Which filling equipment is suitable for powder products?

Businesses with specialized equipment needs often encounter challenges with powder product filling equipment. Filling solutions must meet accuracy, efficiency and maintenance goals to achieve a return on investment. Any business looking for high-quality filling equipment needs the right filling type and machine design to meet customer expectations and financial goals.

Type of Filling Equipment

Take some time to evaluate product consistency and performance between filling equipment types. Some of the most common types of filling equipment used in powder product packaging​ include:

1. Net weight filler.

Any filling machine that weighs commodities before filling is a net weight filling machine. These semi-automatic or automatic filling machines can handle heavy powder and granular products and can counteract the inconsistency of irregularly shaped granules. Net weight fillers may not provide the consistency companies expect from fine powder products, and these systems may run slower than auger and cup fillers.

2. Volumetric fillers

Volumetric cup fillers release product from the bottom of the cup funnel in uniform increments. They are fast, accurate and relatively inexpensive to operate. Cup fillers are not suitable for non-free-flowing powders.

3. Automatic vertical form fill seal machine.

These popular machines combine three packaging steps. Automatic vertical form-fill-seal machines can reduce steps, but companies must choose them based on the amount of powder product they need to fill. The bigger the package, the bigger the machine. The cost-effective vertical form-fill-seal machine maximizes processes for powder products that require the highest level of automation.

4. Capsule filling machine.

Companies use capsule filling machines for small scale and pharmaceutical filling activities. These machines can only handle small powder fills at a time and do not offer scalable options. Capsule filling machines are among the most limited in use on the market today.

5. Auger Filling Machine.

The auger type Filling Machine is one of the most widely used filling machines, featuring a vertically rotating auger that moves continuously to release the right amount of powder into the package. Powder filling in each pack remains consistent because the auger rotates at a consistent speed.

Augers are versatile filling machines, so many product manufacturers use them for their filling needs for fine powders and granules. Semi-automatic machines give operators greater control over each filling cycle and use volume- or weight-based filling limits. On the other hand, automatic augers work independently and obey compression and vibration filling limits.

Those looking for a suitable filling solution must consider product characteristics, product requirements and maintenance considerations. Each powder-guided filling machine listed can accommodate powders and granules with different properties. Some of the most versatile filling machines are semi-automatic and automatic screw filling machines. They can handle a range of powder filling needs, including fines and larger granules. Screw fillers are set up to capture air quality fine particles and use several different measurements to provide companies with accurate fill measurements.

For others, net weight fillers may provide the best results.

In each case, discuss your needs with the equipment manufacturer and consider working with a custom manufacturing packaging company to modify or create a powder filling machine designed to meet the unique needs of your business.