So your business in need of a machine that will fill containers. You have a viscous product and you are interested in piston fillers but need to know more about their abilities and accuracy before committing. Let’s look at these machines and investigate their accuracy further.

A piston filler is going to be an excellent choice for any business that needs to fill a variety of products with accuracy and precision. They are ideal for liquids, batter, creams, pastes, sauces and other viscous products.  Manufacturers of these filling machines design them for use in various industries, including food and beverage as well as beauty and pharmaceutical.

Piston fillers are the industry standard when it comes to filling containers with precise amounts of product. These machines use a piston to draw product into the chamber and then dispense it into the container. They can adjust the amount of product they draw to dispense the same amount each time.

How Do Piston Fillers Achieve Accurate Volumetric Fills?

Piston fillers are used in a wide range of applications because of their ability fill many types and sizes of containers with accuracy and precision. A piston filler uses a plunger to push the material into the container. This motion ensures that the material is pushed to the bottom of the container.

These fillers can also fill containers of various sizes without changing the size of the piston, which makes them ideal for filling large containers or multiple containers at once.

One advantage of using a piston filler is its ability to fill containers with viscous liquids, such as batters, shampoo and lotion. Additionally, piston fillers can fill containers with small openings, such as vials or ampoules.

Piston fillers are typically made of stainless steel or other corrosion-resistant materials. These help ensure that they withstand repeated use and constant exposure to a variety of substances. Additionally, piston fillers are easy to clean and maintain.

Piston fillers are available in a variety of sizes and configurations. The size of the filler will determine the amount of material that the filler dispenses per stroke. Additionally, the filler can be configured to work with various container sizes and types.

High-Performance Piston Filling Machines

The volume of liquid they can meter and fill determines the accuracy of piston fillers. This is especially important in applications where it is necessary to achieve high accuracy and precision, such as in the pharmaceutical or cosmetic industries.

Piston fillers are also often used in the food industry, where restaurants and food manufacturers fill containers with viscous liquids such as sauces and soups. Note that piston fillers are also capable of dispensing non-viscous liquids. They can also handle liquids with particulates, such as peanut butter, soups and salsa.

Types of Piston Fillers

There are two types of piston fillers: automatic and semi-automatic. Automatic piston fillers are capable of filling containers automatically, while semi-automatic piston fillers require manual operation by the user.

Volumetric Technologies is a trusted manufacturer of filling machines, offering both automatic and semi-automatic piston fillers. Automatic piston fillers are designed for high-volume applications, while semi-automatic piston fillers are designed for lower-volume applications.

Your Source for High-Quality Piston Fillers

Volumetric Technologies offers a range of piston fillers that can be customized to meet the specific needs of our customers.  Our piston fillers are available in sizes ranging from small to large, and they can be configured for use with various liquids.

Contact Volumetric Technologies today if you are looking for a high-performance piston filler.

Building a new business can mean starting at home in your basement, garage, or a small, rented space. How can you grow your small start-up to the next level? If your business is liquid product-based, an investment in piston filler machines will help streamline your production, boost your efficiency, and reduce your time to market. This way, you can stay ahead of your competition by increasing your output significantly, bringing growth. Both small businesses and large businesses alike can benefit from installing piston fillers. Let’s explore how piston filling machines can help manufacturing start-ups improve production processes.

How Piston Fillers Work

A piston filler can be automatic or work with a foot pedal that controls the dispensing of product into containers. A volumetric filling system ensures highly accurate filling across a wide range of low- to medium-viscosity liquids. A piston filler’s nozzle allows the precise volumes of liquid-based products to be dispensed into any form of container.

If you are a start-up selling liquid products, filling by hand is likely unproductive and inefficient. You also risk costly spillage, and filling slow-moving liquids like honey may take even longer, which in turn may lead to inaccurate filling measurements. It’s made increasingly difficult if you have products with differing viscosities.

On the other hand, a piston filler with settings adjusted for the type of product it will dispense saves time in processing and prevents spillage. Start-ups can fulfill orders with ease, in less time, sell more products, and grow faster.

Piston Fillers are Versatile and Scalable as your Business Grows

Piston fillers are ideal for small businesses that manufacture their products from home but are ready for automation even without a factory. These machines are simple to install and set up, making them easy for small business owners to use without professional guidance.

One of the best features of piston fillers is the ability to be upgraded to accommodate changing manufacturing needs as the business grows. As your business grows you can automate your piston filler by adding conveyors, controls, and transfer pumps to move product from your kettle or mixer to the filling line.

