Packaging Terms Explained

Packaging Terms Explained



Filling and Dosing Machines

Packaging machines which measure out a product from bulk by some predetermined value, e.g. volume, level in a container, mass or count. The terms listed below describe the method of measuring out or dosing the product. The filling machine may comprise one or a number of dosing devices which may be arranged with or without a mechanism to control containers or packages as they are filled.

Volumetric Filling Machines

Volumetric Cup Filling Machine: A filling machine which measures out a product, usually free-flowing solids or powder, in a cup of predetermined volume.

Volumetric Piston Filling Machine: A filling machine which measures out a product, usually a liquid, paste or gas, using a reciprocating piston of predetermined volume.

Displacement Filling Machine: A filling machine which measures out a product, usually liquid, by displacing a predetermined volume of product with a loose fitting piston.

Aerosol Gassing Machine: A volumetric piston filling machine designed specifically to fill propellant gas into an aerosol or gas canister.

Rotating Chamber Filling Machine: A filling machine which measures out a product, usually a liquid, paste or gas, using a metering pump which operates for a predetermined number of cycles.

Flow Meter Filling Machine: A filling machine which measures out a product, usually a liquid, using a flow meter.

Auger Filling Machine: A filling machine which measures out a product, usually a powder, using an auger which rotates for a predetermined number of revolutions.

Level Filling Machines

Vacuum Filling Machine: A filling machine which fills a product, usually a liquid or powder, to a predetermined level in a rigid container, flow being initiated by applying a vacuum to the container.

Gravity Filling Machine A filling machine which fills a product, usually a liquid or powder, to a predetermined level in a container, the product flowing under gravity.

Pressure Filling Machine: A filling machine which fills a carbonated liquid product under gravity, to a predetermined level in a rigid container, with the product under pressure.

Timed Flow Filling Machines

Filling machine which measure out a product, usually a liquid or powder, by controlling the product flow duration to a predetermined value.

Gravimetric Filling Machines

Net Weighing Machine: A filling machine which measures out a predetermined mass of product, usually free-flowing solids, before dispensing it as a fill.

Selective Combination Weighing Machine: A net weighing machine with multiple weighing units, which computes an appropriate combination of loads to achieve the predetermined mass and discharges them together as a fill.

Gross Weighing Machine: A filling machine which measures out a predetermined mass of product, which may be liquid, powder, gas or solids, directly into the package, while it rests on a weighing instrument which controls the filling operation.

Count Filling Machines

Filling machines which measure out solids according to a predetermined count.