Overflow Fillers - Troubleshooting

Liquid Packaging Solutions, Inc. manufactures many different types of fillers, including pump fillers, piston fillers, gravity fillers and more. One of our most popular filling machines is the overflow filler! Below you will find some of the most common issues often faced by users of the overflow filler over time!

Product spills

Product spills on the overflow filling machine can be caused by several different factors. First, check the rubber seal that closes over the bottles on the filler. Over time, these pieces can wear away, causing poor seals on the bottles. Also, in many cases we have found that customers have begun running a new product on their overflow filler. Sometimes the rubber seal material on the overflow fill heads will not be compatible with the new product!

If the seals are OK, users of the overflow filler should check both fill times and, if applicable, head release times on the operator interface of the overflow filler. It is possible that the pressure built up from filling needs more time to release or "overflow" before the heads rise! This scenario is common where multiple sizes of bottles, and thus multiple fill times, are used.

Finally, and less common, the overflow fill heads should be checked for damage. If, for instance, the overflow fill heads came down on a capped bottle, the nozzle bodies can get bent or marred, causing a bad seal on the bottle!

Inconsistent Diving Into the Bottles

If the overflow fill heads are not consistently diving into the bottles, some adjustment to the fill head alignment is necessary! The first two things to check are the guiderails on the conveyor and the fill heads themselves. In many cases, customers run more than one size bottle on the overflow filler. If the diameter of these bottles differs, the guiderails may need adjustment! Allowing for too much play in the conveying of the bottles can lead to inconsistent diving!

Similarly, if different bottles are used on the overflow filler, the fill heads may need to be loosened using the knob on top of each fill head and realigned for the given bottle. The manual toggle screen of the operator interface and the power height adjustment found on most machines will allow the user of the overflow filler to accurately adjust the fill heads!

Inconsistent Indexing

The most common form of indexing on the overflow filler is pin indexing. Pins open and close to allow the correct number of bottles to cycle in and out of the overflow filler. The bottles are counted by a sensor or "eye" that sees the bottles as they move under the filler. The most common solution to inconsistent indexing is to adjust the sensor to "see" each bottle. Normally, the sensor will be pointed at the neck of a bottle, though this may differ for overflow fillers using unique bottles.

Damaged Bottles

If the overflow fill heads seem to be crushing the bottles as they are filled, the user can adjust the height of the fill heads to correct the issue. Again, this issue is common when multiple bottle sizes are run on the overflow filler. Keep in mind that the height on the overflow filler must be adjusted each time there is a changeover of bottles!

Uneven Fills

From time to time a customer will call with an overflow filler that is not consistently filling bottles. For example, the first fill head may be filling slightly less than the fifth fill head. The first thing to check in such a situation is that the overflow filler is leveled on the production floor! If the machine is not level, uneven fills may occur. Second, the spacers on each fill head on the overflow filler should also be checked. If the spacers are not equal on all fill heads, uneven fills will occur!

These are just some of the more common issues faced by users of overflow filling machines! Anyone faced with these or other troubleshooting issues on overflow fillers or any other packaging machine can call Liquid Packaging Solutions toll free at 1-888-393-3693 for assistance!