- 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, thats 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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:
Procedure:
Preparation:
Startup:
Bottle Loading:
Load the bottles to be filled into the feed hopper. Observe your machine's loading capacity to avoid overloading.
Link to Mingfeng
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:
Quality Check:
Regularly check that the bottle filling volume is as required. Adjust settings as necessary to ensure accuracy.
Turn Off The Machine:
Cleaning And Maintenance:
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 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.
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.
The increased need for quality liquid filling machines continues to rise across a variety of industries. These solutions are used to dispense liquids (water-like, semi-viscous, and viscous type products: gels, creams, lotions, etc.) into many different shapes and sizes of containers. Naturally, there are different types of filling machines available for different types of applications.
Below are the 4 main types of liquid filling machines you will typically find in the liquid packaging space.
This type of liquid filling machine requires no electricity and is only operated manually by hand. While accuracy can vary depending on product and application, these types of solutions still help with increased accuracy and output speeds when compared to simply filling by hand with no use of any instrument.
These types of entry-level hand-operated liquid filling machines are best used for small scale production needs. These are also a great choice for use in a location where an external power source is unavailable or unreliable. These machines are suitable for a wide range of free-flowing liquids but not ideal for viscous or heavy liquids. They may also not satisfy certain industry requirements so its best to truly review your needs today and tomorrow before investing heavily in a manual filling solution.
Semi-Automatic Filling Machines are ideal when a company requires more accuracy, reliability, and repeatability. These types of filling machines can also reduce the technicians fatigue from filling manually.
Often referred to in the packaging industry as Benchtops or Benchtop fillers. They are usually smaller and are able to be placed on a benchtop or workbench. However, some Benchtops can have a freestanding base and are designed for larger fills.
Benchtop filling machines can work with almost all kinds of liquids, from personal care products to pharmaceutical applications. They also can feature different types of pumps, which commonly include piston pump and peristaltic. Semi-Automatic Filling Machines are best for small-to-medium scale batch production runs.
All types of companies can use Semi-Automatic Filling Machines from small start-up companies to large multi-national corporations.
Inline Filling Machines are the next step up and show that you are at a higher level of production. Inline Fillers fill inline on a conveyor system and can be used to dispense all types of liquid products which include food & beverage, cosmetics and more.
They can handle a wide range of container sizes and this includes larger fills. Especially liquid filling not ideal for Manual Filling Machines or Semi-Automatic Filling Machines.
With an Inline Filling Machine, you can find additional types of packaging machine integration and automation components. This can include a printer, labeler, shrink bander, turntables, capper and more.
These additional machines help reduce the time-consuming manual labor of labeling and capping. A common request we see with Inline Filling Machines. While some steps might still require a technicians guidance, the automation level is still a game-changer for many companies packaging production at this level.
Inline Filling Machines are ideal for companies that need to increase production rates to meet demand. Typically medium large companies of all types purchase Inline Fillers.
Monoblocs encompass the highest level of automation and technology when it comes to liquid filling machines. Monoblocs are fully automated liquid filling systems that can execute a high number of actions regarding the filling and closing process. Some Monoblocs can handle the uncapping, filling, re-capping and much more when it comes to ancillary equipment.
The bottom-line, though Monoblocs work for large-scale packaging operations at high-production speeds. Efficiency and high-speed make it a popular choice for larger enterprises. Monoblocs are great for medium-to-large scale production. Monoblocs can be used to fill all types of liquid products and are used across a wide range of industries.
Automation at this level, coupled with ancillary requirements needed per industry or application can come with a high cost. These solutions are ideal for medium large companies with extensive production requirements.
Depending on your companys liquid products and filling needs, one of the above liquid filling machines is typically ideal. To get a better understanding of what will work best for your specific application, we recommend reaching out to us and continuing the conversation. You can also us directly and we will be happy to discuss your liquid filling project.
For over 70 years, FILAMATIC has provided a wide range of liquid filling machines to the packaging market. We create flexible, customized solutions for every stage of your business growth. Whether you require a single machine, a complete turnkey fill-cap-label solution, or a fully automated, integrated Monobloc system, we have the liquid filling experience for your project.
For more information on liquid filling, capping, and labeling solutions, please call 866.258. or visit www.filamatic.com/contact-us.
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