[Manual] “host location stuck” error? How to fix?
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After you received the wooden box of the rotary coffee capsule filling machine at your factory, unpack it and unwrap the plastic tapes, and then you need to do several preparation works before starting your real production.
These works may take you several hours.
What should we do before powering on the machine is assemble each component to the main machine.
First, arrange a forklift to remove the K cup filling machine from the wooden box and place it in a proper position.
Then, follow the initial installation instructions(usually a video made by the manufacturer) to assemble all the parts to the main machine one by one.
(Such as the output conveyor belt or vibrating empty capsule sorter.)
Then, plug in the power supply (pay attention to whether the plug matches your local jack).
As for the nitrogen generator and air compressor, assemble them, connect them to the main machine and plug in their own power supply.
Run the air compressor and freeze dryer for several minutes and then confirm from the pressure indicator that the compressed air reached the proper pressure(0.6~0.8MPa).
(The nitrogen generator can be left on this time.)
You need to use a suitable air switch according to the rated power of the machine.
Power on K cup filling machine(turn on the power switch and pressure reducing valve on the machine) and confirm lighting inside the machine with no alarms.
Check inside the machine, confirm that every functions are in their positions and there are space between each function and the table.
This check is to ensure the table is not stuck.
Confirm from the pressure reducing valves that the compressed air reached the proper pressure(0.6MPa around).
Confirm the language in the screen is English.
Turn on temperature controller in the screen.
(Confirm on the right side of touch screen, temperature display screen is lighting up.)
There will be totally two sets of heat sealing unit if the machine use roll stock film.
Press the "manual/auto" button in the screen to switch into “manual” mode in which you can freely select the functions to be performed.
Push yellow [JOG] button at the bottom of control panel 10 ~ 20 times slowly and confirm the jogging is smooth.
Change the page into operation functions page in the screen, and confirm that no function was turned on(all function buttons are gray except for the heating).
Push green [RUN] button on the right of yellow [JOG] button, let machine run for 5 ~ 30 minutes without capsules, films or coffee, and then confirm that the table turns smoothly and no any weird noise.
Test all the functions one by one by pressing a function button on the operation functions page(the pressed function button will turn green) and then pushing green [RUN] button to run each function for several seconds.
Confirm each function is running smoothly.
After all the preparations above, we can try to produce some coffee capsules.
At first, prepare about 3kg coffee, put them into a tank, and then insert the suction tube of the vacuum coffee loader into the tank.
Press [ON] button in a small control panel of vacuum coffee loader to start filling coffee into the hopper inside the machine.
(Fill the hopper more than 50% full.)
Set filling parameters in the touch screen as stated in the following article.
Or follow the video guidance below.
Install the roll stock film as shown in the following video if your machine has this function.
Pay attention to the sealing side and unsealing side of your roll film and make sure the sealing side is down.
Load pre-cut lids to the lids holder if your machine is equipped with it instead of roll stock film cutting system.
Turn on the heater in the touch screen, and confirm from the temperature indicator beside that temperature reaches the set value a few minutes later.
There will be more than one temperature indicator if your machine uses roll stock film.
If your machine is equipped with “Inline weight checker” function, then do the following initial setup.
First open the control box in the lower part of the machine, find the weight indicator, and confirm whether the current displayed value is ZERO.
If it is not ZERO, maybe the gravitational acceleration is the reason of this deviation, then do the calibration operation as shown in the following video.
Then set the scale weight value(equal to filling weight), upper and lower limit according to the following video.
After closing the control box we are done with the weight checker initial setup.
If your machine is equipped with “Vibrating empty capsule sorter” which is used for sorting empty capsules prior to they being loaded to the capsule molds, then do the following preparations.
Press [ON] button in a control panel under the "vibrating empty capsule sorter" to turn it on.
(There are two control panels close to each other which are both on the capsule sorter’s base, one is for itself and another is for the horizontal vibrator beside it.)
Put about 100 empty capsules(depending on you) into the sorter, let several empty capsules automatically line up at the exit tunnel(top of the horizontal vibrator).
Put about 100 empty capsules(depending on you) into the capsule holder if your machine is equipped with it instead of the “Vibrating empty capsule sorter”.
Set the machine speed to 45 or 50 cups/min or a lower number (normal speed).
Switch running mode to “Auto”.
Push green [RUN] button, run your rotary K cup filling machine for several capsules or even all the capsules you loaded into the machine.
Pay attention to the powder leakage rate from the filling nozzle during this production process.
To get a pause, push red [STOP] button to stop running immediately.
To finally end this production, press "Drop cup" function off on the operation functions page(function button turns gray), then no more empty capsules will be fed to the table and machine will stop when it finished all the capsules on the table.
Or you can just wait until the machine run out all the empty capsules you loaded into the capsule holder.
Confirm the result of this trial production.
·the sealing quality
·the filling accuracy
·the unqualified products rejection rate(when equipped with inline weight checker)
·the brewing(check them on coffee brewing machine)
Any unexpected result occurs, contact AFPAK Jeffrey in time.
The last thing we need to do is to do a little cleaning and shut down.
If you are not ready for the actual production right away, then do the following things to complete this preparation.
First, clean the hopper and vacuum the coffee loader as shown in the video.
Then, return them to their original position and clean the rotary coffee capsule filling machine inside.
(Including the table, suck powder head, cutter and the heat sealing head(can wait for it to cool down).)
Then, shut down the air supply on pressure reducing valve and power off the rotary coffee capsule filling machine.
At last, shut down the air compressor and then the freeze dryer.
(Shut down the nitrogen generator firstly if it has been turned on.)
More to read:
When a company is deciding to invest in a fully automated coffee capsule filling and sealing machine, it can be particularly challenging to find the right one for the production line because there are so many selections.
Buyers tend to get dazzled. One of the most common questions we receive is how to choose from a linear or rotary K cup filling machine.
In this article, we will focus on the most obvious differences between these two types of filling machines made in our factory.
It refers to a K cup filling machine with a straight body.
In terms of internal structure, all working stations are in a straight line from the empty capsule drop to the filling and sealing, until the capsule output.
The mold plates carry the capsules and move in a straight line between all of the working stations.
At one end of the machine is the starting station for dropping the capsules, while at the other end is the final station for outputting the filled and sealed capsules.
It refers to a K cup filling machine with a cylindrical body.
In terms of internal structure, all working stations are on a circumference, starting from the capsule drop, through the filling and sealing, until the capsule output.
The mold plates that carry the capsules complete the circumference between all stations.
The starting station for the capsule drop is next to the final station for the output.
We know that when changing the production capsule type(for example, from K cup to Nespresso), it is often necessary to change the whole set of mold plates on the machine.
A single-lane rotary filling machine has fixed 12 mold plates, while a single-lane linear machine has more than 44 mold plates (the number will be larger as the number of stations increases).
So when a linear machine needed to be changed from K cup to Nespresso, it will take much more operation time than a rotary K cup filling machine.
Meanwhile, the rotary machine saves material because it uses fewer mold plates.
If you look closely at the running of the machine, you may notice one thing the mold plates of the rotary machine can be lifted from the bottom (both auger filling and heat sealing station).
The purpose of doing this is not to spill the powder out at the auger filling station, and the second is that at the heat sealing station after lifting the mold plate, the air cylinder for heat sealing will not cause continuous downward pressure on the big round disk which will make it tilt after long working hours.
However, the linear machine is unable to do the lift-up of the mold plates, but only to pad an aluminum plate right below the mold plate at the heat sealing station to minimize the downward pressure of the mold plates caused by the heat sealing air cylinder.
However, the continuous downward pressure at this station still exists, and after long years of machine operation, there will be a possible result of a lateral or vertical change in the position of the mold plates, deviating from its original position.
When this phenomenon occurs, it is necessary to adjust the position of the whole set of mold plates.
This is a work cost time and requires specialized technicians to be there to do it.
That is to say, from this point, the rotary K cup filling machine has a higher stability.
The linear machine has a long body and a large space reserved, so there is room to add several processes to the standard workstations.
In contrast, the rotary machine was designed to save space and make the machine compact.
