Bottling and Canning

The lubricant needs of bottling and canning facilities are varied by the type of product being canned or bottled and the container (glass bottles, plastic bottles, aluminum cans or steel cans). Lubricant requirements in beverage bottling and canning plants depend on possible contact with the beverage. In areas where there is possible contact, the plant must use a CFIA approved for incidental contact food grade lubricants. Where there is no possible contact, the plant is allowed to use the CFIA approved for general use food grade lubricants (CFIA ratings are similar to H1 and H2 USDA/NSF ratings respectively).

Lubrication Engineers' lubricants have been approved by the CFIA for use in food processing plants. Most bottling and canning facilities use both incidental contact and general use food grade lubricants in their respective areas. A few plants have moved to only incidental contact rated products.

Whether the container is glass, plastic or metal, the containers are usually made by another company entirely, or a separate division. Few, if any, bottling and canning facilities can manufacture all of the various containers being offered to the consumer. However, all of these containers are prepared for filling at the facility. The cans or bottles to be prepared for filling first must be de-palletized and loaded onto conveyor systems. Depalletizers are hydraulic or pneumatically driven. Our MONOLEC® Hydraulic Oils (6105, 6110, 6120 and 6520) and MULTILEC® Industrial Oils (6801, 6802, 6803, 6804, 6805, 6806 and 6807) are recommended to provide trouble free long drains in the hydraulic systems of the Depalletizers. The air lines are lubricated with the same Lubrication Engineers product used in the hydraulic system, or the MONOLEC® Turbine Oils (6401, 6402, 6403, 6404, 6405, 6406 or 6407). All of these products provide superior protection for the cylinders and actuator valves.

From the depalletizer, the container is moved by conveyors. Most of the bearings on the conveyors are below the food line and can use 1275 ALMAPLEX® Industrial Lubricant. Conveyors transport the container to a washing and drying area. The washer uses a variety of solutions to clean the container and a very water resistant lubricant is needed in this area. Our 1275 ALMAPLEX® or 4025 or 4025A QUINPLEX® Food Machinery Lubricant is widely used in this area. Our 1600 series DUOLEC™ Vari Purpose Gear Lubricants (1601, 1602, 1603, 1604, 1605, 1606, 1607, 1608 or 1609) are also used in the conveyor gear drives.

After washing, the containers are either blown dry or dried by heat. The tunnel ovens have bearings that can reach temperatures above 400°F (244°C) and require the use of a non-melt grease. Our 1250 ALMASOL® High Temperature Lubricant is recommended in this area.

Beverages consist mostly of water. The water is pumped and filtered before it is blended to make the beverage. The water can then be mixed with a concentrate in precise proportions or blended in a large vat for fermentation. If blending requires agitation then the mixers can use 1275 ALMAPLEX® or 4025 QUINPLEX® Food Machinery Lubricant depending on the configuration of the mixers. Various gear reducers can be used with a general food grade required lubricant like 1600 series DUOLEC™ VPGL's. Lubrication Engineers' lubricants are qualified for this high water contact area because they resist water so well and protect even with daily wash down. Equipment should be relubricated after wash downs. Filling of bottles and cans is usually done by large automatic filling machines like the H&K 165 valve can filler or other manufacturers. Each unit is powered by several gear drives and have a wide variety of lube requirements. Most fillers use incidental food contact lubricants in a central lubrication systems. We recommend 4024 QUINPLEX® Food Machinery Lubricant be used on the various cams, shafts and bearings in these units.

Closely associated with fIlling machines are cappers and seamers -used on bottles and cans respectively. Cappers from Crown Cork & Seal and White Cappers are automatic units that cap and crimp a seal on bottles at a high speed. These units are usually wet and the use of Lubrication Engineers' lubricants can extend the life and relubrication cycle on most units. The use of food grade lubricants is becoming more commonplace. Crown Cork & Seal has approved many of our lubricants that can be used in their capping equipment and company locations.

