Everything You Need to Know About a Filling Machine   

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Do you need a filling machine for your new or growing company? Are you established and want to expand your factory or line? At Multi-Fill, we manufacture quality machinery and have been for more than thirty years. We are proud that some of our fillers sold in the s are still in operation today. As filling machinery is at the heart of production, let's find out more about them so you can make an informed decision before purchasing.    

Different Types of Food Filling Machines Explained

People don't realize that every food product in their favorite grocery store was packaged with a different type of filling machine. From the jam jar to the coffee beans to the coleslaw they bought for lunch. And then there is the burrito mix rice for later. But what are the different types of food filling machines?   

Powder filling machine. Powder filling machines are designed for drip-free, high-accuracy filling through spiral feeding and can be used for free-flowing and non-free-flowing powdered or granulated products.

Solid filling machine. Solid filling machines can be volumetric or gravimetric. In gravimetric filling, the machines dispense an accurately measured amount of a product according to weight. Volumetric filling machines, such as those manufactured by Multi-Fill, measure a specific product volume, and focus on loose solids. 

Liquid filling machine. As the name states, the liquid filling machine packages various liquids, and there are as many types of liquid filling machines as there are liquids. The different types include:

• Gravity filling machines

• Vacuum filling machines

• Overflow filling machines.

• Hot filling machines

• Isobaric filling machines

• Piston filling machines

• Volumetric filling machine.

Jar/Tin Can filling machine. This filling machine uses either volumetric or quantitative filling and packages low to high viscosity liquids and solid or powder products into containers. Including bags, cans, buckets, sacks, tins, bottles, pots, jars and more. 

Bottle filling machine. Bottling filling machines fill powders or liquids into bottles, and some types include volumetric fillers with batching syringes, gravity fillers with mechanical or electronic weighing equipment, and negative pressure fillers. 

Pouch filling machine. The machines come in various sizes and can package solid, liquid or a combination of both products. It was specifically developed for the flexible packaging industry. 

Did you know volumetric fillers from Multi-Fill can deposit some foods at speeds up to 120 containers per minute while maintaining product appearance and integrity? The machine speed varies by model, layout, product, and container type, but with our expertise, your customer is eating their green olives sooner rather than later.

How to Choose the Perfect Filling Machine 

There are three aspects that guide your choice of the perfect filling machine, and they are product, container type and level of automation. There are two levels of automation, semi-automatic filling, and automatic filling. Automatic filling machines are used by large manufacturers with high-production requirements. With semi-automatic fillers, an operator places containers under fill nozzles and then transfers them to the next part of the packaging phase. 

What product do each of the machines mentioned above fill? The list is, of course, not exhaustive but just an indication of what is possible. 

Powder filling machine: powdered sugar, salt, milk powder, coffee powder, flour.    

Solid filling machine (volumetric): cooked pasta; prepared salads; frozen, cooked, or raw cut vegetables; cut fruit; cooked, dry, or individually quick frozen (IQF) rice; cooked and raw whole grains; pet foods; cereals; gelatin cubes; oatmeal; mints; tofu.   

Liquid filling machine:

• Gravity filling machines: vinegar, oil, wine, spirits, water

• Vacuum filling machines: wine and spirits   

• Overflow filling machines: sauces, syrup, water, ice teas, fruit juices

• Hot filling machines: jams, juice concentrates, sauces 

• Isobaric filling machines: cider, sparkling wine, carbonated soft drinks, beer

• Piston filling machines: honey, pastes, sauces, jams, oil

• Volumetric filling machine: milk, yogurt, oil, salad creams, mayonnaise.

Jar/Tin Can filling machine: Coconut milk, sauce, fruit and vegetable juice drinks, beer, energy drinks, mineral water.  

Bottle filling machine: Syrup, oil, milk, grape wine. 

Pouch filling machine: Snacks, fruits, nuts, cereals, coffee beans. 

Multi-Fill understands the challenges of starting a new business and is willing to help entrepreneurs where possible. Do you want to know if you can use your product in our fillers? If it is not on our applications list, we are happy to test your product on machines at our facility and send you the statistical analysis free of charge.

Difference Between Volumetric and Liquid Filling Machine 

What is the difference between volumetric and liquid filling machines? Liquid filling machines are designed to fill containers up to a specified level and are ideal for clear containers where the product is visible to the consumer. It is not only a machine to fill bottles but can also be used with cups, cans, and cartons.   

Volumetric filling machines, such as those manufactured by Multi-Fill, fill containers with the same amount of product, no matter the size or shape of the container. There are three types of volumetric filling machines: 

• Gravity fillers hold the product in a tank above the filling nozzles and use gravity to assist in the filling process.

