EDITOUR PETplanet Insider Vol. 23 No. 09/22 www.petpla.net 18 High speed assembly machines Contexo GmbH, February 2022 We met: Matthias Müller, Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) When assembly of multi-part caps is complicated and needs to be done quickly, Contexo claimes to offer a good solution. These are particularly suitable for complex cut and cap geometries for tethered closures. Up to 72,000 parts per hour can be produced on this machinery. We visited the plant in Winterbach, Germany. Tour Sponsors: The family business is run by three second generation brothers: Jürgen, Matthias and Steffen Müller. Their parents Heide and Karl are also on hand to offer advice and support to the three siblings. In the beverages sector, the company has made a name for itself for closures such as sports and carton caps, as well as providing assembly solutions for pouch closures. The assembly of trigger pumps and spray nozzles is a particular speciality. The company offers two basic machine designs: rotary and linear. Both are force controlled, the rotary machine via gear wheels and the linear via a main shaft that runs from the start of the assembly to the finished product. The shaft is fitted with cams that control the assembly units above it. Rotary designs with feed satellites are ideal for high processing speeds for closures. Up to 36 mould stations can be driven on the rotary machine. In addition to the standard assembly, the stations can also be designed as adhesive, welding, laser, cutting, folding, printing or testing units, depending on product requirements. The positive drive eliminates material buffers between the stations. It is very fascinating to witness the speed and precision with which parts pass through the stations. At the end of the process, a tested, finished and usually complex component emerges. Ten years ago, machines were producing 300 parts per minute, whereas now they can manage up to 1,200 parts per minute. While the linear and rotary machines and stations can be designed and built by CAD, the parts sorters involve manual work. The parts to be assembled are supplied in bulk and have to be transferred to the assembly station via the sorter in the correct position. While sorters for preforms and caps are now standard, Contexo does not shy away from complex part geometries. These geometries constantly challenge the company, particularly in the pump segment for bottles and sports caps. Here, eight work stations are constantly being built, welded, bent, tested, discarded and refined. A particular feature is the socalled vibration feed with TE-Proof. This makes it possible to feed hot injection-moulded parts directly and gently without the dreaded stress whitening. The forced control of the station means that even round parts can be aligned with precision. A small mechanical edge on the component is sufficient to fit it into the correct position. This function is especially important for beverage closures that have to open in a certain way. Matthias Müller, CCO Contexo GmbH Detail of Contexo’s patented all-in-one machine for tethered caps
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