Filling Machines and Temperature Changes

The leaves are starting to change colors here in the Midwest, which means falling temperatures are already here, with worse to come.  Seasonal temperature changes can have an affect on packaging machinery, specifically liquid filling equipment, if they have an affect on the products being packaged.  In general terms, whether or not temperature affects the filling process will depend on the environment on the production floor as well as the product being packaged.

 

So how can the environment change the way filling machines work?  First, a change in the filling machine is not the norm, but the exception.  In facilities that function in a controlled environment, outside temperature changes will not normally lead to changes in packaging processes, but not all packaging processes take place in a controlled environment.  For example, imagine a large warehouse with a production floor.  If overhead doors are left open, or are constantly opened and closed for shipping purposes, the inside temperature may change from season to season.  If the product being filled reacts to changing temperature, that is, viscosity changes as the temperature changes, the filling machine may need to be adjusted as cooler or warmer weather emerges.  Even in some cases where the packaging takes place in a controlled environment, product may be stored in a place where temperature changes.  When temperature has an affect on the product, the product may have an affect on the filling machine.

 

The good news is that these temperature changes, or viscosity changes to the product, do not mean that the filling machine will not work.  Liquid fillers are manufactured to handle a range of product viscosities, however, as flow rates change, certain settings on the filling machine may need to be adjusted to accurately and reliably fill the product.  Oils and lubricants provide a good example of products that often change viscosity as temperature fluctuates.  In warm environments, these products will flow more freely, becoming more viscous and flowing more slowly as the temperature drops.  Different fillers, from overflow and gravity to pump and piston, use different principles to complete the process.  The solution may simply be a slightly longer fill time, depending on the type of filling machine being used to package the product, in other cases pump speeds may need to be increased or some other setting may need to be adjusted.   

 

Again, not all products are the same either.  Some products may require significant temperature changes before any change occurs in viscosity, while others may react to a few degrees of difference.  However, if a liquid filling machine in production seems to act up at every change of the season, the product viscosity may be the culprit.  If you are experiencing fluctuation in your product viscosity due to temperature changes and that fluctuation is making a difference in your filling process, feel free to contact an LPS Packaging Specialist to help identify the setting changes that may be necessary.