How does the automatic filling machine work?

Filling machines are designed to speed up the production line, especially for liquid bottling operations. Filling systems come in a variety of designs, ranging from semi-automatic table top versions to extremely efficient automatic multi-head filling machines. 

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The size of your operations and the type of liquid you&#;re working with are among some of the factors that determine the best filling machine for the job. This guide will introduce you to different types of filling machines and help you decide which equipment is right for your business.

What is a Filling Machine?

Liquid filling machines play a vital part in the production of bottled products, including sports drinks and cleaning solutions. Some filling machines can also handle more viscous substances, like pastes, creams, and chunky products such as sauces or salsa. 

Bottle filling machines are often stainless steel, and range in design from single head manual filling machines, like a tabletop piston filler, to much more elaborate configurations, like a fully-automatic multi-head filling machine with many heads for greater throughput. 

Filling equipment must be selected based on key factors, like the desired speed of production, the type of liquid, and the size of the container being used.

How Does a Filling Machine Work?

The purpose of a filling machine is to efficiently deposit a precise amount of liquid into each container based on time, weight, volume, or a combination of these measurements. The exact way in which a filling machine functions depends on a few factors, like whether your production line is semi-automated or fully-automated. 

With a semi-automated bottle filler, a human typically places each bottle under the machine, but a conveyor belt may assist in this step. A human may also be responsible for deciding when the machine starts and stops releasing liquid into the container. 

Fully-automated filling machines control the entire process. Typically, a conveyor belt brings clean bottles into the filling area where a sensor identifies them. The machine then starts dispensing liquid before moving the containers to the capping and sealing station. More clean bottles are then moved into the filling area and the process repeats.

Can IFS Help Me Customize My Filling Machine?

At IFS, we understand that your operation is likely facing unique requirements, and we are happy to offer our engineering expertise to find the right solution for your production line. 

We offer a wide range of machinery and we can accommodate foaming liquids, hazardous chemicals, food-grade products, and environments where cross-contamination is unacceptable. If you&#;re interested in speaking with our team of liquid packing experts, give us a call or visit our website.

How Many Kinds of Filling Machines Does IFS Offer?

IFS offers specialized filling machines suitable for a number of different products, including water, gels, creams, and sauces. Understanding the differences between our selection of bottle fillers is important in choosing the right machine for your operations.

While comparing your options, consider viscosity, efficiency, and maintenance requirements. If you don&#;t know the difference between a volumetric piston filler and a pump filler, the following overview will prove helpful and our team is always standing by to answer your questions.

Ideal for liquids with low to medium viscosity, these machines fill a container based on volume. An overflow filling machine is unique in that it uses a recirculation method to fill a container to a given level. The machine inserts a nozzle into each container and fills it to a specific level. During the filling process the machine returns any additional product from the container out to a holding tank for re-use.

Ideal for thin liquids with consistent flow characteristics, a time gravity filling machine keeps product in a holding tank positioned above the machine&#;s pneumatically operated valves. This method requires you to calculate how long it takes for your container to fill to the desired level. Containers pass under the valves at set intervals while the filling machine opens the valves to allow gravity to move the liquid from the tank and into the containers.

Ideal for items sold by weight and high-value products that demand accuracy, net weigh filling machines prevent over- or under-filling by weighing each container as it&#;s filled. This is ideal for bulk products sold by weight, like 5-gallon containers, and for high-value products that need to be accurately weighed to maintain profit margins.

Ideal for aqueous and light viscosity products in small volumes, these precision machines also avoid cross-contamination. Product is contained within a tube inside the pump and it is compressed by &#;rollers&#; on the rotor. The pressure exerted by each roller pinches the tube closed, forcing product down and out. As the rollers are applied and released, ambient pressure draws fluid into and out of the tube in a process known as peristalsis.

Ideal for high viscosity liquids and products with particulates, piston fillers accurately dispense product into a container based on volume.  The amount of product dispensed can be easily adjusted by changing the stroke length of the piston. Because of their design, piston filling machines are excellent for thick and semi-solid products, like chunky condiments, cosmetic creams, waxes, heavy oils, gels, and adhesives.

Ideal for liquid and semi-liquid products, servo pump filling machines are an updated alternative to piston fillers. These machines use an encoded rotary pump that offers accuracy and clean dispensing, even for high viscosity products. Special nozzles can be added to manage specific product properties. Compared to traditional piston fillers, the servo pump fillers offer greater container size flexibility with faster changeovers in sizes with less air use and a Clean in Place (CIP) design capability.

