Pneumatic Bottle Capper - Just...because.

[-TH-]

Ok, pardon my ignorance on how the spring loaded air cylinder works: when You step on the pedal, is it tap once and release or step on it til the cylinder drops completely and then let off? Basically, does it go until it exerts it's pressure by capping and then back off or so you need to keep pushing? How do the automatic ones work with different height bottles?

The foot pedal valve supplies compressed air to the cylinder only while the foot pedal is pressed down. The cylinder is a single-acting, spring-return air cylinder which means that when you supply compressed air to the it, the piston+rod will extend until it reaches the end of its stroke, or until it hits something to stop it (like a bottle cap on a bottle at any point within its stroke). When you quit supplying compressed air to it (like by letting your foot off the foot pedal), the spring inside the cylinder makes it retract (assuming air is allowed to be released freely out of the cylinder - the foot pedal valve should allow for this).

Hope that makes sense...

 

[Baja_Brewer]

The foot pedal valve supplies compressed air to the cylinder only while the foot pedal is pressed down. The cylinder is a single-acting, spring-return air cylinder which means that when you supply compressed air to the it, the piston+rod will extend until it reaches the end of its stroke, or until it hits something to stop it (like a bottle cap on a bottle at any point within its stroke). When you quit supplying compressed air to it (like by letting your foot off the foot pedal), the spring inside the cylinder makes it retract (assuming air is allowed to be released freely out of the cylinder - the foot pedal valve should allow for this).

Hope that makes sense...

Perfect sense thanks. That's how I figured it would work but I wanted to make sure. I'm thinking this could be a fun little automated project with an Ariduno, but cost of solenoids, etc. could make it cost prohibitive.

 

[Just-a-sip]

So I have a question. If I have a cylinder that's say 1.5 bore.... can I just up the psi to say 150 to get the same result or will that make it actuate to fast.

 

[-TH-]

So I have a question. If I have a cylinder that's say 1.5 bore.... can I just up the psi to say 150 to get the same result or will that make it actuate to fast.

Does your compressor go up to 150? Also you might want to check your cylinder and tubing to make sure they are rated for pressure up to 150.

Assuming all of that is true, a 1.5 bore has a piston area of pi*.75^2 = 1.77 sq.in. At 150 psi that would be 150*1.77 = 265 lbs of force which isn't too far off my 314 lbs and I would think would work alright. As far as actuation speed, you will most likely need to restrict air flow to slow down the actuation since I had to as well.

Good luck!

 

[gleini]

Do you have any kind of pressure relief valve that cuts the air when the cap is on? Or do you just manually control it with a on/off valve?

 

[gleini]

What force do you need to cap a bottle?

 

[-TH-]

Do you have any kind of pressure relief valve that cuts the air when the cap is on? Or do you just manually control it with a on/off valve?

This post should help:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showpost.php?p=6809528&postcount=161

What force do you need to cap a bottle?

See this post:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showpost.php?p=6809528&postcount=5


If after reading these you still have any questions, feel free to ask!

Cheers

 

[peterthomasu]

Awesome project! Im from Brazil and cant find the 2" x 2" pneumatic cylinder, how i do the rate psi necessary for the 1" x 2" cylinder?

Thanks!

 

[Thonz]

Your first and second links link to the same post: 161.
To quote the post that talks about the force needed:

The cylinder has a 2" stroke and I'd say I'm only using 1" of that with my bottles.

The cylinder is 2" bore (NOT 3" like I first posted - fixed now) so at 100psi I'm getting 100 x pi x (1^2) = 314 pounds. This sounds like a lot but my bench capper has a lever that multplies force by 8 (10 / 1.25), so I can get the same force by exerting 39.25 lbs on the lever. I'm sure people do that all the time without breaking bottles. Just to be safe though I want to make sure my bottles are lined up correctly every time. I will probably run it at more like 80-90psi when bottling a whole batch.

I am looking into making something like this for myself. Ideally, I'd like to spend less than $70, so I'm looking at getting stuff from aliexpress and salvaging some stuff like the iron for the body.

