Development of an automated capping system for foamed soap dispensing bottles

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Charlotte Products Ltd. is manufacturer of a broad range of cleaning chemical products for the consumer, dairy and institutional markets. One of their products is a liquid soap in a custom designed collapsible bottle on which a specialized cap is tightened to a high torque so that it cannot be unscrewed or tampered with. Due to the flimsy nature of bottles, adding the proper torque to the cap this is quite challenging. This project is aimed at development of an automated solution to this problem as a suitable commercial product in not available for this task. The approach to solve this problem will be to find an existing torque head and modify it to enable the application of high torque, followed by design and development of customized clamping and handing systems. One challenge will be finding a lining material to be used on the torque head so that the bottle and caps are not damaged. Viscoelastic properties and abrasion resistance of various materials will be studied to find compatible materials for the job from which the best one will be selected. The material study and the high torqueing system will be the major innovative aspects of the project. This will also necessitate the building a prototype torqueing and clamping system for proper evaluation of the performance. Later on the remainder of the system will be designed so that it works at the desired rate of operation. This system will include the following processes: removing the bottles filled with liquid soap from the assembly line; clamping the bottles and then applying the proper torque; and moving the bottles back onto the assembly line at the desired rate. The system design will be completed in six months from the start date. This will include trials on the prototype clamp and the torqueing head. The entire project will be conducted in close collaboration with the company, with regular meetings and site visits. The final design will be given to the company so that they can have it fabricated. Successful completion of the project will contribute to making the Canadian company more productive and hence help in its growth which will generate more employment.