Bottle Unscrambler and Sorter

The Nexus bottle unscrambler and sorter takes bulk, randomly tipped plastic bottles, orients them upright and feeds them in single file to the filler, with an integrated inspection system that confirms each bottle is correctly positioned before it enters filling. Also called a bottle unscrambling machine or bottle sorter, it is the machine that decides whether the filler downstream ever runs at its rated speed. Supplied and supported Australia-wide.

Also known as

• Bottle unscrambling machine or unscrambling machine
• Bottle sorter or bottle orienter
• Bottle feeder or automatic bottle feeding machine
• Mechanical unscrambler, as opposed to the robotic version

How a bottle unscrambler works

Bottles are tipped in bulk into a hopper, which elevates them onto a rotating sorting disc. The disc geometry and guides catch each bottle by its shape, turn it base-down and drop it into a pocket, then a discharge mechanism places it upright on the outfeed conveyor. An inspection station checks orientation and rejects or re-circulates anything that is upside down or missing. The result is a continuous single file of upright bottles, spaced and ready for the filling machine.

Key features

• Versatility: compatible with a wide range of plastic bottles in PET and HDPE, round, square and oval, for beverage, pharmaceutical, personal care and household lines.
• High-speed performance: unscrambles at a rate that keeps a multi-head filler supplied, removing the hand-feeding bottleneck.
• Inspection system: confirms alignment and orientation before filling, reducing bottling errors and improving consistency.
• User-friendly interface: a control panel for operation and quick adjustments without extensive training.
• Gentle bottle handling: reduces scuffing and damage during unscrambling, which matters on clear PET.
• Sturdy construction: stainless steel build for demanding production environments and washdown.
• Space-efficient design: compact footprint at the front of the line.
• Customisable options: change parts for new bottle formats, air rinsing, ionised air cleaning and integration with existing conveyors.

Mechanical versus robotic unscrambling

This mechanical unscrambler is best where one or two bottle formats run for long periods at steady high speed, on plastic bottles. Changeover to a new bottle is a physical change of parts. Where a line runs many formats, changes over often, or handles glass and fragile containers, the robotic bottle unscrambler with vision-guided SCARA robots is the better fit, because its changeover is a program change. Nexus supplies both and will tell you which suits your line.

Benefits

• Efficiency: automates unscrambling and inspection, removing repetitive manual bottle handling that is hard to staff.
• Quality assurance: the inspection system confirms correct positioning, minimising errors and rejects at the filler.
• Line output: a hand-fed filler runs at the pace of the person feeding it; an unscrambler lets every machine downstream run at rated speed.
• Retrofit: integrates with existing conveyors, fillers and cappers, so it can be added to a line that is currently hand-fed.

Where it fits

The unscrambler sits at the very front of the bottling line. Bottles arrive in bulk, are oriented and fed in single file, then move to filling, capping and labelling. See the bottle unscrambler range for the mechanical and robotic options side by side.

Industries

Beverage (soft drinks, juices, water), pharmaceutical (medication bottles and containers), food (condiments and cooking oils), personal care and household products.

Tell us your bottle formats, how many run on the line and your target output, and we will confirm the unscrambler and change parts. Contact Nexus Australia for a quote on a bottle unscrambler.