Key decisions
Preserve evidence before changing settings or parts
- Stop and make the equipment safe before any guarded, pressurised or electrical investigation.
- Record product, batch, temperature, dose, container, recipe, head, time and machine state at the point of failure.
- Separate quantity, nozzle, product-feed, container-handling, sensor and downstream-line symptoms.
- Compare affected and unaffected heads or formats before making a global adjustment.
- Verify the correction through a representative sequence, including restart and replenishment where relevant.
Define the symptom in measurable terms
Avoid descriptions such as “the filler is inaccurate” without a sequence of results. Record target, actual values in order, head number, reject reason and whether the problem appears at start-up, after a pause, during hopper refill or only at one product condition. A trend across the sequence can point to air, temperature, feed pressure, settling or mechanical drift that a single sample conceals.
Photograph nozzle cut-off, pack presentation and any residue. Save alarm text and machine state before resetting where this can be done safely. Note recent changes to product, container supplier, cleaning, parts, software or settings. The evidence should allow another competent person to understand the fault without relying on memory.
| Observed symptom | Evidence to collect first | Possible areas to investigate |
|---|---|---|
| Dose varies across all heads | Sequential results, product temperature, hopper level, feed pressure, pause/refill timing. | Product condition, entrained air, bulk feed, calibration basis or common settings. |
| One head differs | Head-by-head results, nozzle/valve condition, seals/tubing, sensor or actuator timing. | Local wear, blockage, leakage, assembly, calibration or mechanical adjustment. |
| Drips or tails | Nozzle images, delay after dosing, suck-back setting, product stringing and nozzle height. | Nozzle choice, valve closure, pressure, product temperature or product-path elasticity. |
| Foam or splash | Fill profile, nozzle immersion, headspace, product aeration, feed return and container opening. | Filling speed/profile, diving motion, product feed, air entrainment or unsuitable pack geometry. |
| Containers tip or jam | Container dimensions, base condition, guide positions, line pressure, sensor timing and conveyor speed. | Pack stability, guide support, spacing, transfer, accumulation or damaged format parts. |
| Fault after line stop | Containers inside the machine, blocked/starved signals, reset sequence and recipe state. | Interface logic, state handling, sensor persistence or unsafe/ambiguous recovery procedure. |
Check the process before recalibrating the filler
A dosing unit may be stable while the material presented to it changes. Check product preparation, mixing, temperature, density, settling, aeration, suction conditions, hose restriction, filter condition and bulk-vessel level. For powders, observe bridging, compaction, refill disturbance and dust. For pump-fed liquids, look for air ingress and changing pressure.
Recalibration can hide a temporary process change and make the next normal batch wrong. Confirm the measurement equipment and test method, then compare results under a stable reference condition. Use the accuracy and repeatability guide to separate bias from spread and from gradual drift.
Inspect product-path assembly and wear
After safe isolation and pressure release, inspect parts identified in the manual: seals, tubes, valves, nozzles, clamps, filters, hoses and pump components. Look for damage, incorrect orientation, trapped debris, loose connections or a part substituted during cleaning. Product-contact components must be compatible with the product and cleaning method.
Do not dismantle or bypass safety systems simply to continue production. Follow the supplier’s instructions and site safe system of work. After repair, restore guarding, conduct leak and functional checks, then verify quantity and finished-pack quality before release.
Treat container handling as a connected cause
A container that arrives late, off-centre or under line pressure can create apparent fill faults even when the dose is correct. Check star wheels, gates, timing screws, guides, sensors, bottle stops, conveyor speeds and transfer plates as applicable. Compare actual container dimensions and stability with the approved samples.
Look at the relationship between nozzle position and pack location throughout start, stop and restart. The container-handling guide provides a structured way to examine pitch, support, accumulation and interface conditions.
Close the fault with a controlled verification
State the root cause only when evidence supports it. Record the change made, parts and settings, person responsible and tests completed. A successful single pack is not enough; repeat the relevant operating sequence and include the state that originally triggered the fault.
If the cause remains uncertain, preserve the machine state and evidence for technical support. Provide videos, alarms, recipes, sequential fill results, product/pack details and recent maintenance history. This is more useful than repeated unrecorded adjustments and reduces the risk of introducing a second fault.
Information to collect before requesting technical support
- Machine model/serial identification and current software or recipe.
- Product, batch, temperature, preparation and safety information.
- Container, closure, dose and current format/tooling.
- Exact symptom, start time, frequency and operating state.
- Sequential quantity results by head where relevant.
- Alarm text, photographs and short videos of the failure.
- Recent cleaning, maintenance, parts, product or settings changes.
- Safe checks already completed and the result of each.