• Piston fillers use pistons instead of pumps to push the product into the waiting containers. 

• Pump fillers use different kinds of pumps that match the liquid product, and if the liquids are thicker, the system gives a push to get them into the container. 

Multi-Fill volumetric fillers can dispense various hard-to-fill products into virtually any container on the market. Our machines are manufactured with quick-release mechanisms and are easy to clean and use. Our products include: 

MPFMP-060

Suited for lower speed production lines, pilot plant operations, research, and development laboratories. The product is loaded into the top pan and manually fed into the filling tube by an operator. It fills up to 50 ' 60 containers per minute.

MPFSH-075

It is suitable for lower speeds, looser products, and smaller fill weights, and is recommended for applications where more automatic product feeding is needed. The model can be upgraded to an MPFSC-120 for increased speed and/or different products when required. It fills up to 60 ' 75 containers per minute. 

MPFSC-120

Suited when high speed, automatic feeding and larger volumes are needed, and is ideal for stickier products. It fills up to 120 containers per minute, depending on the line configuration and volume to fill. 

Did you know? Sticky rice was the reason Multi-Fill started manufacturing volumetric filling machines.

Filling Machines 101 - How Do Filling Machines Work? 

Filling machines deposit an exact amount of product into a container based on time, number, weight, volume, or a combination of these measurements. They speed up the production line, and the product type defines which filling machines are used. The product timeline determines whether the system is manual, semi-automated or fully automated, as hand-filled products take longer to get to the market and generate an income. How do the different machines work? 

Powder filling machine

Different apparatus are attached to the machine depending on the product. An auger filler, for example, uses a long screw-type mechanism to dispense specific quantities of powder.   

Solid filling machine (volumetric)

The product is placed in a hopper and fills containers placed on conveyors. The amount of product packaged is determined by setting the machine to a weight or count setting. Multi-Fill partners with Velec Systems to integrate counting into our food processing equipment. 

 

Liquid filling machine

There are various types of liquid filling machines, but as an example, ordinary liquid fillers work by gravity, pouring liquid into bottles based on weight. Interesting fact: for vacuum liquid filling machines to work with milk bottles and grape wines, the ambient pressure must always be greater than the pressure in the bottle.

Jar/Tin Can filling machine

The machine automatically fills the can or jar and then caps it, with quality pre-sealing and final sealing important features.

Bottle filling machine

Bottle filling machines are either volumetric or vacuum level filling. Manual-filling machines are generally volumetric, while semi-automatic and automatic fillers are vacuum level filling. With volumetric filling, the machine uses a piston within a cylinder to force liquid into a container. While with vacuum level filling, it uses the rim at the top of the container to form an airtight seal around the filling nozzle, and the container is filled to the same height each time. 

Pouch filling machine

There are two types of pouch filling machines, premade pouch packaging and form fill seal machines. Premade filling packages products in existing pouches, while the form fill seal machine is used to create pouches before they are filled.

When you purchase a Multi-Fill product, we provide everything from evaluation and testing of your products to equipment installation, training and more. Multi-Fill manufactures volumetric filling machines that are compact and can be integrated into existing horizontal or vertical conveying lines. We also have upgrades available in the form of customizable distribution systems and a batch feeding hopper. 

The Only 4 Filling Machine Maintenance Tips You'll Ever Need

Filling machine maintenance is vital to every company's standard operating procedure (SOP). After all, if your machines don't work, it places your brand and financial future at risk. What are the four filling machine maintenance tips you need?

Tip 1: Keep a preventative maintenance schedule to stop small problems from becoming big. Condition monitoring is an important part of any maintenance program and includes checking the machine's oil levels, vibrations, and temperatures. Problems are picked up quickly, and downtime is limited. 

Tip 2: Combine the preventive maintenance schedule with autonomous maintenance tasks. Operators know their machines best and can perform specific maintenance tasks themselves. Some benefits include a reduction of scheduled and unscheduled shutdowns, increasing production time.   

Tip 3. Understanding your spare parts list means always having the correct spare parts available. In the packaging industry, machines always work hard, and experience teaches which parts need more regular changing than others. With a Multi-Fill parts cart on mounted casters, the parts are always available during cleaning or changeover. 

Tip 4. Regular training should be part of your company's standard operating procedure. It allows operators to know how the machine works and understand the purpose of each element. They will notice parts or product filling glitches and failures early, limiting production line downtime. 

