Filling Equipment and Machinery
There are many types of filling machines used to package the variety of products in today's marketplace including liquids, pastes, chunky products, powders, granules, tablets, capsules, etc. Most filling machines are available from semi-automatic tabletop versions all the way up to high speed production line machines, including rotary fillers. Even within categories of filling machines there are often many choices available, so we always encourage you to call or email us to make sure you are buying the exactly correct machine for your application(s).
Liquid Filling Machines
There are a number of liquid filling machines on the market today including pressure fillers, piston fillers, pump filling, siphon, and timed fill gravity systems. Pretty much all of them are available as semi-automatic benchtop machines or as inline and rotary machines for higher productions speeds. All liquid filling systems fall into either of two categories: volumetric or liquid level filling machines.
Volumetric Filling Machine vs. Liquid Level Fillers
There are very few bottles that don't have some small differences in volume. Considering that fact is very important in deciding the type of filling system you are going to use for your packaging. You've probably noticed at the supermarket or auto store that when you look at fill level, some of the bottles seem to look like they are short fills compared to others. Chances are they were filled with a volumetric filler. The volume inside the bottle is correct, but because of the small volumetric difference between the bottles it appears to be short.
With a liquid level filling machine all of the bottles will "appear" to have the same volume because the fill level will be the same, but in actuality there will be slight differences in fill volume, no short fills, but some slight overfills.
And so this is the decision you have to make beforehand: Volumetric or Liquid Level? For the vast majority of products the answer will be liquid level filling since it is cheaper and faster than volumetric filling, plus consumers of the product will not feel cheated when the bottles "appear" to be evenly filled. However volumetric filling is the best solution if the product has to have an exact dosage for it's use or if the product is very expensive per ounce and the little bit of giveaway could cost you dearly, especially in a high production environment.
Liquid Level Filling Machines
Siphon Filler
Siphon Filling Machine
The simplest and probably one of the oldest technologies devised by man was the siphon principle. In this case we are talking about the siphon filling machine. Gravity flow into the tank to a valve that keeps the liquid level even, put some gooseneck valves up and over the tank side and back below the liquid level of the tank, start a siphon and voila, you've got a siphon filler. Add to that a little extra framing, and an adjustable bottle rest so you can set the fill level to the level of the tank and we now have a complete filling system that will never overfill a bottle, with no need for pumps etc. Our siphon filler comes with 5 heads (size is selectable) and can produce quite a bit more than many think possible.
Overflow Pressure Filler
Overflow Pressure Filling Machine
In order to speed up the process of filling we have the pressure filling machine. Pressure fillers have a tank on the back of the machine with a valve to keep the tank full either by a simple float valve or by switching a pump on and off. The tank flood feeds a pump which then feeds to a manifold where a number of special overflow filling heads lower down into the bottle as the pump switches on forcing liquid into the bottles at a speedy rate. As the bottle fills to the top, and excess liquid goes back up a second port within the filling head and overflows back into the tank. At that point the pump switches off and any remaining excess liquid and pressure is relieved. Heads come up, bottles index out and repeat the process. Pressure fillers can be configured for semi-automatic, automatic inline filling systems or as rotary pressure fillers for higher speeds.
Volumetric Filling Machines
Check Valve Piston Filler
Check valve piston filling machines use a check valve system that opens and closes on the infeed stroke and discharge stroke. A great feature of this type of filler is that it can self prime to draw product directly from a drum or pail and then discharge into your container. Typical accuracy on a piston filler is plus or minus one-half percent. However check valve piston fillers do have certain limitations in that they cannot run viscous products or products with particulates as both can foul the valves. But if your products are free flowing (meaning they pour relatively easily) this is a great machine for startups and large producers as well.
Rotary Valve Piston Filling Machine
Rotary Valve Piston Filling Machine
Rotary valve piston fillers are distinguished by the rotary valve which has a large throat opening to allow thick products and products with large particulates (up to 1/2" diameter) from the supply hopper to flow through unimpeded. Great as a tabletop model or can be ganged for higher production requirements. Fill pastes, peanut butter, gear oil, potato salads, italian dressing and much more on this type of piston filler with accuracy of plus or minus one-half percent. Fills accurately at a ten to one ratio of the cylinder set.
