Different Nozzles for Different Liquid Fillers

Filling machines may use a number of different principles to move product to a bottle. From simple gravity fed fillers to fill to a level overflow fillers and piston or pump fillers for thicker, less free-flowing liquids, each type of machine will be matched to the product or products being run. However, the fill heads, or nozzles, can also differ from machine to machine to add efficiency and consistency to the filling process.

With the overflow filler, mentioned above as the fill to level principle, the nozzles kind of define the machine. All overflow nozzles will include seals that cover the bottle opening as the heads descend in to the containers. It is this seal that allows liquid to reach a specific level and then "overflow" back in to the holding vessel. While all overflow nozzles will be similar in that regard, they may differ in size or may include some custom features such as a bottom up fill. In the end, there is much less variation in the nozzles for an overflow filling machine than is possible on other types of liquid fillers.

A popular nozzle on other non-overflow type liquid fillers includes some combination of an actuator, ball valve and nozzle tip. These assemblies are used to open and close the product flow based on pre-set filling times, usually using a PLC on an automatic filling machine. Semi-automatic machines may control the flow or activate the fill using a foot or finger switch. Nozzle tips on these types of nozzles can take on many different sizes and shapes, as well as materials, including plastic and steel. The tip size and type will depend on the container, product and many other factors on a case-by-case basis.

Again, nozzles can take on a number of different custom features as well, from simple short or long nozzles to more complex features. Nozzles may protect against dripping or stringing of thicker products, or as mentioned above, may dive to the lower portion of a container and perform a bottom up fill to protect against splashing or the formation of a cavity in the container.

While most packaging processes will require only a single nozzle or fill head for all products, there are those rare cases where due to a variety of packages and/or products, nozzles may need to be changed for certain combinations. The design of the filling machines works to make this process as simple as possible when the situation occurs. Choosing the right nozzle for any project will have a positive impact on the consistency and reliability as well as the overall efficiency of the machine.

For more infomation about nozzles for filling machines, or about liquid fillers in general, contact the offices of Liquid Packaging Solutions, Inc. today.