Controlling Excessive Foaming During a Product Fill

One recurring problem for a variety of liquid products is the foam that is created by agitation or movement. Cleaning products and soap are a good example of such a liquid. Stirring, shaking or even moving some of these products will create foam. For packagers preparing these products for the shelf, excessive foam during the fill process can lead to inconsistent amounts of product in the bottles, or less product than intended or advertised if that foam settles after the fill. At Liquid Packaging Solutions, there are several ways to manufacture machinery to ensure both consistent and accurate product fills even for these foamy products.

The first solution for excessive foam is the overflow filling machine. The principle behind this liquid filler allows packagers to control foam. The overflow filler is a unique piece of equipment in that it fills bottles to a specific level, rather than by volume. It achieves this level fill using a special nozzle that dives into the bottle and creates a seal over the bottle opening. From here, product flows into the bottle until it reaches the desired level, at which time excess product returns to the holding tank via a return port in the nozzle. General speaking, the foam created by the fill is controlled or forced out by the continuous flow of the liquid into the bottle, past the point where volumetric fillers would stop moving product. The overflow filler, available in both automatic and semi-automatic models, can be a great solution for controlling foamy product during the packaging process.

But even for packagers that prefer a volumetric fill, there are components that can assist in controlling liquids that foam. Special anti-foam nozzles can be used on almost any filling machine to help control foam during the fill. Other machines may use a nozzle that dives to the bottom of the container and rises as it fills, to lessen the agitation during the fill and help to control the foam.

Choosing the right tools to control foam for any product will depend in part on the product itself, the container, the fill principle and any other number of factors. As with any packaging project, LPS will analyze all of the factors of the fill to determine the best solution for any foamy product. To learn more about methods to control foam during a fill, contact a Packaging Specialist at LPS today.