We’ll explain the liquid filling machine working principle to guide you in picking the best option for adding to your production line and increasing efficiency and productivity.
In fact, there are several liquids with varying qualities. To fill a bottle with a beverage or toothpaste, you have to use a different method. Filling small containers for cosmetics and medicines differs from filling large drums for chemicals.
Liquid Filling Machines
The most crucial difference between machines is how much automation each one needs. For instance, a big factory that makes a lot of products needs more advanced technology than small businesses to cope with the demands.
Before sending bottles to the next production step, automatic filling equipment fills them with the least amount of human contact possible. The machine may be set up at different speeds, capacities, and container kinds. Semi-automatic machines, which move containers into and out of the filling station, need human input.
Operators of manual machines must position the containers and control the filler using a handle. Then dispense the filled containers. These machines need no electricity and are especially suitable as bench-top equipment for small enterprises.
One more difference is if a machine is inline or rotary. Inline fillers are economical and fill containers as they move down a conveyor in succession. They are adaptable and simple to modify, making them suitable for a variety of goods and containers. Rotary machines are Faster and may include bottle cleaning and capping technologies, but they are more costly and tailored to specific products and containers.
Liquid Filling Machine Working Principle
In general, liquid filling machines follow the same principles no matter what type they are. With an automatic system, the conveyor moves containers through the machine for filling before continuing to the next step. However, the filling method used varies according to the nature of The liquid content, the container, and the level of precision required.
While the principle of filling is to deliver the proper quantity of liquids into containers, this is also the trickiest step in the procedure. More than any other step, this will decide what machine a company requires.
Some liquids are clear and flow easily, while others are thick and bubbly or even have floating particles. The type of liquid and the container also affect the best way to measure and ensure the machine fills the right amount of liquid into the containers.
Piston Filler
The best solution for thick liquids and pastes is a piston filling machine. With a stroke and discharge system, they have a valve system that operates. The piston fills the container by pulling products from the cylinder. These volumetric systems are widely used in devices that are only partly automatic, precise, and can handle a variety of liquids. They may also be easily enhanced by adding extra filler heads.
Pump Filler
These devices often apply for thick liquids and have a pump that sucks the liquid from a cylinder and fills it into the container. Pump fillers use a “pulse timing” method to figure out how much to fill by counting the number of times the gear turns . The product is pumped into some systems with a time-based fill for a set amount of time. This method is less accurate than pulse timing, though.
Pump filling systems are quicker than piston filling systems, which makes them suitable for filling big containers where precision is not as critical. However, piston filling systems are more exact. Other pumps use lobes or peristaltic motion to regulate product flow by compressing rubber tubes.
Overflow Filler
Overflow fillers fill bottles to the correct level, even if the volume may change slightly. This often happens with clear containers because it makes the product look even and nice. The system fills the container until it is full, and any extra product flows back into the storage tank so that it doesn’t go to waste.
Gravity Filler
Gravity filling fills the container by using the weight of the liquid. The liquid is typically supplied into the container over time from a tank above the filling heads. When the timer goes off, a valve underneath the filling head opens. This allows the proper fluid volume into the bottle before closing the valve. The liquid should flow readily, have a stable viscosity, and include no particles that may become trapped in the heads in an ideal condition.
Bottom Up or Isobaric Pressure Fillers
Bottom-up fillers work by lowering the nozzle through the opening of the container until it reaches the bottom. When it does, the liquid is poured out until the desired level is reached. This makes the method great for manufacturing liquid foam. The isobaric filling is best for carbonated products. A diffuser spreads the liquid evenly along the walls of the container, which keeps the carbonation from escaping. The CO2 in the bottle keeps the pressure constant while the nozzle lets out any extra gas.
Check Weight Filler
For big containers, a check weight machine is the best option. The platform provides measures the liquid’s weight as it fills the container.
Auxiliary Machines Working Principle
Other machines are essential in the manufacturing process, particularly for automation lines. Conveyors connect the various systems and come in multiple sizes, forms, and materials. They ensure that bottles transfer from one stage to the next at regular intervals. They must be constant and dependable.
The process starts by loading containers onto an unscrambling table. The table will then feed the containers into the machine at set intervals. Other machines, on the other hand, have fully automatic container dispensers.
To remove dust and other pollutants, some systems wash the containers before they enter the machine. Others use hydrogen peroxide or a comparable substance to sterilize bottles in advance to prevent food from spoiling due to microbial infection.
Conveyors transport the containers down the manufacturing line for sealing, capping, and labeling or gathering them on an aggregating table for further treatment by machine or personnel.
The next step for most containers is to pass through a capping machine. However, some liquid-filling devices also cap the containers. Following that, some systems apply labels to the containers, while others shrink wrap or place them in cartons to prepare them for the packaging process.
Conclusion
Liquid filling machines are accessible for a wide range of liquid types, container sizes, and shapes. Suitable equipment combines with additional stages such as capping and packing to boost production to create a full liquid filling line.
To take your company to the next level, work with an expert with professional experience with companies from various industries. Please get in touch with us if you’d like to learn more about how we can help you create the proper liquid filling technique.