Therefore, it is a little difficult to add processes to the standard stations when it has fixed only 12 stations.
For example, you want to produce Dolce gusto coffee capsules, and you prefer to fill each capsule with some special flavor additives.
For a rotary machine, it is difficult to do this because it requires two additional film cutting (inner and outer film) and flavor injection processes on the standard model.
In this case, the linear machine is highly recommended.
Features of linear K cup filling machine: larger space uses more mold plates, takes longer time when changing production capsule type, may need to adjust the mold plate position after long years of operation.
Features of rotary K cup filling machine: more compact space, fewer mold plates (12), takes less time when changing production capsule type, and no need to adjust the mold plate position after years of operation.
In terms of price, the rotary K cup filling machine is about 20% more expensive than the linear type.
As the actual user of the K cup filling machine, you need to let it know some necessary parameters, such as the filling weight, only then can it fill to capsules at the fixed weight you want.
In fact, it’s not yet enough for the machine to achieve the special filling weight you need, because it has not been equipped with an automatic filling weight adjustment function.
That function means as long as you set the [Fill weight] parameters, the machine can try different filling weights again and again automatically until the weight reaches the goal.
As the K cup filling machine will be designed to become more intelligent, that function may become a standard in the future.
For now, in addition to the filling weight, the K cup filling machine also needs to know a coefficient called [Fill ratio] to find out how many turns the auger is needed to make.
In this article, we will talk about how to set these two filling parameters on the control panel(touch screen) of the K cup filling machine made by AFPAK.
One is [Fill weight] and another is [Fill ratio] as shown in the picture below.
Step 1: Preparation.
First, confirm that your K cup filling machine is powered on, the compressed air is well connected, and there are about 60% ~ 80% full of coffee powder in the hopper.
Then loosen the fixing screw a little bit so that the whole hopper with the filling nozzle can be moved out.
Then turn the hand wheel to lift the whole hopper a little higher to where it can be turned out of the big round table.
After moving the hopper out, place a powder collection box under the filling nozzle.
Prepare a scale on your side, put an empty cup(such as a K cup) on, and zero it.
Step 2: Change the parameters on the screen for the first time.
Press the [Operation screen] button in the bottom of the screen.
Then press the [Auto] button in the middle of the screen to switch the mode to “Manual”.
Then press [Filling][Stir] two buttons on the left of the screen to turn these two functions on.
Press the value of the filling weight which is on the right of the [Fill weight] label to enter into the value modification interface.
Fill in the value that how many grams of the coffee powder you want to load into each capsule, then press [Enter] to save this modification.
As for the [Fill ratio], keep the factory setting value for the moment.
([Fill ratio] is one of the coefficients determining how many turns the auger is required to achieve the [Fill weight]. You need several times to try later to get the right value.)
Step 3: Test running for the first time.
(The first try to find out whether [Fill ratio] is just the right value by running the machine and weighing the filled K cups.)
Press the green RUN button at the bottom of the control panel to run the machine.
(Actually only the [Filling] and [Stir] two functions will be active.)
Ignore the first few times of filling(about five times), and let the powder be filled into the collection box.
(In this process, the coffee powder will be gradually and evenly distributed to the auger, and only then you can weigh the filled K cups.)
Put the prepared empty cup under the filling nozzle to get the one-time filling powder and then weigh it.
(Write down the weight if you think it’s necessary.)
Empty this filled cup and repeat the above actions(filling and weighing) about five times.
Press the red STOP button at the bottom of the control panel to stop the machine.
Calculate the average filling weight and compare it with the [Fill weight] value that you set on the screen before.
Step 4: Change the [Fill ratio] value on the screen.
If the average weight in step 3 is larger than [Fill weight], then decrease [Fill ratio] by 0.01 or 0.02.
If it is lower than [Fill weight], increase [Fill ratio] by 0.01 or 0.02.
Else it means now the [Fill ratio] is just the right value and needs no changes or further tests.
Step 5: Repeat step3 and step4 until the average filling weight is almost equal to [Fill weight].
The “almost equal” means the deviation is little than 0.1.
It should be noted that the hopper needs to be refilled in time to keep 60% ~ 80% full of coffee powder inside during the tests.
The following video is a sample of how to operate our rotary K cup filling machine.
Because the auger will be evenly filled with coffee granules which are not very much in particle size, the weight of the coffee on each turn (or each small section) of the threads is almost the same.
So if the auger rotates a fixed number of turns, it can fill a fixed number of coffee.
The servo motor is used to precisely control the number of turns of the auger.
As long as the machine knows the [Fill weight] and [Fill ratio], it will calculate how many turns the servo motor needs to rotate the auger each time.
The weight of coffee on each turn of the auger will be influenced by several factors: coffee beans, roasting, grinding(particle shape or size), auger size, and the amount of coffee powder left in the hopper(the more powder in the hopper, the tighter they are pressed on the auger).
All these factors lead to different [Fill ratio].
During the real production process, it is probable that different coffee powders will be used to fill into capsules, and this is the time that the [Fill ratio] parameter is need to be reset.
The filling accuracy that can be achieved now is ±0.2g.
After the complete set of parameters, the hopper needs to be turned back to its original position.
This includes the horizontal position and the vertical position.
If these positions are not easy to find, it’s better that you mark them before you start to set filling parameters.
Many users always encounter a problem when they first get the AFPAK k cup filling and sealing machine to try to produce, that is, the phenomenon of spreading powder is very serious, resulting in unattractive coffee capsules. This article will analyze in detail the causes and solutions of powder spreading
First of all, to understand the reason for spreading powder, we have to be familiar with the operation logic of powder filling.
The coffee or other powder is rotated inside the filling hopper by the screw/auger, and the powder stored on the screw/auger will flow to the inside of the cup, (this set of mechanisms is not suitable for powder with too good flowability). There is usually a stopper at the lower nozzle to prevent the powder from spreading. And the screw/auger is controlled by a high precision servo motor, and the number of turns of servo rotation to control the amount of powder filling.
Usually, the spreading of powder generated by factors such as wrong parameter settings, cup position is not adjusted correctly, and the powder in the flow of static electricity and other reasons. Next, we will check one by one
This is a relatively common situation. Because the hopper needs to be cleaned frequently, it is inevitable that the position deviation will occur during disassembly, so in the case of spreading powder, the position needs to be lined up:.
After the position are right, if there is still a spreading powder situation, there is a need to check whether the parameter settings are reasonable
The filling parameter setting is made up of two parts: the filling time, and the servo parameters. The two sets of parameters work well with each other to achieve perfect filling
mainly consists of three parameters: Filling/ Filling UP/Down/blender
The filling is to control the time from the beginning to the end of the coffee powder filling, generally set between 950-450
Filling UP/Down is to control the time when the cup starts to come up and drops back to its original position. Generally set between 950-450
Stir is the time to stir the coffee powder in the hopper, which can be ignored.
Note that the above angle parameter settings are based on the value on the machine's encoder, which represents the current machine stop position. Can not be set and changed at will
Generally, after the cup reaches the lower spout, the coffee powder starts to fill, then after the filling is finished, the cup returns to its original position.
When you click on the servo parameters on the left side of the screen, you will see the above page
There are six parameters on this page: Fill weight, Fill Ratio, Fill Servo speed, Clearing speed, Servo acceleration, and servo deceleration.
Fill weight and Fill Ratio is to set the filling weight parameters. you can check this video to learn how to set these two parameters:
Fill Servo Speed is to adjust servo motor turning speed, normally for K cups, we set 1500-2500, and for Nespresso, we set 1000-1500.
Servo acceleration is to set the parameters to start the auger turning, which means how fast the auger can reach the fastest turning speed, normally set 50-300
Servo deceleration is to set the parameter to stop the auger from turning, which means how fast the auger can stop turning, normally set 50-300
We found that the darker the coffee is roasted and the richer the oil is, the more likely it is to generate static electricity during the filling process.
After the generation of static electricity, the coffee powder is more likely to stick to the downstream spout, making the coffee powder transfer to the cup and other parts of the cup during contact with the cup.
Therefore, it is best to configure some electrostatic elimination devices to prevent this type of situation from occurring.
