AL Series and ALS Series intermittent lidders
When the lid needs more controlled handling.
Not every lidding application suits a high-speed rotary machine. Deeper lids, unusual formats, greater magazine capacity or a need for controlled intermittent movement may be better served by a machine built on our A Series platform.
The AL and ALS Series are intermittent press-fit lidding systems that separate lids, position them onto trays, pots or tubs, and secure them in place.
See them run.
The AL and ALS Series lidding in production.
AL Series, pneumatic simplicity.
The AL Series is based on the pneumatic A Series denester and carries the same flexible magazine philosophy, with several magazines configurable across the machine for greater onboard lid capacity and longer periods between operator replenishment.
In one existing three magazine application, the machine denests lids onto containers arriving on a continuous conveyor while an integrated policing system positions the containers for placement, and a separate driven compression conveyor, adjustable in height and speed, presses push on lids fully home.
The AL Series in production, filled tubs in, lidded tubs out.
Close up of the ALS Series, pick heads placing lids with the gating system controlling each tray on the integral conveyor.
ALS Series, servo-controlled lidding.
The ALS Series uses the servo-driven AS Series platform, and it shows most at speed. Where a pneumatic drive can be sped up or slowed down but always accelerates and decelerates the same way, servo motion is shaped to the job: the ALS picks quickly from the lid magazine, then slows to place and press each lid onto the container with control.
It also comes with its own conveyor as standard, using food grade, easy to wipe clean belts, so the machine controls the speed and position of the incoming pots as well as the lid, with gating built in. Controlling both the product on the conveyor and the pick-and-place motion is the real benefit at higher speeds.
More magazine capacity when production demands it.
One of the strongest reasons to choose an AL or ALS rather than the RL is magazine capacity. More magazines mean more lids loaded and longer periods between replenishment. For high volume lines using relatively short lid stacks, that can matter more than the highest theoretical machine speed.
Choosing between them.
The choice between AL and ALS comes down to the application: pneumatic simplicity where it is sufficient, servo-controlled motion where the lid or container requires greater control.
Machine facts
| AL Series | ALS Series | |
|---|---|---|
| Best suited to | Deeper lids, multi-magazine capacity, controlled intermittent lidding | As AL, where servo-controlled placement and press are required |
| Platform | A Series, pneumatic pick-and-place | AS Series, servo-driven pick-and-place |
| Magazines | One to multiple, capacity for long runs | One to multiple, capacity for long runs |
| Lid press | Separate driven compression conveyor, height and speed adjustable | Servo-controlled placement and press, integral conveyor with built in gating and food grade, easy to wipe clean belts |
| Changeover and construction | Factory-set masks, changed in minutes. Cantilevered hygienic design, washdown available. | Same as the AL Series |
Quick answers
When would I choose an AL or ALS rather than the RL Series?
When lids are deeper, when magazine capacity across multiple lanes matters more than footprint, or when the application needs controlled intermittent placement.
What does the servo drive on the ALS add?
Shaped motion. A pneumatic drive has fixed acceleration; the ALS picks quickly from the magazine, then slows to place and press each lid with control, while its own conveyor controls the speed and position of the incoming pots.
Why does magazine capacity matter for lidding?
More magazines mean more lids loaded at once and longer periods between operator replenishment, which on high volume lines can matter more than headline speed.
Send us your container and lid.
We will determine the most appropriate lidding method.