After the cans are filled, they immediately move to the seamers. Can seamers are manufactured by Angelus Seamer Co., Continental (Figgie) and others. Speeds are in excess of 2,000 closures (cans) per minute. The drive cases, feed drive gear cases and the in-motion timer gear drives all can use 1600 series DUOLEC™ Vari Purpose Gear Lubricants (1601, 1602, 1603, 1604, 1605, 1606, 1607, 1608 or 1609) or 4090 or 4140 QUINPLEX® White Gear Lubricant depending on model. Most models have a central lube system for grease and most beverage canners use incidental food contact food grade greases. We have had tremendous success with 4024 QUINPLEX® Food Machinery Lubricant in these central lube systems. Some units have fittings for grease points and 4025 or 4025A QUINPLEX® Food Machinery Lubricant is the product of choice. The Continental Can (Figgie) units are similar to the Angelus Seamer They use central lube systems for most greased applications and 4024 is also used successfully. The main gear drives call for an AGMA BC compounded gear lube. This can be met by Lubrication Engineers' 680 ALMASOL® Worm Gear Lubricant.

The Angelus Seamers have a unique requirement for lubricants. The Manzel lubricator provide a special oil that disperses water and suspends it completely. Lubrication Engineers has an incidental food contact Manzel lubrication oil. 6751 incidental food contact Machine Oil is exclusively formulated to meet the requirements for the Manzel lubrication system on Angelus Sanitary Can Machine Seamers.

After the Cappers and Seamers, the bottles and cans are put on conveyors and sent to packaging. The conveyors use 1275 ALMAPLEX® extensively.

Packaging can vary greatly with the type of bottle or can being packaged. Some locations pack in 6 packs or 12 packs or 24 packs. Some bottles are single in a 24 pack; others are 6 packs. Most are put in a final case and sent to the palletizer where they are then placed in a warehouse or shipped.

Packaging equipment is usually high speed with light loads. MULTILEC® (6801, 6802, 6803, 6804, 6805, 6806 and 6807) and MONOLEC® Hydraulic Oils (6105, 6110, 6120 or 6520) are used widely in the hydraulic systems, while MONOLEC® R&O Compressor/Turbine Oil and MULTILEC® are used in gear reducer drives that require an R&O oil. Bearings are lubricated with 1275 ALMAPLEX® because there is no need for food grade lubricant after the product is packaged.

Most bottlers and canners will use refrigeration to chill their product at one time during the processing. For carbonated beverages they need to chill the liquid to add adequate carbon dioxide to the water. The refrigeration units are usually the type that use ammonia as refrigerant. Lubrication Engineers' MONOLEC® Refrigeration Oil is sold extensively to beverage bottlers and canners that utilize rotary screw or reciprocating refrigeration compressors.

MONOLEC® Refrigeration Oils have performed well in reciprocating and rotary screw compressors to reduce sludging and wear and to extend drain intervals on these units. The correct product to use must be determined by obtaining make model and type of refrigerant used. Trials on these compressors often show tremendous savings for the customer.

Air Compressors also play an important role in the bottling and canning industry. Lubrication Engineer's MONOLEC® R & O Compressor/Turbine Oil (6401, 6402, 6403, 6404, 6405, 6406, 6407) , MULTILEC® (6801, 6802, 6803, 6804, 6805, 6806, or 6807) and MONOLEC® Synthetic Air Compressor Oils (9032, 9046, 9068, 9100 or 9150) all are used widely. In situations requiring an incidental food contact product, Lubrication Engineers' 4046 QUINPLEX® Low Temperature Food Grade Oil is recommended for rotary screw air compressors. Forklifts represent another area where our products can be efficient and cost effective for this industry .Most bottlers and canners have several forklifts for their use in warehouses and shipping docks. We have many sales for forklift usage. Engine oils like 8800 MONOLEC® ULTRA and 8420, 8430, 8440 or 8450 MONOLEC® GFS Engine Oils are used to obtain optimum engine life and longer drain intervals.

The hydraulics on forklifts can use MONOLEC® Hydraulic Oils (6105, 6110, 6120, 6520) or our 7500 MONOLEC® Power Fluid most effectively. Some units operate in cold storage areas as well as in outside hot temperatures. These products will reduce the incidence of "fade" that can occur in the units when operating in hot weather. Grease usage in forklifts can range from 3752 ALMAGARD® Vari-Purpose Lubricant for most bearings and wheels to 2001 and 2001A MONOLEC® Wire Rope Lubricants which are choices for forklift chains.