How Does a Piston Filler Work? Understanding the Basics

The automatic filler has found an irreplaceable spot in the food packing and cosmetics industry. In fact, the revolutionary piston filler will likely have a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.1% in the 2022-2032 period. 

The piston filler market has seen a significant revenue bump since end-use industries decided to invest in it to eliminate possible product contaminations.

So, what’s the key to its success, other than the fact that it increases productivity and efficiency while reducing manufacturing and workforce costs? Let’s discover how a piston filler works. 

What’s a Piston Filler Good For? 

Piston fillers are automatic packing machines mostly used for highly viscous and thick liquids, as well as products (mostly food) that lose quality if not packed properly. Simply said, a piston filler quickly transfers the product material into its designated container.

Piston fillers are mainly used in the food industry (pre-prepared meals, sauces, pastes, oily ingredients), but also in the cosmetics industry (shampoos, conditioners, heavy oils, wax cleaners, gels and facial and body creams). 

The best selling points of a quality piston filler are that you can avoid spills and leaks and reduce labor costs, all the while increasing volumetric accuracy.

The Build of a Piston Filler 

Before understanding how a piston filler works, let’s check out its main components:

• Hopper – this part is the big canister that holds the large unpacked portion of the product 
• Piston –  this is the part that suctions the product from the hopper and transfers it to the piston cylinder
• Piston Cylinder – this part is under constant suction and compressions, which enables an equal and consistent filling
• Valve – this word literally means “hole” or “opening”, and it’s the machine part that regulates when the product must stop leaking through
• Nozzles – these parts control the dimension of the product and transfer it to the containers.

How Does It Work? 

Since we’re now familiar with the primary parts of a piston filler, here’s how it works in practice:

Part I: Getting the Product Material Out of the Hopper

When the valve opens, the released product leaks from the hopper to the cylinder due to open airflow. The piston, which is preset to pull the packing product amount, arranges the product doses, creating equal doses for the packing container. 

Part II: Getting the Product Material Into the Container

When the valve starts rotating, it closes a portion of the hopper, allowing the right amount of liquid product to come out through the nozzles. The piston assists with applying pressure for the product to easily move through the nozzles into the container, allowing for packaging more empty containers at once. 

This aspect is the main feature benefiting the business: increased production at a lower cost in a faster timeframe compared to manual packing. 

Volumetric Technologies: Buying Quality at a Reasonable Price

Do you need an immediate solution for product packing with on-site-installation? Volumetric Technologies can help.

Piston fillers are a cost and time-efficient solution, especially in the food packing industry. Our piston fillers are made with care and attention to detail; let the machine do its thing without concerning yourself with possible leaks and spills!

 

Need an extra hand in the food and beverage, cleaning supply, or cosmetics industry? Contact our team and request a free consultation!