Customized Feeding Solutions

Shibuya Hoppmann Corporation has been providing our customers with small rotary feeders, large parts unscramblers, bottle orienting feeders, and other centrifugal feed system solutions for over 50 years. Large parts or medium parts or small parts - if they are fragile, heavy, flat, plastic, dusty, edible, colorful, glass, textured, metal, frozen, assembled, wrapped, absorbent, flexible, round, filled, open, closed, hollow, rubber, labeled, paper, sterile, light, aluminum, boxy - you can bet we'll try and feed it!

Our engineers design specifically for your part, building a system to gently pre-feed, sort and unscramble, then orient your product using our rotary centrifugal parts feeders. Then we'll integrate them with our conveyors or other downstream equipment - offering you a complete, customized parts handling system.

Also check out our online product catalog for additional information on these products.

(click on thumbnail to enlarge)

Prefeeders and Hoppers	Centrifugal Feeders	Capstar Cap Feeders
Label Applicators

Back to top

Sponge Feed and Collate System

A sponge manufacturer needed a system to unscramble, orient, accumulate and stack a variety of different sized and shaped sponges scrubber-side up at over 300 parts per minute. We used a bulk elevating prefeeder to deposit sponges into a centrifugal parts feeder where the sponges were singulated and oriented in the feeder bowl.

The parts unscrambler bowl was integrated with a parts conveyor - which handled moving the parts from the feeder bowl to the downstream equipment for automated stacking system. When the sponges exit the rotary feeder, the sponges (multiple sizes and shapes) transferred to the conveyor on edge, long axis on direction of flow and with scrubber side either facing toward or away from the feeder center. Sensors on the conveyor detected the sponge from scrubber surface and "backward" sponges are influenced the sponges to fall onto the belt with the scrubber side always up. Add multiple feed systems to the system, and sponges can be cascaded to provide two, three and four stack varieties. Parts accumulated end to end and the transfer turned them 90 degrees to side by side orientation for eventual stacking and transfer into flow wrapper, either as a single, one sponge stacked on top of another or two stacks of two side by side. The system was capable of handling various size sponges from kitchen to automobile cleaning or large utility sponges. Rapid change over between sizes is provided by both mechanical and electronic (optical) means.

(click on thumbnail to enlarge)

Sponge Prefeeders	Sponge Centrifugal Feeder	Sponge Conveying and Stacking
Sponge Stacking System

Back to top

High Speed Tablet Feed System

A major pharmaceutical tablet maker required a pharmaceutical parts feeder system to feed and orient five different size dual color tablets (7.9mm - 11.9mm) at an output rate of 1250 parts per minute. By using two side-by-side compact small parts feeder systems, with live-bottom prefeeders, allowed us to rapidly, and gently unscramble the parts, determining orientation based on color, and merge both feeder outputs on a rotary table lane combiner. The combined product was released into a single stream air track/conveyor to be taken to client's downstream operations (fixed vial filling equipment).

(click on thumbnail to enlarge)

High Speed Tablet Feed Overview	Tablet Centrifugal Feeder	Dual Tablet Feeders
Tablet Feeder Color Sensor

Back to top

Candy Container Lid Feed System

Candy container lids with a flip-top opening (.35" tall by 3" diameter) were fed from bulk into an elevating prefeeder/hopper that deposited parts onto a belted conveyor that ran overhead of existing equipment. From the belted parts conveyor, lids were released into a rotary centrifugal feeder, and singulated/oriented on the rim of the bowl. A pacing wheel at the exit of the feeder bowl helps meter/space the lids as they exit the feeder towards the integrated Closing Station. At the Closing Station, a spring-loaded roller mechanism tamps down on the label-side up lid, insuring proper lid closer. Further on down the line, a height inspection sensor verifies correct part parameters - if the part is not fully closed, the sensor rejects it. Lids continue downstream to be assembled with the base candy container.

(click on thumbnail to enlarge)

Candy Container Lid Feeder Overview	Candy Lid Twist Track	Candy Lid Closure System
Candy Lid Inspection Station

Back to top

Labeling Systems and Labeling Equipment

Shibuya Hoppmann has designed and built custom labelers and labeling systems for a variety of needs: from harsh environment applications to full color print & apply. We can integrate our labeling systems, part feeding systems, case handling systems, and individual workstations for completely automated systems.

The Print & Apply label applicators are modular in design, and created so that they can be used in almost any application where a print & apply pressure sensitive label is required. A variety of printer options and assortment of interchangeable application modules are available. Systems can handle media widths up to 7 inches, at print speeds up to 12 inches per second. Software for all available modules lies resident in the base unit, allowing existing systems to be easily re-configured or upgraded without programming changes.

The Pressure Sensitive label heads are available in both high-speed system configuration, or as stand-alone heads. With label speed capabilities ranging from 1850 to 3543 inches per minute, these robust units are suitable for almost any application. Stand-alone systems are available with tamp-on, blow-on or tamp-blow application accessories.

There are other Labeling Systems, from rotary, stand alone units to inline labelers. Our systems can be fully configured, and are designed with the needs of the contract packager and the demanding end-user in mind.

SH-AFE Rotary Labeler System

The Shibuya Hoppmann SH-AFE rotary labeling system is designed with the needs of the contract packager and demanding end user in mind. Shibuya Hoppmann has designed a versatile rotary labeler which can accommodate wrap-around, front & back, neck and spot labels as well as a wide range of product shapes and sizes, all within the same system. The rotary turret incorporates both the product handling capabilities, which Shibuya Hoppmann is well known for as well as our industry leading label applicators. This combination of product handling experience and over performing label applicators provides our customers with a rotary labeler system unsurpassed in accuracy, speed, reliability, and performance.

The Shibuya Hoppmann SH-AFE rotary labeler is completely synchronized to accommodate changes in customer's throughput requirements. All associated parameters necessary for proper label application can be changed with only one speed adjustment in the HMI. Sensors are provided on the infeed and outfeed of the rotary labeler to manage product flow and will pause production until proper conditions upstream and downstream are satisfied. The SH-AFE rotary is comprised of a robust frame with stainless steel cladding to provide durability over the many years of production. Key components such as timing screw and infeed star include jam protection and will automatically stop the unit before damage is incurred. Innovative quick-change parts are included to minimize downtime during production changeover. In addition, zero-downtime can be accommodated with multiple label applicators to minimize the downtime during a label roll change and increase customer's overall equipment efficiency.
Features include:

• Boom mounted operator control panel, which swivels for easy access/viewing.
• Standard Allen-Bradley PLC control system.
• Robust multi-axis label applicator mounting system.
• Safety guarding surrounds the entire system.
• Jog functionality to accommodate easy setup.
• Stainless steel construction to provides corrosion resistance.
• Quick change tooling (average changeover less than 10 minutes).
• Synchronized turret, conveyor and label applicator allows for easy speed change.
• Key components (e.g. timing screw, star wheel) on rotary include jam protection to prevent damage.
• Use of cams and gears (no belts) for plate rotation.
• Spring loaded top hold-down tools to accommodate variation in container height
• Sight glass on central lube points.

Options available:

Back to top

(click on thumbnail to enlarge)

Rotary Labeler Overview	Bottle Neck Label Placement	Bottle Front Label Placement
Rotary Labeler Infeed	Rotary Labeler Lead Screw

2010 Rot Labeler App Sheet Flyer (PDF - 404KB)

Front/Back Labeling System

Back to top