Specific methods of eliminating static electricity can be answered by contacting our sales engineers, who have summarized a set of static electricity elimination solutions based on customer feedback, which substantially helps customers solve many problems of spreading powder.
The above is our summary of the causes and solutions to the problem of spreading powder, there may be other situations that lead to the occurrence of such problems, we welcome feedback from our readers, and we sincerely welcome more comments and suggestions
As one of the first technicians in China to research coffee capsule filling and packaging technology, with more than ten years of front-line sales, design, R&D, and production experience, he has helped hundreds of coffee companies to set up their coffee capsule production lines successfully so far. He has been committed to developing higher-end, more advanced coffee capsule filling and packaging machines and constantly collecting feedback from customers, making AFPAK's machines more and more popular.
The structure of the H2 coffee capsule filling sealing machine includes the empty capsules sorter and feeder device, empty capsules conveyor and filling and sealing zone.
With a vibrating plate, the empty capsules sorter and feeder device is used to sort out all disorganized empty cups so they could be put in order one by one on the conveyor. For H2 coffee capsule filling sealing machine, there would be 2 lanes of conveyor. The conveyor will deliver all the sorted empty cups to the filling and sealing zone.
The filling sealing zone consists of aluminum capsules feeding device, the coffee powder filling system, the nitrogen flushing system, the anti static system, the coffee powder tamping and capsule edge cleaning system, the roll film cutting and sealing station, the second sealing station and conveyor.
The capsules are stocked here and delivered to the conveyor. Basically, the function of this device is similar to empty capsules sorter and feeder device, which is delivering the coffee capsules to the capsules conveyor. But the difference is based on the types of coffee capsules, the empty capsules sorter and feeder device are used to sort out those coffee capsules that are not easy to stack by taking advantage of the vibrating device.
This coffee powder filling system has a conical coffee powder silo which could contain the powder of coffee, cocoa, tea leaves or other type of granules. The coffee powder will be filled into the coffee capsuled in the position of the conveyor.
The nitrogen flushing system is used to keep nitrogen flushed during the process of filling and sealing so to ensure the freshness of the coffee powder and extend the shelf life of filled and sealed coffee capsules.
The static electricity might be generated during the process of filling and sealing, which is harmful to coffee capsule quality and their output, and also the machine itself. Static electricity can cause powder deposition during production to block pipelines. The anti static system will lead to form a conductive layer on the surface of the parts of the machine, thereby reducing its surface resistivity and allowing the static charge that has been generated to leak quickly.
This system is to tamp the coffee powder in the coffee capsules, so to extract the air inside. Also there is edge cleaning function to make sure a complete sealing.
The roll film cutting system would cut the film into the shape of the lid which match the size of the mouth of the coffee capsules. And the system would deliver it to the sealing station for sealing the film to the coffee capsules.
The second sealing station is to make sure the sealing is tight enough and complete. The conveyor would output the well filled and sealed coffee capsules.
In general, the empty capsules sorting and feeding device will be shipped separately. Therefore, after receiving this device and H2 coffee capsule filling sealing machine, customer will need to link them together.
The key thing is put the 2 machine at the right position, so the conveyor of the empty capsules (2 lanes) sorting and feeding device aligns with the conveyor of the H2 coffee capsule filling sealing machine, that the empty capsules can be delivered from the sorting and feeding device smoothly.
After the device is put in the right position, the 2 pipes should be connected.
Further, connect the pipe related the vibration plate. Once it is connected and the switch is on, the device is ready to work.
Firstly, find the screw on the side of the hopper. Release the screw a bit. The the cover will be able to be removed.
Take out the down cover. So the whole hopper could move away from the machine.
Put a bin down the nozzle of the hopper to collect the coffee powder residue after cleaning.
The next step is to find the “clean hopper” on the screen and click the “run” button. So the coffee powder residue will be cleaned drop to the bin.
As on the photo there are some connectors. Take off them.
On the upside of the hopper, there are 4 clamps. Release them. So the whole hopper is ready to open that the auger and other parts could be cleaned.
After cleaning, when putting the hopper back, be careful that the nozzle is in the right position, matching the positions on the conveyor mold.
Click “auto” button, so the machine will carry out production automatically.
“Sorted cup catch” refers to the bio-degradable capsules from the sorting and feeding device.
“Drop cups” is related to aluminum capsules feeding device.
“Filling” means the process of filling the coffee powder to the empty coffee capsules.
“Feeding” refers to delivery the coffee powder from the coffee powder tank to the hopper.
“Film cutter heating” is related to the filling and sealing area’s temperature of “film cutter 1 temp.” and “film cutter 2 temp.”.
“Sealing head heating” refers to the second sealing head.
“Heat sealing 1 temp.” and “Heat sealing 2 temp.” refers to the second sealing station’ s temperature.
“Vibrating sorter” is for sorting out the empty capsules in the empty coffee capsules sorting and feeding device.
“Sorter air blowing” refers to the empty coffee capsules sorting and feeding device.
“Host speed” means the running speed of the machine.
“Fill ratio” is the amount of coffee powder to be filled.
“Fill 1 ratio” and “Fill 2 ratio” are used to adjust the accuracy of the coffee powder not filled accurately. Big number means more coffee powder is filled and small number means less coffee powder is filled.
On the “Operation scree” page.
The blue gear shape button is for manual running or automatic running.
For auto model, the machine will run itself and the relative button will be green.
For manual mode, control each function and press the Green button“Run”. So this function will work.
On the “Parameter screen”.
The parameters are set and tested already. There are many pages on the “Parameter screen”. In general, only “Servo parameters” should be adjusted.
Before you adjust the parameter on “Servo parameters”, you better screenshot the original data.
“Cylinder debugging” refers to control of each cylinder.
“Language” is for setting the language.
Below yellow button “Jog” refers to run the machine for one time.
Green button “Run” refers to running the machine.
Red button “Stop” refers to stopping the machine. When the alarm is on, use the “Stop” button to stop the alarm.
“Emergency stop” is to stop the machine in emergent situation.
An video introduction is as below.
The new roll film will be put on the above parts. Press the air gun to make the film flat as on the video.
The film will go through the sealing station and back to the used film collection parts.
This thick cable is 3-meter long which is the electricity cable. Change the plug and connect it to the power.
There is the switch for the machine to run after all are connected.
This is the part to connect the air compressor. The transparent pipe is used to connect the air compressor.After that, change the position of the blue part to get air supply and the meter color will be changed from green to red. The number will be higher on the meter. The air pressure is set to 0.4Mpa in general. Only this 0.4Mpa is met, could the machine work properly. If it is lower than this number, the machine will not work well. And the alarm will be on.
Lift the top part and rotate it so to adjust the air pressure. After the air pressure is adjusted, press the top part down to the original position.
Below the air compressor connection part, there is the nitrogen generator connection part. The red arrow part refers to the input of the nitrogen. To adjust the pressure level of the nitrogen, you just need to make sure it is a little higher than zero. It does not require high pressure for nitrogen flushing.
Firstly, fill the hopper with coffee powder to make sure the hopper is 80% full. So a constant filling would be ensured. Move the hopper aside to adjust the filling weight with a bin below the nozzles to collect coffee powder.
Find a cup and a scale. Put the cup on the scale and reset the scale to zero.
After, go to the screen. Click the “Filling” and “Stir” and make sure they become green on the “Operation screen”. Press the green “Run” button. So the coffee will start to drop from the nozzles.
If filling weight is set as 5.5, adjust the fill 1 or fill 2 ratio to increase the accuracy.
When filling weight is well set and adjusted, put the hopper back to the right position and lock it.
The inline weight checker is connected to the conveyor (the output part), used to weigh the filled and sealed capsules.
As one of the most popular k cups filling sealing machine in the market, RN1S k cup filling sealing machine has gained great preference among customers. It has helped a lot of startups, small business and medium business to grow, achieve their productivity target and reach their sales goals. To better help customers understand this machine, AFPAK provides here guidance in detail on how the replacement of key parts of RN1S k cup filling and sealing machine is carried out.