Ideal for brine and vinegar solutions with and without particulates the filler provides a consistent brine level in the container to cover the product. Because bring and vinegar solutions are corrosive to equipment overtime, brine filling machines are explicitly designed to handle these liquids effectively. They are also capable of processing various parictulates within the liquids without being susceptible to clogs and buildup in the nozzle.

Ideal for dispensing product into five-gallon pails based on weight or volume, the pail filling machines from IFS are a cost-effective solution to managing pails and lid sealing. The standard pail filler is designed for 5-gallon buckets, but can be customized to meet your needs.

Ideal for filling totes, 25-gallon barrels, 55-gallon drums, and similar large containers. Drum filling machines can be set up to fill based on weight, volume or a combination of these measures, allowing for accuracy even in large quantities. Configuration options include top-fill or bottom-fill, with top-fill being more economical but not suitable for foaming products. Bottom-fill machines are more expensive, but offer the most versatility.

Why Should I Choose a Filling Machine from IFS?

Inline Filling Systems has been in business for over 25 years and has the widest selection of filling equipment with more than 700 types of machinery in our extensive catalog. Our team manufactures and services all of our equipment from our factory in Florida. 

When you choose a filling machine from IFS, you&#;ll benefit from expert service, advanced customization options, and superior machine maintenance. Whether you&#;re a small operation seeking a semi-automatic solution or a large operation in need of a fully-automatic process, we have the knowledge and equipment necessary to fulfill your needs.

- Thursday, November 16,

Liquid products can be found everywhere in our daily lives, but have you ever wondered how liquids are filled into various containers? Well, that&#;s when the liquid filling machine comes in handy. Liquid filling machines provide stability, safety, and hygiene to liquid products in an efficient manner. So, they are quite popular in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food industries.

After reading this blog, you'll get a more comprehensive idea about liquid bottle filling machines, including their working principle, standard operation procedure, and common faults that may occur.

Let's start by understanding what is a liquid filling machine before delving into its working mechanics.

What Is A Liquid Filling Machine?

As the name suggests, a liquid filling machine is a device used to package liquid products. These machines are used in a wide range of industries, including food and beverage, pharmaceutical, chemical, and cosmetics.

 For example, in the pharmaceutical industry, a liquid filling machine can be used to package eye drops, oral liquids, oral syrups, and disinfectants. Therefore, it needs to be reliable when it comes to hygiene and quality. 

Liquid Filling Machine Working Principle

To meet the needs of different production scales, there are various types of liquid filling machines on the market, mainly automatic liquid filling machines, semi-automatic liquid filling machines, and manual liquid filling machines.

However, they all work on the same basic principle. The machine pumps the liquid product from a reservoir into the containers. The amount of liquid that is dispensed is controlled by a variety of factors, such as the size of the container, the viscosity of the liquid, and the desired filling volume.

Now let's take an insight into how the three different types of liquid filling machines work.

How Does A Manual Liquid Filling Machine Work?

A manual liquid filling machine is a multi-functional device for the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food industries. Compared with other filling equipment, it does not need automation to run. So it is ideal for small business or laboratory use. Below is the working principle of a manual liquid filler:

Step 1: Pouring the liquid you want to fill

Once the filling capacity of the machine has been set, pour the liquid into the feed hopper.

Step2: Filling the bottle with the liquid

Put the bottle under the discharge nozzle with one hand and slowly press the handle with the other hand. Then the liquid will flow out of the discharge nozzle.

How Does A Semi-Automatic Liquid Filling Machine Work?

A semi-automatic liquid filling machine is a combination of manual and automatic operation. It is usually equipped with an automatic filling unit, but it also needs people to load containers and manipulate the filling procedure. Below is a breakdown of the liquid filling machine principle:

Step1: Connecting the air supply

Connect the air inlet tube to the air supply and turn on the air power switch. Pulling out the air switch means closing it. In addition, you can adjust the air pressure volume by pulling out the top part of the filter and rotating it.

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Step2: Adjusting the filling speed

Turn the speed adjustment valve and the filling interval adjustment valve to set the appropriate pumping speed. To avoid liquid rushing out of the bottle during filling, you can slow down the speed a little bit.

Step3: Determining the filling volume

Adjust the magnetic switch position via the hand wheel on the right side of the machine, to determine the required filling volume. After that, lock the movable electromagnetic switch on the cylinder, and the filling process officially starts.

How Does An Automatic Liquid Filling MachineWork?

