Filling Machines and Production Levels

Filling equipment can be manufactured to sit on a tabletop or to roll right up to a power conveyor and become a part of a completely automatic packaging system. Of course, the higher the level of automation on a bottle filler, the higher the likelihood that the cost will increase. So for a packager, finding the machine that best suits production demands can mean saving some of the cash flow for other aspects of a business. Unfortunately, simply meeting current demands will not always be the easiest way to gauge expenditures over the long run.

For startup companies, tabletop filling machines hold much appeal. These space saving, economical solutions can still speed up the filling process over trying to do the same by hand. However, a majority of startup companies are looking to increase production over time, making the cost and benefit analysis a little more complicated. This is where the options in between the tabletop model and a fully automatic model become important. Semi-automatic liquid fillers can be manufactured on the same frame as the automatic version of the machine. These semi-automatic machines will normally use a slide track to position bottles under the nozzles. In other words, an operator will place bottles under heads, start the fill cycle and remove the containers once the bottles are filled, just as would be done with a tabletop machine.

But for those anticipating growing popularity and increased production demand, the semi-automatic filler offers an opportunity for the packaging equipment to grow with the company. While tabletop machines also offer such a benefit, semi-automatic machines on the portable frame used for automation greatly expand the possibilities and the high end of production. Tabletop machines may start with one or two fill heads, allowing the addition of more heads in the future, usually up to a total of six heads, with more nozzles equaling a higher top end for production. Semi-automatic portable frame machines can also add heads, but up to a total of sixteen, increasing the maximum production over the tabletop model.

In addition to adding more heads, the packager has the ability to add a control panel, power conveyor and indexing system once production levels require the same. In other words, the packager can move from semi-automatic production to a fully automatic filling system by simply adding a few components rather than purchasing all new equipment. The machine can also be integrated into an existing or new system to create the turnkey system that will rinse, fill, cap, label and otherwise prepare product to the packager's specs.

Of course, the semi-automatic portable frame filling machine will not be perfect for every packager, but LPS attempts to manufacture all of our packaging equipment to allow for future growth in production! Expected growth and production demands will be one of many topics covered by our Packaging Specialists when discussing each unique project in order to find the perfect solution for each individual business. For more information on filling machines, or just to get ideas for your own packaging project, give LPS a call toll free today at 1-888-393-3693.