add this capability to their current equipment.

In Phase II, Zalkin addressed this need with second generation screw-on + roll-on solutions that were compatible with existing roll-on capping turrets and cappers. The result was the VS110 capping head. This new capping head featured dual function capabilities and a relatively small diameter which made it easy to adapt to a high percentage of the market’s installed base of capping systems.

As a result of this development effort wineries now have cost effective, fast changeover capabilities that allow them to run ROPP and TOPP closures with a simple capping head changeover.

And Zalkin strengthened its reputation as a recognized leader in the wine industry.

We welcome the opportunity to collaborate with you on your challenging capping application.

High Speed Body Spray Pump Capping With Explosion-Proof Security

Popular body spray products containing alcohol require explosion proof capping systems.

Leading body spray brands and their co-packers require high speed insert + close capping systems capable of inserting dip tubes and applying closures at steady-state production speeds up to 300 cpm.

One leading brand presented a complex requirement of applying three distinctly different closures per container with explosion proof security and steady-state production speeds of 300 cpm.

Zalkin collaborated with this customer to develop, test and launch a three capping turret system that included:

• a specially designed orienter that feeds pumps with attached dip tubes to the first capping station which inserts and applies the dip tube pumps in an explosion proof environment,
• a specially designed orienter that feeds a decorative collar to the second capping station which applies the collar in an explosion proof environment, and
• a specially designed orienter that feeds an overcap to the third capping station which applies the overcap downstream from the explosion-proof zone.

The results of this collaborative effort are satisfied customers and repeat orders for Zalkin.

Zalkin also strengthened its reputation as a recognized industry leader in providing solutions for challenging capping applications.