A Combi format-change proposal should describe the transition between approved bottle-and-closure combinations, rather than quote a mould exchange alone. Define the starting format, the next format, the work included and the point at which accepted production resumes. This gives procurement and production teams a shared basis for comparing changeover scope and downtime.
Jiangsu ASG Packaging Machinery Group describes its Combi block as integrating blowing, filling and capping. That integration makes it important to review a format change across the proposed configuration. The catalogue does not establish a universal changeover time or compatibility with every bottle and closure. The following checklist defines questions for a proposed bottled-water installation; each combination still needs supplier assessment.
Source: ASG blowing-filling-capping Combi block
Build a format matrix before asking for a time
List each planned bottle, preform and closure as a specific combination. Attach approved drawings, material details and representative samples, with the product and fill requirements. Identify the formats required at commissioning and those intended for later introduction. A future bottle concept should not silently become an included format simply because its volume resembles an approved bottle.
Show which transitions will occur during a normal production schedule. Ask the supplier to assess the relevant pairs, not only the easiest change. A bottle-body change with the same closure is a different review question from introducing another neck finish or closure. Do not assume either transition is covered until the proposed parts and procedures are confirmed.
Separate replaceable parts, adjustments and settings
Request an itemized changeover list for the proposed blowing, transfer, filling and capping sections. Ask which moulds or handling parts must be exchanged, which positions require adjustment and which operating settings must be loaded or checked. Identify anything requiring specialist intervention. These are confirmation points, not a claim that every installation uses the same parts or automation.
For each included format, record the supplied tooling, identification, storage arrangements, adjustment instructions and verification steps. Ask what can be prepared while production runs and what requires a safely stopped machine under the agreed operating procedure. Clarify who supplies additional format parts and what remains outside the initial quotation.
Define the start and finish of changeover measurement
Agree the event that starts the clock and the event that stops it. Possible boundaries include the last accepted package of the previous format and stable accepted output of the next format. State the actual measurement point and the agreed checks. A mechanical exchange time should not be compared directly with a complete production transition that includes clearing material, checks and restart.
Record the people, tools, prepared parts, material availability and operating conditions assumed in the proposal. Identify which cleaning, line clearance, material replacement or quality approval tasks fall inside the measured interval. Request evidence for the agreed transition instead of treating an unspecified fast-changeover statement as a production commitment.
Check the downstream line as well as the Combi
Ask how the next bottle format will pass through the proposed conveying, inspection, labeling and packing equipment. Establish which suppliers assess those interfaces and whether downstream adjustments occur within the same changeover window. A Combi-ready bottle does not by itself demonstrate a finished pack ready for shipment.
ASG separately lists a rotary hot-melt labeling machine for continuous roll labels. If that process is selected, provide the actual bottle and label specifications and request the applicable format parts, setup checks and supplied scope. Do not assume every label, bottle shape or packaging format is covered by the machine name.
Source: ASG rotary hot-melt adhesive labeling machine
Agree restart checks and operator responsibilities
For each assessed transition, define the checks required before releasing production. Ask how bottle condition, fill requirements, closure application and the selected downstream pack will be verified. State who approves the first accepted output, how startup rejects are recorded and which adjustments require the supplier. Agree how the operating team receives the instructions and demonstrates the procedure.
Include these items in the quotation and acceptance plan
- Format matrix: approved bottle, preform and closure combinations, product requirements, commissioning scope and separately identified future formats.
- Transition pairs: expected production sequence, frequency and representative changes to be assessed during acceptance.
- Included work: supplied tooling, replacement parts, adjustments, settings, specialist tasks and operator responsibilities.
- Measurement boundary: clock start and finish, output acceptance point, staffing, prepared materials, excluded work and documentation.
- Line interfaces: conveying, inspection, labeling and packing scope, shared restart conditions and responsibility for unresolved combinations.
Send ASG the format matrix and expected production sequence together. Request a configuration-specific changeover proposal with explicit inclusions and acceptance checks, leaving unassessed formats and future changes open for separate review.