Automatic bottle filling and capping monobloc for PET, HDPE, and glass bottles, ensuring efficient and precise filling with secure capping in a single system.

DESCRIPTION

The BFCM is an automatic rotary bottle filling and capping monobloc designed for liquid and viscous food and non-food products in PET, HDPE and PP bottles. It is particularly well suited to dairy products and beverages, including milk, drinking yoghurt, kefir, ayran, juice and smoothies.

The BFCM uses two volumetric piston filling stations to accommodate different product viscosities and filling requirements. The filling nozzles enter the bottles during dosing to reduce foaming and splashing. The integrated cap feeding and placement unit supplies and positions plastic screw caps for the capping station.

The BFCM fills volumes from 250 to 1,000 ml at speeds of up to 1,000 bottles/hour. An optional bottle rinsing unit can rinse empty bottles with reverse osmosis (RO) or ozonated water before filling. The BFCM can operate as a standalone filling and capping machine or form part of a complete bottle packaging line.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Packaging type Bottle
Product Liquid and viscous products (food or non-food applications)
Filling volume 250–1,000 ml
Bottle material PET, HDPE, PP
Number of filling heads 2
Number of capping heads 1
Speed*, max. Up to 1,000 bottles/hour
Product-contact parts Stainless steel AISI 304
Compressed air consumption 300 l/min at 6 bar
Electrical supply 400 V, 50 Hz
Installed power 2.5 kW
Dimensions (L × W × H), max. 3,700 × 3,600 × 2,700 mm
Weight, max. 800 kg

*Production speed depends on the filling volume, product characteristics, bottle dimensions, and the quality and consistency of the packaging materials.

OPERATING PRINCIPLE

The BFCM operates on an intermittent rotary indexing system. The indexing turret transfers the bottles through the detection, filling and capping stations, with each station performing a defined operation during the packaging cycle. Two volumetric piston fillers divide the preset product volume between two filling stages before the filled bottles move to the cap placement and capping stations.

OPERATING SEQUENCE

STATION OPERATION
1 Bottle transfer. Empty bottles are transferred from the infeed conveyor onto the indexing turret, which positions them for the subsequent packaging operations.
2 Bottle detection. A sensor verifies the presence of each bottle before filling. If no bottle is detected, the filling cycle for that position is skipped to prevent product loss.
3 (optional) Customised process station. This station remains available for customised solutions according to the packaging specification. Additional processing or handling equipment can be incorporated where required.
4 Primary filling. The first volumetric piston filler dispenses 70% of the preset product volume at a higher filling speed, quickly bringing the product level to the main filling stage.
5 Secondary filling. The second volumetric piston filler dispenses the remaining 30% at a lower filling speed. This gentler final filling stage helps reduce foaming while maintaining the same overall filling cycle time.
6 Cap placement. The automatic cap feeding and placement unit orients the plastic screw caps and positions them onto the filled bottles before capping.
7 Capping. The standard servo-driven capping unit screws the caps onto the bottles. A magnetic clutch capping head can be supplied as an optional alternative.
8 Filled bottle discharge. The indexing turret transfers the filled and capped bottles onto the outfeed conveyor for further handling, inspection or secondary packaging.

OPERATOR RESPONSIBILITIES

The BFCM automatic bottle filling and capping monobloc requires limited operator intervention during production. The operator is primarily responsible for monitoring the machine, maintaining the supply of bottles and caps, and checking the filling and capping process. Typical operator responsibilities include:

  • Monitoring machine status, operating parameters and alarms via the touchscreen HMI.
  • Maintaining a continuous supply of bottles to the infeed conveyor or, optionally, to the rotary infeed table for empty bottles.
  • Replenishing the cap hopper to maintain a continuous supply of plastic screw caps to the cap placement unit.
  • Monitoring the product supply and balance tank level during production. The product feed pump operates automatically according to the balance tank level sensor.
  • Verifying fill accuracy, cap placement and overall product quality through routine checks.
  • Removing incorrectly filled, incorrectly capped or rejected bottles, where applicable.
  • Performing routine cleaning, sanitisation and format changeovers in accordance with site SOPs and the production schedule.

TYPICAL APPLICATIONS

The BFCM can fill a wide range of liquid and viscous products using its standard volumetric piston filling system. Filling parameters and dosing configuration can be selected according to product viscosity, foaming behaviour and filling requirements.

PRODUCT APPLICATIONS

INDUSTRY TYPICAL PRODUCTS
Dairy & Beverages Milk, Drinking Yoghurt, Kefir, Ayran, Flavoured Milk, Juice, Iced Tea, Cold Coffee, Smoothies
Sauces & Dressings Ketchup, Mayonnaise, Salad Dressing, Tomato Sauce, Mustard, Marinade, Soy Sauce, Chilli Sauce
Syrups & Toppings Honey, Corn Syrup, Chocolate Sauce, Caramel Sauce
Edible Oils Olive Oil, Sunflower Oil, Rapeseed Oil, Soybean Oil, Avocado Oil, Almond Oil
Personal Care Shampoo, Conditioner, Liquid Soap, Shower Gel, Body Lotion, Hand Wash, Hand Sanitiser
Household Chemicals Laundry Detergent, Fabric Softener, Washing-up Liquid, Surface Cleaner

CONFIGURATION OPTIONS

The BFCM can be configured according to the product, bottle format and production requirements. Optional equipment covers filling system upgrades, product supply and preparation, bottle handling, capping, hygiene and integration with upstream and downstream packaging equipment.

OPTIONAL MODULES

EQUIPMENT DESCRIPTION
Product-Contact Parts in AISI 316L Filling system and all product-contact parts manufactured from AISI 316L stainless steel for improved hygiene and corrosion resistance.
Servo-Driven Volumetric Piston Filling System Provides precise control of piston movement and filling speed, allowing the filling profile to be adjusted to the product characteristics and filling requirements.
Product Feed Pump Automatically transfers product to the balance tank. Pump type is selected according to the product characteristics and required flow rate, such as a sanitary centrifugal or lobe pump.
Filling System for Products with Particles Modified filling system with enlarged product passages for products containing fruit pieces and other food particles.
Heated Balance Tank Maintains the required product temperature during filling of hot-filled or temperature-sensitive products.
Bottle Rinsing Machine Rinses empty bottles with reverse osmosis (RO) or ozonated water before filling.
UV-C Bottle Treatment Reduces microbial contamination on the inner bottle surface before filling using UV-C irradiation.
Infeed Rotary Table for Empty Bottles Provides an alternative method for manual loading of empty bottles before they enter the filling and capping monobloc.
Magnetic Clutch Capping Head Provides an alternative capping system to the standard servo-driven capping unit for applying plastic screw caps.
Inkjet Date Coding Prints production dates, expiry dates, batch numbers and other variable information directly onto the finished bottle.
Extended Infeed and Outfeed Conveyor Provides additional conveyor length for bottle accumulation and integration with upstream or downstream packaging equipment.
Outfeed Rotary Collection Table Accumulates finished bottles for manual collection or transfer to secondary packaging operations.
Stand-Alone CIP Unit Provides automatic cleaning of the complete product path using pre-programmed Cleaning-in-Place (CIP) cycles.
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