Would something like this work? I figure since the body is that small, it would run the entire time, but if it does its job then I'm fine with it.

As for the cylinder. Would something like this work?

I know the measurements may be off, but it's to get a rough estimate of the available parts and the capacity that's needed.
Thanks!

 

[-TH-]

I am looking into making something like this for myself. Ideally, I'd like to spend less than $70, so I'm looking at getting stuff from aliexpress and salvaging some stuff like the iron for the body.

Would something like this work? I figure since the body is that small, it would run the entire time, but if it does its job then I'm fine with it.

As for the cylinder. Would something like this work?

I know the measurements may be off, but it's to get a rough estimate of the available parts and the capacity that's needed.
Thanks!

The compressor says it provides a pressure of .06 MPa which equals 8.7 psi. The cylinder has a 20mm bore which has a piston area of .49 sqin. So the capping force would be 4.2 pounds. So unless my calculations are off, I don't think this would be near enough force to cap a bottle.

 

[Thonz]

So I would be looking at a more expensive compressor, right? I guess I'm looking into getting one second hand.

Would going the route of mechanical (just via a motor) capper work and be cheaper? I don't really NEED one, so spending $200 on a pneumatic capper isn't logical for me.

 

[Hang Glider]

So I would be looking at a more expensive compressor, right? I guess I'm looking into getting one second hand.

Would going the route of mechanical (just via a motor) capper work and be cheaper? I don't really NEED one, so spending $200 on a pneumatic capper isn't logical for me.

Nail on the head - not logical, and don't NEED one -
neither did I. I am old, have the benefit of many things paid off, more disposable income - so I'm just having fun...

I asked around post 42 about a 1 1/2" pneumatic cylinder and was told that I'd need twice the air pressure as a 2" = so your 20mm (under 1") will need over 4 times the air pressure to perform the task as the original post. I don't know if a homeowner can buy a compressor that hits close to 400 psi -

so, the low, attractive price just isn't practical for this particular application. We don't need a small lever moved with no friction, we need FORCE...

 

[Skippari]

Do you guys think a Linear actuator motor of 1500N 330lbs would do the job?
I was planning already a drill & a car jack system, but gave up that crazy idea

 

[pdelage]

I recently built one of these bad boys. I'm presenting my built with my sources for pieces as I believe that a pneumatic capper can be built under 100$ (and I'm talking Canadian money here). But first, a video of it in action. Note that it's not perfect and still needs some work (especially the base) but it get the job done.

https://youtu.be/IdOMow8CjH8

The cylinder has a 10cm (4") stroke so I can manage different bottle heights. It's also strong enough to manage both regular and twist caps (note that I'm using special caps that are design for twist cap bottles).

Now the parts sources.

Frame: aluminum rails and hdpe plastic from a friend (free, or a couple homebrews)

Rest of the parts are from China...

Cylinder:
Single Rod Double Action 63mm Bore 100mm Stroke SC Standard Pneumatic Cylinder SC63-100 High Quality
http://s.aliexpress.com/VzIzyyaa
I took the 63mm (which is a bit overkill I guess) because it has a M16 threaded rod on which the capper bells fit perfectly. No need for a fancy adapter here.
(46.19$ yep price for a new pneumatic cylinder shipped from China....)

Fittings:
5PCS 8mm 3/8 inch air straight pneumatic tube plastic fitting PC8-03 One touch hose quick exhaust pipe connector
http://s.aliexpress.com/EbeIveUj
(4.37$)

Pneumatic tubing:
5 meters 8mm(OD) x 5mm(ID) Air Tubing Pneumatic Pipe Tube Hose OD 8mm ID 5mm PU Polyurethane Flexible Tube
http://s.aliexpress.com/36VVBb6v
(9.24$)

Valve / lever
4H310-10 2 Position 5 Way PT 3/8" Port Hand Pull Pneumatic Mechanical Valve
http://s.aliexpress.com/3qeMJnuI
(13.66$ I paid 8$ in december... maybe worth a bit of research for a better price)

Mufflers / flow control
4 Pcs Pneumatic 1/4" PT Male Thread Noise Reduce Exhaust Silencer Muffler
http://s.aliexpress.com/RRBbEzyi
(from AliExpress Android)
(10.34$ note that I ordered enough for two cappers as I made one for a friend. You only need two of these)

Some pneumatic fittings to hook to your compressor and voila! (I had those lying around).