Piston Fillers Help Increase Production Speed

These filling machines can fill several containers much faster than hand production, significantly increasing the number of containers filled per minute. Piston fillers can have multiple nozzles to increase product resulting in thousands of fills per day. Your start-up will also benefit from automation, allowing you to focus on other aspects of your business while the machine handles the filling.

Piston Fillers Are Easy to Operate

Some filling machines have rotative fillers for automatic and straightforward operation. While other machines take time to learn how to operate, these are easy and intuitive to use. It all depends on the design and automation you choose. Even one person can operate a filling machine on their own. You only need to learn the machine’s input settings, such as the indexing time, fill time, and pump speed, and you can immediately start production. This will empower any start-up with a small workforce to produce at a higher level.

Piston Fillers Allow for Easy Clean-up and Repairs

Since filling machines are made of stainless steel, they’re easy to maintain and naturally resistant to corrosion. Reach out to the filler’s manufacturer or a trained technician to schedule maintenance checks that keep the machine running at optimum levels.

Knowing your products are produced in a clean environment gives you peace of mind and can help with building customer trust. Since its parts can break down, you should make sure that its manufacturer offers free phone consultations and has a complete set of replacement parts in stock for when you need repairs.

Purchase yours from a Trusted Manufacturer of Piston Filling Machines

Investing in a piston filling machine from a trusted manufacturer is an excellent way to jump-start your small or medium-sized business’ journey toward success.

Volumetric Technologies offers innovative piston fillers and depositors with the highest product fill accuracy and the lowest level of product degradation in the industry. Plus, you are assured that your piston filler is made in the USA! Visit our product page and learn how our piston filling machines can help boost your production speed and accuracy. Or contact us, and let’s get a piston filling machine in your business’ future!

A recent study on the impact of automation on production costs revealed that automating processes can save companies six weeks’ worth of work hours a year. A rough calculation of labor savings in a Fortune 500 company also pegs the estimated operational savings to over $4 million a year.

You don’t need to be a Fortune 500 company to benefit from automation. Even if you are a small-scale food production company, it’s still worth investing in automation machinery like a table top piston depositor instead of hiring more people when demand for your product rises.

But when is the best time to start automation? Below are four signs that will tell you it is time to transform your production:

Your profit margins are shrinking.

There are two ways to look at small profit margins. One, your labor and operational costs are too big, and that is what’s driving your net profits down. Two, you’re not earning as much as you should. This can involve many factors, like marketing issues, distribution issues with retailers, niche target markets, and product quality; but for the sake of keeping the discussion focused on production, let’s consider inconsistent and low product quality as a cause for low sales.

Automation can reduce bloated operational costs and make product quality more consistent at the level that appeals to your target market. Volumetric Technologies’ piston filling machines can demonstrate these perfectly. When integrated into a production line for beverages, for example, our technology can speed up the bottling procedure and pump the correct volume of the drink in each and every bottle.

You need to cut your labor costs.

Human workers are more expensive than automation in the long run. Besides wages, workers need insurance, benefits, leave with pay, and so forth. Automation, on the other hand, is cheaper to maintain. You don’t even have to foot the entire cost of the equipment you need. You can lease the machinery or apply for financing.

Workforce costs are long-term. The sooner you can automate, the faster your labor costs will go down.

There’s too much product waste during production and packaging.

When food, beverages, cosmetics, paint, and other consumer goods go into packaging, large quantities of the products often go to waste. Spills, overflows, wrong timing in dispensing liquid product into a container — these inaccuracies waste small amounts of the product at a time. If they happen too often, however, the accumulated waste could be several units worth that you can never sell.

Consider a piston filler equipped with the correct dispensing nozzles we use at Volumetric Technologies as an example. The filler dispenses an accurate amount of product, while the dispensing nozzle ensures a clean shut-off of product flow every time. This accurate and drip-free dispensing system allows you to minimize wasted product during the filling process.

You need to increase your production rate.

It is easier to scale down or scale up on production when your processes are mostly automated. If you get human workers to work double-time or overtime to meet the high demand for your products, your net revenues might be lower than expected because you’ll have to pay more wages. If production is automated, however, you can increase your output rate with only a minimal increase in operational cost (e.g., higher energy consumption from working your machines for an extra hour or more each day).

Contact Volumetric Technologies when you’re ready to automate your production.

According to a report from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, approximately 1.3 billion tons of food around the world is lost or wasted every year.

The U.S. Food Waste Reduction Alliance defines food waste as “any liquid or solid food substance which is discarded, or intended or required to be discarded.” To date, the amount of global food waste costs around $2.6 trillion annually, more than enough to feed the 815 million people in the world who are suffering from chronic undernourishment.

Food and beverage manufacturers can help resolve the global issue of food waste by investing in anti-waste equipment. At Volumetric Technologies, we supply dispensing nozzles, piston fillers, and depositors designed for zero drips and spills.

