The Different Types of Liquid Filling Machines

Efficient filling of liquid products is required to maintain a complete liquid packaging system. Depending on the application, it’s important to make sure you choose the appropriate liquid filling machine that can handle your products and avoid potential wear and tear with heavy use.

How to Determine Which Liquid Filling Machines Are Right for Your Application

If you’re searching for a new or used liquid filling machine for a new or existing production line, there are several factors to consider when making a purchase. Applications can vary greatly, with many different products out there that have individual filling and packaging requirements. The following are five considerations to keep in mind when in the market for liquid filling machines.

Liquid Viscosity

One of the first aspects to consider when selecting a liquid filler is the viscosity of your product. Liquids can be anywhere from water-thin to highly viscous pastes, with many other semi-viscous and thicker products in between. Some equipment will be able to handle thicker liquids while others are designed primarily for thin products.

Type of Container

The type of container you use to fill your products is also important when selecting equipment. You’ll need to make sure you select a liquid filler that can fill your containers, whether they’re plastic or glass, short or tall, square or round, or come with larger or small openings. Some machines are more easily configured to meet the needs of a variety of packages if your production line is designed with versatility in mind.

Fill Volume

While you may believe that determining fill volume is simple, this aspect will also depend on other factors such as viscosity, fill rate, and filling systems. Your industry also may have particularly stringent fill accuracy requirements that you need to meet to maintain compliance.

Fill Rate

When it comes to production, one of the most important considerations is how many containers you can fill per hour, minute, or production shift to meet your quota. Different machines are designed to achieve different fill rates, which will also depend on factors such as manual or automatic operation, viscosities, fill volume requirements, and container types, along with the type of filling and metering system you want to use.

Keeping these factors in mind, there are several specific types of liquid fillers you can install in a liquid packaging system.

Gravity Fillers

Gravity fillers are typically used to fill thinner, foamy liquids. Gravity liquid filling machines work by pumping bulk supplies into holding tanks, which are set above valves that are operated pneumatically. Each valve is set for a specific fill time to enable free-flowing liquids such as water and inks to fill containers using gravity.

Piston Fillers

Piston fillers are also ideal for many different liquids. Piston fillers allow for accurate and fast fill rates, along with versatility as they can handle many types of products. They’re frequently used to fill highly viscous products such as pastes, sauces, chunky fillings, batters, and icing. Piston fillers are also often used to fill liquid products in pastry bags and other similar containers.

Pump Fillers

Pump fillers are also used for many types of products. Their combined versatility and accuracy makes them ideal for filling liquids of low, medium, or high viscosity levels. The pumps used in these machines can include gear pumps, rotor pumps, cavity pumps, and lobe pumps, among others depending on the application. In addition to pump systems, there are many options for valves and fittings.

Molten Fillers

Molten fillers are uniquely designed to work with products that require hot-filling before cooling and hardening once filled. The products that molten fillers are most frequently used to fill include candles, petroleum jelly, deodorants, glycerin soaps, and lip balm.

Pressure/Gravity Fillers

Pressure/gravity fillers are similar to gravity fillers in their operation, but their use of pressure to fill containers makes them more suitable for thicker liquids.

Net Weigh Fillers

Net weigh fillers are used to help ensure that every container has the same amount of product across the line, which makes them ideal for filling bulk quantities of liquid products or products of high value whose wastage can be costly.

Inline Fillers

Inline liquid filling machines fill containers along a single file line across a conveyor system. These machines are designed to fill liquid and semi-liquid products of various viscosities and in many different container shapes and sizes. Small to medium-sized businesses use these models most frequently to maximize filling efficiency.

Rotary Fillers

Rotary filling machines can move containers through circular stations, each of which is intended for a different function such as filling, capping, and sealing. Many industries use these machines for a wide range of products.

Find the Right Liquid Filling Machines at E-PAK Machinery

Based on the specific needs of your application, you’ll be able to find the liquid filler you need when you shop at E-PAK Machinery. We have many different high-quality options, each of which is customizable to meet your application’s requirements and installation specifications.