Multi-Fill service technicians have more than ten years' experience with the machines and can diagnose most problems over the . A major Midwestern U.S. ready-meals plant reported that Multi-Fill volumetric fillers have the lowest operating cost of any of their equipment, a compliment to us and a great return on investment for our client.

How to package food for a longer shelf life 

Throwing away spoilt food simply because it was not packaged correctly is an unnecessary waste. What kind of packaging is available to extend the shelf life of food? 

• Vacuum packaging removes as much air as possible from the package before sealing it and is ideal for meat products. 

• Barrier packaging uses a foil, metalized, or clear barrier to protect the product from moisture and oxidation.

• Modified atmosphere packaging replaces the air in a package with a gas mixture to prevent oxidation.

• Proper gas permeability is used for products that need air to remain fresh. The packaging contains tiny holes or is a material with optimal gas permeability. 

• Barrier packaging is very general and used to physically protect food items.     

  
  

Multi-Fill is based in West Jordan, Utah, United States of America, but has representatives all over the world. Our fillers are on ready-meal lines of the prepared food industry's major players and the smallest businesses. After more than thirty years in the industry, we understand volumetric filling machines. Do you need a filling machine? Contact Multi-Fill today. 

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- Wednesday, February 15,

Achieving reliable powder packaging can be a challenging task. Whether you're new to the packaging machinery world or have been engaged in the industry for years, you must have been running into trouble picking out the best powder filling machine for your business.

Choosing a powder packing machine that best suits your filling needs helps improve accuracy, enhance efficiency, and boost productivity, thus delivering a better investment return.

When it comes to powder filling machines, there are two most popular options in the jungle of packaging equipment. These two most common types of powder packaging machinery are auger filling machines and VFFS machines.

This blog post will talk about the best powder packaging machinery. Also, we're gonna share with you some practical considerations that may help you navigate the tricky task of choosing the best powder packing machine.

Let's look at our top picks for the best powder filling machine!

As a pharmaceutical machinery business with over 20 years of industry experience, iPharMachine is also well known for its packaging offerings. Powder filling machines are one of the iconic products of the company.

As mentioned above, auger filling machines and VFFS machines are the most widely used equipment for powder filling operations. Surely these two types of machinery will not be absent from the wide selection of products available at iPharMachine.

1. CN-HZFB Auger Powder Filling Machine

The CN-HZFB is a semi-automatic auger filling machine. It's designed for dosing and filling fine powders and granular materials. This GMP-compliant model comes in a sturdy build made of stainless steel throughout. Customers from all over the world have provided a lot of positive feedback regarding this specific model.

In terms of advanced features, this semi-automatic auger filler can work with automatic feeders, capping machines, conveyors, and other support equipment to further improve efficiency, filling accuracy, and automation. The CN-HZFB will be your ideal option if you're searching for an economical powder packaging machine that is upgradeable and scalable.

Key Features

• Simple yet rugged, compact construction
• Stainless steel contact parts
• PLC-based controls with a user-friendly touchscreen
• Foot switch-controlled dosing and filling
• Adjustable auger speed
• Servo-driven auger coupled with a separate agitator motor
• Quick-disconnect tooling for easy cleaning and maintenance
• Upgradeable to fully automatic operations
• GMP compliance

Technical Data

Model

CN-HZFB

Automation level

Semi-automatic

Capacity

10-30 containers/min

Container neck diameter

20-150 mm

Height of container

60-300 mm

Power

0.8 kW

Voltage & Frequency

AC 200 V, 50/60 Hz

Dimensions

900 x 900 x mm

Weight

280 kg

2. CN-HZFC Auger Powder Filling Machine

If you're looking to scale up your business, an automatic auger filler will be a solid choice. The CN-HZFC Auger Powder Filling Machine is a fully-automatic model available at iPharMachine. It's typically used for products that are difficult to pour, such as fine powders, sticky powders, or powders with poor flow characteristics.

The CN-HZFC is fabricated to execute a number of tasks in an automated manner, such as automatic dosing, hopper level control, material clearing, automatic error correction, and many more. Additionally, it can work with augers of different shapes and sizes depending on different types of powders. This flexible and versatile unit is capable of performing reliable, repeatable, low-noise filling operations.

