Definition and Basic Structure
The paste heat-insulating filling machine is a kind of equipment specially used for filling paste materials and equipped with a heat-insulating function. It mainly consists of the material storage part (hopper), the conveying mechanism, the filling mechanism, the control system and the heat-insulating system, etc.
The hopper is used to store paste materials, and its capacity size is determined according to the production requirements. The conveying mechanism is usually a conveyor belt, which is responsible for conveying the containers to be filled (such as bottles, cans, etc.) to the specified filling positions. The filling mechanism includes the filling head and the driving device, which are used to accurately inject the paste materials into the containers. The control system is the "brain" of the equipment, coordinating the actions of each part, such as controlling the filling volume, the conveying speed, etc. The heat-insulating system usually installs heating devices and temperature sensors around the hopper to maintain the appropriate temperature of the materials.
Details of the Working Process
Feeding Stage: The paste materials are added into the hopper through manual or automated loading methods. During this process, if the paste has a certain viscosity, the shape and the inner wall material of the hopper should ensure that the materials can flow smoothly to the bottom, avoiding the situation where the materials pile up in the corners of the hopper and cannot flow.
Container Conveying Stage: Empty containers are placed at the starting end of the conveyor belt, and the conveyor belt conveys the containers to the filling positions at a certain speed. When approaching the filling positions, there will be positioning detection devices (such as photoelectric sensors) to accurately determine the positions of the containers, ensuring that the filling heads can be accurately inserted into the container mouths. For example, in some high-speed filling production lines, the speed of the conveyor belt can be adjusted according to the production rhythm, and the precision of the positioning detection can reach the millimeter level.
Filling Stage: When the containers are in place, the filling heads are accurately inserted into the container mouths under the action of the driving devices (such as air cylinders or servo motors). Then, the pumps (such as rotor pumps) in the filling mechanism start to work, conveying the paste materials in the hopper to the filling heads through pipes and then injecting them into the containers. During this process, the rotation speed and the running time of the pumps determine the filling volume. Taking the servo rotor pump as an example, it can achieve high-precision filling by precisely controlling the rotation speed and the running time of the motor. For example, for some cosmetic pastes that require precise filling volumes, the filling accuracy can be controlled within ±0.2%.
Completion and Cycling Stage: When the filling volume reaches the set value, the filling heads stop injecting, and then are pulled out from the container mouths under the action of the driving devices. The conveyor belt then conveys the already filled containers to the next process (such as sealing, labeling, etc.), while new empty containers are conveyed over for the next round of filling, repeating this cycle.
Importance and Implementation Methods of the Heat-insulating Function
Importance: For many paste materials, such as chocolate sauce, ointment, etc., temperature has a great impact on their fluidity. If the temperature is too low, the paste may become viscous or even solidify, which will lead to difficulties in filling, affecting the filling speed and accuracy, and may also damage the filling equipment. For example, chocolate sauce becomes very thick when the temperature is low and it is difficult to flow out smoothly from the filling head.
Implementation Methods: The heat-insulating system usually wraps heating elements, such as heating wires or heating plates, on the outside of the hopper. Temperature sensors are installed inside the hopper to monitor the temperature of the materials in real time. When the temperature is lower than the set value, the control system will start the heating elements to heat the materials. Moreover, the heat-insulating system can set the upper and lower temperature limits to keep the material temperature within a suitable range to ensure its good fluidity. For example, the heat-insulating temperature of some food pastes is set between 30 - 40°C.
Application Industries and Advantages
Application Industries:
Food Industry: It is used for filling various sauces such as jam, peanut butter, meat sauce, etc., as well as filling paste-like foods such as cream, cheese, etc. These foods not only require precise filling volumes to ensure product quality, but also need appropriate temperatures to maintain their good taste and quality.
Pharmaceutical Industry: It is used for filling drugs such as ointment, cream, etc. The filling accuracy of drugs is required to be extremely high, and the quality and stability of drugs are also closely related to the filling environment (including temperature).
Daily Chemical Industry: It is used for filling products such as toothpaste, face cream, hand cream, etc. The paste textures of these products are diverse, some are relatively thin, and some are relatively thick. The filling machine needs to be able to adapt to different material characteristics and ensure the appearance and quality of the products.
Advantages:
Improve Production Efficiency: The automated filling and conveying process can quickly complete the filling of a large number of containers, which can greatly increase the speed compared with manual filling. For example, an advanced paste heat-insulating filling machine can fill thousands of containers per hour.
Ensure Product Quality: High-precision filling volume control and the heat-insulating function can ensure the stability of product quality. The filling volume of the product is accurate, there will be no overfilling or underfilling situations, and the temperature of the materials is appropriate, ensuring the consistency of the product.
High Compliance with Hygiene Standards: The design of the equipment usually takes into account the hygiene requirements, and the parts in contact with the materials can be easily cleaned and disinfected, which is especially important for the food and pharmaceutical industries to prevent cross-contamination.
