Pharmaceutical and Medical Packaging News Magazine
PMPN Article Index

Originally Published February 1998

PRODUCT UPDATE

Fulfilling Fillers

Today's fillers operate quickly and accurately to help operators expedite packaging.

Whether fillers are dispensing powders, liquids, creams, or pastes, they need to perform accurately, consistently, and efficiently. Many of today's models operate at speeds as high as several hundred units per minute, enabling companies to get their products to the market as quickly as possible.

To ensure dispensing accuracy, fillers are often equipped with mechanisms that monitor fill weight and alert operators to any failures. For instance, many fillers feature electronic weight verification systems and built-in diagnostics.

To help engineers create efficient, seamless packaging lines, many fillers can be supplied with conveyors, laminar-flow hoods, and stoppering, crimping, capping, and overcapping mechanisms. Some units are even outfitted for use with vertical form, fill, and seal equipment.

A monoblock, continuous-motion liquid filler features a cantilever construction that keeps product areas separate from mechanical parts. Capable of an output speed of up to 150 bottles per minute, the ML651 has a reciprocating walking beam to achieve higher speeds and filling precision using in-line technology. It is equipped with adjustable pumps that perform volumetric filling. Movements are controlled by brushless motors, which are controlled by a PC. Marchesini Packaging Machinery, Fairfield, NJ.

An automatic tube filler and sealer uses mechanically driven piston pumps and special nozzles to dispense liquids, creams, and semiviscous pastes. Model T-60 incorporates an intermittent-motion, cam-driven filler and sealer with a single-station rotary indexing table and PLC. Loading tubes automatically from a cassette, the machine can process tubes in sizes up to 2 in. in diam and 10 in. long at speeds up to 60 pieces per minute. Interchangeable sealing units are available for metal, plastic, and laminate tubes. Prodo-Pak Corp., Garfield, NJ.

High-accuracy liquid fillers and cappers feature electronic weight-control systems that monitor each filling station and automatically make adjustments to compensate for variations in the final filling weights. The net weight system provides statistical process reports showing global average and standard deviation for the machines; average and standard deviation for each filling head; as well as the tare, net weight, and fill time for each filling head. Operating at speeds up to 600 containers per minute, the machines combine two methods of filling—continuous and periodic net weight filling. Quick changeover of container sizes can be accomplished without tools, and the clean-in-place system is designed to reduce product changeover time. Serac Inc., Chicago, IL.

A filler handles free-flowing or viscous liquids, suspensions, emulsions, and products with minute particles. The Filltronic can dispense such products into plastic, glass, and metal containers ranging in capacity from a few milliliters up to 20 L. The microprocessor-controlled unit has built-in diagnostics and up to 128 instant recall memories for fast setup. Sanitary stainless-steel gear pumps carry product from the reservoir through stainless-steel, shutoff nozzles to the containers. A motorized nozzle lift system with a pneumatic assist mechanism controls the nozzles as they enter the containers by gravity. Kalish, a member of DT Industries Packaging Group, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Tube filling and closing systems are designed to handle metal, plastic, polyfoil, and laminate packaging at speeds ranging from 30 to 200 tubes per minute. Designed in accordance with GMPs, the systems offer quick product and tube size changeover. External machine parts can be supplied in either stainless steel or nontoxic nickel for easy maintenance. Romaco Inc., Morris Plains, NJ.

An auger filler can dispense virtually any powder, granular, cream, paste, or liquid product. Equipped with a microprocessor control, the B-250 is suited for vertical form, fill, and seal applications. Standard features include stainless-steel product-contact points, automatic coast compensation, auger jam protection, 200-count optical encoder, cutoff monitoring and failure notification, three-step pulley for three available fill speeds, and programmable fill signal operation for use with vertical form, fill, and seal equipment. The filler has fill time or auger revolution dispensing control and true solid-state clutch and brake control. All-Fill Inc., Exton, PA.

A syringe assembly and filling machine is suitable for automating semiautomatic processes. Capable of maintaining demanding tolerances, the unit can produce filled syringes at a rate of 1 piece/sec. Automated Production Systems Corp., New Freedom, PA.

A supplier of fillers offers a line of capsule filling machinery. Models include the Chin Yi automatic filler, which currently holds 90% of the market share in Taiwan, and the Quali-Fill Model 10. The company's Indiana location provides parts and service for the fillers. Schaefer Technologies Inc., Indianapolis, IN.

An automatic liquid filling, stoppering, and aluminum sealing system is designed for pharmaceutical, biological, and diagnostic uses. Operating at speeds of up to 70 vials per minute, Model FSAS4-12H features a two-star wheel design that allows operators to isolate specific functions as needed. Filling and stoppering take place on the first star wheel, and aluminum sealing on the second. The unit can be supplied with a sanitary conveyor, a three-unit laminar flow hood, a servo-controlled ceramic piston filler, and vacuum/gas back flush stoppering mechanisms. Chase-Logeman Corp., Greensboro, NC.

Tube packaging lines perform filling, closing, and capping. The equipment can handle aluminum, polyethylene, polypropylene, laminate, and polyfoil tubes. Specific models include the Tubefiller Dosing Unit C115, a small and economical unit designed for the pharmaceutical industry that can output up to 25 tubes per minute and also fill bottles and jars. Also available is the Tubefiller C150, a universal machine that can output up to 90 tubes per minute and is designed for closing aluminum, polyethylene, polypropylene, laminate, and polyfoil tubes without requiring a change of mechanical parts. MG America Inc., Fairfield, NJ.

An automatic filling and closing machine can process syringes, vials, and various uniquely shaped containers at speeds up to 200 pieces per minute. The GFVA 4000 can be configured to operate with rotary piston pump, pump insertion, stoppering, crimping, capping, and overcapping mechanisms. All stations can be remotely monitored for eject or reject. Other features include a remote electrical components cabinet, central lubrication, and an LCD control panel. Modular King Packaging Systems Inc., Pine Brook, NJ.

FILLERS SOURCE LIST

• Automated Production Systems Corp., New Freedom, PA
  
• Chase-Logeman Corp., Greensboro, NC
  
• Kalish, a member of DT Industries Packaging
  
• Group, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
  
• Marchesini Packaging Machinery, Fairfield, NJ
  
• MG America Inc., Fairfield, NJ
  
• Modular King Packaging Systems Inc.,
  
• Pine Brook, NJ
  
• Prodo-Pak Corp., Garfield, NJ
  
• Romaco Inc., Morris Plains, NJ
  
• Schaefer Technologies Inc., Indianapolis, IN
  
• Serac Inc., Chicago, IL