Bottle schedule
List dimensions, material, empty weight, base form and the governing bottle extremes.
Buyer guide
How to specify a bottle unscrambler before requesting a quote.
Use this guide to prepare the technical details Lancing UK needs to recommend a sensible bottle feeding or unscrambling route.
1. Start with accurate bottle data
Measure the smallest and largest bottle that the machine may need to run. Include diameter, height, base shape, material, empty weight and any instability caused by bottle shape or static.
- Diameter and height range
- Round, square or shaped bottle
- Plastic, glass or specialist material
- Neck finish and shoulder style
2. Specify realistic speed
Use both current output and target output. A machine should be matched to real production flow, not only a headline rating. If downstream equipment is slower, accumulation and control may be more important than maximum speed.
3. Check line layout and interfaces
Confirm where bottles enter and leave the unscrambler, conveyor height, space for loading, guarding access and the closest downstream machine. For upgrades, photographs and basic dimensions are useful.
4. Quote request checklist
✓ Bottle drawings or photos
✓ Sample bottles if available
✓ Target bottles per minute or BPH
✓ Downstream machine type
✓ Conveyor height and width
✓ Electrical supply
✓ Changeover requirements
Avoid vague enquiries
The best shortlist comes from a real bottle and line brief.
Asking for “a bottle unscrambler” without pack data can lead to the wrong level of automation. A stronger brief allows Lancing UK to advise whether a compact table, automatic unscrambler or wider integration route is the right starting point.
Send bottle details
Quotation brief
Turn bottle and line data into a controlled specification.
A useful quotation brief records what must run, how the line will be loaded, the sustainable output required and how the machine will be accepted. Unknown details should be marked for trial rather than replaced with assumptions.
| Brief section | Information to provide | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Bottle family | Diameter, height, material, empty weight, base geometry, neck/shoulder shape, surface finish and sample quantity. | Defines stability, guide range, orientation risk and the practical changeover family. |
| Production demand | Sustained output, batch size, shift pattern, planned stops and downstream machine rate. | Prevents the feeder being sized only against a peak cycle-rate figure. |
| Line layout | Conveyor height/width/direction, footprint, access, guarding, utilities and retained equipment. | Confirms whether the route physically integrates and can be operated and maintained. |
| Changeover | Smallest, largest and least stable bottle; acceptable tools; dedicated change parts; target operator method. | Exposes the format extremes before the machine is finalised. |
| Trial and acceptance | Stability, orientation, scuffing, transfer, stop/restart, jam recovery, video evidence and recorded actions. | Creates comparable evidence instead of relying on a short demonstration. |
Acceptance boundary
Agree what the trial must prove before the order is finalised.
Use representative bottles in the production condition. Record the test setup, guide settings, loading method, downstream interface and any rejected or damaged bottles. Include the least stable and most presentation-sensitive format, not only the easiest bottle.
Acceptance should cover normal feed, a planned downstream stop, restart, safe recovery from a controlled blockage and a changeover between meaningful bottle extremes. Where video is used, keep the loading, orientation, outfeed and transfer points in view.
Open the sample-testing guideRepresentative sample quantity agreed
Test setup and guide settings recorded
Stable presentation at the outfeed
Scuffing or damage inspection completed
Stop/restart and recovery demonstrated
Changeover extremes tested and documented
Buyer FAQs
Questions that should be answered in the project brief.
How many bottle formats should be included in the first brief?
List every planned format, then identify the smallest, largest, lightest and least stable bottles for detailed checking.
What is the difference between peak speed and sustainable output?
Peak speed is a short best-case rate. Sustainable output includes loading, stops, changeovers, bottle behaviour and the demand of the complete line.
Do sample bottles need to be production quality?
Use representative production-condition bottles whenever possible because wall stiffness, base quality, decoration and mould variation can affect handling.
What should be agreed for change parts?
Record which changes are adjustment-only, which need dedicated parts, how parts are identified and how the setup is verified after changeover.
What should an acceptance video contain?
Keep loading, movement, orientation or accumulation, outfeed and downstream transfer visible, and include planned stop/restart and recovery evidence.
When should another Lancing domain own the enquiry?
Use the specialist sites when the primary requirement is conveyors, bottle rinsing, cap feeding or a complete packaging line.