Please kindly note when you carry out the below steps to take out or replace the key parts of the RN1S k cup filling sealing machine, you need to make sure the power is switched off and the machine has stopped running. Besides, it is better that the machine is well-cleaned with no coffee powder inside before replacing any parts.
Fours screws close to the top of the cup silo are used to hold the cup magazine to ensure that the cup magazine is stable. So the first step is to unscrew all of them and you will be able to unite the cup magazine. While there are two screws used to tighten the bottom of the cup magazine. After taking off the top of the cup magazine, you need to release the two screws so that the bottom of the cup magazine could be removed. it is quite simple that any one in the factory or the workshop could do it.
When you remove the cup magazines, you need to make sure there is no cup inside. Or if there are cups in the cup silo, hold the bottom of the silo to prevent this cups from dropping and falling to the ground everywhere. Always remember to take the cup silo off gently, in case that the edges would cause wound to the operators.
After the cup magazine is removed, the cup separator should be taken out manually. There are few screws adopted to fix the cup separator which are put on position that could be easily unscrewed. When unscrew the cup separator, be careful of not letting the screws and some parts fall to the ground as some parts are small which might easily drop through the hollow parts of the machine. Hold those small parts while screw them. Besides there are blue and black tubes or tracheae connected to the cups separator, be mindful that you do not cause any damage to them as the screws are hidden inside. Further while removing or taking off the blue and black tracheae, you need to pay attention to the direction of the tracheae, so not to make mistake when connect them back to the cup separator again.
When the new cup separator is ready to be fixed to the machine, you need to firstly tighten the four screws on 2 sides. Then you could fix the bottom plastic cover to the cup separator. So you could put the bottom magazine or the new one back. For this step, the key thing is that you need to be very careful of the position of bottom cups magazine and do not let it touch the cup separator. There is space required between them as the cup separator moves back and forward to separate the cups from the cup magazine and deliver them to the positions on the round plate. There are gaps between two cups stacked in the cup silo which will be taken advantage by the cup separator to realize the cup separating. When cup magazine is set at the right position, screw it to tighten it to the machine.
The last step is to put the blue and black tubes to the right place.
It is quite simple. The filling nozzle are with internal thread. That means basically it is a screw and all you need to do is unscrew the old one and screw the new one to the machine.
The vacuum suction head is stored inside the round shape metal cover. To replace it, the first step is to take it out of the RN1S filling sealing machine. Then open it and take the vacuum suction out.
There are two big screws used to fix the round shape metal cover. You can only take the round shape metal box out after you unscrew the two crews. It is suggested to release the screw tightened horizontally firstly. After that unscrew the vertical screw.
There are four screws on top of the round shape metal cover. After remove those four screws, you will be able to take the top cover off. There will be another screw in the middle for round shape cover. By holding the bottom and unscrewing this screw, you will get the old vacuum suction head out.
Replace the old vacuum suction head with the new one. Then screw it to the round shape metal cover and put it back to the machine and fix it. Hence, the whole process is complete.
The lids magazine is a hollow tube shape part made by metal. It is fixed to the metal lids magazine platform by four screws. To replace it with the new one, all you need to do is unscrew the old one and put the new one on the machine by screwing tightly.
To change the sealing head, you need to release the whole part which contains the sealing head first. There are 2 screws applied to fix the part to the RN1S filling and sealing machine. Unscrew them while holding it to prevent the part from dropping. By taking out the part, you will be able to see the screw at the bottom of the part that fix the sealing head. Unscrew this screw and you will get the old sealing head. Replace it and fix it back to the machine. After putting the whole part to the machine, the whole process is complete.
Humans have changed the shape of food, and the food industry is changing human eating habits. Thought the "disappearance" of canned goods, in a new way reappeared in front of consumers.
Recently, a bottle of mysterious power from the northeast - canned yellow peaches, by consumers crazy snapping up.
"There is nothing that a can of canned yellow peaches can not solve, if not, then two cans." In the hearts of Northeasterners, canned yellow peaches is God. When I had a fever as a young child, my mother threw a spoonful of canned yellow peaches water, simply the height of maternal love epitomized.
However canned in thousands of households, gradually forgotten, for a long time, can be put in the corner, or even disappeared from the shelves.
The "China Canned Food Industry Production and Sales Demand and Investment Forecast Analysis Report" shows that China's canned food production steadily ranked first in the world, but the per capita annual consumption of only 1 kg, while the United States per capita annual consumption of canned food in about 90 kg, Western Europe is about 50 kg.
During the epidemic, canned food unexpectedly turned red, it is also time to get reacquainted with it.
Perhaps even the yellow peaches themselves could not have imagined that one day they would beat all fruits and become the most popular canned food.
Recently, sold off in addition to ibuprofen, even flowers, and other drugs, but also canned yellow peaches. Online store daily sales surged from more than a thousand to tens of thousands of orders, Lin's store, sincerely the daily sales of canned goods on the million, set off a national purchase boom.
Why canned yellow peaches? Is it just because of the "peach" over a robbery? This is to start with the Northeast "metaphysics".
In the past, the northeast has "sick to eat canned yellow peaches" a saying. For many people in the Northeast, canned yellow peaches is their exclusive memory, and is one of the necessary treatment for colds and fevers.
In the early years, the Northeast fruit is rare and difficult to transport difficult to preserve, especially in winter, most areas can eat limited fruit, and many people have developed the habit of eating canned fruit, and even become a tradition.
Of course, canned fruit, which can replenish water, sugar and vitamin C, has also become the preferred nutritional product for patients. Especially for children, when sick, every bite of cool sweet is a wonderful spiritual comfort, canned yellow peaches have become a "protector".
In addition, yellow peaches are mainly grown in northern, central and southwestern China, Shandong Pingyi, Zhejiang Jiashan, Hunan Yanling, Liaoning Dalian, etc. are famous yellow peach production areas.
Among them, Dalian, Liaoning Province is both an important city for growing yellow peaches in China, but also the main production area of canning. Early in the Republic of China, Dalian canning has taken shape. By the 1990s, Dalian Canned Food Factory alone, canned varieties of up to 300, canned fruit is also at this time into ordinary people's homes.
"When I had a fever as a child, my mother bought me canned yellow peaches. I don't remember much from taking medicine, but a bottle of canned food went down and the fever went down." Lin Lin from the northeast to the view tide of new consumption (ID: TideSight), said, "It must also be a glass can, strong."
With the development of logistics and planting technology, the people of the Northeast to achieve fruit freedom, canned yellow peaches gradually withdrew from the mainstream snack market, but this does not affect its status in the hearts of consumers.
Especially these days, canned yellow peaches "magic" pull full, attracting consumers to buy. Soon, some of the platforms of canned yellow peaches were bought out of stock.
Data show that in the last month, Jingdong supermarket sales of canned yellow peaches skyrocketed, up 245% over the same period last year, sales are three times the canned oranges. As of December 12, canned yellow peaches purchased in the top three regions are Beijing, Liaoning, Hebei.
China Canning Industry Association Vice President Chamber of Commerce Ming said that many manufacturers have been a shortage of packaging materials, and logistics tensions, the country's canned fruit sales are expected to grow by 15% this year.
On December 9, the canning brand Lin Jia Puzi issued an article on a social media platform to dispel rumors that the canned yellow peaches themselves do not have any medicinal effect, and advised netizens to stock up rationally and not to follow blindly. It also said that the current supply is sufficient, no need to panic, and no need to mad rush.
December 10, the can brand sincerely also repeatedly responded that the majority of netizens' rational consumption do not blindly follow, with the text "canned yellow peaches will bless every northeastern child."
Canned yellow peaches is not medicine, nor is it metaphysical, consumers naturally understand, they buy childhood memories, is the sentiment.
There are many categories of canned goods, in addition to canned fruit, there are canned seafood, canned vegetables, canned meat and so on, both canned food and canned beverages.
Historically, the earliest cans were made from glass jars with cork and wire tightly plugged.
In 1795, the French emperor Napoleon led the army to conquer the four sides, living for a long time on board the seafarers because they could not eat fresh vegetables, fruits, and other food and illness, some also suffered from serious life-threatening scurvy. In order to solve the problem of food storage when marching in war, the French government used a huge prize of 12,000 francs to solicit methods of long-term food storage.
