PKB launches new filling machine

The newly launched Cosmo is a filling machine designed for use with liquid and semi-liquid cosmetic products. The company says that even siliconised and foam products - including shampoo, hair conditioner, hair dye, shower gel, bubble bath, bath and shower gel, liquid soap, cleansing milk, lotions, foundation, deodorant and roll-ons - can be filled in amounts ranging from 30 ml to 500 ml for outputs of up to 200 bottles per minute.

In order to respond to the diverse nature of cosmetics products that can be water- or oil-based, semi-liquid, or with an alcohol content, and to cope with the demands of the various outputs, with the COSMO, PKB says it has opted for a bottom-up rotating fill configuration to make the technology as flexible as possible.

With a view to optimising the Cosmo's prophylaxis and cleaning, the company hasinstalled in standard ceramic pumps for a seal-free fixture. This not only cuts down maintenance, but also helps create a configuration without any retention area. Furthermore changeovers are also said to be very quick thanks to the help of a specific SMED tool.

PKB​ says that this combination of technologies does not exist on the market atpresent, making it a unique solution that can be tailor-made to theneeds and requirements of the cosmetics industry.

The company has also reported that it has been able to successfully adapt its Flexo mass flow meter filling technology to cosmetics and personal care applications.

The company said that, owing to several partnerships and client collaborations, it has adapted the equipment to this environment by adapting its functions to small and mediumbatches as well as to rapid changes of product and format. This has been made possibleby the development of one particular model of mass flow meter.

To do this the company has optimised the prophylaxis, the filling cycle being linear and seamless throughout its trajectory, which means there is no retention point. It has also maximized its user-friendliness through an industrial computer that allows changes to implemented through a keyboard functionality. Cleaning can also be carried out in situ, made possible by a short cycle without any retention area.

The movement of the dipping nozzles, which is operated by a servodrive, optimises thespeed of the down-up action of these nozzles, as determined by the asymmetriccontours of the bottles and the properties of the products which they fill.

Because of its circuit of filling and cleaning, in conjunction with its 'balcony'-shapedstructure, the equipment enables cosmetic products to be processed within the tough requirement specified by the pharmaceutical industry.