Dependably effective

While high speed fillers grab all the headlines with multi-million pound installations, greater speeds and state-of-the art innovations, the humble in-line filler continues to be the workhorse for most of the liquid cosmetics, creams, medicines, sauces and many other liquid foods we see on the supermarket shelves.

Indeed with the number of small companies now making toiletries, soups, sauces and even alcoholic beverages at an almost domestic level, the need for even the most simple, bench mounted or semi-automatic models appears to have revived.

However the number of different filling formats can often be baffling to the would-be buyer, as each has its merits and disadvantages. Some are suited to aqueous liquid, others to viscous or sticky products, and still others for foaming mixtures or those with acidic properties.

Ideal technique?

Some years ago Martin Keay, an eminent packaging consultant and now principal at Ensure Consulting, undertook a review of the various methods available. The choice of machine depends very much on the type of product, size of fill, speed and other production criteria such as CIP/SIP.

So, he explained, level filling is the preferred option for the beverage sector; volumetric piston fillers where accuracy is required in filling a wide variety of liquids, from thin mixtures through to creams, pastes and particulates in suspension; while weigh filling options offer flexibility for filling both large and small volumes and are easy to clean.

The downsides of some of these formats include the slower speeds and amount of moving parts in a piston machine, and the complexity of the electronics and loadcells in a weigh filler.

At the time of Keay’s writing, the ‘new kid on the block’ was flowmeter technology, of which he said: “The potential versatility of flowmeters could lead to it becoming the dominant format in filling as it has fewer moving parts and less complexity”.

As things have turned out, flowmeters have not overtaken other filling formats. This has, to some extent, been for reasons of cost. But as Keay explains: “While they are able to handle a variety of products flowmeters are best suited to aqueous and uniform products. Mass flowmeters overcome this problem, but they have greater contact with the product, leading to more risk of contamination and longer cleaning processes.”

If a single product is being filled, the choice is usually straightforward. But if, as is increasingly required across all sectors, a wide range of products will pass through the machine, then the priority has to be decided on: automatic or semi-automatic? Speed or size of fill? Clean-down regimes or accuracy? Or is it a combination of some or all of these?

While most manufacturers of linear machines offer a flowmeter machine range, there seems to be a more limited market than for other formats. Yet flowmeter filling ensures that there are no pistons to clean, as the liquid is pumped directly into the container, not a volumetric cylinder, thus reducing changeover time and minimising the need for cleaning chemicals. The jury seems to be out on why such machines are not more popular. Certainly their inability to handle a greater variety of products is a key factor. Much of the innovation is in volumetric piston and aseptic machinery at present.

Flexibility and cleanability

Piston fillers have long been the machine of preference for use in many paste or cream product applications. Recently, L’Oréal, with its many well-known brands such as Garnier, Elsève, Lancôme and Biotherm, has started production using a Bosch Packaging Technology filling and capping line at its Beautycos International plant in Suzhou, China. The line consists of an FLK 7081 CIP Plus linear piston filling machine and a VRM 6041 D rotating servo capping machine as a dual unit. The line handles a variety of face cream products with an output level of 120 jars/min.

The filler achieves the required filling accuracy of 50ml dosing quantities for creams by using a ball manifold in combination with diaphragm valve technology. The FLK machine incorporates an integrated CIP (clean in place) system, which allows all parts of the 8-head filling machine to be exposed and immersed in a free-flowing, defined combination of water and air. The closed loop system meets hygienic requirements and microbiological standards with defined temperature-time profiles (for example 80°C over 10min). After cleaning, the machine is cooled and production can be resumed.

Beverages: aseptic solutions

Many of the major suppliers to the brewing and beverage sector now offer complete solutions to their clients, not just filling and capping. With increasing use of PET and the rise of aseptic filling for non-alcoholic drinks, there has been plenty of innovation.

From KHS, the new generation of Innosept Asbofill ABF aseptic, linear, volumetric filling machines can deliver output of 12,000 0.1 to 2 litre bottles/hour, depending on the machine and product. In addition, the machines will handle bottles with a 28mm neck, as well as the standard 38mm. This feature is particularly important for the fruit juice sector and is a popular size in Asia.

