Purchasing a Filling Machine
Purchasing a filling machine? Here are 10 tips to ask before buying to ensure you select the best liquid filler for your production needs. Purchasing a filling machine can be complicated. With so many options available, it' s difficult to know which one is right for your business. Here are 10 questions to ask before buying a bottle filler to help guide you to selecting the best piece of equipment for your production needs:
WHAT EXACTLY WILL YOU BE FILLING?
So, You're Purchasing a Filling Machine, what Exactly Will You Be Filling?
Attention: If your product has a high viscosity, you'lll want to consider purchasing a filling machine that can handle that item's physical properties. Think about it - it's a far different task for a liquid filler to pump a product with a low viscosity (i.e. water) into a bottle than it would be for that same filler to pump a high viscous liquid into the same bottle - right? To learn more about the most accurate way to measure your product's viscosity, check out this Steplead Q&A.
Is Your Product Carbonated ?
Carbonated beverages (i.e. beer, soda, champagne) require a unique type of filling technique, as well as specialized filling equipment. As a result, you'll need to consider purchasing a filling machine that's designed to properly fill/bottle your carbonated product. These machines are called a counter pressure fillers. A counter pressure filler preserves the carbonation of the liquid, even as it's bottling, through a process called double pre-evacuation. This method works by removing air from the bottle and pressurizing it with carbon dioxide. Finally, by repeating the process to remove 99.99% of the oxygen (double preevacuation), the final result is a bottled carbonated product with a much longer shelflife, thanks to these repeated pre-evaution cyclces.
WHAT TYPE OF CONTAINER ARE YOU FILLING?
Another key factor in purchas ing a filling machine i s knowing as much as pos s ible about the phys ical properties of the container s you'll be us ing. Determining what type of container you'll be filling i s a key ques tion to ask before buying a bottle filler, as thi s will help dictate what type of filling technique the machine mus t use. Thi s i s due to the fact that the bottle' s attributes mus t be compatible with the machine' s filling method in order for the filler to function properly.
For example, some automati c bottle fi l ler s grab the container from the top, whi le other s grab from the s ide. Therefore, if your bottle has a unique cap or l id, a fi l l ing machine that grabs from the top might not work for that parti cular k ind of container. Simi larl y , if your bottle i s too wide, a fi l ler that takes hold of the container from the s ide probabl y i sn't the bes t choi ce for your indi v idual produc tion needs.
Make sure you’ve done the research and you know there’s a market or niche for the products you plan to import. In addition, you should know roughly how much your product should cost in order to make an adequate profit selling.You’d better gather as much information as possible about the goods you intend to import. Obtain descriptive literature, product composition information and, whenever possible, product samples. This information will be crucial when it comes time to determine the tariff classification. The tariff clarification number (HS Code) will be used to determine the rate of duty that will be applied to your goods.
We suggest: Knowing the physical properties of the container you'll be filling is absolutely essential when purchasing a filling machine since the bottle's attributes will ultimately be a key factor in determining the best type of filler for your production needs. Furthermore, it's also important to share this information with the suppliers you're thinking of buying from, since the container's attributes will ultimately determine whether or not the supplier has the filling machine that's best for your Whe individual operation.
WHAT IS YOUR PRODUCTION RATE ?
When considering the efficiency of a filling machine, it's important to keep both your current and future production needs in mind, since upgrading your machinery might not be feasible if/when you decide to expand your business. Smaller machines are usually measured by the amount of bottles they produce per hour (BPH), while faster, larger, fillers are typically calculated based on bottles per minute (BPM).
For example, a manual bottle filler is a great entry-level investment for a start-up or a very small company, but will most likely not be able to meet the demands of a small-to-medium-sized operation or even a small business that's planning to expand/increase production.
WHICH TYPE OF FILLER AUTOMATION SYSTEM IS BEST - MANUAL, SEMIAUTOMATIC, OR AUTOMATIC?
When purchasing a filling machine, determining which type of filler is best suited for your individual production needs is definitely key. Manual filling machines are a great option for home brewers, entry-level brewing enthusiasts, or smallscale companies with only a few employees and no plans for growth. That being said, manual bottle fillers are designed to handle fairly low production rates and for that reason, aren't a great choice for any small-to-medium-sized operation or a small business with plans for expansion.
Last but certainly not least, automatic filling machines are the best choice for any advanced and/or large-scale operation with higher production rates. While these machines do take up more space than both the manual and semi-automatic fillers, they require little-to-no manual handling since the bottles are pulled from the bulk using a coveyor system. Automatic filling machines are generally more expensive - both to purchase and maintain.
However, if you're a medium-to-large sized operation with greater productivity requirements, then an automatic filler is definitely worth the investment and the surefire way to go. To learn more about Steplead suppliers who can help you and your business with setting up, installing and maintaining your automatic filling machine, check out this Q&A.
WHICH TYPE OF FILLING SYSTEM SHOULD YOUR MACHINE USE?
When you're thinking about purchasing a filling machine, one of the most important factors to consider is which type of liquid filling system is best for your operations:
1.NORMAL PRESSURE METHOD: The atmospheric pressure method of Liquid Filling Machine is also called the pure gravity method, that is, under normal pressure, the liquid material flows into the packaging container by its own weight. Most free-flowing, non-liquid-liquid materials can be filled by this method, such as white wine, fruit wine, milk, soy sauce, vinegar, etc.
