Buyer article
How FTPfill performs suction, dosing, and filling in a four-head system
We break down the operating sequence of FTPfill: four servo-driven piston pumps draw in and dose the product, the valve assembly directs it to the filling valves, and the filling heads synchronize with the movement of containers along the chain conveyor.
The decision this page helps you make
When evaluating an industrial thick-sauce dosing machine, it is important to look at more than just the number of heads. To select FTPfill, describe the product, container, and line interfaces in advance: these data determine the requirements for product supply, neck positioning, guides, filling nozzles, and integration with adjacent operations.
Buyer questions answered here
Why is it not always necessary to stop containers when filling thick sauces? With FTPfill, the chain conveyor continues moving the containers, while the filling heads synchronously follow their direction and speed. This reduces product oscillation and splashing that may occur during repeated stops and starts.
How do four piston pumps form the dose? Each pump draws in the product, doses it, and then delivers it. The servo drive controls the rotational speed and number of revolutions, thereby defining the piston movement within the operating cycle.
Why is a three-way rotary valve needed? In the overall cycle sequence, it switches the flow between product intake by the piston unit and delivery to the filling valve. The exact connection scheme is checked when coordinating the specific line.
What data should be prepared for project discussions? Information is needed about the product, the type and geometry of the container, the required movement logic along the line, and the interfaces of adjacent equipment. The neck position, clamp and guide adjustment, and the method for cleaning the product circuit should also be discussed separately.
Why thick products need tracked filling
With positional filling, a bottle or can stops at the dosing machine and then starts again. For thick sauce, these transitions can cause inertial product movement: the surface oscillates, splashes appear, and the risk of unstable filling increases.
FTPfill is built on a different principle. The containers move along the chain conveyor, while the four filling heads move in the same direction and synchronize with the container speed. Filling is performed without requiring the containers to stop at the filling position.
Step 1. Four pumps: from intake to dose
The operating sequence begins with product supply to a U-shaped hopper. A level sensor sends the system information about the fill status and controls the feed pump shutdown when necessary to control the supply.
The product then moves to four separate piston pumps. Each pump performs three related operations: it draws in the product, forms the dose, and pushes it toward the filling circuit. Therefore, the piston doser here is not a separate manual unit but part of a single continuous filling sequence.
Step 2. The valve assembly directs the product to the nozzle
The servo drive of each piston pump controls the rotational speed and number of revolutions. This defines the piston movement and links the working-cycle volume to the system control command. The equipment also includes separate servo drives for the horizontal movement of the filling heads, the height of the overall frame, and the chain conveyor.
The three-way rotary valve participates in switching the product flow. During intake, it provides the required circuit configuration for filling the dosing chamber; after dosing is complete, the circuit is switched to deliver the product to the filling valve.
The filling valve completes this part of the process: the product is directed from the dosing circuit through the filling nozzle into the container. Specific settings and the connection scheme must be checked against the product, container, and line configuration rather than inferred from the general name of the unit.
Step 3. The head follows the container
While the dose is being delivered, the filling head moves together with the container. Container clamps and adjustable guides are used to hold the neck in the working position; the distance between the clamps can be changed. The head height is adjusted by a pneumatic cylinder, and the filling nozzles can be replaced.
This links two movements: the piston pump delivers the product, while the servo drives ensure coordinated movement of the heads and conveyor. The HMI allows operators to set the filling volume and speed, monitor operating status, and view data on the number of completed fills.
What to check before integration into the line
For a food-processing line, not only the dosing sequence matters, but also the ability to service the product circuit. FTPfill includes quick-release pipe connections, a separate cleaning line, and a structure for draining wastewater. The materials confirm cleaning with clean or sterile water, but do not specify particular CIP parameters.
Before requesting industrial equipment for packaging ketchup or another thick sauce, prepare a sample product description, the container type, dimensions and neck position, guide requirements, and connection data for the existing conveyor and adjacent operations. This makes it possible to discuss the actual configuration without replacing engineering verification with general promises.
Discuss your filling application
Send information about the product, container, and existing line. Specialists will be able to clarify how to organize product supply, tracked filling, and the connection of FTPfill to your packaging process.