Pump Filling Machines
Pump fillers are another method of filling products ranging from liquids to thick pastes, even those with solid particulates (although generally much smaller than on a Rotary Valve Piston Filler). Available as tabletop models through multi-head ganged automatic machines. Another advantage of using a positive displacement pump filler is that the range of fill volumes is much greater than on a piston filler, albeit that the fill times increase significantly the larger the fill volume required. Other great features of a pump filling machine include easy fill adjustment by entering the amount needed, and a self priming feature similar to a check valve piston filler's ability to draw product directly from a drum or other container. For thicker products a supply hopper can be added similar to a rotary valve piston filler so that product flood feeds directly into the pump. Fill volumes are determined by counting revolutions (and partial revolutions) of the pump.
Peristaltic Pump Fillers
Peristaltic pump filling machines are very popular in the pharmacuetical and hazardous chemical industries because product does not have any external environment exposure since the hose goes directly from the product supply, through the pump (as opposed to into the pump), and to the dispense point. When the product run is complete the hose can be disposed of, or treated for reuse. Furthermore with some pumps extreme accuracy is possible down to the 1 ul (microliter) level.
Timed Fill Gravity Systems
Timed flow fillers are another type of filler on the market. This type of filler works on the principle of a tank mounted above filling heads that have solenoid valves to open and close for the flow, or in some cases pinching of the hose to close. Fill volume is determined by timers that open and close the valves or pinch the tubes. Single head models can work pretty well for a variety of products. Even multi-head models can work pretty well once the system is balanced if only one formulation is run or the flow characteristics are identical. However the big disadvantage of timed fill systems is when the user wishes to fill a variety of products with different flow characteristics. In this case the system needs to be rebalanced which is not an easy task as every adjustment of for one head's flow affects all of the others. Busch Machinery does not offer timed fill systems for this reason, as other machinery that we offer can offer the same or better accuracy, at about the same cost, and without the hassle associated with timed fill systems.
Powder and Granule Filling Systems
As with liquid fillers there are two types of filling systems for powders and granules, net weight and volumetric. Net weight fillers are exactly what is implied by the name, product that is weighed before it is dispensed into the container. There are two types of volumetric fillers: auger and pocket. The choice of the proper machine depends on a number of factors such as consistency of the product, flow characteristics, production speeds required, and cost of the product. Net weight powder fillers tend to have about fifty percent of the speed capability of auger or cup fillers. So if the product is free flowing and consistent, say like rice, a volumetric filler might be the best choice. However if the product is inconsistent, like shrimp, a net weight filling array would be much more accurate, while maintaining the quality of the shrimp. Choosing the correct filler therefore is not as easy as one would imagine, as all of these factors must be weighed (pardon the pun). Call Busch Machinery at 800-840-9573 (USA) or 520-777-3360 (Intl) and let's discuss your project to make sure you get the right solution.
Net Weight Powder Fillers
Tabeltop Net Weight Filler
Net weight filling machines operate on a very basic level. Powder or granules are loaded into the hopper over a vibrating tray that moves product to the weigh scale that is located on a load cell. At the start of the cycle the tray moves the product at a high rate of speed, but as the weight in the scale increases near the final target weight the tray vibration is slowed to a dribble until the final weight is reached at which point the vibration is halted. The scale has a gated trap door that releases the product down a funnel and into the container. Immediately upon reclosure of the gate another cycle is commenced. Net weight fillers are very accurate down to in some instances +/- 1/10th of a gram. Net weight fillers are available as semi-automatic or automatic. Multiple heads can be arrayed in a number of ways. One way is in-line up to 4 heads. Another even more popular system is arranged in a circle with a common dump funnel. This way greater speeds can be achieved or as in the shrimp example half of the scales can be set to slightly under, and the other half for exactly half. The system then scans to see which of the two scales has the most accurate total weight when combined. This helps cut down on overage loss.
Volumetric Fillers for Powders and Granules
Auger Filling Machine for powders
Auger Filling Machine
Auger fillers are a great solution for filling powders and granules that have good consistency and flow characteristics. Since it is a much more closed system than a net weight filler it also is the best choice for fine powders like talcum powder or flour that can easily spread through the air. Another advantage of an auger filling machine is that they are much faster than a single head net weight filler, sometimes more than 2 - 3 times faster. They are easy to clean, can be fitted with a variety of auger sizes to meet the demands of your product array and can fill a wider range of weights than the typical net weight filler.