Key Features

• Simple yet robust construction
• All 304 stainless steel design
• PLC controls and user-friendly display screen
• Adjustable powder flow rate
• Servo-driven auger paired with an independent motor for the agitator
• Weight control, overflow protection, and light control
• Quick-release tooling
• Integrated support equipment for enhanced filling reliability and automation
• GMP compliance

Technical Data

Model

CN-HZFC

Automation level

Fully-automatic

Capacity

- containers/hr

Filling accuracy

1%

Container neck diameter

20-150 mm

Height of container

60-300 mm

Power

1 kW

Voltage & Frequency

AC 200V, 50/60Hz

Dimensions

900 x 900 x mm

Weight

380 kg

3. BVL-520 Vertical Packing Machine

Aside from auger filling machines, vertical form fill seal packaging machines, aka VFFS machines, are also great options to achieve high precision and productivity. At iPharMachine, we offer a state-of-the-art VFFS machine - the BVL-520 Vertical Packing Machine.

This bagging system is ideal for handling a broad range of products, making it suitable to meet all of your production needs. It can be configured to produce a variety of packaging styles, including pillow bags, gusseted bags, and flat-bottom bags. Further, the BVL-520 is designed to integrate with other support equipment and downstream packaging systems.

Key Features

• 304 stainless steel design
• PLC-based controls
• Intuitive controls and an easy-to-use interface
• Easily accessible parts for routine cleaning and maintenance
• Digital temperature control system
• Servo-driven film transport system paired with tracking and positioning features
• GMP compliance

Technical Data

Model

BVL-520

Automation level

Fully-automatic

Capacity

5-70 bags/min

Packaging film material

OPP/CPP, CPP/PE

Packaging film thickness

0.05-0.1 mm

Bag size

Width: 90-250 mm; Length: 80-450 mm

Power

3.2 kW

Voltage & Frequency

AC 200V, 50/60Hz

Air consumption

0.7 MPa 300 L/min

Dimensions

W x L x H mm

Weight

650 kg

How the best powder filling machine benefits your business

The best powder packing machine can bring a number of benefits to your business, including:

1. Increased Accuracy

Powder filling machines are designed to be accurate, ensuring that each container contains the desired powder volume. This helps to reduce waste and improve product quality.

2. Increased Production Speed

The best powder filling machine can operate at high speeds, allowing you to fill a large number of containers quickly. This helps to boost production while lowering associated costs.

3. Improved Consistency

Powder filling machines are configured to produce consistent results, helping to ensure that each container is filled with the same amount of powder. This improves the overall quality of your final product and reduces the risk of customer complaints.

4. Reduced Labor Costs

Powder packaging machines can automate the filling process. They can reduce the need for manual labor while allowing you to allocate your employees to other tasks.

5. Reduced Waste

Powder filling machines do a good job of minimizing waste. They prevent powders from being spilled or lost during the filling process. This helps to reduce costs and improve the overall sustainability of your operation.

6. Increased Efficiency

An efficient powder packing machine can reduce the time and resources required to fill containers. This helps to improve the overall efficiency of your operation.

7. Increased Flexibility

The best powder filling machine is flexible, allowing you to switch between different products and container sizes easily. This helps to increase the versatility of your operation and will enable you to respond to changing market demands.

Things to consider when looking for your best powder filling machine

When looking for your best powder filling machine, there are a few important considerations to keep in mind, including the following:

1. Types of Powders

The types of powders you need to fill will play a significant role in determining the best powder packing machine for your production needs. Some powders are free-flowing and can be filled using simple fillers, while others are finer or stickier and may require specialized equipment like auger fillers.

2. Container Size and Shape

The size and shape of your containers will also affect whether you can locate the best equipment. Some machines are designed to fill specific container sizes, while others can be adjusted to accommodate different container sizes and shapes.

3. Production Speed

The desired production speed will also impact your decision. If you need to fill a large number of containers quickly, you will need a machine that can operate at high speed.

4. Filling Accuracy

The accuracy of the filling process is important to ensure that your containers pack the correct amount of powder. Some machines come with extra sensors that track fill weights. They can also change settings automatically to minimize differences in powder density.

5. Accessibility

The accessibility of powder packaging machines refers to the level at which you can access the operation and maintenance, either visually or manually, of the parts and components. This also enables the machine to be safe to use and low maintenance.

6. Budget

The cost of the machine is another important consideration. Automatic powder filling machines can range from a few thousand dollars for a basic model to hundreds of thousands of dollars for high-end machinery.

7. Technical Support and Customer Service

If you spend a lot of money on a powder filling machine, you will want to ensure that the quality of the technical support, after-sales service, training, and wear parts is on par with the quality of the machinery itself.

Final word

Overall, the best powder packing machine can help to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and safety of your filling operations, allowing you to produce high-quality products at a lower cost.

When choosing your powder packaging machine, keeping the above things in mind will help you find the best one. Consulting with top-rated powder packaging machine manufacturers like iPharMachine is another smart move to make the right decision.

The company is the world’s best Manual Powder filling machine supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.