The Semi-automatic Filling Machine - Variations

Unlike automatic liquid fillers, semi-automatic filling machines require an operator for each cycle of bottles to be filled.  However, semi-automatic fillers can offer a significant jump in production for a number of facilities, while also offering additional benefits.  Semi-automatic liquid fillers can be manufactured based on the same filling principles as automatic filling machines using an overflow principle, gravity principle, piston fill or any other method that would be used for automatic production.  This means the semi-automatic machines can also handle products both thick and thin in a consistent, reliable and efficeint manner.  Below we will look at popular designs for these fillers.

Tabletop liquid filling machines are simple, yet efficient examples of packaging machinery.  These machines will normally include anywhere from one to six fill heads and normally come equipped with a slide track for moving bottles in and out of the fill area.  The operator will place the bottles under the fill heads, and normally step on a foot switch or hit a finger switch to activate the fill cycle.  Once the cycle is complete, the bottles will be removed and sent to the next packaging phase, usually a bottle capping machine.  Tabletop semi-automatic fillers offer an increase in speed, along with better consistency over hand filling bottles or containers.  

Uniframe filling systems will include a semi-automatic filling machines, but will also add additional packaging machinery to create a small packaging station that will allow one or multiple people to fill, cap, label or perform other functions in one small area.  Each of the packaging machines will sit on a single frame, rather than create multiple stations each with individual machines.  For example, a packager doing small runs of bottled water for a local market may add a manual rinsing machine, handheld chuck capper and a labeling machine to the uniframe system.  Including each of these machines allows all packaging to take place on the single frame.  Once the bottle leaves the machine, it will be ready for the market.  Again, the operator of the uniframe system would have to place the bottle and activate the fill cycle, as well as move the bottle from machine to machine and activate the other packaging equipment.  However, the centralized location of the machinery and the ability to use more than one operator can increase efficiency and production.

Semi-automatic filling machines can also be manufactured on the same portable frames as automatic liquid fillers.  These machines will normally include a slide track for easy movement and positioning of the bottles, though some may add a power conveyor as well.  Operators of the portable fillers will still need to position bottles under the fill heads and begin the fill cycle with a foot switch, finger switch or the push of a button.  The main advantage of the portable frame filling machine is the ability to upgrade the machinery to an automatic filler.  The addition of an indexing system, power conveyor and possibly some adjustment to the control panel allows the semi-automatic portable filling machine to grow as the company grows, extending the useful life of the machine.  

 

Of course, custom machinery can also be manufactured for unique packaging projects, and semi-automatic filling machines may take other forms.  However, the tabletop, uniframe and portable designs will cover a vast majority of packaging projects that require such equipment.  Liquid Packaging Solutions will help each and every customer to analyze their unique needs in the quest to find the ideal filling machine for each and every project.