How does a piston filling machine work?

Filling machines have become a necessity in the filling industry. No business can progress without one. They are extremely versatile and there are a lot of different ones depending on your needs and the product you produce. One of those machines is a piston filling machine. If you are in the filling industry, and you are looking for a filling machine to bring your business to the next level, we will help you do just that. Today we are going to go over what piston filling machines are, how they operate, and whether you need one or not. So, without any more delay, here is everything you need to know about piston filling machines.

What is a Piston Filling Machine?

Piston filling machines are a type of filling machines that are used when there is a need for an accurate volumetric fill as they are designed for that. Additionally, piston filling machines are very versatile when it comes to different products. It can work with both thin as well as thick products without an issue. Furthermore, these machines can also work with products that have larger particulates or even some chunks, for example, tomato paste, soaps, or even salad dressing. When it comes to automation levels, these machines will not let you down. Piston filling machines can be manufactured both fully automatic as well as semi-automatic, all according to your needs and business requirements. So, no matter which level your business is on, a piston filling machine can be easily integrated into your production line.

The Principle behind the Piston Filling Machine

Here is everything you need to know regarding how the piston filling machines work.

Application and Advantages

Piston filling machines are designed to be used for the filling of a specific product. These are the products that have high viscosity and can include products that are semi-paste, paste or even chunky with large particulates. For example, they include salad dressings, salsas, heavy sauces, and many more. Furthermore, these machines are designed to put out a quality and safe product. So, when it comes to the food industry, you can expect your product to meet the food grade standards without any issues. Additionally, piston fillers are also capable of filling chemical products as well. These include gels, cosmetic creams, heavy shampoos, conditioners, adhesives, waxes and paste cleaners, lubricants and heavy oils. This all contributes to the overall lower costs that these machines bring to your business. Also, these liquid fillers are very easy to figure out meaning your staff will not have any problems operating them.

How it Works

What determines the volume of each fill that the machine completes is the inside of the cylinder of the piston filler as well as the length of the stroke. With this, you can control the amount of product that can pass through the cylinder. For example, the size of the cylinder directly corresponds to the amount of product that can pass through with a single stroke of the piston. This way, you can easily adjust the amount to your needs by simply changing the stroke length of the piston. You can do this as easy as turning a wheel which will either lengthen or shorten the stroke of the cylinder. With the retracting of the piston, the product is pulled from the supply tank into the cylinder. When the piston is retracted completely or to the desired amount, it will force the product to the filling heads by returning to the cylinder.

The amount of product being pulled from the tank into the cylinder is always the same, making the machine fast and reliable. If you want to be sure completely that the piston always retracts to the same desired position, you can use proximity switches.

What to Look Out For

Before you go and buy a piston filling machine, there is a bit of research and thinking you need to do. First of all, you should know beforehand what type of product you will be working with. As we mentioned, there are different filling machines that work with different products. For example, you have machines that specifically work with low-viscosity liquids which will not work with a solid product. So, determining the type of product you will be working with is crucial so you know which machine to get. Additionally, it is important to know if you will be working with carbonated products. These products require specific machines that can work with them and the specific containers that go with them. If you get the wrong machine for your product it is going to be completely useless and there is no going around it. So, do the research, and find out which machine works best for your product before you go and get one for yourself. Without doing so, you will just be wasting precious funds on machinery that is completely useless for you.