If you have any questions feel free to ask.

 

[diS]

Just another capper for us, lazy brewers..

Thanks to all who participated in thread.

 

[SDBob]

I just finished building mine, and only after discovered a 2" bore is insufficient to properly crimp the cap. I had to raise the pressure to 165 psi to get a crimp within specs. This was verified when I found a Google patent for Crown caps stating an average crimp pressure of 518 lbs was required. Luckily I found a 2-1/2" cylinder on eBay that'll bolt right on for $40.00, but I strongly suggest anyone looking to build one of these use a 3" bore.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RZUFhu-Gk4P_rQZupqzIwRgalzDnO-GC/view?usp=sharing

 

[SDBob]

Pic

 

[SDBob]

A few notes... I decided to index the neck of the bottle as I found bottles from the same batch to have necks off center as much as 1/4". I hinged the index to move out of the way in the event of a stuck bottle, having seen this occur on other cappers, but I found that with the correct crimp this sticking will NOT occur. I also had the idea of trying to inject exhausted cO2 into the bottle as the capper bell came down, but have since removed the LineLoc and will just cap on foam. Removing the top aluminum spacer will allow me to cap 22 oz bottles.

 

[gnor]

Do you fabricate the stand yourself?

 

[SDBob]

Yes, 3/4" square tubing and some 1/4" plate. The stand was easy, the tough part for me was finding a bullet-proof way to index the bottles.

 

[gnor]

How did you index the bottles and align them to the capper?

 

[SDBob]

I feel indexing at the neck is THE WAY. 12 oz and 22 oz bottles are almost identical at the top 1-1/2". A 1.15" dia half circle milled at 8 degrees is perfect. I drooped it another 8 degrees so the index meets the bottle neck at 90 degrees, which gives a solid surface. It makes it very easy to quickly get a perfect center.

 

[SDBob]

How did you index the bottles and align them to the capper?

That piece of aluminum stock... indexes the neck.

 

[SDBob]

 

[SDBob]

This was the ONLY place I was able to find any documentation at all indicating what pressure was needed to crimp the cap. And it correlates exactly with my tests using a Crown Go-No-Go gauge.
https://www.google.com/patents/US5458253

7. The crown of claim 1 wherein an average crowning force of about 417 pounds or less for a twist cap or about 516 pounds or less for a pry-off cap is required to apply the crown to a bottle.

 

[gnor]

Would you please post more pictures of side and back views? A video of it in action would be perfect. Have you experienced any stuck cap like others have? The capper would pull up the bottle after a cap is crimped.

 

[VTX1300]

Thanks to you I am now digging around my pile of parts looking for the stuff to build one. Just might have everything I need in my shop. Well, another Saturday lost to building Stuff for the brewery.

 

[SDBob]

Would you please post more pictures of side and back views? A video of it in action would be perfect. Have you experienced any stuck cap like others have? The capper would pull up the bottle after a cap is crimped.

I will after Christmas. But I can say with some confidence after exbeerimenting with about 100 caps over the last few days, the cap WILL get stuck in the bell if it's partially crimped. There's no way in hell it's getting stuck if it's remotely close. The line between not crimped enough and over-crimped is 0.015". That's the width of 3 average human hairs. I'd bet most home brewer's have a decent set of micrometers (I meant digital calipers) ... if you can measure 1.135" or more anywhere around the diameter of the cap it's not crimped. And if your cap fits in a 1.120" hole it's overcrimped. Better yet, buy one of these like I did.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N01XKXQ/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Read the reviews... Pretty much EVERY reviewer is saying "Oh crap, I never knew I wasn't crimping properly. Now I know why my beer tastes like cardboard after 2 months."

