Working Principle:
The filling is achieved through the reciprocating motion of the piston within the cylinder. When the piston moves backward, the material enters the piston cylinder under the action of gravity or pressure difference. When the piston moves forward, the material is squeezed out of the piston cylinder and injected into the packaging container through the filling head. This type of filling machine has relatively high precision and good adaptability to materials with high viscosity like lobster paste. For example, in some small lobster paste processing enterprises, the piston-type filling machine can accurately control the filling volume of each bottle of lobster paste, and the error can be controlled within a relatively small range.
Advantages:
It has high filling precision, a relatively simple structure, and low maintenance costs. The filling volume can be changed by adjusting the piston stroke, and it is convenient to operate.
Disadvantages:
The filling speed is relatively slow. Especially when dealing with materials with high viscosity, the movement speed of the piston will be somewhat restricted, thus affecting the production efficiency. Moreover, the seals between the piston and the cylinder are prone to wear and need to be replaced regularly; otherwise, it will affect the filling precision.
Peristaltic Pump-type Lobster Paste Filling Machine
Working Principle:
The peristaltic pump transports materials by squeezing the elastic hose with rollers. When the rollers rotate, the part of the hose being squeezed forms a negative pressure, sucking in the lobster paste. Then, as the rollers roll, the squeezed part moves forward to push out the material, thus achieving filling. This method can precisely control the flow rate, exerts relatively small shear force on the material, and can well maintain the original characteristics of the lobster paste.
Advantages:
It has strong adaptability to materials. It can effectively fill both high-viscosity lobster paste and lobster paste containing particles. Moreover, since the material is transported through a hose, it is very convenient to clean. As long as the hose is replaced, cross-contamination can be avoided, which meets the requirements of food hygiene.
Disadvantages:
The hose needs to be replaced regularly, increasing the production cost. Besides, the flow rate of the peristaltic pump is relatively small and may not be able to meet the requirements of high-speed filling in large-scale production.
Servo Rotor Pump Lobster Paste Filling Machine (already described in detail before)
It combines multiple advantages such as high-precision metering and good material adaptability, and has broad application prospects in the field of lobster paste filling.
Key Points for Purchasing
Filling Precision:
For lobster paste products, especially for some high-end brands or enterprises with strict requirements on product quality, filling precision is of crucial importance. A filling machine with high precision can ensure that the net content of each bottle of lobster paste meets the standards and reduce the fluctuation of product quality. Generally speaking, the filling precision of an excellent lobster paste filling machine can reach about ±1% - ±2%.
Filling Speed:
Select an appropriate filling speed according to the production scale of the enterprise. In the case of large-scale production, it is necessary to choose equipment with a fast filling speed. For example, some high-speed filling machines can fill dozens or even hundreds of bottles per minute. However, it should be noted that too fast a filling speed may affect the filling precision, so a balance between the two should be considered comprehensively.
Material Adaptability:
The viscosity of lobster paste may vary due to factors such as raw materials and processing techniques, and it may also contain some particles of lobster meat and other components. Therefore, the filling machine should be able to adapt to such complex material characteristics to ensure that problems such as blockage and stratification will not occur during the filling process.
Hygiene Standards:
Since lobster paste is food, the materials of the filling machine should meet the food hygiene standards. The parts in contact with the material should be made of food-grade stainless steel (such as 304, 316L) and other materials, and the structural design of the equipment should be convenient for cleaning and disinfection to prevent the breeding of bacteria and cross-contamination.
Degree of Automation:
A filling machine with a high degree of automation can reduce manual operations and improve production efficiency. For example, integrated equipment with functions such as automatic feeding, automatic filling, and automatic sealing can greatly save labor costs and better ensure the stability and consistency of the production process.
Maintenance and Repair
Cleaning:
After each use, the filling machine should be cleaned in a timely manner. For the parts in contact with lobster paste, such as the filling head, pipelines, and pump body, they should be cleaned with special food-grade cleaning agents. When cleaning the piston-type filling machine, attention should be paid to cleaning the sealing parts between the piston and the cylinder to prevent material residue. When cleaning the peristaltic pump-type filling machine, the focus should be on cleaning the hose and checking whether the hose is damaged.
Lubrication:
For filling machines with mechanical moving parts, such as the piston moving part of the piston-type filling machine and the rotor shaft of the servo rotor pump filling machine, lubrication should be carried out regularly. Use food-grade lubricants and operate according to the requirements of the equipment manual to ensure the smooth operation of the mechanical parts.
Inspection and Repair:
Regularly check all parts of the equipment, such as whether there are leaks in the pipelines, whether the electrical system is normal, and whether the filling head is blocked. For the problems found, repair them in a timely manner and replace the damaged parts to ensure the normal operation of the filling machine. Especially before the peak production season arrives, a comprehensive inspection and maintenance of the equipment should be carried out.