Pocket Filling System
If your product fill range is fairly tight in terms of volume, then a pocket filling machine could be the easiest and lowest priced option. A pocket filler consists of a top disc with pockets mounted to the bottom of the disk and which rides on a second non rotating disk with a discharge located 180 degrees (typical) from the hopper located above the top disk. When the pocket moves under the hopper product flows in and gets wiped down. As the pocket continues its rotation the product dumps down the filling funnel. It really does not get much easier. The biggest drawback to a pocket filling machine is that the range of adjustment is a little less than fifty percent, so it is only suitable if there is only one product to be run or the range is less than 50% by volume.
Tablet Counters - Tablets, Capsules, and Gelcaps
Not all products can be weighed, filled to a level or measured volumetrically. Tablet counters are a type of filling machine that actually counts the number of parts before dispensing into a container. There are basically three types of counters on the market today: rotary table tablet counters, slat counters (which we do not sell) and a sort of combination machine known as a multi-lane tablet counter.
Rotary Table Tablet Counter
Rotary Disk Tablet Counter
Rotary table counting machines are available as semi-automatic or automatic tablet counters. The basic method by which a rotary table tablet counter works is that product is loaded into a hopper and the tablets are fed via a vibrator onto a rotary disk (generally made of glass). Once on the disk, guidrails and wipers are used to line up the tablets or capsules in a single line to the outer edge of the disk. The tablets or pills are then discharged off the edge of the disk where a high speed counting eye actually counts the soft gels as they fall. Just below this eye are solenoid activated diverters that switch the moment a count is reached and accumulates the next batch of tablets in a holding area until another bottle is present at which time the tablets are released into the bottle and any remaining count goes directly into the bottle until count is reaches and the diverter switches over to the opposite holding area. The big advantage of this type of tablet filling machine is that it is very easy to change over to a number of different tablets, capsules, and soft gels and are relatively lower priced. The big disadvantage is that they are not particularly fast if you need high production rates, although three machines can be arrayed together to reach speeds (depending on count, pill size, neck opening) of up to 60 bottles per minute on a 30 count.
Multi-Channel Tablet Counting Machine
Multi-Channel Tablet Counting Machines - Easy Changeovers, Fast, Accurate
Multi Channel tablet counters offer the extreme accuracy of count, easy changeover, and the speeds required for today's demanding pharmaceutical and nutraceutical requirements. Soft gels, capsules and tablets of all shapes and sizes can be filled accurately with channel counters. Available in 12 channel increments with production speeds of fifty bottles per minute per 12 channels is possible. Changeovers and cleanup can be completed in less than 15 minutes without the use of tools. Store up to 50 product counts and settings into memory for instant startup.
Check Valve Piston Filler Animation
Rotary Valve Piston Filler Animation
2 Head Automatic Rotary Valve
Piston Filling Machine
Available up to 12 Head
Automatic Pump Filler - Rear View
Automatic Pump Filler - Front View
Net Weight Filling - Arrayed System
Used for high speed net weight filling
and for better weight control on irregularly weighted product.
Dual Rotary Table Automatic Tablet Counter
Dual Mult-Channel Tablet Counter
Up to 100 bottles per minute
Up to 100 bottles per minute
Liquid Filling Equipment
Liquid Filling Equipment needs are many and diverse. Ranging from startup companies with needs for semi-automatic liquid filling equipment to high speed packagers we can fulfill the requirements for your situation.
But in addition to meeting speed requirements for your production we need to match your needs with the right type of liquid filling equipment. Just to wet your appetite, so to speak, there are many types of filling machines:
Types of Filling Machines:
Siphon Filler (also Syphon Filler): Among the simplest and most ancient of all fillers, a siphon filler has a tank with a float valve connected to the supply tank. Tubes running sort of like an inverted J run into the tank and over to the other side. Simply start a siphon and adjust bottle fill height to the level of the tank and voila, you are now running a syphon filler. They are not speedy, but work quite well for free flowing liquids.
Vacuum Filler: With the invention of the vacuum pump the vacuum filler followed shortly after. Simply draw a vacuum on an overflow container and attach hose to a filling head and from the head to the product. Product self primes when the bottle neck is sealed off and product fills to the level of the vacuum return to the overflow. Basically the bottle becomes a trap for the liquid. Since the invention of plastic bottles vacuum fillers are not common today. However they are still very effective on glass bottles and are particularly in common use for products like nail polish.