By taking steps to minimize product waste, F&B producers can reduce costs, improve productivity, and promote sustainability at all levels of the supply chain. Here are three ways to reduce food waste in the production line.

1. Select the right packaging

Food spoilage is one of the main causes of food waste. It may occur before products reach retail stores and after consumers purchase them.

There are innovative packaging solutions designed to keep food fresh and protected during transport and sales. For instance, today’s manufacturers are setting silver nanoparticles into plastic storage bottles and using microperforated pouches to prolong the product’s shelf life and prevent damage during production. Individually sealed compartments and resealable packaging also help keep products in excellent condition.

2. Invest in state-of-the-art equipment

Spillage and product rejects all contribute to large amounts of food waste. Sloppy filling can also result in contaminated and low-quality products that are likely to be scrapped and discarded.

Investing in reliable filling machines and dispensing nozzles can boost the efficiency and precision of production lines. High-performance equipment not only minimizes product spills and losses, but also helps food processing firms increase yields and profits.

3. Educate consumers

Research shows that 44% of food waste takes place at the consumer level.

There are several ways food manufacturers can help consumers reduce their individual impact. Waste reduction practices and shelf life details should be printed clearly on the packaging. Include easy-to-read freezing, preparation, storage, and defrosting instructions to prevent early spoilage. Other practical tips such as preserving leftovers and ideal storage temperatures should also be indicated.

Using standardized date labels is another way to educate customers. Phrases such as “best before”, “sell by”, “expires on”, and “use by” can cause confusion and result in unnecessary wastage. Standardized date labels, on the other hand, specifies whether the date indicates spoilage or simply that the product has surpassed the period of peak quality.

Your one-stop source for superior filling equipment 

Taking steps to reduce food waste not only makes your business more sustainable, but also boosts revenue and builds shareholders’ and customers’ confidence.

Volumetric Technologies has over 25 years of experience providing cutting-edge filling machines, conveyors, transfer pumps, and more for food and beverage companies. Designed for precision and durability, our machines can be customized according to your unique business needs.

Choose from anti-waste filling machines that are built to last.

Your choice of liquid filling machine makes or breaks the efficiency of your production. If you’re looking for a model that can endure long, continuous hours of production or streamline the production process of your cottage business, there are various qualities to look into to find the equipment worth investing in.

Besides basic and practical considerations like budget, physical dimensions, tech integration and compatibility, scalability, and longevity, these factors will let you determine the most suitable machine for your needs:

Product viscosity

How fluid or viscous is your product? This is the first thing to think about when acquiring in-line filling systems of any scale. Runny liquid needs a different set of nozzles than thick, viscous liquid. There’s also the matter of product content: is it entirely fluid or are there particulates like beads in facial cleansers or bits of food in soup and batter?

The product dictates what kind of machine you need. A high-viscosity liquid filling machine with a piston filler, for example, is ideal for viscous products that need a bit of force to push them out of the dispensing nozzle.

Watery products don’t need a piston machine because the liquid can exit the nozzle merely by gravity. What they do need are leak-proof valves that ensure the correct volume of liquid is dispensed every time.

Container or Receptacle

The container, specifically the shape of the opening, also matters when choosing a small liquid filling machine. Bottles have narrow mouths and can have narrow necks as well. These will need precision-controlled nozzles that fit perfectly into the opening.

In baking, the dispensing machine could deposit fluids into semi-finished food products like pie crusts or doughnuts. Each needs a different kind of filling machine.

For pies, a traditional piston filler with a wide-nozzled dispenser that pumps filling from above is a common choice. For doughnuts, a funnel dispenser with one or more thin, needle-like nozzles positioned vertically or horizontally is commonly used.

Degree of Automation

If your production line is mostly manual, a semi-automatic liquid filling machine will suffice. Take our example above for liquid filling machines for doughnuts. Bakeries that sell a hundred or so a day don’t need a fully-automatic system complete with conveyor belts.

The manual component might even be necessary, such as when you need the flexibility to switch from one product to another as quickly as possible.

Regulation Considerations

Liquid filling machines for the food industry must meet the FDA’s health and consumer protection guidelines. For example, the paths for the filling, soups, batter, syrups, drink, etc. should be non-corrosive, sealed, and designed to prevent moisture buildup. Machine fillers that dispense toxic or potentially explosive products should also adhere to the safety standards of the industry.

Take your time in choosing a liquid filling machine and consider all these factors carefully. (You might even have a few more to add to this list). Every piece of equipment you buy is an investment, and we’d be happy to help you make the most of it.

Fill out our request form to discuss your requirements or explore our filling machines here.