By the way, I'm using a generic capping bell. I was able to improve it's performance by milling out a ridge that was denting the tops of my caps, but it still takes 2-3 cycles at 140 PSI to get to spec with this 2" cylinder. The 2.5" is coming via eBay. If I were to build another, I'd without a doubt use a 3" dia, 2" stroke cylinder.

 

[SDBob]

Thanks to you I am now digging around my pile of parts looking for the stuff to build one. Just might have everything I need in my shop. Well, another Saturday lost to building Stuff for the brewery.

haha... My apologies. But you know you love it!

 

[SDBob]

As a matter of fact you can see the divot that ridge left in my caps in the pic above. Much better performance with it gone. I think it was an artifact left from punching the bell shape.

 

[SDBob]

Would you please post more pictures of side and back views? A video of it in action would be perfect. Have you experienced any stuck cap like others have? The capper would pull up the bottle after a cap is crimped.

Well, the new cylinder isn't going to bolt right on after all. I have to remodel the frame for it to fit. I also need to adapt the bell, and fabricate a spring loaded retractable magnet in the bell so it holds a cap correctly. Given my work schedule, it might take a couple weeks. I'll post a comprehensive YouTube video when it's done.

 

[gnor]

Thank you, looking forward to it.

 

[SDBob]

Waiting for the 2-1/2" cylinder; decided to address the magnetic crown holder. After messing around will all kinds of magnets in the bell, realized the only solution is a magnet that captures the crown to center it in the bell and spring loads into the bell. I saw this design in a hand crimper, wanted to avoid it because of it's complexity fabbing a one-off, but what the hell... should work swimmingly. Ordered a 1/4" dia x 1/2" long cylinder magnet from KJ Magnetics, some JB Weld should hold it in place...

 

[SDBob]

The new cylinder is much heavier, a little taller, and of course wider. Need to add beef to the structure, and New Years stands squarely in my way of getting crap done. SWMBO does not see the urgency in this project. Stay tuned...

 

[SDBob]

So... If a pneumatic capper is already gross overkill, would a 6-cap auto feeding cap cartridge be heresy? 'Cause I just came up with design that would cost about $8.00 and be simple to implement...



{Edit: It just became a rhetorical question. Already bought what I need on eBay for $8.50. It'll be an 8 cap autofeeder, and take about 3 hours to fab and install }

 

[BeardedBrews]

So... If a pneumatic capper is already gross overkill, would a 6-cap auto feeding cap cartridge be heresy? 'Cause I just came up with design that would cost about $8.00 and be simple to implement...

Sounds like a mandatory upgrade to me...

 

[SDBob]

Here's the Genesis. I found that an un-crimped crown comes to rest on a hard drive magnet at exactly the same place, every time. Stupid simple to make a chute that flops up with a fresh cap for the capper bell to grab every cycle. God bless my wife for dealing with my madness.

 

[SDBob]

Here's how simple this is. Whether it works or not is undetermined. A 10"x2"x1/2" aluminum bar cut out for the caps to slide down, a magnet at the end, and some linkage. So yea, I'm gonna end up spending 5 hours building this to save me 15 minutes over the course of my life loading caps one by one. But if it works, well, it's just cool.

 

[SDBob]

Needed to change the linkage design...

 

[SDBob]

As an avid DIY guy, I've found this attempt at making an auto cap loader to be anything but a waste of time. I've had very little experience designing any moving parts requiring precise positioning, and admittedly underestimated the difficulty getting this linkage right on paper. But I'm getting a freshman education in linkage design, and as a guy that recently disassembled an old reclining chair because I was in awe of how one lever made 3 parts move in different trajectories, learning a little about the process of making parts move with linkage has been, well, kind of fun.

My point is, this part of the hobby for me is the most rewarding. A guy can learn a lot fabricating a machine like this.

I'm still waiting for the magnet for my bell to see how it behaves pulling the cap from the hard drive magnet, and the bar stock should arrive Friday, but then it's game on.

I'm cautiously optimistic about my chances of getting it to work flawlessly.

I just wanted to share my experience with this design, and more importantly encourage others who've hesitated to build their own widget. It can be a truly rewarding process.

Wish me luck...