After continuous research and practice, the Frenchman Nicolas Appel and his wife, who operated candied food, finally succeeded in 1804. He will treat the food, and then into a wide mouth jar, all placed in a pot of boiling water, heated for 30-60 minutes, while hot with a cork tightly, and then reinforced with thread or sealed with wax, this technology was patented in 1810 after the public. This approach can preserve food for a longer period of time without spoilage and is the prototype of modern canning.
Appel's glass cans soon after the introduction of the British Peter Duren developed thin tin cans made of tin, which is also the originator of today's tin cans.
In 1862, the French biologist Pasteur published a paper clarifying that food spoilage is caused by bacteria. As a result, canning factories use steam sterilization technology to make canned food to achieve absolute sterility standards. Today's aluminum foil packaging cans were born in the 20th century in the United States.
China's canning industry started late. In the late Qing Dynasty, with the opening of the country, canned food and its production process began to enter China.
In 1893, the patriots of the time, in Guangzhou, invested in the establishment of China's first canned goods factory - Guangmao Xiang canned goods factory. China's canning industry also began with the first product produced by Guangmaoxiang - black bean pangasius.
Subsequently, the coastal Tianjin, Xiamen, Ningbo, Shantou, Yantai, Dalian and the mainland of Chongqing, Chengdu, Wanxian and other places have also established a number of canned food factories.
At the beginning of the Republic, China's canned food manufacturing industry had seven centers in Guangzhou, Shantou, Xiamen, Fuzhou, Shanghai, Suzhou and Yangzhou, with products covering several categories of fruits and vegetables, poultry, fish, candy, cookies and sauces.
According to the "Guangzhou City Magazine", before the outbreak of the war in 1937, Guangzhou already had 14 canning factories with an unprecedented annual output of more than 3,000 tons, and 90% of them were sold to the South Seas and America.
Poster of Meilin Canned Food Company
Image source: Meilin
The "old Chinese brand", Meilin, was also established in that era. Compared to the exports of Guangzhou and Chaoshan, the canning factory in Shanghai "produced to save the country", more national self-help meaning.
In order to resist imports and develop China's canning industry, in July 1930, Shi Yongxi, Dai Xingshui and other savings and loans to banks, the official establishment of Meilin Canned Food Factory.
Meilin use of local raw materials, local production, compared with foreign goods at low prices, loved by consumers. While expanding the local market, Meilin also actively went global.
At the 1934 Chicago World's Fair in the United States, Merlin canned foods received the "General Assembly Appreciation" evaluation and the "Successful Cooperation" certificate. Then it was exported to Southeast Asia and entered the European and American markets after the 1940s.
After the founding of the country, the domestic canning industry ushered in a period of rapid development.
In 1956, the state prepared for the construction of the Guangdong Canning Factory, which was completed and put into operation in 1958, and the factory was built in accordance with the Soviet architectural model of office buildings and plants. Guangdong canning plant is one of the 165 key projects of the Soviet Union and China's economic cooperation, but also the largest canning plant during the first five-year plan of the new China, but also the largest canning plant in Asia at the time.
Data show that in 1959 China's total output of canned goods was 160,000 tons, more than half of which was for export, involving more than a dozen varieties of pigs, cattle and sheep, poultry, fruits, vegetables, etc. In the early 1970s, the number of canned goods exported exceeded $100 million.
In the era of material shortages, canned goods were a luxury. In the early 1990s, sales of canned goods in the domestic market reached a small peak. People used canned meat as a New Year's gift and canned fruit as a sympathy gift for visiting the sick.
It can be said that canned goods have played a colorful role in Chinese business history.
In the early 1990s, Mou Zhin, formerly China's richest man, used light industrial products, including 500 carloads of canned goods, to buy back four Tu-154 airliners from the Soviet Union, becoming a legend in the Chinese business community and witnessing the high point of Chinese canning in international trade.
The production of canned food has two key features: sealing and sterilization.
From the point of view of production technology, in front of many contemporary foods, canned without technology and ruthless work. It can even be said that canned food is almost no additives and best able to maintain the original flavor of food products.
According to statistics, China's canned goods production continued to increase from 2012 to 2016, reaching an industry peak of 13,948,600 tons of production in 2016, with revenue of 175,179 million yuan and total profits approaching 10 billion yuan.
However, since then, the development of the canning industry has entered a bottleneck, both in terms of production, and growth rate, and the overall trend in revenue has continued to decline. In 2019, the total revenue of Chinese canning enterprises was above size by about 128.21 billion yuan, with a total profit of 7.87 billion yuan.
China is a large producer of canned goods, supplying a quarter of the world's canned goods, but is not a large consumer of canned goods. However, the domestic canned goods market has a lot of room for development, and some data show that by 2023, China's canned goods industry market capacity is expected to exceed 320 billion yuan.
The problem with canned food is high salt, high sugar, and high oil. With the popularity of health awareness, consumers prefer fresh and short-preserved food, and coupled with the impact of take-out, the development of canned food is limited.
These years under the influence of the epidemic, consumers began to stock up. Long shelf life, a wide variety of canned food has become the choice of most people. Wisdom Research Consulting data show that in the first half of 2021, China's canned food production increased by 11.8% year-on-year, which is also the first time in 2017 that growth.
This time, canned yellow peaches out of the circle is a revival of consumers' childhood feelings, but a closer look at the canned goods industry behind it is undergoing change.
In particular, this year, the State Administration of Market Supervision and Administration (National Standardization Administration) approved the release of "beef, canned lamb quality general rules" "tomato paste quality general rules" "canned pangasius fish quality general rules" three national standards in the field of canning revision; China Canning Industry Association released "China's canning industry branding three-year special action plan (2021-2023)", which are for China's canning industry pointed out the direction.
Supply chain end, the leading enterprises continue to mechanization, automation, intelligence, the formation of a complete industrial system; small and medium-sized canned food factories also towards the development of specialized, large-scale canning enterprises.
In addition, under the consumer iteration, the new needs of new people were discovered. Four happy pills, plum vegetable buckle meat, eight treasure rice, etc., healthier, more diverse, more in line with the current taste of young people's food is packed into the cans.
Li ZiQi canned ginseng and black bone chicken soup
Image source: Taobao @LiZiQi flagship store
For example, Lin Jia Pu Zi launched "sugar-free" "sugar control zero fat" canned yellow peaches; Meilin launched a "one person food" canned series; Li Zi Qi launched a ginseng chicken soup suitable for late-night overtime workers, travelers, and so on. The new brand that understands young people better has stepped on the wind of pre-made dishes and has also responded to the single economy.
Coupled with the general background of kitchen simplicity, fashion, and outdoor sports, the canning industry has simultaneously ushered in historical opportunities in different consumer scenarios.
Guangdong's black bean pangasius, Beidaihe's braised pork, Zhoushan's drunken mud snails, Yunnan's cloud legs, Hainan's Qingtanliang, Xinjiang's tomatoes, and grapes …… Canned food spans the mountains and seas and the seasons.
Humans have changed the shape of food, and the food industry is changing the eating habits of humans. Thought to "disappear" of the can, in a new way reappeared in front of the consumer.
from TideSight
Writer: Dundun Wong
Editor: Zisu
Coffee is a well-known beverage, but in fact, most people do not know that making the perfect cup of coffee is very tedious, it has to go through peeling, drying, roasting, grinding, and cooking, where the roasting and grinding and cooking process is the most critical, the length and temperature of the roasting process, the grinding means, and the water temperature and way of the cooking process determine the different qualities and types of coffee.
Regardless of the type of coffee, the time and temperature of roasting, the size of the grains, and the method of grinding, as well as the temperature and method of cooking are great test for people who like to drink coffee in making a good cup of coffee.
So this inconvenience of making coffee at home and the improvement of the tedious and time-consuming cleaning process led to the emergence and innovation of coffee machines and directly to the innovation of the way coffee is consumed in homes and offices, which is why single-cup coffee had to emerge.
KEURIG means "excellence" in Dutch.
