Why Partnering with a Manufacturer Offering Training Is Critical?

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Filling equipment is chosen from the product and the package, and the machine follows: viscosity, acidity and carbonation pick the filling principle before BPH does.
Key facts at a glance
What is includedFilling, capping, labelling and packing equipment
Sizing basisDemand in units per day, divided by productive hours and a production factor
Production factor0.65-0.85 depending on formats and changeovers
Key controlFill accuracy, closure integrity, changeover time
Key decisionOne flexible line or two dedicated lines
AcceptanceOutput, accuracy, closure and changeover, measured

How do you compare two quotations that look different?

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.

Where does a filling line lose output that the specification ignores?

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.

DecisionWhat it fixesWhat it does not fix
Filling principleProduct and accuracyDownstream capacity
Valve countRated BPHChangeover and CIP time
Automation levelLabour per shiftProduct quality
Line layoutFloor space and flowThroughput of the slowest station

For the same duty in another bottle format, the Gravity Filling Machine for Still Water is specified separately.

When should a plant buy two lines instead of one flexible line?

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.

How is automation level decided?

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.

How to read the numbers. Rated capacity in this note follows the product specification range, not a factory acceptance test. Rated capacity is a steady-state number; changeover and cleaning sit outside it, so size on 0.65-0.85.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between BPH and bottles per minute?

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.

Can a line be upgraded later?

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.

What drives the price of a filling line?

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.

How much production factor should I use for a new line?

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.

Key takeaways
  1. Fix the product and the package before the machine.
  2. The production factor is what the plant gets, not a discount.
  3. Anything not measured at acceptance becomes a later argument.
  4. Two quotes are comparable only when the specifications match.
About the author
Written by the Sunswell engineering team - led by Howie SUN, Founder & CEO, with 14 years in filling and blow-moulding equipment R&D and turnkey project delivery across 71+ countries.
Last reviewed: 2026-08-28 . Reviewed by Sunswell engineering team
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