Liquid Filling Mistakes That Cost Manufacturers Thousands Every Year
For companies filling liquid products like beverages, pharmaceuticals, foods, chemicals, and more, reliable packaging systems, and specifically filling machines, help maintain production schedules, control costs, and deliver products to consumers in a consistent and safe manner. But just having a filling machine does not ensure all of these goals will be met, and production facilities can lose thousands of dollars to avoidable liquid filling mistakes.
Product Characteristics
Understanding the range of different products to be run on a liquid filling machine can save time and money while ensuring an effective solution for the filling process. Different liquids, of course, have different properties. Products may foam and require a slower fill rate, specific fill principle, or special nozzles. Others may require temperature control or corrosion resistant equipment construction. Thick products might require a push through the product pathway. All of the product characteristics can have a direct bearing on the best machine for any given project. Ignoring these characteristics can lead to the wrong machine and a multitude of issues.
Liquid Filling Machine Type
Filling equipment provides different methods for getting the liquid into the bottles or other containers. As noted above, choosing the wrong filler can create issues to slow down production, cause product waste, create inconsistent fills and more. Filling machines may use gravity to allow product to simply flow into waiting bottles, others use pumps to help push product along the pathway. Working with an equipment manufacturer like Liquid Packaging Solutions and identifying the unique characteristics of every product to be run can help a packager identify the correct method for their specific products, saving both time and money in the future.
Liquid Filling Equipment Maintenance
After ensuring the correct liquid filler is put in place, routine maintenance is one of the simplest ways to prevent costly packaging line failures. Keeping the machine clean and wear parts effective minimizes downtime to save money each year. Though liquid filling machines are designed for durability, almost every machine will include wear parts like seals, nozzles, fittings, and more. Simply keeping the machine clean and replacing worn wear parts can reduce emergency repairs, extend the lifespan of the equipment and improve consistency. At LPS, we keep wear parts stocked and on hand and encourage packagers to do the same at their own facility. Simply minimizing downtime can have a significant positive effect on the bottom line.
Understanding Changeover Time
Changeover refers to the time necessary to move from one bottle or product to another when running those same bottles and products on one filling machine. For instance, moving from an eight ounce bottle to a 64 ounce bottle will require adjustments to both the physical machine as well as the settings that create an optimal fill. For those filling more than one bottle size or using more than one product, an efficient filling machine will offer quick adjustments for height, container width, fill volume, fill times, and more, simply depending on the project specifics. At LPS, we always aim for tool-less changeovers and use touchscreen operator interfaces with the PLC for quick setup. Recipe screens allow settings to be saved for product and bottle combinations, also speeding up the changeover process. Quick changeover can dramatically lessen setup time, decreasing downtime and maximizing productivity. Saving time, in this case, saves the packager money!
Speed vs. Accuracy
Much of the conversation around filling machinery will pull in the question of speed. How many bottles per minute can this machine fill? But speed should only be one of the considerations for a liquid filler. And speed cannot be sacrificed for accuracy. Quickly overfilling or underfilling bottles can lead to both product waste and unhappy customers, both which lead to lost money. Move bottles too fast and they can tip, jam, or otherwise cause issues on the line, causing more downtime. Balancing both speed and accuracy with the right liquid filling machine helps to also balance that bottom line!
Future Plans
Getting the machine for your current needs is obviously a goal, but too many packagers fail to consider their expected growth. Bottle fillers can be manufactured to allow for expansion through additional fill heads, automation through added sensors, and other available upgrades. Planning only for current needs can see filling machinery, or any other packaging machinery for that matter, become obsolete too quickly. Packaging machinery with a short useful life is expensive packaging machinery! Rather than replacing your equipment, let the equipment grow with your business. Know your goals, plan for them, and the right filling machine will remove the need for new or additional equipment in the future.
Avoiding these common mistakes starts by choosing the correct, reliable, and scalable filling equipment designed specifically for your own application. At LPS, we design and manufacture customized liquid filling equipment for a wide range of industries and products, from small startup companies, to fully automated lines. Contact us today to learn how the right filling system can save you money not just at the time of purchase, but throughout the entire production process.