| What is included | Filling, capping, labelling and packing equipment |
| Sizing basis | Demand in units per day, divided by productive hours and a production factor |
| Production factor | 0.65-0.85 depending on formats and changeovers |
| Key control | Fill accuracy, closure integrity, changeover time |
| Key decision | One flexible line or two dedicated lines |
| Acceptance | Output, accuracy, closure and changeover, measured |
Compare the lowest rated station, the changeover time, the CIP time and the consumable cost per 1,000 units. A lower price with a slower packer or a longer CIP is not a lower cost. Ask both suppliers for the same four numbers in writing.
Changeover, CIP, label roll changes and downstream stops. A line rated at 12,000 BPH and run with four formats and two changeovers per shift delivers closer to 8,000. The production factor is not a discount on the machine; it is what the plant actually gets.
| Decision | What it fixes | What it does not fix |
|---|---|---|
| Filling principle | Product and accuracy | Downstream capacity |
| Valve count | Rated BPH | Changeover and CIP time |
| Automation level | Labour per shift | Product quality |
| Line layout | Floor space and flow | Throughput of the slowest station |
For the same duty in another bottle format, the Gravity Filling Machine for Still Water is specified separately.
When the formats are far apart, or when one product cannot tolerate the cleaning regime of the other. A single flexible line carries changeover cost every day; two dedicated lines carry capital cost once. The crossover is usually visible in the annual changeover hours.
The Volumetric Filling Machine for Still Water is the reference unit for this configuration.
By the cost of the labour it replaces and the consistency it adds, not by the technology. A robot palletizer pays on three shifts with a stable pattern; it does not pay on one shift with five patterns. The same logic applies to inspection and packing.
The same question is worked through from another angle in How to Improve Bottling Line Efficiency with Automation.
BPH is bottles per hour; divide by 60 for bottles per minute. A 12,000 BPH line runs at 200 bottles per minute, and every downstream machine has to carry that rate.
Capacity is usually added by a second line or by a downstream upgrade, not by speeding up the filler. The filler, the capper and the packer are matched, so raising one alone moves the bottleneck.
Valve count, automation level, material of construction, whether blowing is included, and the packing format. Price follows the specification, so two quotes are only comparable when the specifications match.
Between 0.65 and 0.85. A single-format line on one shift sits near 0.85; a line with four formats and two changeovers per shift sits near 0.65.
Country:Kazakhstan
Product: PET Bottled Sparkling Water, Canned Soft Drink, Canned Tea
Capacity: 25000CPH (250ml)
Solution:Three Lines,7000BPH(1.5L), 15000CPH(330ml),15000CPH(450ml)