Regarding the origin of single-cup coffee, the founder of KEURIG believed that coffee consumed at home should be as fresh as coffee consumed in a café, so he asked a very simple question: Why do people make a pot of coffee when they can only drink one cup at a time? It was this simple question that led to the creation of KEURIG.
The so-called single-cup coffee system consists of a single-cup coffee machine and a corresponding matching coffee package in a medium of some shape.
Generally, we call it by its specific name by using the shape of the media packaging, such as Nescafe Nespresso's matching shape of capsule-shaped aluminum packaging coffee, which we call capsule; TASSIMO machines use tray-like coffee bags, which we call T-DISK, while KEURIG machines use small cup-like coffee packaging, which we call "K-CUP" etc.
To use the machine, one puts a specifically shaped coffee bag into the machine and the machine quickly brews it to form a cup of coffee. After the coffee is finished people simply take the specifically shaped coffee bag out of the machine and throw it away, and there is no need to clean it again. Later, some single-serve coffee systems gradually introduced other beverages such as tea and hot cocoa.
These beverages with similar practices have slowly spread to people's lives, making them easier and faster to drink.
Now, in the United States and even the world, people's love for k cup coffee has been beyond imagination, It is estimated that the global Keurig K-Cup market was valued at over $7 billion in 2019, and is projected to reach approximately $14 billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 8.2% during the forecast period 2020-2027. Such good market!
the following I want to introduce you to several of the best-selling k cup coffee brands in the United States (ranked in no particular order, data from Amazon)
Donut Shop brand coffee capsules are quite popular with the public, and the medium roast inside is the most popular. For infrequent coffee drinkers is also very suitable, the coffee aroma is strong enough, the taste is not too bitter and not too light, and freshly baked donuts are particularly well matched.
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The McCafe premium medium roast coffee cup pods provide a smooth, balanced flavor that is perfect for sipping throughout the day, allowing you to enjoy the McCafe experience at home or at work. This 100% Arabica coffee is carefully harvested from the rich soils and mountains of Central and South America. Brew a cup of McCafe premium roast coffee in all Keurig 1.0 and 2.0 brewing systems.
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Starbucks House Blend has a balanced aroma, body, and flavor - roasted to bring out the nutty and cocoa flavors. This is a medium roast coffee: smooth and balanced, with a rich, approachable flavor. Starbucks coffee is made with 100% specialty roasted Arabica beans
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This is an Amazon brand of coffee, Solimo Dark Roast Coffee k-cup pods are made from 100% Arabica beans for a full, bold flavor. Compatible with 1.0 and 2.0 k-cup coffee machines.
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Peet's Coffee, founded in 1966 in Berkeley, California, Peets has always adhered to the concept of doing quality boutique coffee, not to be disturbed by the commercial atmosphere, Peet's is characterized by deep roasting, whether hand brewed or espresso, rich and full-bodied, more flavorful than the average coffee, and coffee beans are all top quality beans, inheriting the classic deep roasting process, to make the coffee is also excellent taste. Coffee is also excellent taste, bright, mild and delicate in the mouth.
Peet’s K-Cup Pods are fully recyclable - peel, compost or dispose grounds & recycle.
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Victor Allen's sources 100% Arabica coffee beans from around the world and uses precision roasting techniques to ensure a premium coffee with a sweet and smooth flavor, the perfect balance between body and boldness, providing plenty of flavor and being 100% gluten-free and non-GMO.
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SAN FRANCISCO BAY
SF BAY COFFEE is an American family-owned company with a rich heritage. Only 100% Arabica and kosher-certified coffee beans are used. Hand-selected and grown at high altitudes. French roast coffee is one of their most popular coffees, with Arabica beans from Central and South America. It is roasted to create a bold, full-bodied coffee with a smoky aroma.
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Dunkin' Donuts coffee is one of the most popular coffee brands in the United States, the coffee is roasted from 100% Arabica coffee beans, feel the smooth and delicious, balanced taste of the original coffee bar, bringing the same taste as the physical store purchase, with snacks as your breakfast companion or afternoon tea drinks are very good!
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Keuring Coffee includes 20 popular varieties of 3 K Cup pods, for people who like to try various flavors and challenge the unknown, if you also like adventure, choose Keuring Coffee and you will discover a new world of coffee!
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Green Mountain Coffee Roasters originated in the volcanic highlands of Ethiopia, where the adventurous spirit of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters and its commitment to improving the land through sustainably sourced coffee was developed. A plethora of floral and citrus notes await there, subtly balanced by chocolate and caramel flavors for a bright, uplifting experience.
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Four generations of the Lavazza family have spent more than 120 years finding the best blends of coffee beans from around the world to provide you with an authentic Italian experience. It allows the use of the Keurig K-cup coffee maker to create a variety of delightful, sippable coffees. Enjoy the true taste of the unique Lavazza Italy.
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illy's a unique blend of premium Arabica coffee, smooth, rich, and full-bodied, is made from a clever blend of 100% sustainably grown Arabica beans, carefully selected from different growing regions around the world. The result is an authentic Italian coffee that is perfectly consistent, smooth, balanced, and never bitter. A lot goes into making illy coffee - so illy is committed to giving back to everyone; creating a cycle of quality and awareness for all. Twenty-five years ago, illy pioneered the direct trade model by cultivating personal, lasting relationships with growers to produce the best beans. illy provides hands-on mentoring to growers around the world - helping them develop skills, and techniques and stay up-to-date on sustainable innovations at no cost.
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These are a few of Amazon's best-selling coffees, nowadays whether in busy work or in a casual afternoon, coffee has become an indispensable part of people's lives, then the fast and convenient k cup of coffee is a momentum, irresistible occupy a wall of coffee.
It is not difficult to find that people drinking coffee has begun to change from considering practical functions to focusing on life attitudes, and practical functions such as invigorating have gradually been divorced from the word coffee. People are refining the steps of coffee brewing like wine tasting, experiencing the subtle differences brought about by various operations. Coffee has permeated people's lives. It represents a variety of attitudes to life in a way that each person prefers.
In the future, coffee will permeate our lives in many ways.
After our analysis of the best-selling coffees on the market and our communication with hundreds of coffee company customers in the United States, we have roughly summarized the following points that we hope will help you.
The flavor of coffee is the first important factor that allows customers to buy back, the origin of different, different depths of roasting brings the difference in the taste of coffee, can determine whether your coffee products can sell for a long time
Is your coffee catching the attention of new consumers? Can your brand power and good image be felt before consumers even taste it? Is it able to guarantee the freshness of the coffee? Good packaging can make you stand out
The price of the k cup coffee is very important in the market. Price is one of the major factors that influence consumers' decisions when making a purchase. Price can also be used as a tool to differentiate similar products in the market and to help companies increase their profits.
Advertising is a key aspect of making your k cup coffee a bestseller. If your coffee is advertised effectively, it can create awareness among customers and increase demand.
Word of mouth plays an important role in making a product a best seller. If customers have a positive experience with a product, they are likely to recommend it to others. This can help increase sales and make a product a best seller.
Availability of a product is also an important factor in making a product a best seller. If a product is easily available, it is more likely to be bought by customers.
1. Start with high-quality coffee beans. The quality of the coffee beans plays a big role in the taste of your K-Cup coffee. Make sure you use the best quality beans you can find.
2. Choose the right roast. Light, medium, and dark roasts will all provide different flavors and intensities. Choose the one that suits your taste and preferences.
3. Grind the coffee beans to the right size. For K-Cup coffee, you want to grind the beans to a medium-coarse grind size. This will give you the best flavor extraction.
4. Measure the grounds. For K-Cup coffee, you’ll want to measure the grounds to 7g-12g of coffee per cup. This will give you the perfect cup of coffee every time.
5. Brew. Place your cup in the K-Cup machine and press the start button. The machine will do the rest.
6. Enjoy! You now have the perfect cup of K-Cup coffee. Enjoy!
I would recommend the Automatic Rotary RN1S K cup Filling and Sealing Machine from AFPAK. This machine is designed for high-speed packaging of K-Cups and is capable of filling and sealing up to 70 cups per minute. It offers a variety of features, including an adjustable filling nozzle and an easy-to-use touchscreen interface. The machine also features an integrated safety system and can be easily integrated into your existing packaging line.
