Bottle Influence on Volumetric and Fill-By-Level Fills

Two of the most popular methods of filling for a variety of packagers and industries are the volumetric fill and a fill-by-level principle. Gravity fillers, pump fillers and piston fillers all provide packagers a solution for reaching accurate volume when moving product into bottles or other containers. Overflow filling machines, on the other hand, work to fill each bottle or container to the same level or line, without regard to the amount of product placed into the bottle.

For many industries, slight variations in volume from bottle to bottle will not matter, but for some, strict guidelines or regulations require each bottle contain a volume within a specific range. While it may seem like a volume requirement would remove the overflow filler from consideration for these packagers, that is simply not the case.

Certain products and industries, such as distilled spirits, must come within a certain percentage of the volume listed on their label. For this reason, volumetric fillers are often used to meet the requirements. However, there are exceptions. Many distilled spirits, for example, are packaged in clear glass or otherwise transparent bottles. For these products, an overflow filling machine offers an aesthetic and cosmetic benefit when bottles are lined up on the shelf, creating a perfect line from bottle to bottle.

In the past, bottle manufacturing may have left each glass or plastic bottle with varying interior volumes, meaning the use of an overflow filler could take packagers out of their tolerance range for certain bottles. Advances in manufacturing have virtually eliminated this issue, leaving packagers with more choices as to how they fill their bottles. While volume may still vary from bottle to bottle due to manufacturing, that variance is now so low that in most bottles, if noticeable at all, it will not take packagers out of acceptable ranges.

While anyone wanting to use an overflow filler in an industry where volume requirements exist will want to have a discussion with their bottle manufacturer, in testing liquid fillers, Liquid Packaging Solutions has found that the fill-to-level system of the overflow filler will typically allow bottles to be filled within the necessary range of volumes. That being said, volumetric fillers are manufactured to ensure specific volumes of liquid are dispensed into bottles, while the overflow filler will not take volume into account when dispensing.

To learn more about any of the filling machines manufactured by LPS, or for questions regarding which filler would be the best solution for your own project, contact a Packaging Specialist at 219-393-3600 today.