1. Safety and compatibility review
Confirm the product can be handled at the trial site and that proposed contact parts, seals, hoses and cleaning method are suitable for evaluation.
Liquid filling machinery guidance
Use the most representative product and pack—not the easiest sample—to prove filling suitability.
A sample trial should answer defined selection questions: can the product be fed and metered, can the nozzle control the fill, can the container be handled, and can the result be measured under repeatable conditions?
Define the decision before sending samples
A trial without a question can produce an impressive demonstration but weak evidence.
Test design should match the purchase risk.
State which machine decision the trial must support: metering technology, nozzle design, product-contact material, fill range, container handling, cleaning method, sustainable output or a combination. Define the products and packs within scope and identify the worst credible condition for each relevant variable.
The trial record should distinguish what was demonstrated from what remains to be engineered. A benchtop dosing test can prove product movement and shut-off, but it may not prove an automatic conveyor rate. A short automatic run can prove basic handling, but it may not represent a full shift or repeated changeovers.
Sample pack checklist
Provide enough material to prime, adjust, test and repeat.
Keep a retained sample or clear product reference where appropriate.
| Evidence | What to supply | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Product | Representative batch, safety information, viscosity/temperature behaviour, particles, foam and cleaning constraints. | Determines handling, wetted path, trial safety and required conditioning. |
| Product quantity | Enough for priming, tuning, repeated samples, start/stop checks and expected line hold-up. | Insufficient product can make the final settings unrepresentative. |
| Containers | Production packs across normal variation, including the least stable or smallest neck. | Proves nozzle access, sensing, indexing and transfers. |
| Closures and labels | Production components where capping, sealing, labelling or complete-line handling is in scope. | Allows the finished pack and downstream interfaces to be assessed. |
| Fill targets | Minimum, maximum and intermediate quantities, units, tolerance and measurement method. | Defines recipes and acceptance data. |
| Operating conditions | Normal and worst-case product temperature, source level, feed pressure, mixing and refill method. | Makes the trial comparable with production. |
| Acceptance plan | Sample size, heads, timed-run method, cleaning/changeover and evidence required. | Prevents the pass decision being invented after results are seen. |
Run the trial in stages
Resolve fundamental risks before increasing complexity.
Each stage should retain settings and measured evidence.
2. Prime and observe flow
Establish a stable product path and check air, cavitation, settling, temperature and source effects before judging the dose.
3. Metering trial
Set the target, collect individual results and distinguish average bias from repeatability. Include minimum and maximum intended fills.
4. Nozzle trial
Observe splash, foam, stringing, drip, suck-back, nozzle clearance and end-of-fill behaviour in the real container.
5. Handling and sequence
Where automatic equipment is involved, test container sensing, indexing, starts, stops, transfers and controlled restart.
6. Changeover and cleaning
Demonstrate the intended strip, flush, tube change or product transition and confirm the first acceptable pack after restart.
Record conditions with results
A number without context cannot be transferred to production.
Photographs and video should be linked to the trial record, not used instead of measured data.
| Record field | Example of the required detail | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Machine configuration | Pump/meter, head count, nozzle, hose, valve and relevant format parts. | Identifies what was actually tested. |
| Recipe and settings | Target, speed stages, suck-back, nozzle motion and indexing settings. | Allows repeat setup and controlled comparison. |
| Product condition | Batch, temperature, source level, mixing and elapsed time. | Explains changes in flow and density. |
| Container identity | Drawing or supplier reference and sample variation. | Links handling results to the tested pack. |
| Individual measurements | Every result with head and sequence number. | Shows bias, spread, outliers and trends. |
| Observations | Foam, drip, splash, air, deformation, sensor or transfer behaviour. | Captures quality issues not visible in quantity data. |
| Limitations and actions | Conditions not tested, open questions and required design changes. | Prevents assumptions becoming specifications. |
Trial questions
Buyer questions before samples are dispatched.
The agreed trial scope should become part of the project evidence.
Which product should be tested first?
Use the product that creates the greatest relevant risk—such as highest viscosity, strongest foam, largest particles, most difficult clean, most aggressive chemistry or smallest/highest-value dose.
Can a substitute liquid be used?
A substitute can demonstrate selected mechanical functions, but its limitations must be recorded. Water does not reproduce the behaviour of a viscous, foaming, particulate, volatile or chemically aggressive product.
How many containers are needed?
Enough for setup, repeated fills, starts/stops, all relevant heads, handling variation and any downstream process. Automatic handling usually needs substantially more than a static fit check.
Can one trial cover every fill size?
The minimum and maximum intended fills should be checked, and intermediate points may be needed where cylinder, tubing, pump range or nozzle behaviour changes.
What happens to trial product?
Agree transport, storage, handling, recovery, disposal and return before shipment, particularly for hazardous, food, healthcare or high-value material.
Is a successful trial a production guarantee?
It supports selection under the recorded conditions. Production performance still depends on the final build, site supply, normal product and pack variation, operator process and integrated acceptance testing.
Continue the specification
Related liquid filling machine guides.
Prepare a useful enquiry
Prepare a representative sample and acceptance brief.
Send the product safety information, sample quantity, production containers, fill targets, operating conditions and the decisions the trial must support.