Six Advantages Of Using A Piston Filling Machine

Piston filling machines are one of the most versatile bottle fillers on the market. With easy operation and simple controls, these liquid fillers move a variety of products from holding tanks, hoppers and other bulk supplies to containers both large and small. Below are a few of the advantages of using a piston filling machine on your packaging line.

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1. Thick Or Thin Products

Piston fillers can be used with virtually any product, thick or thin. However, these machines provide ideal solutions for viscous products and products with large particulates, in that other filler types may not be able to handle such items. Thick products are pulled into the cylinder as the piston retracts and pushed out as it makes its return to the cylinder. Not only does this method of filling work with thick products, but the open space allows the machine to handle fruits, seeds and other particulates that may be present in some products.

2. Automatic or Semi-Automatic Machines

Piston filling machines can be manufactured to work both semi-automatically and automatically! Semi-automatic machinery will require more operator interaction, including placing bottles, initiating the fill cycle with either a hand or foot switch, and removing the filled container once product has been introduced. Automatic machines will work with power conveyor systems, indexing systems tank floats and more to remove as much operator assistance as possible. The operator will still need to set up the machine, which may consist of simply choosing the correct recipe on the touchscreen interface, but all other functions are typically automated!

3. A Range of Nozzle Types

Semi-automatic piston fillers will normally consist of a single fill head, though there are exceptions. However, automatic versions may include a number of different fill heads and the nozzles may be manufactured to meet the needs of the specific product or products. From simple ball valves to diving heads and bottom up filling, custom nozzles add to the versatility of the piston filler.

4. Many Different Container Sizes and Materials

The actual piston on the filling machine can range in size as well! Which means piston fillers can handle both small and large containers. In addition, because the heads to not need to create pressure or seal on the bottle opening for overflow purposes, light weight bottles or fragile bottles may also be run on a piston filler. Even unique container shapes can be accomodated on most machinery. Just keep in mind, that packagers doing both tiny and large containers may need more than a single piston size!

5. Handles Particulates Well

As noted above, the cylinder of the piston filler is an ideal filling solution for products such as jams, jellies and even some soaps that contain particulates. Seeds and smaller particulates may not cause an issue, even for overflow filling machines. But large chunks of fruit or vegetables, as may be found in jams or sauces, can clog certain nozzles. The piston and cylinder teamwork remove such issues when dealing with products with particulates.

6. Volumetrically Accurate

Finally, the volume of the cylinder does not change from fill cycle to fill cycle. Therefore, the same volume of product enters and exits the piston with each stroke. As product is pushed out of the cylinder into waiting containers, the volume, again, will not change. This process allows for a very accurate volumetric fill, which can be important for a number of different products.

To learn more about these filling machines, just visit the Piston Filling Section of the LPS website. Or give our Packaging Specialists a call toll free at 1-888-393-.

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Understanding Filling Principles - Thin Liquids versus Thick Liquids

Those doing research on filling machines have likely run across information stating that certain machines are ideal for thin products while others are better for higher viscosity liquids. This is true based simply in how containers are filled, or what principle is used to move liquid from the bulk tank or supply to the containers. Let's look at the four most popular filling machines manufactured by Liquid Packaging Solutions and explain why two are better for thin liquids while two others are preferred for thicker products.

FILLERS FOR THIN LIQUIDS

Overflow Filling Machine

Overflow machines fill containers to a specific level, rather than a specific volume. Filling to a level does not in and of itself require a thin liquid, but the process by which the level fill is achieved using an overflow filling machine is better suited to thin products. Overflow nozzles will lower themselves in to a bottle, creating a seal over the bottle opening. Product is then pumped in to the bottle until it reaches the desired level. Once that level is reached, the liquid will "overflow" out of the bottle and back in to the supply tank through a second opening in the nozzle itself. The overflow filler works better with thin products because fill times would become lengthy if thicker products had to be pumped not only in to the bottles but also pushed back through the overflow port and into the supply tank. While possible, the fill times simply become inefficient.

Gravity Filling Machine

Gravity fillers, as the name suggests, fill bottles by taking advantage of one of the most well-known forces. These machines will typically be built with overhead tanks to hold product. Nozzles open and product, by force of gravity, flows to the waiting containers. Usually simple ball valves will open and close to allow product to run through the nozzles and in to the containers. The timed fill, with each head able to be timed individually, will produce an accurate volumetric fill. Simply understanding gravity will help to understand why thin or free-flowing products work best with gravity fillers. Hold up a glass of water, turn it upside down and it flows quickly to the ground. Do the same with a jar of honey and you may be standing for some time until the thick product all makes its way to the ground. Thick products on a gravity filler simply take too long, making the machine inefficient.

FILLERS FOR THICK LIQUIDS

Pump Filling Machine

Pump fillers will usually use a single pump for each fill head on a machine. Also filling by volume, these machines can be set to fill by time or by pulse, pulse being a certain movement of the pump. For example, if a machine uses a gear pump, a pulse may be a full turn, half turn or even quarter turn of the gear. The pumps found at each fill head make these machines ideal for thicker products. Pumps help push the thicker product through the pathway on the way to the containers, and unlike the overflow filler, there is no need for a return to a supply tank. Therefore, thicker products can be moved while still keeping fill times efficient.

Piston Filling Machine

Another volume based filling machine, the piston filler allows product to flow in to an empty cylinder, at which time the piston enters the cylinder and pushes product out through the nozzles and in to bottles or other containers. While piston fillers are capable of running thin liquids as well, the open area of the cylinder makes the machine ideal for thick products and especially products with bigger particulates, such as jams and jellies that may contain large pieces of fruit. The cylinder can fairly quickly be filled with product, with many machines utilizing a hopper, and the piston can quickly move product out at consistent volumes, given that the cylinder volume never changes.

Of course, the above are general rules regarding thin and thick products, and exceptions to every rule exist. Some medium viscosity products run efficiently on any one of the four machines. By taking in to account the needs of the packager, the bottles or containers being used, the production demand and other factors, LPS can help determine the best filling principle for any product. We encourage packagers to take advantage of the years of expertise accumulated by LPS employees and give LPS a call to discuss the best option for your own packaging project.

Want more information on Paste Thick Liquid Filling Machines? Feel free to contact us.