What is a filling plant?
Filling lines and filling machines fill individual packaging units with liquid, paste and powder form. There are a large number of different sub-types of filling machines. These are mostly special machine solutions that are adapted to the specific needs of customers. These solutions are geared to the conditions of the packaging material and the product to be filled. Based on the packaging material and the requirements of the filling products, a specific filling or dosing type is defined together with the customer and the consulting filling machine manufacturer.
In modern industry, the following filling and dosing types are widely used:
- Under-mirror filling – used with foaming contents such as beer
- Over-mirror filling – is suitable for unproblematic products that are filled in cans or buckets
- Underbung filling – suitable for products that are filled into canisters or drums
- Vacuum filler– is generally used for pasty and highly viscous products with high quality requirements
Depending on the nature of the product and customer requirements, there are other filling techniques such as piston, rotary piston, weighing, time/pressure dosing. Today, filling processes are also supported thanks to built-in sensors for inductive flow measurement.
Which synonyms are often used?
Many synonyms are used for bottling plants, despite the fact that they work the same way. Widely used terms include filling lines, filling machines, filling stations and automatic filling machines.
Semi- or fully-automatic filling plants? What is the difference?
Depending on the degree of automation, filling lines are divided into automatic, semi-automatic and manual. The fully automatic systems operate autonomously and do not require human intervention. The semi-automatic filling systems require the presence of maintenance personnel – because part of the operations are carried out manually. Manual filling systems are well suited for small batches and are widely used in the vegetable and fruit processing industry as well as in the research industry.
Semi-automatic filling lines
Semi-automatic filling machines can be used to make dosing processes easier and more efficient. Such filling machines are suitable for both liquid and highly viscous products that need to be filled precisely. Semi-automatic filling systems, unlike automatic ones, allow quick reconfiguration of the container size. Thanks to semi-automatic operation, machine operators benefit from a reduced workload, but can start an automated sequence at the push of a button if required.
Full-automatic filling lines
The main difference between an automatic filling line and a semi-automatic line is the overall performance. For example, an automatic filling line can operate in a throughput mode of 1,500 to 12,000 bottles per hour a semi-automatic 500 to 1,000 bottles per hour. On a fully automatic line, all filling operations are performed without human intervention. However, operators can control the process and reprogram it if necessary.
Fully automated lines come into their own especially when throughput is high.
Manual filling lines
Manual filling machines are often used for small batch or custom production. The manual filling machine has the finest mechanical dosing devices, which ensure a precise to exact filling quantity. If a high throughput and repetitive production steps are required, the use of semi-automatic or fully automatic machines is recommended.
Types of filling lines
A uniform classification of bottling plants is not possible today. This is due to an enormous variety of technologies, processes, packaging materials, a multitude of filling goods and the use of the same technological processes for completely different groups of goods. The most important representatives of filling lines are listed below.
Big bag filling plant
The big bag filling plant is an industrial filling station suitable for filling into lightweight flexible containers. Big bags are undoubtedly the most economical type of packaging for large-volume loads today. They are successfully used in logistics systems for the transport and storage of bulk goods from the chemical, agricultural, construction, food and other industries.
bag-filling-plant
The bag filling machine is explicitly designed for bag filling. These are flexible pouches that are filled with the product medium. This is a very sustainable solution, as during transport an empty recyclable bag takes up much less space than a bottle or canister. These systems are well suited for any type of product, solid, liquid or powder.
Bag filling line
The bag filling machine is designed to fill bags. Sacks are usually larger and therefore require different designs than a bag. Such equipment is usually suitable for powdery or solid products that can be filled into bags of different shapes.
Filling line for ampoules
A filling machine for ampoules is specially designed for the small size of the ampoule and provides fine and accurate filling. Best known examples are filling machines for eye drops, beauty products such as anti-aging and pharmaceutical products.
Cartridge-filling line
Cartridge filling is a special type of filling. This sub-type of filling machines is special because the filling of the cartridge takes place on the side and is usually not metered. Silicone, glue, etc., for example, is filled into cartridges.
Tube-filling plant
Tube filling is usually done from the top and not before the cap is applied. This filling method is well suited for filling products such as ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, jam and glue.
Barrel-filling machines
Drum filling machines are suitable for liquid, viscous and pasty drum products. The products come from the chemical, food, pharmaceutical or other industries.
Bottle-filling machines
These systems are used for filling bottled products. Fields of application come from almost all branches of industry. In the case of bottled products, filling is often quantity- and volume-controlled. Different measuring methods such as mass and inductive flow measurement are used for indication. The systems are suitable for all types of bottles, whether normal bottles, round bottles or waisted bottles.
Cup-filling machine
A cup filling machine is specifically designed for cup filling. Since cup products often come from the food sector (yoghurt and dairy products), special attention must be paid to compliance with hygiene regulations during filling. In addition, in order to meet the quality requirements for quickly perishable goods, there must be virtually no exchange of air between the environment and the sterile room. To sterilise the filling cups, treatment with hydrogen peroxide can be useful – this is then also referred to as hygiene classes ultra clean and aseptic. To keep the machines clean, they have automatic cleaning programmes such as Cleaning-in-Place (CIP) and Sterilising-in-Place (SIP).
Can filling line
Filling in a can is similar to filling in a bottle. The only difference from the bottle is the material and size. Typical products include, for example, cans of pineapple, tomatoes and peas.
Canister filling plants
A canister filling machine is suitable for liquid, viscous and pasty products. Canisters are containers with a capacity of between 2 and 60 litres, which are often larger than standard bottles. Canister filling machines have to fill large quantities of product accurately in a short time. As a rule, canister filling machines have much larger filling tubes in order to be able to fill a certain volume of product in a timely manner.
How does a filling plant work?
Filling machines perform the task of filling containers of different shapes such as bags, sacks, bottles, cans, barrels and cups with liquid, paste and powder product media. The filling technology used in the machines always ensures the right amount of product medium in the containers. In a piston filling machine, for example, the piston stroke is proportional to the filling quantity and can be set precisely to the required quantity. Other machines work with sensors for level measurement at the end of the filling tube or for inductive flow measurement and always ensure the exact quantity in the containers. Filling machines come in linear and carousel filling machine versions. Carousel machines achieve higher outputs per hour compared to linear filling machines.
In which industries are the filling plants used?
Today, filling machines are an integral part of industrial container filling with liquid, paste as well as powder products. Filling machines are now actively used in the cosmetics, food, pharmaceutical and chemical industries.
Cosmetics
Filling machines are used to fill cans of toothpaste, vials of beauty products, shampoos and creams for personal care.
Food
In the food industry, the best-known examples of applications include the filling of cup- and bottle-shaped containers with beverages, dairy products and spices. The filling systems must comply with the applicable hygiene regulations.
Pharma
Similar to the food sector, hygiene regulations must be adhered to and contamination potential of filling equipment minimised as far as possible in order to meet high standards in the pharmaceutical and medical sectors. Well-known examples of applications are various liquid, powdered medicines such as eye drops and antibiotics.
Chemistry
In the chemical industry, thanks to filling machines, bottles or other containers are filled with chemical substances and compositions of substances. Especially in connection with chemical and aggressive substances, attention must be paid to the corrosion resistance of filling systems to such media.
