Automatic Filling Machines Offer More Than Just Speed Too!

Recently we discussed the benefits of adding an automatic capping machine to a packaging line and the fact that these benefits extend beyond greater speed. The same is true for automatic filling machinery. While more bottles will almost always be filled by upgrading to an automatic liquid filler, there are other benefits to adding such a machine as well, and many of them mirror those additional benefits garnered from using automatic cappers. Below are four non-speed benefits of using an automatic bottle filler.

1. Consistent Fills

Consistency in filling can mean a number of different things. Some liquid fillers are built to fill by volume, others by net weight and some even to a specific level in the bottle. However, regardless of the type of fill desired or the principle used, automatic bottle fillers provide consistent fills with each cycle. While consistent fills can be achieved by hand filling bottles, the process can be tedious to say the least. Using a touchscreen operator interface and PLC, various components of the fill cycle can be input to ensure that the fills stay consistent.

2. Reliable Fills

Just like with capping machinery, consistent fills leads to reliable production. With hand filling products, bottles may be over-filled or under-filled, by volume, level or weight. Automatic filling machines can ensure reliability without the need to double check levels, weights or volumes, in turn ensuring that the customer is always getting what they expect.

3. Easy Operation and Recall

Automatic filling machines, as noted above, will typically use a touchscreen operator interface and a PLC to set up the components of the fill cycle, including indexing times, fill times, delays and more. While setting up all of these times correctly can seem like a daunting task, the PLC records all settings for bottle and product combinations. This means each combination only needs to be set up once, and can then be recalled at a later date with the push of a button! Furthermore, when provided with bottle and product samples, LPS will enter all necessary recipes in to the PLC beofre installation and training, making operation that much easier! Some manual modifications may be necessary during changeover, such as guiderail adjustment and nozzle adjustment, but these can usually be accomplished in a matter of minutes.

4. Integration

Automatic liquid fillers are normally built on a portable, stainless steel frame, though other materials are available for products that do not interact well with stainless material. The frame, while sturdy and durable, allows the filling machine to roll up to any existing conveyor line and begin filling bottles. Fillers can be integrated with other LPS machinery such as container cleaning equipment or capping machines, or even OEM machinery such as labelers.

While automatic bottle fillers are usually added to a line to up the rate of production, the other benefits of these machines are worth noting. To see the different fillers offered by Liquid Packaging Solutions, browse the filling machinery section of the website, or if you are not sure which filler would work best for you, call an LPS Packaging Specialist today.