Popular Packaging Machinery - Piston Fillers

While overflow filling machines are popular for quite a range of products, they are simply not efficient machines when product viscosity rises and liquids do not flow as freely. For thicker products, one of the most popular pieces of packaging equipment to replace the overflow machine is the piston filler. The piston filler allows for an accurate volumetric fill and is also versatile enough to handle many thick and thin products.

In addition to handling both thick and thin products, piston fillers can be manufactured as both semi-automatic and automatic machines, meaning they can work with just about any production demand. Automatic piston fillers for higher demand may include multiple fill heads and/or pistons. Semi-automatic and tabletop liquid fillers will typically work with a single head. The piston filler achieves its accurate volumetric fill by simply retracting the piston to allow product in to the cylinder. Generally speaking, as the volume of the cylinder will not change from cycle to cycle, the volume of the product entering the containers will also not change from cycle to cycle.

Automatic piston fillers, like all automatic fillers, will be controlled by a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) with an easy to use touchscreen interface. Recipe screens allow all settings for bottle and product combinations to be saved and recalled at a later date by the touch of a button. Most semi-automatic machines will require an operator to place bottles under the nozzles and activate each fill cycle. So while the automatic filler will use indexing and a power conveyor to move bottles through the fill process, the semi-automatic machines will require manual labor with each cycle.
While one piston will handle a range of fill sizes through the use of fractional strokes, packagers with both extremely small and extremely large containers may require more than one piston size to run all containers efficiently. In addition to being able to handle thick or highly viscous products, piston fillers are also ideal for sauces, jams or jellies that may include chunks or fruit, vegetables or other particulates. The large cylinder can accommodate the particulates and a special nozzle will allow for the fill.

To find out if the piston filling machine is the right machine for your own packaging needs, contact a Packaging Specialist at Liquid Packaging Solutions to discuss the details of your project! LPS representatives are available from 8 A.M. to 5 P.M Monday through Friday, Central Time. To learn more about these liquid filling machines from LPS, simply visit the Piston Filler page of the LPS website.