Six Advantages Of Using A Piston Filling Machine

Piston filling machines are one of the most versatile bottle fillers on the market. With easy operation and simple controls, these liquid fillers move a variety of products from holding tanks, hoppers and other bulk supplies to containers both large and small. Below are a few of the advantages of using a piston filling machine on your packaging line.

1. Thick Or Thin Products

Piston fillers can be used with virtually any product, thick or thin. However, these machines provide ideal solutions for viscous products and products with large particulates, in that other filler types may not be able to handle such items. Thick products are pulled into the cylinder as the piston retracts and pushed out as it makes its return to the cylinder. Not only does this method of filling work with thick products, but the open space allows the machine to handle fruits, seeds and other particulates that may be present in some products.

2. Automatic or Semi-Automatic Machines

Piston filling machines can be manufactured to work both semi-automatically and automatically! Semi-automatic machinery will require more operator interaction, including placing bottles, initiating the fill cycle with either a hand or foot switch, and removing the filled container once product has been introduced. Automatic machines will work with power conveyor systems, indexing systems tank floats and more to remove as much operator assistance as possible. The operator will still need to set up the machine, which may consist of simply choosing the correct recipe on the touchscreen interface, but all other functions are typically automated!

3. A Range of Nozzle Types

Semi-automatic piston fillers will normally consist of a single fill head, though there are exceptions. However, automatic versions may include a number of different fill heads and the nozzles may be manufactured to meet the needs of the specific product or products. From simple ball valves to diving heads and bottom up filling, custom nozzles add to the versatility of the piston filler.

4. Many Different Container Sizes and Materials

The actual piston on the filling machine can range in size as well! Which means piston fillers can handle both small and large containers. In addition, because the heads to not need to create pressure or seal on the bottle opening for overflow purposes, light weight bottles or fragile bottles may also be run on a piston filler. Even unique container shapes can be accomodated on most machinery. Just keep in mind, that packagers doing both tiny and large containers may need more than a single piston size!

5. Handles Particulates Well

As noted above, the cylinder of the piston filler is an ideal filling solution for products such as jams, jellies and even some soaps that contain particulates. Seeds and smaller particulates may not cause an issue, even for overflow filling machines. But large chunks of fruit or vegetables, as may be found in jams or sauces, can clog certain nozzles. The piston and cylinder teamwork remove such issues when dealing with products with particulates.

6. Volumetrically Accurate

Finally, the volume of the cylinder does not change from fill cycle to fill cycle. Therefore, the same volume of product enters and exits the piston with each stroke. As product is pushed out of the cylinder into waiting containers, the volume, again, will not change. This process allows for a very accurate volumetric fill, which can be important for a number of different products.

To learn more about these filling machines, just visit the Piston Filling Section of the LPS website. Or give our Packaging Specialists a call toll free at 1-888-393-3693.