Innosept Asbofill ABF technology manages aseptic cold filling of non-carbonated non-alcoholic beverages using a dry sterilisation method. The markets being targeted are milk and yoghurt beverages, fruit juices, fruit juice beverages, sports drinks, near water beverages, tea and coffee. The sterilisation is carried out using hydrogen peroxide.

A major advantage, says KHS, is the very low sterile room volume required, which can be as small as 0.9m³ for the ABF 611 version. Another factor is the aseptic safety of the bottles, which are conveyed through the machine in just one holder. Risks that can occur with conventional switching from one carousel to another, as is the case in the rotary system, are eliminated.

Sidel has refined its aseptic Combi Predis FMa technology to meet the growing demand of aseptic filling of teas, juices, nectars and isotonics, it says. The new high speed version is capable of handling up to 48,000 bottles/hour for small containers of up to 700ml, used mainly for on-the-go consumption. The company believes it is the ideal solution for markets that require high output and for those countries where water resources are scarce.

The Predis is suitable for aseptic bottling of most beverages, whether low or high acid: fruit juices, teas, isotonic beverages, carbonated soft drinks without preservatives, liquid dairy products, UHT milk and soya milk. The technology replaces bottle rinsing by dry pre-form decontamination using hydrogen peroxide. It does not require any water and creates no effluent, saving 250m³ of water and 200 litres of chemicals used daily on a traditional aseptic bottling line. The decontamination process also cuts annual operating costs by 30% compared with traditional dry methods, claims Sidel.

It enables sterilisation of all types of preforms and caps and is available in different configurations. Since bottles are blown from decontaminated preforms, the empty bottle does not endure any thermal stress and can be given any shape and design. Energy savings can also be made, with a smaller footprint and the potential for lighter bottles. Quick and easy format and liquid changeovers are possible, as well as 120 hours of non-stop production.

Speed is the key

Romaco’s new Macofar LF 200 liquid filler features a compact linear configuration for filling liquid pharmaceuticals and cosmetics or nutraceuticals at high speed.

The machine’s maximum output is 12,000 bottles or vials/hour. Equating to 200 bottles/min at top capacity, the company says the LF 200 has been developed in response to customer demand for machines with quicker output.

Key features are accessibility and the compact, ergonomic design. This results in shorter retooling and cleaning times. The cGMP-compliant design, together with the servo-driven operation, offers reliable processing and consistent product quality. Additionally it has a variety of dosing systems and closure mechanisms which provide maximum flexibility for handling a wide range of products, containers and closures by incorporating volumetric pump solutions, either in stainless steel or ceramics.

An easily adjustable positive transport system, over a range of container dimensions, allows very fast size changeover, plus closure stations that handle a wide range of caps and under closures, rubber stopper, plastics or metal screw caps, PFPs, droppers, sprays and pipettes. The LF 200, which Romaco will be exhibiting during November at the Emballage 2012 show in Paris, will handle bottles 16-90mm in diameter and 35-200mm in height, with a filling volume of 0.5-500ml.

Choices

The in-line filling equipment market is now seeing a myriad of new suppliers of all types of machine from Asia and the Middle East. As there is no clear ‘winner’ in the search for a universally effective format for all liquid types and applications, it seems certain that each form of the technology will continue to have its supporters – and customer base – for some time to come.

From benchtop to automatic

A good example of how manufacturers are answering the need for modular, flexible solutions is the Response benchtop machine from UK-based Adelphi Masterfil. While the original version of the machine was introduced a decade ago, the company has, this year, introduced a twin-head version.

As well suited to chutney products as it is to high-end cosmetics, a single semi-automatic unit can fill containers ranging from 3ml to 1 litre, running at speeds of up to 70 fills/min. The twin-head is able to fill two different products simultaneously for some applications.

In a development earlier this year at Broad Oak Toiletries, the company has now installed a fourth Response machine to fill around 500 different SKUs – ranging from 5ml through to 1 litre, with products ranging from alcohol-based liquids to lotions and creams – into all kinds of containers. As a result, productivity has improved 70% and wastage reduced by 60%, according to Broad Oak.

Broad Oak is now considering investing in an automation system for its Responses. “The four fillers can be plugged into a detachable automatic base, creating a four-head fully automatic machine,” explains Dean Willis of Adelphi. “This gives complete user flexibility: you can have a four-head automatic one day if you’ve got a big order, and four semi-automatic fillers the next, for lower volumes.”