Small Scale Bottle Filling Machines for Any Liquid

Like the products they create, businesses come in all different sizes, from side hustles that produce a few products to Fortune 500 companies that prepare thousands of units a day. With different products and varying demand, it is no surprise that one single filling machine will not work for every existing business. At Liquid Packaging Solutions, we focus on businesses of all sizes, manufacturing not just fully automatic filling lines for large businesses, but small scale bottle filling machines for small businesses as well.

Small Scale Bottle Filling Machine Types

Bottle fillers for small producers can take different forms, based on the needs of the specific business. We manufacture simple tabletop filling machines for companies or individuals with little space for a packaging process. As the name suggests, a packager of products only needs a tabletop to add one of these filling machines to their production process. Depending on the fill principle, tabletop machines may have anywhere from one to six fill heads, allowing for a more efficient process over hand filling bottles or other containers.

Another option for those needing a small scale bottle filling machine, but with more room to spare for packaging and the potential for quick growth, is the semi-automatic filler manufactured on a full frame. These machines typically include anywhere from two to sixteen heads and, like the tabletop fillers, can use different principles to fill bottles and containers. The full frame allows a packager to add automation or output in the future by adding different components to the machine.

Benefits of Small Scale Liquid Filling Machines

While small scale filling machines will likely add speed to the packaging process, by allowing for multiple bottles to be filled each cycle, the benefits of these simple machines go beyond speed. Using the different principles available on both automatic and semi-automatic liquid filling machines, products can be filled consistently and reliably using several different measurements. Once the machine is set up for the product and the containers, the first bottle run and last bottle run will be filled in the same manner and to the same desired measurement, whether volume, level, or weight. Our filling machines are also built to allow for quick and easy changeover, saving time for packagers with multiple products and bottle sizes.

As mentioned above, a small scale bottle filling machine can be manufactured to allow for growth as well. On both tabletop and full-frame equipment, fill heads can be added as demand grows, though each machine will have a maximum number depending on the frame, the fill principle, the bottles to be filled and various other factors. As an example, a tabletop machine may be manufactured with two fill heads for a small business, but this same machine may allow the business to add up to four additional nozzles as needed to meet demand. Full-frame machines can add automation in addition to fill heads by adding the necessary components, typically a power conveyor, PLC, and an indexing system.

Our bottle fillers can also be custom manufactured to meet the needs of unique projects and products, combining semi-automatic and automatic features to create an efficient solution for any business. For example, semi-automatic machines typically use a slide track, allowing an operator to move bottles in and out of the fill area. This same semi-automatic filling machine could use a power conveyor and indexing system, allowing bottles to be quickly loaded and positioned, requiring an operator to simply activate the fill cycle once containers are in place.

Finally, semi-automatic machines allow a business an economical solution as they begin to automate their packaging process. While some small businesses may never need additional automation, the semi-automatic solution offers a packager the ability to increase automation as needed or desired with the option to spread the cost of machinery out over a longer period of time, letting the equipment grow with the business, and freeing up cash to invest in other aspects of the business.

Operation of Semi-Automatic Bottle Fillers

Semi-automatic filling machines, whether tabletop or full-frame, are simple to use machines that typically require a single operator. The operator will complete several tasks for each cycle run on the equipment. As an example, let's imagine a four head tabletop overflow filler. The operator of the machine would first set up the machine using the manual height adjustment, placing bottles under the fill head and using a hand crank to adjust the height so that the nozzles compress to allow for a fill to the same level each cycle. This process will be completed once each time a new bottle is run on the machine. Once set up, the operator simply places the bottles under the fill head, presses a finger switch to start the fill, and releases the finger switch when the fill is complete. The four bottles are then removed and the process repeated until production for that bottle and product is done for the day.

As noted above, semi-automatic machines can be manufactured to meet the needs of an individual business. In some scenarios, the operator above may step on a footswitch to start the cycle or use a power switch to adjust the height rather than a hand crank. Though built for small scale operations, each bottling machine manufactured by Liquid Packaging Solutions will still be built specifically for the small business owner and his or her packaging needs.

To learn more about the different small scale bottle filling machines available from LPS, visit the Filling Machinery section of our website or contact us at 219-393-3600 to speak with a Filler Specialist.