2.ISOBARIC METHOD: The isostatic method is also called the pressure gravity filling method of the Cream Filling Machine, that is, under the condition of above atmospheric pressure, the packaging container is first inflated to form an air pressure equal to that in the liquid storage tank, and then the self-weight of the liquid to be poured is flown in. Inside the packaging container. This method is commonly used for the filling of carbonated beverages such as beer, soda, sparkling wine, and the like. Filling with this method can reduce the loss of CO2 contained in such products, and can prevent excessive foaming during filling and affect product quality and quantitative accuracy.
3.VACUUM METHOD: The vacuum method of the liquid filling machine is to be filled under sub-atmospheric conditions and can be carried out in two ways:
Differential pressure vacuum type for the Automatic Filling Machine, that is, the liquid pressure tank is at normal pressure, and only the packaging container is evacuated to form a vacuum. The material relies on the pressure difference between the liquid storage tank and the container to be filled to generate flow and complete the filling. This method is more commonly used in China.
gravity vacuum for the automatic liquid filling machine, That is, the liquid storage tank is in a vacuum, and the packaging container firstly draws air to form a vacuum equal to that in the liquid storage tank, and then the liquid material flows into the packaging container by its own weight, and is less used in the country because of the complicated structure.
4.PRESSURE METHOD:
The material to be poured is squeezed into the packaging container by mechanical pressure or air pressure for the liquid filling machine. This method is mainly used for filling thick materials with high viscosity, such as filling ketchup, meat emulsion, toothpaste, balsam and the like. Sometimes it can also be used for the filling of soft drinks such as soft drinks. At this time, the air pressure of the steam water itself is directly poured into the bottle which is not inflated and equal pressure, thereby increasing the filling speed, and the formed foam is easy to disappear due to the lack of colloid in the steam water. It has a certain influence on the quality of filling.
For general edible liquid materials such as bottled milk, bottled wine, carbonated beverages, etc., isostatic filling method, vacuum filling method, etc., but considering the cost, the isostatic filling method can effectively reduce the loss of CO2. Maintain the quality of the carbonated beverage and prevent excessive foaming during filling to ensure accurate filling measurement. Therefore, this paper uses the isostatic filling method for the automatic sauce filling machine.
SHOULDY OUR FILLING MACHINE BE CAPABLE OF INLINE OR ROTARY FILLING ?
INLINE FILLING MACHINES
Inline filling machines are cost effective, easily adjustible fillers that fill bottles in the exact way their name suggests - in a line! These machines can be customized to have anywhere between 4 and 20 heads, and are generallly less costly than the rotary fillers. Inline fillers can also be adjusted to fill a variety of different container sizes without any additional costs for the change of parts and are frequently used/favored by small-to-medium-sized companies because of their ability to be stopped during production if any issues arrise or something goes wrong with the machine. This doctype is meant to help our users create various business or project proposals and help them get approved. This doctype is meant to help our users create various business or project proposals and help them get approved. Proposals themes can be categorised per industry or function: marketing, agency (advertising or pr or design), event, retail, social media, website design, etc.
ROTARY FILLING MACHINES
Rotary filling machines are much larger, more specialized fillers that can have 25, 50, or even up to 100+ heads, depending on what level of production need they're filling. These machines are able to produce far more BPM than your average inline filler. However, if a problem occurs mid-production, many bottles are often wasted due to the higher amount of containers required to be in the rotary filler at any given time.
Additionally, unlike inline bottle fillers, rotary filling machines cannot be stopped mid-production, making them quite difficult to fix if anything goes wrong with the machine during the filling process. While rotary fillers can initially seem a bit complicated (and definitely more costly!), if you're a large, thriving business with high production requirements, the impressive speed and production volume achieved by this type of filling machine is absolutely unmatched.
HOW TO INTEGRATE OUR MACHINE INTO YOUR CURRENT PRODUCTION LINE?
A point to consider if whether the new liquid filling machine you propose to purchase can integrate with your existing equipment or even the equipment you may buy in the future. This is crucial to the overall efficiency of your packaging line and to avoid being stuck with obsolete machinery later. Semi-automatic or manual filling machines may not be easy to integrate but most automatic liquid filling machines are designed to align seamlessly.
ACCURACY TO SAVE YOU A LOT THAN YOU CAN EXPECT!
Filling accuracy is a key advantage of automated packaging systems. Or it should be! Under-filled containers can lead to customer complaints while overfilling is waste you can ill afford. Automation can ensure accurate filling. Automated filling machines come equipped with PLC that control filling parameters, ensure product flow and consistent, precise filling. Overflow of product is eliminated which not only saves money by saving product, but it also reduces time and expenses spent on cleaning the machine and surrounding areas.
HOW TO CHANGEOVER AND CLEANING?
Some machines are simply easier to changeover and clean than others. For packagers that do short runs or many different products, changeover and cleaning time may be an important factor. Certain machines may require disassembly to completely clean the components and prepare the machine for a new product. For many, but not all machines, clean-in-place (CIP) systems can be programmed into the PLC and operator interface to make the cleaning process simple and quick, requiring little to no disassembly and a lot less assistance from labor. Deciding if the CIP is a necessity for a given project may also affect the best solution for a liquid filler. Steplead PacTek is a professional manufacturer and supplier of packing machinery and equipment in China. We have many years of experience in Filling machinery manufacturing, please contact us to discuss the Filling solution that is right for you. Before you make a purchase, let Steplead do the hard part. Submit a free quote request and we'll find multiple suppliers to provide you with a wide range of options (and pricing!) for the best filling machine to meet your small business needs!