You can also check other K cup filling sealing machines from AFPAK here:
2023 New K cup filling sealing packaging machine and empty k cups and sealing lids
If you have more suggestions and comments, please feel free to contact us
An interview with the most experienced team of manufacturing coffee sealing and filling machines at AFPAK is revealed to unravel more details on the popularity of coffee capsules
Allen Cao, who is the coffee sealing and filling machine designer at AFPAK
Allen:
There are a few reasons why coffee capsules are so popular or why there are more and more people interested in instant coffee.
Convenience: By using coffee capsules, anyone could get a cup of fresh coffee within 1 minute. All he or she needs is a small coffee machine and a coffee capsule at home or in the office. Especially during the pandemic, people tend to work from home more often. With less social activity, a quick drink of instant coffee is much more preferred. Besides, the coffee capsules are filled and sealed by specially designed machines which ensures freshness and longer shelf life. With nitrogen flushed during the filling and sealing process, the taste stays.
The simplicity of cleaning: It is just a small coffee machine with coffee capsules. It does not take anyone’s great effort to clean the machine.
Low cost: Each capsule is priced at an affordable price which is about 0.3-0.5 USD per capsule.
Variety of flavors: there are so many different kinds of tastes in the market. I am pretty sure anyone would find the flavor they like.
Environmental-friendly material: the capsules have gone through different stages from simply containing the coffee powder by using any type of material to adopting environmental-friendly material. Easily degradable materials are applied to produce the coffee capsules.
Allen:
In the market, Nespresso is definitely the best-selling currently in the world and its sales of it are still increasing each year. Nespresso has a history dating back to 1948, which indicates that Nespresso has undergone over 50 years of development. It has contributed greatly to the rise of the instant coffee business and hence the thriving of the manufacturing of coffee capsule filling and sealing machines.
Every year, there will be new flavors developed and come out, and hundreds of flavors of Nespresso exist in the world. The diversity of the flavors of the Nespresso coffee capsules is the main reason for its popularity, while the constant innovation prevents this heat from being subsided. As I mentioned early, anyone could find one flavor they love in coffee capsules. Maybe I could also say that anyone would find one flavor from Nespresso coffee capsules they love.
Allen:
Yes, there are some differences. I guess it is hard to let Nespresso win all the markets. Right? The fundamental reasons behind that are competition between coffee capsule suppliers and the preference of the local market, namely localization. As Nespresso has developed so fast and cultivated a lot of coffee lovers to form a habit of drinking instant coffee. Or in other words, a lot of traditional coffee lovers or coffee lovers of the new generation who are more likely to accept new stuff and enjoy a faster pace of life become fans of coffee capsules. This brings a great opportunity for business and profit making. Therefore, a lot of newcomers to the coffee capsules business would like to seize this opportunity to get a share of this ever-growing cake, build a business and make a fortune out of it. So a lot of competition appears that a lot of brands of coffee capsules come out.
For instance, K cups based in the USA has grown to be one of the biggest coffee capsule suppliers in the world and it is the No. 1 in the USA. One of its most popular flavors is Americano. They are saying that if you drink a cup of Americano from K cups and eat he donut at the same time, your day is just made.
Besides K cups’ popularity in the USA, in the North American market, there is a famous system of coffee capsules developed by Nespresso which is called Nespresso Vertuoline. It is like a customized system, especially for the North American market.
Further, even in the European market where Nespresso stemmed from, Nespresso is not the most popular. According to some research, Lavazza capsules are more popular there. The main reason is that there are a lot of different sizes of Lavazza in the market that can meet all types of demand. Myself, I am a deep coffee lover and I prefer large cups of coffee. I could drink a lot of cups, over 1 liter each day. So Lavazza capsules are my favorite.
Italian coffee capsules are the top competitors to Nespresso. There is a well-known company called GAGGIA which has developed a special but popular coffee capsule system, the Caffitaly. This old company never stopped innovation. They carry out a lot of research each year to identify the different types of demands in the market. And they will adjust or create new flavors to meet the new kind of demand for coffee capsule flavors.
The system is like this: Caffitaly coffee capsules have two microfiltration back pressures above and below. High pressure of 15 bar is generated by the pump, which then penetrates the capsule. First micro press the filter coffee grounds. The pressure received by this filter is evenly distributed, which ensures that the brewed coffee has the same taste as espresso. Because the pressure will be brought in through the upper microfiltration equalizer, and it will be brought in very evenly. This pressure plus the secondary microfiltration back pressure can make the coffee powder brew a more mellow and rich taste.
Allen:
The differences might lie in the weight of the granule or powder inside the coffee capsules, the size, the outlook or design of the coffee capsules, the flavor of the capsules, the packaging style, the way of brewing the coffee capsules, and others. Let us go over the major differences one by one.
The weight of granules or powder inside the coffee capsules:
Different brands have different weight standards which stem from the customer's demand in a different region. It could be 8 grams of coffee powder inside the capsuled for the Caffitaly, for instance.
As I mentioned before, I prefer the large size Lavazza because of its large size which could meet my daily coffee consumption requirement. But in general, smaller size are more popular. And different coffee capsule providers would divide coffee lovers into different groups such as heavy coffee lovers and light coffee lovers.
There are cup-shaped coffee capsules, and there are UFO-shaped coffee capsules. In general, those types of special styles of structure are created to target young coffee lovers. Those various structures of coffee capsules are customized.
Even for just Nespresso, there are hundreds of flavors. The richness of flavors originated that different countries have different cultures and their preference towards coffee tastes are totally different. Espresso without sugar would be someone’s favorite, while cappuccino or latte is someone else favorite. It is that different demand, resulting in the big brands never stopping innovation of new flavors.
This is quite simple. Some boxes are packed with 5 coffee capsules and some are packed with 10 coffee capsules. I think this is based on the purchasing power of customers.
It depends on the brewing machine also. Water temperature and the time the water runs through the coffee powder so to carry out the flavor would affect greatly the taste of the coffee.
Allen:
Actually, it is very easy to start a coffee capsule filling and sealing business so to sell to local shops or supermarkets their coffee capsules. All you need is a bit of investment to buy a high-quality coffee capsule filling and sealing machine that AFPAK could provide.
AFPAK coffee capsule filling and sealing machines are designed by well-experienced engineers. AFPAK adopts food safety grade materials and well-known brands to the machines to ensure high-efficiency filling and sealing.
There are a lot of typed of coffee capsule filling and sealing machines offered by AFPAK for start-ups, small businesses and large businesses. There are one-lane machines such as RN1S COFFEE CAPSULE FILLING SEALING MACHINE which is low-cost for new or small businesses. There are 4/6/8 lanes machines for medium to large businesses to greatly increase their productivity in the workshop.
During the filling and sealing, the nitrogen will be flushed so to ensure a long shelf life of the coffee capsules.
Moreover, to meet any type of demand on production, AFPA offers coffee capsule filling and sealing machines for Nespresso, Lavazza, Dolce Gusto, K cups, and others. Also, AFPAK offers cups at competitive prices so it is not necessary for customers to buy cups from other suppliers.
AFPAK aims at being the best partner for customers to meet all their requirements and help them grow and lead in the market.
Since the outbreak of covid-19, working in the office is much more limited, and more and more people start to work from home.
This has greatly increased the consumption of instant coffee at home with K cups consumption increasing by 7%.
Even now it is getting better with the pandemic and traveling is basically the same as before the epidemic, the amount of consumption of instant coffee is continuously increasing, which means more and more coffee lovers become K cup fans.
The higher demand for K cups has driven the industry of K cups related machine manufacture to thrive.
A great amount of K cup business has become larger from small.
A lot of new startups worldwide try to seize the opportunity to enter the K cups business.
Hence to help those small to big businesses, AfPak has launched AF-HB410 high-end filling and sealing packaging machine with 4 lanes to boost efficiency and productivity.
It is a machine, that not only can it complete the filling and sealing of various types of coffee pods or cups, but also it could pack the filled and sealed pods or cups connected with the box packaging machine.
