APC-S120 Cotton Inserter
The APC-S120 cuts cotton from a coil, forms a plug and pushes it into the bottle neck. It runs 30 to 50 bottles a minute on necks of 17 mm or wider. Cotton stops your tablets moving in a part-filled bottle. Without it they chip.
- Output— 30 to 50 bottles per minute
- Minimum neck— 17 mm
- Check this against your line speed before you order
Factory supply ｜ Lead time about 1-3 months ｜ Installation and training ｜ Spare parts stocked
Is the APC-S120 Cotton Inserter for you?
✓ This is a fit if…
- Your bottles are part-filled and tablets move in transit
- Your bottle neck is 17 mm or wider
- Your line runs 50 bottles a minute or less
- Your label or your spec calls for cotton specifically
✕ Look elsewhere if…
- Your line runs faster than 50 bottles a minute → this station becomes your ceiling. See the APC-Z120 at up to 160
- Your bottle neck is under 17 mm → the plug folds and tears. It will not work
- Your product also takes a desiccant → cotton absorbs moisture. It works against the desiccant you just paid for. Consider rayon instead
- Your bottles are filled to the shoulder → nothing moves in there. You may not need fill material at all
Technical specification
Parameter | Value | What this means for you |
Output | 30 – 50 bottles / min | The slowest station on a bottling line. Check this first |
Minimum bottle neck | 17 mm | Neck diameter decides fit, not bottle size |
Fill material | Cotton, on a coil | You buy the coil locally |
Insertion trigger | Bottle sensing | No bottle, no plug |
Coil capacity | Max. 10 kg per roll | How often an operator reloads |
Changeover | Tool-less adjustment | — |
Power | AC 220V, 50/60Hz | 60Hz / 208V / 480V |
Compressed air | AC 220V, 50/60Hz | — |
Footprint | Approx. 1200 x 800 x 1600 mm | — |
Weight | Approx. 200 kg | — |
Four operations, one cycle
The machine draws cotton from the coil, cuts it, compresses it into a plug, and pushes it through the neck. Four steps in one index. The compression step is why this station runs slower than the others.
17 mm neck clearance
The plug has to pass the neck without folding. That sets a hard minimum of 17 mm. Bottle volume does not matter. A 250 ml bottle with a narrow neck will not run.
Bottle sensing
No bottle, no plug. A gap in the stream costs you nothing.
Ideal Applications & Industries
What changing over involves
What did you replace? | Which parts need tuning? | Roughly how long? |
Same bottle, different product | Nothing | 0 min |
Bottle neck changes | Tool-less bottleneck format changeovers | 15-30mins |
Plug length changes | Quick-change settings for varying plug lengths | 15-30mins |
FAQ
It depends on your desiccant format and your line speed. Send us a sample and your bottles per minute. We don’t publish a list price because configuration changes it.
About 1-3 months from order. We confirm the date in writing with your order.
No. Your desiccant supplier does. We build the machine around the format you already use.
If a desiccant is missed, the product inside becomes vulnerable to moisture, which can lead to powder clumping, mold growth, or the degradation of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). This significantly reduces the product’s shelf life and can result in costly product recalls.
To prevent this, our Desiccant Inserters can be equipped with an advanced Missing Desiccant Detection System. If a bottle passes without a desiccant, the machine instantly triggers an alarm or automatically rejects the faulty bottle from the line, ensuring 100% packaging integrity.
Yes, it can be customizable.
Fast enough to keep up with your counter. Nothing more. The counter sets your line speed. Every station after it follows.
Yes. Our machines are certified and use certified electrical components. Because the exact scope depends on the model and electrical configuration you select, our factory confirms it in writing before production.
To stop the product moving. In a part-filled bottle tablets travel freely in transit. They collide, chip, and arrive with dust at the bottom. Cotton fills the headspace so nothing moves.
At 30 to 50 bottles a minute, this is the slowest station on a bottling line. If your counter runs faster, this station sets your line speed. Three answers: switch to rayon at up to 160, run two cotton stations in parallel, or accept 50 as your ceiling. Tell us your rate and we’ll say which applies.
Cotton absorbs moisture. Rayon does not. If your bottle also has a desiccant, cotton works against it. Rayon also runs three times faster. Cotton stays the choice where your spec or your label calls for it.
They do different jobs. Cotton stops movement. Desiccant controls moisture. Many products use both, at two stations back to back.
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Check the fit before you order.
Two numbers decide this. Your bottle neck needs 17 mm for the plug to pass. Your line speed needs to be 50 bottles a minute or less, or this station becomes your ceiling.
Send us both. If cotton doesn’t fit your line, we’ll tell you and show you what does.
