A Guide To Effectively Sourcing And Purchasing Liquid Filling Systems

By Robert Rosen

There are a few questions to ask yourself when determining which liquid filling machine is right for your project. As each machine is unique in its filling techniques and performance abilities, certain questions that are asked will help to narrow down the choices and select a machine that will best suit your application.

The first questions to ask are, “What is the nature of my product and how will this affect the machine’s filling technique?” Each product has a different viscosity, or consistency. Some products might be water-thin, some might be semi-viscous, and others might be viscous. An example of a water-thin product is perfume, while an example of a viscous product is shampoo or oil. Once you understand the consistency of your product, you must next determine how that will affect the machine’s filling technique. If your product tends to be foamy, you might consider a machine that handles bottom-up filling. Bottom-up filling is used to reduce splashing by making sure the nozzles of each pump rise above the liquid as the container is being filled. If your product needs to be heated before the container is filled, your machine must accommodate the hot-fill technique. With this technique, your product is heated to a liquid consistency before the container is filled. Types of products that might need this technique are deodorant, lipstick, and mascara. If your product has a flashpoint of 100°F or less, you would need an XP, or explosion resistant machine that is air operated. Some examples of this type of product are perfume and alcohol.