The below photo of the AF-HB410 filling and sealing packaging machine has displayed its two major parts, which are the filling and sealing machine AF-H4 and the box packaging machine AF-B10.
The below video presents how the AF-H4 fills and seals the coffee k cups.
AF H4 Kcup filling sealing machine is a highly efficient machine that could fill and seal 160-200 cups each minute. It has 4 lanes to fill and seal so to improve efficiency. And lanes could be customized, which means customers could choose 2 lanes, 4 lanes, 6 lanes, or even more.
AfPak offers a turnkey solution to increase customers’ workshop efficiency and productivity it is not necessary for customers to find other box packaging machines to pack cups or pods after the cups or pods are filled and sealed. To maximize automation in the customer’s factories, AfPak also offers a box packaging machine that is connected to the filling and sealing machine to form a complete production line. This time is saved and customers do not need further pack the cups or pods by themselves. It is hence labor-saving.
| Model | AF-H4 | AF-B10 |
| Output speed | 160-200 cups/min | 20-40 boxes/min dependent on packaging type |
| Packaging type | 5*2,10*1 or other customized requirement | |
| Voltage | 3 phases* 220V, 50/60hz (adjustable) | |
| Power | 30A, 5-6kW/h | |
| Air consumption | 45 scfm | |
| Nitrogen consumption | 30 scfm | |
| Dimension | 4800mm*1000mm*2300mm | 3500mm*1500mm*1650mm |
| Over temperature | 5℃-35℃ | |
| Humidity | ≤85％ | |
| Overall weight | 1500kg | 1000kg |
As below, there are 4 lanes of silo to load empty cups, which could be customized, such as 6 lanes or 8 lanes. Empty cups are loaded to get ready for next step to get filled and sealed. The cup silos have a high volume which could be up to 500 capsules. But the amount of empty cups could be loaded varies as the size of the cups might be different based on the products.
Here the well stacked empty are dropped separately to positions on the conveyor molds. The specially designed structure ensures the cups are dropped one by one, so that each time in each position, there in only on cup. Thus this will help to make a smooth filling and sealing.
There are cups detection sensors equipped above the 4 lanes. The principle is if there is no cup on the position of the mold detected, the rest process such as filling and sealing will not be carried out. This improve greatly the high-quality filling and sealing. Without such detection sensors, the powder will be filled into the empty position and will be everywhere, making the machine dirty and increase the difficulty of cleaning.
There are 4 filling heads connected to the powder or granule silo to delivery the powder and granule into the cups. It is the servo filling system. During the whole process of filling and sealing, the nitrogen are flushed to protect to ensure the freshness of the coffee powder so to extend the shelf life of the cups.
After the cups are filled with coffee powder, there is a edge cleaning system to suck the powder away from the mouth edges of the cups. With powder left on the edges, the film could not be sealed tightly onto the cups. So this step is key to make sure the cups could be sealed completely. Thus it helps to reduce the defective coffee cups products and ensure a longer shelf life of the cups.
This prepared film will be sent to each cups in this step.
After the cups edge is cleaned and the film is placed on the cup, the sealing process comes. From filling to sealing, nitrogen is flushed to clean the air in the cups. Besides, the yellow tubes on each lane keep sucking the residual powder or granule. Not only could them help clean the cups or pods filled and sealed, but also they would clean the molds and other major parts of the machine for next round filling and sealing.
There is a vibration plate as below to sort out the lids of the cups. This will help with organizing the lids so to correct the position. Then it will deliver the cups to the conveyor on the 4-lane machine. This is optional, as some customer prefer only the film to seal the cups.
On the 4-lane machine there are 4 lids sucker. When the 4 columns of the lids delivered to where close to the cups, the 4 lids sucker will suck 4 lids and put it on the sealed cups. There is an enhancing system to firmly fasten the lids on the cups. Here, the cups are completely filled and sealed.
The conveyor will deliver the cups to the AF-B10 box packaging machine for further packing.
The cups could be packed in the form of 5*2, 10*1 or based on customer’s requirement. And the box will be shipped out, ready to be list on the shelf of shops and supermarkets. Take 5*2 format of packing for instance. The cups filled and sealed will be divided into 2 rows and there will be 5 cups in each row by the specially designed system on the boxing packaging machine. There will be a robot hand to grasp the 10 cups and put them into the box.
AFpak aims at helping customer to maximize the automation during the production so to cut customer’s labor cost. The AF-H4 filling and sealing machine is preferred by the customer to combine it with the AF-B10 box packaging machine to get a turnkey solution from filling and sealing to packing. The automatic production line is hence formed that not only the efficiency is boosted significantly, but also the cost is much lowered. For such big machine, 1 or 2 operators in general would be enough.
The AF-H4 filling and sealing machine with 4 lanes could complete filling and sealing 4 columns of cups at the same time. The output speed is about 160 to 200 cups per minute. The AF-B10 could possibly pack 20 to 40 boxes each minute. And the efficiency could be further improved if customers select the filling and sealing packaging machine with 6 lanes or 8 lanes. Customization enables the machine to meet various of type of demand from customer.
The straight lane design of this AF-HB410 filling and sealing packaging machine is based on the decades years of experience of engineers and also according to suggestion from AFpak’ regular customers. To begin with, this special design has a nice outlook and with a lot of firm glass equipped, it is possible to see though the glass and check how each processing step is carried out. Besides, the straight lane style makes it easier to clean the coffee powder residue. Further, when the AF-HB410 filling and sealing packaging machine was launched, engineers spent a lot of time on cutting the size of the machine smaller to save customer’s space, which is also good for shipping and transportation. The machine size of AF-H4 is 4800mm*1000mm*2300mm and the machine size of AF-B10 is 3500mm*1500mm*1650mm. The weight of them are 1500kg and 1000kg respectively. All the parts and structure are designed by the principle of simplicity. So every part is useful. Furthermore, the well-known brands such as Schneider are used in the machine to ensure s excellent performance. Last but not least, with the straight lane design, the speed of conveyor could be fast to boost the speed of filling and sealing.
As discussed earlier, sensors are adopted above the lanes of the machine to detect the cups if they are in the position. The sensor heads will sense the cup and feedback to the “brain” of the machine. If there is no cup on the mold, the next few steps including the filling, edge cleaning, sealing, and lids placed would not be carried out. This system would improve the accuracy of filling and reduce the issues of powder scattered everywhere in the machine which might result in the trouble of cleaning. Further, there are lids sensors adopted to ensure a higher quality of sealing. When there are no lids detected, the sealing operation would not be taken place.
Here the commonality of AF-HB410 filling and sealing packaging machine refers to its ability to pack different types of products based on the customers’ demand. Various types of powder and granules such as instant coffee, cocoa powder, tea granules, dry food granules, and other types of powder and granules can be packed by the machine. The position on the molds of the lanes could be changed in terms of size based on the customers’ needs. Highly customization enables AF-HB410 filling and sealing packaging machine to process the production and pack capsules, cups and pods such as Nespresso, Dolce gusto, Lavazza espresso point, K cups and more.
Though the size of AF-HB410 filling and sealing packaging machine is not small, it only takes 1 or 2 operator to run it. And the operator does not need to be very experienced. Anyone working in the workshop could learn quickly to run the machine. Full guidance and operating instruction will be provided. There will be quick responses from AFpak’s after-sale team for any questions raised. It is one of the best machine in the market for customer who are new to K cups filling and sealing industry.
The filling processed is carried out at the vertical screw filling part which is driven by the servo motor. The amount of powder or granules are delivered accurately into the cups by the servo motor to make it possible to ensure the almost the same weight of the cups. The accuracy could be reached about 0.2 gram. Besides, the amount of powder or granules to filled into the cups could be adjusted.
From filling to sealing, the nitrogen is flushed, aiming at keeping the freshness and long shelf life of the capsules or cups. There are also edge cleaning process, to prevent any incomplete sealing. Moreover, there is air suction function to suck all the powder out of the molds, so to clean and render the machine clean enough for next round of processing.
Both pre-cut lids or roll film could be used on the machine for sealing purpose. Over 1000 pre-cut lids could be stored in the lids silo. There is automation to cut the the film, pick the lids, place the film and seal the film.
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