Questions to Ask When Buying a Filling Machine

Filling machines can save you time, increase accuracy and also boost productivity in your business. You just need to find the most reliable machine for your company needs. Whether you need a machine for retail packaging or liquid filling, there is a machine out there for you. This article takes a look at the key questions you need to ask before making a purchase.

What are you going to be filling?

This is without doubt the first question you should answer. There are machines for filling virtually everything. There are those for filling liquids, others for carbonated liquids and others for a range of solid products such as crisp. The thing you need to note is that there is no machine that will do everything. Often times, there is one obvious choice of machine for the job. The goal is to pick one that will be more specific and economical based on your operational considerations.

Should the machine be automatic, semi-automatic or manual?

The right answer to this question will depend on production needs. If you only want to fill a few packages per day, then a manual machine might be the best choice. The idea here is to know exactly how many packages you will need per day. This will help you decide on the number of packages to fill per minute. If you fill less than 2,000 containers per day, then the semi-automatic filling and packaging machine might just be what you need. The best thing is that you will find a machine suited for any need you may have. Some machines such as the Accupak Filling Equipment can be adjusted to suit your needs.

What type of pump will be required?

When dealing with liquid products, you have to think about the pump. The pump is the heart of the filling machine. You should not just consider capacity but also the compatibility of the pump with the product you will be pumping. Know how the liquid product behaves under pressure. Will the characteristics change when pumped? You have to think of accuracy, velocity, backpressure, suction height, particle size, temperature, sanitation needs, foam generation as well as chemical compatibility. The machine should have a pump designed for the type of product you are working with.

What are the plant environments?

Another important thing you have to consider is whether the machine meets the operations and plant environment considerations. For example, if the products you are working with are corrosive or explosive, you have to meet certain insurance, electrical and local safety requirements. Filling machines in sanitary plant locations need to be washed and wetted constantly and must also be sealed appropriately.

When deciding on the filling machine to use, you have to think of the products you will be working with, nature and sophistication of your plant and the volume. At the end of the day, you have to consider your budget. How much money do you want to spend in both purchasing the product and in maintenance? The filling machine you purchase has to be within your budget.