Gravity Fillers: Gravity Fillers are still a commonly used type of liquid filling machine. There is even a variation known as Gravity-Vac (vacuum) that combines gravity with vacuum. Gravity fillers have an elevated tank which holds the product, the fill tubes open when inserted into the bottle and product flows into the bottle and overflow back into a recirculation tank below the bottle height which is then pumped back into the elevated tank. Vacuum was added to pull back drips. Gravity fillers are very effective for foamy products and are commonly used in big plants for filling non-carbonated beverages and water.
Pressure Fillers: Pressure filling machines have their tanks below the bottom of the bottle. The tank flood feeds a pump (generally a centrifugal pump but also positive displacement pumps for thicker liquids) which then flows directly into the bottle until it reaches the fill level at which point excess product flow directly back into the tank. When filling plastic bottles the pump must be turned off (always for positive displacement pumps) before removing the filling tubes to allow the bottles to return to normal size (they swell under pressure) and drain off excess liquid. The big advantage of pressure fillers is that bottles fill more quickly so fewer heads (and space) are required and higher viscosity products can be filled. The disadvantage is that foamy products must be filled at slower pump speeds than normal, and this will work only if the foam settles out fairly quickly.
Counter Pressure Fillers: These are fillers unique to the carbonated beverage industry which includes beer, soda and any sparkling beverage or wine. Busch Machinery does not sell counter pressure fillers, but we will still explain this complicated type of filler. The heads for this type of filling consist of 3 parts: Vent, CO2 pressurizer and fill tube. The head seals and the Vent and CO2 pressure valves are opened. The air in the bottle is forced out of the bottle and is replaced with the heavier CO2. The vent is then stoppered down and product from very specialized heads forces the chilled carbonated liquid down the sides of the container in a sort of swirl pattern to minimize foaming. Once the fill height is reached the vent completely closes at the same time the product is cutoff. Many people mistakenly think that the CO2 counter pressure is the carbonating process, but carbonizing is a bit more complicated than that. The purpose of the CO2 is to keep the already existing carbonized beverage in solution and to minimize foaming.
Piston Filling Machines: The concept of a piston filler is fairly simple: pull in product on the back stroke and displace it into the container on the forward stroke, just like positive displacement pumps. Shorten or lengthen the stroke and you get different fill volumes. But there are actually two different types of piston filling machine, check valve types and rotary valve types.
Check Valve Piston Fillers: Check valve piston fillers are basically systems with one way valves that open and close by the force of the liquid (and maybe some light spring action). On the back stroke the outlet valve is force shut while the inlet valve is forced open. On the forward stroke (this fills the bottle) the opposite takes place. One advantage of this type of filler is that it can be self priming on low viscosity liquids. Piston filling is among the most accurate types of filling available since it displaces the same volume every stroke. The limitations of check valve piston filling are that they only handle liquids to a light lotion consistency and will foul if there are any particulates in the solution.
Rotary Valve Piston Filler: Rotary valve piston fillers are among the most accurate and versatile type of fillers available. Salad dressings, peanut butter, potato salad, oils and much more are filled with this type of filling machine. Rotary valve piston fillers have a hopper located above the rotary valve. The rotary valve itself is a cylinder with a large nearly 90 degree section cut out in the middle. On the back stroke the valve opens between the hopper and the cylinder then, just before the forward stroke it rotates 90 degrees to open between the cylinder and the discharge to the container to be filled. Depending on the size of the rotary valve, solids in suspension as large as a one inch cube can pass through the valve.
Servo Driven Pump Fillers: With the cost of servo drive controls coming way down over the last 20 years more and more uses for filling have come into play. Gear pump fillers is one type of application that has become very popular, although you must be sure that the pumps are sanitary pumps if you do foods, cosmetics or pharmaceuticals. The advantage of the gear pump is that you can fill almost any size product without need for change parts (although this still has limitations). At Busch Machinery we still think the jury is out on this, as piston fillers can still fill with as good or better accuracy, although with not quite as large a range..
Peristaltic Servo Driven Pumps: A peristaltic pump works by placing tubing into the pump which then has rotating rollers that alternately squeeze and relax the tubing to force the liquid forward. This type of system works well in pharmaceutical environments or anywhere that you want absolutely no chance of cross contamination. Simply throw away the tubing at the end of a run.
Liquid Filling Equipment
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 Pressure Filling Machine |
 Piston Fillers |
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 Pharmaceutical Packaging |
