Which product does each conveyor section handle?
Start at the transfer points, not a single conveyor-length allowance. A blower-to-filler connection, capped-bottle transfer to a labeler and finished-pack discharge are different handling tasks. Identify the actual container or pack, its condition and the machines at both ends.
Use the agreed bottle and pack drawings or samples. A conveyor that transports one bottle successfully has not automatically been confirmed for another geometry or for an unsupported finished-pack format. Ask the supplier to state the proposed handling route and any format parts rather than assuming one arrangement covers the whole package.
| Stage | References to provide | What the offer must clarify |
|---|---|---|
| Empty PET bottle transfer | Bottle/neck reference, source machine and filler infeed | Proposed air or other conveying route, transition equipment and supplying party |
| Filled and capped bottles | Bottle/base reference, closure condition and next operation | Transfer arrangement, guidance, change parts and machine connections |
| Finished packs | Bottle count, film/tray/carton, pack dimensions and downstream destination | Pack-support and transfer proposal, discharge limit and downstream responsibility |
| Retained conveyors | As-built dimensions, direction, machine identity and known format limits | Reuse conditions, modifications and who verifies the complete connection |
What information is needed for an existing-line connection?
Provide current drawings and measured interface information, with the drawing revision and the person responsible for confirming the as-built condition. Identify transfer heights, direction, available space, bottle or pack references and the intended connection points. Photographs help explain the situation but do not replace confirmed dimensions.
Ask the supplier to separate facts verified on site, buyer-provided information and provisional assumptions. If a site survey is needed, state who performs it and which decisions remain open until it is complete. Do not turn a preliminary drawing into an approved connection by leaving the assumption unlabelled.
Separate supply from interface and control responsibility
A machine supplier may provide a short infeed or discharge section without owning the full connection. Identify who supplies each transfer section, who performs site assembly and who approves the interfaces. Where multiple parties are involved, name the coordinator responsible for the combined check.
Request the required control-interface information, including the responsibilities for stop, running-state, fault and restart coordination as applicable. The relevant machine suppliers must review the actual design, guards and safety functions. This page is not a wiring, programming or safety-design instruction; do not assume that a common controller brand establishes compatibility.
| Record | Minimum response |
|---|---|
| Physical boundary | Source/outlet and destination/inlet drawing references |
| Equipment and site work | Supplying party, installation party and included modifications |
| Control boundary | Required interface document and responsible reviewers |
| Format basis | Approved samples, required formats and included change parts |
| Verification | Combined-check owner, test location and unresolved items |
Do equal machine speeds prove that the connection works?
No. Matching headline bottles-per-hour figures does not demonstrate format compatibility or a coordinated handoff. Ask for the proposed operating basis and how the connected machines will be checked with the agreed bottles or packs.
Accumulation capacity, detailed line balance and bottleneck analysis are separate engineering deliverables. If they are required, identify the responsible party and requested evidence in the quotation. Do not infer a buffer length or a guaranteed line output from this checklist or a catalog photograph.
Agree the check that closes the interface
Record the relevant formats, operating conditions, transfer checks and acceptance criteria with the participating suppliers. Depending on scope, the review may cover transfer stability, specified handling functions, control handoffs and format changes. Actual criteria must be agreed for the project; no universal test duration or tolerance is asserted here.
If retained equipment is unavailable during a factory test, distinguish the interface review from a complete connected-machine test. List the checks still needed on site and the party responsible. Keep open items visible until the agreed evidence is received.
Catalog equipment reference
See the equipment before defining the final specification.
This image supports machine-category identification. Final model, output, materials, dimensions, utilities and included accessories still require a confirmed project quotation.
Source: Allot Tech Beverage Bottling Catalog 2026, pages 30-31.
Questions to close before purchase
Is every conveyor included in a water bottling machine price?
No. Ask the offer to identify each transfer section and its start and end points. A short machine infeed or discharge section does not establish that the complete connection is included.
Can existing conveyors be reused?
Possibly, subject to review of their actual dimensions, condition, formats and interfaces. Separate confirmed information, required modifications and remaining verification rather than assuming compatibility.
Do matching BPH ratings establish a working connection?
No. Format handling, physical transitions, control responsibilities and the verification basis must also be confirmed. Detailed line balance or accumulation design is a separate scope item.
Who checks a connection supplied by several companies?
Assign the supplying and installing parties for each section and name the coordinator for the combined interface check. Record the participating reviewers, required documents and unresolved site tests.
What you should leave with
- A transfer-point list tied to bottle and pack references.
- Separate mechanical, control and verification responsibilities.
- A copyable interface request for a new machine or retained equipment.
Continue the buyer decision workflow
Water Bottling Equipment Supplier Responsibility Matrix
Define buyer and supplier duties for water bottling equipment: supply, interfaces, utilities, documents, FAT and site handoff with a responsibility worksheet.
Water Bottling Equipment Supplier Responsibility MatrixWater Bottling Machine Installation: Who Does What?
Clarify installation supervision, local labor, utilities, commissioning, training and site acceptance before a water bottling machine supplier mobilizes.
Water Bottling Machine Installation: Who Does What?Water Bottling Machine Quotation: What to Include
Check a water bottling machine quotation for equipment, output basis, format parts, utilities, tests, documents and service. Use a clarification template.
Water Bottling Machine Quotation: What to IncludeWater Bottling Machine FAT: Checklist and Test Records
Prepare a factory acceptance test for water bottling equipment with agreed samples, test conditions, output records, deviations and shipment-release decisions.
Water Bottling Machine FAT: Checklist and Test RecordsLast reviewed: 2026-09-28. Technical values and equipment availability are project-specific unless explicitly identified as catalog-reference information.