Drilling Down to the Best Filling Equipment for Any Project

Just like previously discussed with capping equipment, asking a few questions regarding a packaging project can help to identify the best filling solution for any given venture. With many different machines to choose from, including different filling principles and levels of automation, identifying the ideal machine for a project is important to ensure peak performance and efficiency.

Product Viscosity?

Different filling machines work better with thin or thick products, while others can run the gamut from water like to syrups and beyond. Finding a machine that will handle the viscosity of all of the products to be packaged is the key to both an efficient and cost effective solution for filling liquids. For companies running only thin products, both overflow and gravity fillers may be the right option. For thicker products or projects with a variety of product viscosities pump or piston fillers may be a better solution. Identifying all the different viscosities that will be run on the bottle filler will usually help to eliminate a few options immediately.

Fill Principle?

Different filling machines use different filling principles as well. Overflow fillers will fill to the same level on each bottle, while a piston filler will generate a highly accurate volumetric fill. Other machines, including custom liquid fillers, may use different principles to achieve the type of fill desired by the packager. Again, deciding on the best fill principle for any given project will help to narrow the list of ideal solutions for that project.

Production Rate?

Once the right principle has been identified, a packager must also analyze the production rate for the project. Will the machine be bottling a few hundred a day or a few thousand? The different levels of automation available for the filling machines can be matched to the expected production to ensure that deadlines are met and customers remain both supplied and happy.

Company Growth?

Finally, though production may be low to begin with, especially in the case of a start up company, that level of production may increase as a product becomes more popular or as a company adds different products. Packaging machinery can be manufactured to allow for future upgrades that can expand the capacity of the machine and allow for increased production. Analyzing the desire or likelihood of future growth can help to identify not only the best equipment for now, but the best equipment to grow with the company.

Of course, there are other factors that can tilt a packager toward one filling machine over another, such as the space available or the size and range of bottles for any project. Liquid Packaging Solutions has representatives ready to discuss any filling or packaging project and help identify the best solution for any packager.