If you manufacture products that are packaged in metal or plastic tubes, it's safe to assume that you know a thing or two about tube filling services.  As industries become more competitive, the need to keep costs low while streamlining productivity has never been more important.  As many businesses and manufactures are discovering, one of the most efficient and cost-effective ways to accomplish both tasks, is to fill their tubes in-house.

Kinsun supply professional and honest service.

In this article we're going to take a look at some of the advantages associated with purchasing a tube filling machine for in-house production.

Faster Production Times

One of the most notable benefits of buying your own tube-filling machine, is the time you'll save compared to outsourcing.  And while there's absolutely nothing wrong with going the outsource route, growing companies often find themselves in need of far more expedited turnaround times.  Outsourcing requires planning, conversations, transport and delivery time, and a wide range of other unforeseen variables.  When you fill your tubes in-house, you have the freedom to focus exclusively on the batch at hand, while going straight from production to packaging and working directly with your staff. We recommend looking into the TFS-80 Tube Filling Machine.

Substantial Cost Savings

Like any service, outsourcing the filling of your plastic or metal tubes is an expense.  Regardless of what sort of rate you're getting, you're still paying for the tube fillers' labor time, equipment use, expertise, batch management and quality control/assurance services.  When you bring production under your own roof, these expenses can be significantly reduced both in the short and long run.  And while having your staff oversee production isn't free, per se, it can most definitely offset the costs associated with outsourcing every batch you have filled in the foreseeable future.

Greater Control Over Batch Productions

Since we can only speak for ourselves, we at The Whole Package can say with total certainty that we're meticulous when it comes to batch integrity, volumes, overages, and other essential quality standards.  But that doesn't mean that every tube filling company shares our integrity.  Any time you entrust your goods with a filling service, you're essentially taking them at their word.  If safety, potency and purity are high on your list of concerns, an in-house tube fill setup may be a wise option.

In addition to the savings in time and production, you'll also be able to oversee each step of the production process; thus giving you absolute assurance that your goods are being manufactured according to your specific quality standards and instructions.

Tube Filling Machines Offer Excellent ROI

From our experience, we've seen manufacturers recoup their tube-fill machine investments in as little as a matter of months, depending on the specific type of product and volumes produced.  Much of this can be attributed to their ability to fill at their own pace, while also being able to bring more product to shelves faster and more efficiently.

Step by Step To The Best Filling Machine Solution

Each packaging project is unique, and no single, standard filling machine will work for every project out there. Choosing the best filling machines and equipment for your own project will ensure not only consistent fills but also a reliable and efficient process that saves time, money and energy.

Step 1 - Analyze Your Products

Different types of filling machines use different fill principles. Some will fill to a certain level, while others will fill based on weight or volume. Viscosity will play a role in selecting the best filling machine as well. Certain fillers, such as gravity or overflow machines, work well with low viscosity products. Other machine may be necessary, such as piston or pump fillers, when viscosity is high. Do products require the filling process be sanitary? Is a mixer or agitator required to keep particulates from settling? Analyzing the products will help to determine the best fill type as well as the necessary features that may be required for the best performance of the machine.

Are you interested in learning more about Automatic Filling Machine? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!

Step 2 - Determine How Many Bottles Per Minute Are Necessary

In other words, what speeds must be achieved by the liquid filler. Looking at orders, as well as how much production time is allotted, many in the industry will use an equation to determine the number of bottles per minute needed to achieve production goals. If a company needs to fill 10,000 bottles per day over an 8 hour period, they will need to reach speeds of right around 20 bottles per minute ( bottles divided by 8 hours = bottles per hour, divided by 60 minutes = 20.8 bottles per minute). Filling machines can be designed as simple, operator assisted tabletop equipment, continuously filling fully automatic machinery or anything in between. Figuring out the bottles per minute for any project, based on production time, will help to determine the level of automation necessary to achieve the desired goals.

Step 3 - Analyze Expected Future Growth

Similar to the second step above, future growth should be analyzed to ensure that the filling machines and other equipment will not quickly be outgrown by production demand. If a company begins bottling at 20 bottles per minute, but knows that they have contracts coming down the line that will require them to triple production, a filling machine that tops out at 20 bottles per minute simply does not make economical sense, as it will quickly be outgrown. In addition, many liquid fillers can be designed and built to allow for upgrades in the future, which is especially useful when growth is expected or desired but contracts may not currently be in place. For example, a four head filler may be upgradeable to sixteen heads in the future, meaning that instead of buying new equipment when product demand increases, a packager can simply add more heads to the existing filler! Planning for growth can actually save money on packaging machinery down the line.

Step 4 - Choose Your Containers

Container shapes and sizes will not typically affect the fill principle or type of machine to be used for a project. However, knowing all of the containers - from small to large and narrow to wide - can definitely help with the design. If heads dive, the dive will have to accommodate different heights. Tall bottles may require stabilizing components such as neck grabbers. Wide bottles could lead to modification of the fill bar to ensure the proper number of containers can fit in to the fill area. Choosing the containers allows the bottle filler to be hand tailored to the project and custom designed to the packagers needs.

Step 5 - Analyze Your Space Before Purchasing

Line layouts can show a packager exactly where the machinery will be placed and the space that it will require. An automatic filling machine with a 12 foot conveyor simply is not a good choice to place in a 10 x 10 room that must also include space for capping, labeling and packing product. Though a lack of space can be a limitation, tabletop, semi-automatic or custom machinery can always be designed to reach intended goals. Analyzing space and preparing a line layout will ensure that the project remains as efficient as possible in the space available.

Again, each packaging project is unique, and other factors may exist that will assist in the choosing of the best filling solution. However, the analysis of the factors above will almost always help to identify the best fill principle, level of automation and necessary components to be used for any given project and Liquid Packaging Solutions Representatives are always willing and able to help with such an analysis.