Open-items register
Mark unknowns as trial-dependent instead of turning them into assumptions.
A controlled quotation distinguishes verified bottle data from information that still needs to be proven. This prevents an unresolved format, transfer or recovery question from being presented as a confirmed machine capability.
| Open item | How to record it | Evidence that closes it |
|---|---|---|
| Unverified bottle format | Identify the exact bottle and why it is outside the evidence already reviewed. | Representative sample trial with settings and outcome recorded. |
| Unknown sustainable output | Separate downstream demand from a short peak or catalogue figure. | Observed run that includes normal loading, short stops and restart. |
| Unconfirmed change parts | State whether the format is adjustment-only or may require dedicated parts. | Changeover trial and approved part/settings list. |
| Retained conveyor or controls | Record dimensions, condition, speed range, signals and responsibility boundary. | Surveyed interface and agreed stop/restart response. |
| Surface condition risk | Identify decorated, soft, lightweight or presentation-sensitive bottles. | Before/after sample inspection under representative accumulation and transfer. |
| Jam and recovery method | Describe the controlled fault condition that will be used without bypassing safety systems. | Detection, stop, safe clearance, restart and non-recurrence record. |
Attach the register to the sample-test record and use the jam-reduction guide where the first failure point is not yet known.
Close each item with a named piece of evidence rather than a general statement that the machine is suitable. Useful records include the sample list, settings sheet, layout revision, uncut trial video, before/after bottle inspection and the agreed restart sequence. If a format remains untested, keep it open in the register so the commercial scope and production handover do not imply approval that has not been demonstrated.
Keep the register with the final quotation revision so commercial wording, trial evidence and operator handover describe the same approved bottle family.
Quotation comparison
Use one response schedule so machine proposals can be compared on the same basis.
A model name and maximum speed do not show whether the proposal includes the bottle family, transfer, controls and evidence needed for production. Ask every supplier to respond against the same schedule.
| Response field | Buyer input | Supplier confirmation | Acceptance evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approved bottles | Dimensions, material, weight, photos and samples for every planned format. | Included formats, exclusions, settings and change parts. | Trial record for the agreed bottle family. |
| Required line duty | Sustained demand, stop/start pattern and downstream machine details. | Proposed route and any operating assumptions. | Observed feed and recovery under agreed conditions. |
| Mechanical interface | Footprint, conveyor height/width, direction and guarding boundary. | Machine layout and transfer arrangement. | Measured interface and stable handover during trial. |
| Controls interface | Available signals, backup point and production control philosophy. | Signal list, sensor ownership and expected response. | Cause-and-effect and restart test. |
| Quality evidence | Surface-finish, scuffing, orientation and jam/recovery expectations. | Trial method and records to be supplied. | Approved video, inspection record and open-items closeout. |
Attach the damage-trial guide and orientation-video guide where appearance or presentation is critical.
Purchase specification
Questions that turn a machine quotation into a controlled project scope.
A useful purchase specification states what must be supplied, tested, recorded and integrated rather than relying on assumptions between buyer and supplier.
What should be fixed in the purchase specification rather than left implied?
Fix the approved bottle set, required test conditions, machine configuration, change parts, outfeed boundary, conveyor and controls interfaces, utility assumptions, guarding responsibilities, documentation, factory testing, installation and site support. Also state which existing equipment will be retained. If an item affects acceptance or project cost, it should be written rather than left to later interpretation.
The supplier-question guide provides a structured set of procurement checks.
How should bottle unscrambler acceptance criteria be written?
Write acceptance criteria as observable conditions: the identified bottle samples, machine configuration, run condition, handover point, evidence to be recorded, permitted interventions and agreed bottle-condition checks. Avoid phrases such as “runs well” or “high efficiency” without a test definition. The criteria should distinguish machine faults from upstream sample defects and downstream conveyor problems.
Use the FAT and SAT guide to define a testable acceptance sequence.
Which documents should be requested before shipment?
The required document pack depends on project scope, but buyers commonly need the operating and maintenance information, general arrangement, utility data, electrical information, I/O schedule, change-part list, final settings record, trial or FAT record, safety information, spare-parts recommendations and installation requirements. Agree the required language, file format and delivery point before the machine is released.
The controls guide and safety guide identify documents tied to those interfaces.
How should competing bottle unscrambler quotations be normalised?
