The six main liquid filling principles
| Type | How it doses | Viscosity | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Piston | Cylinder stroke sets the volume | Water to thick pastes | Sauces, creams, honey, lotions |
| Peristaltic | Rollers squeeze a tube | Thin to medium | Small vials, perfume, reagents, eye drops |
| Pump (gear, lobe) | Pump runs a set time or counted pulses | Thin to thick | Oils, syrups, detergents |
| Gravity / time-pressure | Valve opens for a set time | Thin, consistent | Water, solvents, wine |
| Overflow (level) | Fills to a height, excess returns | Thin, foamy | Clear bottles on shelf: water, cleaners |
| Net weight | Load cell weighs each fill | Any | Edible oil, large containers, high-value liquids |
Volumetric vs weight filling
Volumetric fillers (piston, peristaltic, pump) are fast and simple; accuracy depends on stable density and temperature. Weight fillers compensate for density changes and are preferred for 5–30 L pails and expensive liquids. Our DT30 pail & bucket filling and capping machine (5–30 L) uses servo tracking for 5–30 L pails.
Level filling — when it is (and is not) the right choice
Overflow fillers make clear bottles look identical on the shelf, but the volume varies with bottle tolerances. For products sold by volume or weight in opaque containers, choose volumetric or weight filling.
Which machines use which principle
- Small-bottle monoblocks such as the Y4 four-nozzle liquid filling & capping machine: precision pumps for 2–150 ml.
- Paste fillers such as the Piston & rotor-pump filler for honey, sauce and cream: piston or rotor pump.
- High-speed oral liquid: Rotary tracking filling & capping machine for oral liquid with 16 tracking heads.
More: piston filling machines and choosing by viscosity.
Questions and answers
What is the most accurate type of liquid filling machine?
Net-weight filling is the most accurate for variable-density products; servo piston and peristaltic fillers are very accurate for consistent liquids.
What is a gravity filler?
A filler that opens a valve for a set time and lets thin liquid flow into the container by gravity.
When should I use an overflow filler?
When clear bottles must all show the same fill level on the shelf, for thin or foamy liquids.
Which filler is best for thick liquids?
A piston or rotor/lobe pump filler, because they push viscous product positively.
Related buying guides
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