Bottling Equipment
The bottling process involves the following equipment:
| Equipment | Comment |
|---|---|
| Bottle rinser | This is an essential operation unless the bottles are delivered fresh from the factory. Usually involves rinsing with water, then acidified sulphur dioxide solution |
| Filter | A membrane filter with a 0.45 μm absolute rating is normally used in-line with the filler in order to ensure that there is no microbial contamination in off-dry wines. |
| Steam generator | Probably the best way to achieve sterility in the bottling line |
| Filler | This usually works either by siphoning, gravity or differential pressure. Great care must be taken with its calibration, to ensure correct fill levels are achieved. |
| Corker (or screw-capper) | Corker jaws must compress the corks effectively, but must not damage them or generate cork dust.Screw cappers, should be calibrated to the bottle being used, and apply the thread to a sufficient torque level. |
| Capsuler | Shrinks on plastic capsules or fspins on aluminium ones. |
| Labeller | Either wet glue or self-adhesive. |
| Binning or Palletising | Putting wine in bins, cases or pallets.Not the most exciting job. |
The filling, corking, capsulling and labelling can either be ‘on-line’ or ‘monobloc’. Due to the high cost of equipment, many wineries use contract bottlers who often come to the winery on a trailer. Wine can also be shipped to bottling plants.
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