Overview
The pickled cabbage filling machine is a kind of mechanical equipment specially used to fill pickled cabbage into packaging containers (such as packaging bags, plastic bottles, glass bottles, etc.). It plays a crucial role in the production and processing of pickled cabbage, being able to improve production efficiency, ensure the consistency of packaging quality, and contribute to the preservation and sales of pickled cabbage. With the development of the food processing industry, the automation level of the pickled cabbage filling machine is constantly increasing to meet the requirements of large-scale production and strict quality control.
Working Principles
Piston Filling Principle:
The piston-type pickled cabbage filling machine mainly realizes filling through the reciprocating motion of the piston. When the piston moves backward (away from the filling opening), a negative pressure is formed in the piston cylinder. Under the action of the external atmospheric pressure and its own gravity, the pickled cabbage enters the piston cylinder through the feeding pipe. Then the piston moves forward to push the pickled cabbage in the piston cylinder out and fill it into the packaging container through the filling opening. This method can control the filling volume relatively accurately. By adjusting the stroke of the piston, the filling volume for each time can be changed.
Peristaltic Pump Filling Principle:
The peristaltic pump-type pickled cabbage filling machine uses rollers to alternately squeeze the elastic hose to transport the pickled cabbage. The hose connects the pickled cabbage storage tank and the filling opening. When the rollers rotate, the parts of the hose being squeezed by the rollers will make the pickled cabbage inside the hose move forward, just like squeezing a toothpaste tube with fingers. This method can achieve continuous and adjustable flow rate filling, causing less damage to the particles and fibers of the pickled cabbage. Moreover, since the hose is either disposable or easy to replace, it has an advantage in terms of hygiene.
Gravity Filling Principle:
The gravity-type pickled cabbage filling machine is a relatively simple method. The pickled cabbage flows from a high-level storage container into the packaging container through a pipe relying on its own gravity. Generally, valves are set on the pipe to control the flow rate of the pickled cabbage. By adjusting the opening degree of the valves and the filling time, the filling volume can be controlled. This method is suitable for pickled cabbage with good fluidity, and the equipment structure is relatively simple with a lower cost.
Main Structural Components
Hopper and Storage Device:
The hopper is used to receive the pickled cabbage transported from the pickled cabbage pickling pool or storage tank. It is usually made of stainless steel, with a certain inclination angle and a large opening, facilitating the pouring of pickled cabbage. The storage device is used to temporarily store the pickled cabbage to ensure a stable supply of pickled cabbage during the filling process. Some storage devices also have a stirring function to prevent the pickled cabbage from settling or caking, making the texture of the pickled cabbage more uniform.
Filling System:
It includes filling heads, metering devices, and control valves, etc. The shape and size of the filling heads are designed according to the type of packaging container. For example, the filling head for packaging bags is usually flat-shaped to facilitate the even entry of pickled cabbage into the bags; the filling head for bottles may have a guiding device to ensure that the pickled cabbage is accurately filled into the bottles. The metering device can be an electronic scale, a liquid level sensor, or control the filling volume through the piston stroke, peristaltic pump rotation speed, etc. The control valves are used to precisely control the flow of pickled cabbage, being able to quickly and accurately open and close at the beginning and end of the filling process.
Conveying System:
It is responsible for conveying the empty packaging containers to the filling position and conveying the filled products to the next process, such as sealing, labeling, etc. Common conveying methods include conveyor belt conveyance and robotic arm grasping. Conveyor belt conveyance can achieve continuous and large-scale conveyance of packaging containers, while robotic arm grasping is more flexible and can adapt to different shapes and positions of packaging containers.
Control System:
Usually, a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) or a single-chip microcomputer is used as the core control unit. Operators can set filling parameters such as filling volume, filling speed, container type, etc. through the control panel. The control system can also monitor the running status of the equipment, such as detecting whether the filling head is blocked, whether the packaging container is in place, etc., and will issue an alarm and take corresponding protective measures when a fault occurs.
Performance Characteristics
High Filling Precision:
Advanced pickled cabbage filling machines can precisely control the filling volume, and the error can be controlled within a relatively small range. For example, some high-precision piston-type filling machines can control the error of the filling volume within ±1%, ensuring that the weight or volume of the pickled cabbage in each package is basically the same, which is beneficial to the standardization and sales of products.
High Degree of Automation:
It can realize the fully automated process from the conveyance of empty containers, pickled cabbage filling to the output of the filled containers. An automated pickled cabbage filling machine can fill thousands of packages per hour, greatly improving production efficiency, reducing labor costs and errors that may be caused by manual operations.
High Hygiene Standards:
The design of the equipment focuses on hygiene requirements, adopting food-grade materials such as stainless steel and food-grade plastic. And it is easy to clean. Many components can be disassembled for thorough cleaning to prevent the growth of bacteria due to pickled cabbage residues, ensuring the food safety of the products.
Strong Adaptability:
It can adapt to different types of packaging containers, such as packaging bags of various sizes, plastic bottles, glass bottles, etc. At the same time, it can also adapt to pickled cabbage of different textures, whether it is shredded, 块状 or powdered pickled cabbage, it can achieve effective filling by adjusting the filling parameters.
Application Scenarios
Pickled Cabbage Production Enterprises:
In large-scale pickled cabbage production enterprises, the pickled cabbage filling machine is one of the core equipment on the production line. It can fill pickled cabbage into various packaging containers according to the specified amount for wholesale sales. For example, it can fill pickled cabbage into large plastic packaging bags to supply to food processing factories as raw materials; or fill pickled cabbage into small-packaged glass bottles for supermarket retail.
Food Processing Ancillary Workshops:
In some food processing enterprises, such as workshops for making pickled cabbage dumplings, pickled cabbage instant noodles and other products, the pickled cabbage filling machine can fill pickled cabbage as fillings or ingredients in small batches to meet the production requirements of specific products.
