What Product Characteristics Matter Most When Selecting Bottle Fillers?
At Liquid Packaging Solutions, bottle fillers are engineered and manufactured for the specific project at hand. So, what product characteristics influence the machinery manufacturing process the most? That answer will be found on a case-by-case basis of packaging projects, but there are a few recurring product characteristics that packagers should always be aware of when choosing machinery.
PRODUCT VISCOSITY
Product viscosity affects how the liquid product will flow through a filling machine. Thin, free-flowing products like water, juice or even cleaning products, move through a filling machine with little resistance, making bottle fillers that use gravity a simple solution for filling projects. However, thicker products that do not flow easily may require a little extra push during the fill process, typically coming from a piston or pump pushing product through the pathway. Viscosity can also have an effect on the type of fill used, as an overflow filling machine fills to a specific level, but cannot overflow efficiently when viscosity is too high.
PRODUCT FOAMING
Certain liquid products also tend to foam when agitated, which can happen when moving through bottle fillers. When evaluating filling machines for any project, consider how the products react or behave during filling. Overflow fillers, which fill to a specific level, can help with foam by forcing the foam out of the container during the fill, though this will add a little bit of time to the fill cycle. Other techniques, including certain nozzles, can help to reduce or eliminate foaming during the fill process as well.
PRODUCT PARTICULATES
Products like salsa, sauces, jams, dressings, soaps, and more can be combined with seeds, spices, chunks of fruits and vegetables or other particulates. These particulates must be considered to ensure that bottle fillers do not clog, which can lead to damage to the product or equipment. Not all filling machines can handle particulates effectively. Piston fillers, with a wide cylinder, often provide a solution for products with particulates, as well as wide mouthed nozzles and custom solutions engineered to the specific needs of the project.
PRODUCT FILL TEMPERATURE
Finally, certain liquids change viscosity at different temperatures, causing a change to how they flow. Imagine a candle, for example, which is solid wax at room temperature, but which becomes a liquid when heated. Products like wax, deodorants, and adhesives may need to be heated to package in an efficient manner. Filling machines used for hot-fill products must be designed to keep the product at the same temperature throughout the fill process to avoid clogging or solidifying in the tubes or nozzles. Ignoring temperature requirements when selecting a bottle filler can lead to not only an inefficient fill but also damage to the products and equipment as well.
Of course, the product characteristics are not the only considerations when selecting the proper bottle filler for a project. Container shapes and sizes, speed, future products and demand, and other factors will also play a part. But understanding how product characteristics affect a packaging process and filling machine will help a packager to select the right bottle filler for any project, increasing reliability, consistency and overall efficiency.