Issue the same bottle set, sustained output definition, layout data and acceptance requirements to every supplier. Compare included equipment, trial scope, changeover method, controls boundary, conveyors, guarding, installation, documentation, spares and support on one schedule. Separate confirmed scope from options and assumptions. This prevents a compact machine-only quote being mistaken for a complete line-ready package.
The questions to ask a supplier page can be used as the comparison framework.
Quotation evidence pack
Issue one consistent bottle and line brief to every supplier.
A common evidence pack makes automatic and rotary proposals easier to compare and exposes exclusions before order.
Layout and retained equipment
Show conveyor heights, direction, footprint, access and the mechanical handover points.
Acceptance evidence
Define the trial bottle set, stop/restart conditions, surface inspection and open-items process.
Comparable supplier questions
Ask each supplier to state scope, assumptions, exclusions, changeover method, controls boundary and support.
Week 2 buyer questions
Questions that turn a bottle list into a controlled quotation brief.
Use the bottle family, open-items register and acceptance evidence to compare proposals on the same basis.
What is a worst-case bottle in an unscrambler specification?
A worst-case bottle is the format most likely to challenge a particular requirement. The governing bottle for stability may not be the same as the governing bottle for orientation, changeover, speed or surface condition. Build a bottle-family schedule and identify the lightest, tallest-to-base ratio, widest, shortest, softest and most shape-sensitive formats. The quotation and trial should state which formats govern each acceptance check.
How many bottle samples should be sent for an unscrambler trial?
Send enough clean, representative bottles to demonstrate repeated loading, accumulation, orientation, transfer, planned stops and restart without relying on the same small group for every check. The exact quantity depends on bottle size, trial duration and machine route, so it should be agreed with the supplier. Include spare samples and clearly label each format. Do not send only one or two perfect bottles as evidence for a production process.
How should unknown requirements be recorded before quotation?
List every unknown explicitly as open, supplier-confirmed, customer-confirmed or trial-dependent. Examples include final conveyor height, bottle cosmetic standard, change-part scope, control signal availability and acceptable restart behaviour. Assign an owner and due date where the project process supports it. Keeping an open-items register is safer than converting assumptions into apparent facts, and it makes competing quotations easier to compare on the same basis.
Which questions make bottle unscrambler quotations comparable?
Ask every supplier to state the bottle range, sustained output basis, trial evidence, loading method, footprint, discharge height, changeover scope, controls interface, utilities, guarding boundary, included conveyor work, acceptance test and excluded items. Provide the same bottle and line schedule to each supplier. A quote comparison should identify differences in scope and evidence rather than comparing model names or headline prices alone.
How should acceptance evidence be defined before order?
Define what must be observed or recorded for representative bottle stability, orientation, single-file delivery, surface condition, planned stop, jam recovery, changeover and interface signals. State which bottle formats govern each check and where the test will occur, such as supplier works or site. The acceptance record should distinguish observations from unresolved open items. Avoid unverified universal speed or damage limits when the result depends on bottle-specific trials.
Production handover checklist
Questions buyers should close before the machine becomes a production asset.
Machine acceptance is stronger when the bottle evidence, settings, documents and operator method are collected before the project team disperses.
Which documents should be requested before production handover?
Request the approved bottle schedule, final layout, settings and change-part record, controls and signal description, trial and acceptance evidence, cleaning and inspection checks, recovery method, training record and open-items register. The document set should identify the installed configuration and the bottle formats actually demonstrated.
How should settings and change parts be documented for multiple bottle formats?
Use one format record per bottle or agreed family. State the bottle ID, adjustments, guide positions, change parts, control settings, normal loading method, first-bottle checks and any special accumulation or orientation limit. Where two bottles share a setting, the record should still show that both were verified.
How should open items be controlled at handover?
Each open item should have a clear description, effect on production or acceptance, responsible owner, target action and objective closure evidence. Avoid verbal lists that disappear after commissioning. If an item changes the operating envelope, the approved settings or trial record should be updated when it is closed.
What is the difference between FAT, SAT and production handover?
Factory Acceptance Testing checks agreed functions before delivery; Site Acceptance Testing checks the installed machine and its interfaces at the production site. Production handover turns the accepted result into a repeatable operating package for the people who will run, clean, change and recover the line. The three activities support each other but do not replace one another.