The automatic liquid filling machine features accuracy, efficiency, and consistency. It adopts the principle of volumetric filling, i.e. filling each container with a predefined volume of liquid. So, it can perfectly accommodate mass production in beverage, pharmaceutical, chemical,  and other industries. Here is a clear description of how the liquid filling machine works:

Step1: Setting the parameters

Firstly, you have to set all parameters of the liquid filler based on the nature and viscosity of the liquid, such as the speed, temperature, and pressure of the machine.

Step2: Loading bottles into the feed hopper

Put the bottles into the feed hopper, and as the rollers rotate, the bottles are carried one by one onto the conveyor belt, which in turn conveys the bottles to the other units for processing.

Step3: Conveying the bottles

The conveyor belt serves as an integral part of the entire operating procedure of the liquid filling machine. It can adjust the spacing of the bottle stopper according to different bottle diameters, which makes sure the whole transportation process runs smoothly.

Step4: Completing the filling process

Along the conveyor belt, the bottles are delivered to the filling unit. The filling mechanism is specially designed to precisely inject the required amount of liquid into bottles. This is achieved with the help of a plunger or a rotation valve.

Step5: Capping the bottles

Finally, after all those steps, it's time to cap the bottles. The filled bottles are transported to the capping area. Here the bottles are capped and screwed tightly, ready for the next step of packaging and labeling.

Standard Operating Procedure For Liquid Filling Machine

Compared to manual and semi-automatic ones, fully automatic liquid filling machines are more sophisticated. They have a more complex mechanism that requires expertise and training to maneuver.

Now, you probably understand how a liquid filling machine works. But with the following SOP, you will be able to use this machine more safely and correctly. In addition, under the guidance of the SOP, the efficiency and quality of your production will be greatly improved!

Objective: Use an automatic liquid filling machine to achieve efficient and accurate filling results.

Scope: This SOP summarizes the step-by-step procedure for operating an automatic liquid filling machine.

Device And Materials:

• Automatic liquid filling machine
• Liquid to be filled
• Packaging containers
• Necessary safety kit (gloves, safety goggles, etc.)

Procedure:

Preparation:

• Check if the liquid filling machine is in good working condition and ready to use.
• Make sure that the empty bottles are clean and meet the requirements of the liquid filling machine.
• Prepare the liquid to be filled and measure the required filling volume.

Startup:

• Turn on the power as directed.
• Ensure that no required safety devices are missing.

Bottle Loading:

Load the bottles to be filled into the feed hopper. Observe your machine's loading capacity to avoid overloading.

Setting Parameters:

Set related parameters such as filling speed, temperature, and air pressure on the machine's operating panel.

Starting Filling Process:

Press the starter button to start the filling process. Adhere to the machine's operating program.

Monitoring:

• Monitor whether the bottles move smoothly on the conveyor belt. Avoid bottles from tipping over and stopping moving.
• Constantly watch over the filling process. Check for problems such as caps not aligning, cylinders not working, etc., and take timely action.

Quality Check:

Regularly check that the bottle filling volume is as required. Adjust settings as necessary to ensure accuracy.

Turn Off The Machine:

• At the end of the filling process, safely turn off the machine according to the manual.
• Clean up the liquid left in the machine and properly discard waste material.

Cleaning And Maintenance:

• Use proper detergents. Follow the user manual of the machine to keep all components and assemblies clean.
• Maintain the machine regularly according to the schedule.

Logging:

Record the filling process in a file or log, including lot number, quantity filled, operator name, and any problems.

Note:

Follow operating instructions and safety precautions at all times. Seek advice from a certified technician if you have any technical questions.

Reference:

• Automatic liquid filler user manual
• Related security rules and instructions

Common Faults Of Automatic Liquid Filling Machine

Automatic liquid filling machines are complex machines that can be prone to faults. However, many of these faults can be easily troubleshooted and resolved. Here are some common liquid filling machine faults and troubleshooting tips:

Fault  

Troubleshooting

Cylinder does not work

Check for proper air pressure, air hose leakage, and cylinder elements

Poor bottle transport

Adjust the spacing and elasticity of conveyor belt

Filling head can't align with the bottle opening

Adjust the spacing and height of filling needle

Vibration during machine work

Check if the chain fasteners are loose

Incorrect filling volume

Check for worn silicone seals, leaking one-way valves, and loose tubing connections.

Inaccurate capping

Make sure the center of bottle is aligned with that of the gland opening and the air pressure is normal.

The Bottom Line

Liquid filling machines play a vital role in the pharmaceutical industry. Understanding the principle of liquid bottle filling machines can improve your medicinal packaging productivity and take your pharma business to the next level.

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