Heat tunnel removes bottling line bottleneck

Edmunds Cocktails is a premium ready-to-drink beverage producer that blends, bottles and labels its cocktail range in-house for distribution to hospitality venues and direct consumers. As demand increased and production volumes rose, the company identified a limitation in its bottling line: the application and shrinking of tamper-evident capsules on bottle necks.

The existing equipment lacked the speed and throughput required for higher output and introduced inefficiencies that affected overall line flow. In addition to slowing production, the process created inconsistencies in the final presentation  a critical factor for a brand positioned in the premium segment.

The company’s objective was to remove this bottleneck, improve packaging uniformity and ensure the line could support both small and larger production runs without increasing manual handling.

Selecting a dedicated sleeving solution
To address these constraints, Edmunds Cocktails installed a tamper-band shrink tunnel supplied by Sovereign Labelling Machines, a manufacturer of labelling and sleeving systems for both integrated lines and stand-alone applications.

The system was chosen because it combines capsule application and controlled heat shrinking in a single, continuous process. Its rated capacity of 60 bottles per minute aligned with the producer’s scaling requirements, while consistent heat distribution was essential to achieve a uniform, high-quality finish across the entire bottle range.

Integration capability was also a determining factor, allowing the new unit to be incorporated into the existing bottling and labelling line without redesigning the overall layout.

Line integration and commissioning
The heat tunnel was installed as part of the current packaging workflow, enabling bottles to be filled, labelled, sleeved and prepared for dispatch in a single continuous sequence.

According to the company, commissioning was completed without disruption to operations. Close coordination between the equipment supplier and the production team ensured correct setup for bottle formats and stable process parameters from the outset.

Improved flow and reduced manual intervention
Following installation, the capsule application stage no longer limits output. The continuous shrinking process has stabilised line flow and eliminated previous bottle-neck clearance issues.

The automated operation has reduced the need for manual handling and adjustments, which in turn shortens changeover times and improves overall line reliability. These factors are particularly relevant for a producer managing multiple SKUs and varying batch sizes.

Consistent premium presentation
Uniform heat application ensures that capsules shrink evenly, producing a consistent tamper-evident seal and a finish that matches the brand’s positioning. This packaging consistency is important not only for retail presentation but also for maintaining quality perception across different sales channels.

Throughput gains support scale-up
By aligning the sleeving stage with the rest of the bottling line’s capacity, the company has increased throughput and reduced lead times. The removal of process interruptions allows production planning to be more predictable, improving order fulfilment for hospitality and direct-to-consumer customers.

Although specific performance figures were not disclosed, the technical changes higher machine speed, continuous flow and reduced manual intervention  directly explain the observed improvements in output and reliability.

A packaging upgrade aligned with growth
For a growing premium drinks producer, the neck-sleeving operation moved from being a constraint to a scalable, integrated process. The investment demonstrates how a targeted upgrade in a single packaging step can influence overall productivity, product presentation and the ability to meet rising demand without expanding the workforce or adding parallel lines.

www.sovereign-labelling.co