Automatic Bottle & Vial Cartoning Machine
High-precision secondary cartoning solution engineered for pharmaceutical glass and PET bottles, dropper vials, and ampoules with integrated measuring cup insertion, spoon feeders, and leaflet folding.
Description & Operating Principle
HMEC’s Automatic Bottle & Vial Cartoning Machines are engineered to handle the unique challenges of round, oval, flat, and square bottles in modern pharmaceutical bottling lines. The system receives bottles directly from upstream labeling or capping machines via a continuous slat conveyor. A synchronized timing screw and starwheel transfer bottles smoothly into the horizontal bucket conveyor, laying them down gently into individual pocket cradles without bottle-to-bottle clattering.
Optional accessory feeding modules can automatically insert dosage measuring cups, calibrated droppers, dosage spoons, or corrugated divider liners alongside the bottle. The machine erects the carton, folds the instructional leaflet, and a servo-guided pusher slides the entire bottle-and-accessory assembly horizontally into the carton. Cartons are sealed via tuck-in or hot-melt adhesive, inspected for weight and serialization codes, and discharged onto packing tables or case packers.
Target Products & Applications
Built for regulated liquid packaging lines requiring multi-accessory packing and protective carton squaring:
🍾 Pharmaceutical Syrups & Suspensions
30ml to 500ml glass and PET bottles packed with dosing spoons, measuring cups, and patient information leaflets.
👁️ Eye Drops & Pediatric Droppers
5ml, 10ml, and 15ml ophthalmic dropper bottles, nasal sprays, and oral drop vials packed in compact cartons.
💉 Injectable Vials & Ampoules
Sterile liquid vials and glass ampoules packed with protective corrugated paperboard liners or thermoformed trays.
🧴 Cosmetics, Essential Oils & Serums
Luxury skincare bottles, glass pipette dropper bottles, aromatherapy oils, and perfume sprays.
Pros & Cons Comparison
✅ Advantages (Pros)
- Zero Glass Breakage: Gentle scroll worm and starwheel laydown mechanism eliminates bottle scuffing and impact shocks.
- Integrated Accessory Infeed: Seamless automatic feeding of measuring cups, spoons, droppers, and folded leaflets in one pass.
- Broad Container Range: Readily adjusts from miniature 5ml eye drop bottles to large 500ml syrup bottles with modular pocket cradles.
- High-Speed Output: Speeds from 60 to 180+ BPM with synchronized upstream line tracking.
- Full Serialization Ready: Integrates with inkjet/laser carton coders and camera vision verification for track-and-trace compliance.
⚠️ Considerations & Limitations (Cons)
- Infeed Starwheel Change Parts: Switching across significantly different bottle diameters requires dedicated scroll worm and starwheel parts.
- Heavier Floor Weight: Robust stainless steel mechanical frame designed to absorb continuous bottle line momentum.
- Requires Pre-Capped Bottles: Bottle caps must be fully sealed upstream to prevent any leakage during horizontal laydown transfer.
Type & Range of Bottle Cartoners
On basis of container type
- ✅ Syrup & Liquid Bottle Cartoner (PET & Glass)
- ✅ Eye Drop & Dropper Bottle Cartoning Line
- ✅ Vial & Ampoule Cartoner with Inner Liner Feeder
On basis of accessory feeders
- ✅ With Measuring Cup Feeder / Dispenser
- ✅ With Dosage Spoon Inserter
- ✅ With Corrugated Liner / Divider Inserter
- ✅ With Dropper Pipette Magazine Inserter
On basis of closure
- ✅ Reverse Tuck-in Flap Closure
- ✅ Straight Tuck-in Flap Closure
- ✅ Hot Melt Glue Seal (Nordson)
- Continuous variable-speed infeed conveyor with timing screw separator
- Starwheel laydown mechanism gently transfers upright bottles into horizontal cradles
- Synchronized GUK leaflet folding unit (1 to 4 folds) or pre-folded leaflet feeder
- Optional automatic measuring cup / spoon insertion station
- Servo-controlled horizontal pusher with mechanical torque safety disconnect
- "No Bottle - No Carton Pick" and "No Leaflet - Reject Carton" safety interlocks
- Embossing / Inkjet / Laser batch coder with optical character recognition (OCR)
- Pneumatic lockbox rejection system for cartons missing bottles, leaflets, or batch codes
| Output / Speed | 60 to 180+ Bottles Per Minute (BPM / CPM) |
|---|---|
| Bottle Diameter Range | Ø 20 mm to Ø 80 mm | Bottle Height: 45 mm to 200 mm |
| Carton Dimension Range | Length: 50 - 220 mm | Width: 25 - 120 mm | Height: 25 - 90 mm |
| Carton Board Weight | 250 - 450 GSM (SBS, Duplex, or Virgin Paperboard) |
| Leaflet Folding Capability | 1 to 4 folds | Paper: 50 - 75 GSM | Unfolded: (80-210) x (100-300) mm |
| Closure Types | Reverse Tuck-in, Straight Tuck-in, Hot Melt Adhesive Sealing |
| Main Drive | AC Geared Motor with Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) & Servo Pusher |
| Control Architecture | Siemens / Delta PLC with 7" / 10" Color Touchscreen HMI |
| Power Consumption | 3.5 kW to 5.5 kW / 415V / 3 Phase / 50 Hz |
| Pneumatic Requirement | 5 to 6 Bar Clean Compressed Air | 160 - 220 L/min |
| Machine Footprint | Approx. (L) 3,800 mm x (W) 1,500 mm x (H) 1,800 mm | Weight: 2,400 kg |
Tooling changeover parts for different bottle diameters and carton profiles include:
- Infeed Timing Worm Screw & Starwheel Guide Sets
- Horizontal Bottle Cradle Pockets & Pusher Guides
- Carton Magazine Infeed Plates & Vacuum Extraction Heads
- Leaflet Folding Rollers & Delivery Chutes
- Measuring Cup / Spoon Feeder Format Tooling
- Flap Closing & Tucking Guide Rails
How does the machine lay down upright bottles without knocking them over?
Bottles are spaced evenly by a precision timing feed screw and guided into a smooth rotary starwheel. The starwheel transfers each bottle gently into a tilted horizontal cradle pocket, ensuring smooth laydown without scuffing or impact.
Can the machine automatically insert a measuring cup or spoon along with the syrup bottle?
Yes, HMEC offers synchronized automatic cup dispensers and spoon feeders that drop the dosing accessory directly into the cartoner bucket next to the bottle before the pusher slides both items into the carton.
Videos of Bottle Cartoning Machine
Automatic Syrup Bottle Cartoner with Measuring Cup Feeder
High-Speed Eye Drop & Vial Cartoner with Leaflet Inserter
Related Cartoning Machines
Automatic Blister Cartoning Machine
Dedicated blister stacking and cartoning line with integrated leaflet inserter.
View MachineAutomatic Tube Cartoning Machine
Cartoning for collapsible aluminum, plastic, and laminated ointment tubes.
View MachineVertical Top-Load Cartoner
Top-loading cartoner for bottles, jars, dropper vials, and multi-packs.
View Machine