Knowledge Base

Knowledge Base is provided to assist with the Purchase of PER-FIL® Auger Fillers and to facilitate Support for existing PER-FIL® customers.

FAQ | How-To: | Reference | Tools | Admin

FAQ

I purchased a used PER-FIL Auger Filler. What information is needed for Service and Support?
Contact us with the Serial Number. The engraved tag is normally located on the electrical box or on the back of the head cover.

How are augers sized?
Augers are sized in increments of 1/16″ and are usually stamped on the drive stem. Example: A #16 auger will be 1″ in diameter; a #32 will be 2″ in diameter, etc.

What is the most common connection of an auger to its drive mechanism?
Bayonet.

How much sample product is needed for testing?
The amount of product needed for testing varies depending on your fill sizes. We typically request 2 cu. ft. for most products and fill sizes (we don’t ask for a specific weight of product as this will vary depending on bulk density). If your fill sizes are quite small (25 gr or less), we’d like enough product for 100 fills. If your fill sizes are large (10 lbs or more), we’d like enough product for 10-15 fills.

How many years of production should I expect from a PER-FIL® auger filler?
PER-FIL® Auger Fillers are engineered and built to last. With proper care and maintenance, you can expect your filler to last 30 years or more. We have been in business for 46 years and some of our customers are still using the first fillers we sold!

What’s the smallest fill size you can achieve?
25 mg

What’s the largest fill size you can achieve?
100 kg

What kind of accuracy can I expect?
Excluding Micro-dosers, typical fill accuracy on powder, granular and paste products for a volumetric filler is +/- 1% to 2%.

Gravimetric (fill-by-weight) fillers, fill accuracy for powder, granular and paste products is +/- 0.5% or better.

Micro-dosers (fill sizes 5 grams or less), typical fill accuracy on powder and granular products for a volumetric filler is +/- 5%. For gravimetric (fill-by-weight) fillers, fill accuracy for powder and granular products is +/- 1 % or better.

Processed Food Products which have particulates of various sizes (such as potato salad, stews, chicken salad, etc), typical volumetric fill accuracy is +/- 8%.

How does humidity, temperature and/or static affect the filling process?
Humidity, temperature (both room and product) and static electricity can impact the filling, weighing and container handling process. Many products are sensitive or behave differently depending on these factors.

When requesting a quote or advice on a filler project or packline, please consider the following questions:

Is the room humidity controlled?
What is the typical humidity?
Is the room temperature controlled?
Typical room temperature?
What is the temperature of the product at time of filling?

Should I purchase a used auger filler?
You should carefully evaluate the decision to purchase a used auger filler based on the product you are filling*, the age of the machine, known machine history and availability of replacement/spare parts and service.

(*TIP: If you are filling a food or a pharmaceutical product, you probably don’t want to use a filler that was previously used to dispense rat poison!)

FAQ | How To: | Reference | Tools | Admin

HOW TO:

Micrologix Major Fault Procedure

Open electrical enclosure
Power up the system
On the Micrologix PLC Press the ESC button
Scroll down to MODE SWITCH and press OK
Scroll up to PROGRAM and press OK
Scroll back down to RUN and press OK (This should clear any major fault)
Press ESC until you reach the I/O STATUS and press OK
Faults are now cleared
Power system down close door

Service: Training Video Clips

Multi-Spindle (7 spindle) Changeover – Video Playlist

MF-11 Training Video Clips

Clip 1

Clip 2

Clip 3

Clip 4

Clip 5

Clip 6

Clip 7

Clip 8

Clip 9

Clip 10

Clip 11

Clip 12

Clip 13

FAQ | How To: | Reference | Tools | Admin

REFERENCE

Hopper – cross section

Unique Features of PER-FIL Auger Fillers

Common Options and Accessories

Tradeshows:

Organizations:

PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies

PER-FIL Auger Filler Spec Sheets [.pdf]

Toner Filler Comparison: MF-11T v MR-1X [.pdf]

PER-FIL Youtube Channel

GLOSSARY

PRODUCTS MOST SUITABLE FOR AUGER FILLERS*

Sugars – Spices – Stews – Medical Powders

Flour – Salt – Compounds – Detergent – Grains

Potato Salad – Talcum – Colorants

Mixes – Prepared Dough – Tea – Coffee

*The difference between models we recommend is based on fill size, speed, and accuracy requirements.

PRODUCTS NOT SUITABLE FOR AUGER FILLERS:

Auger filling technology does have its challenges and limitations. The list below includes examples of products not recommended to be filled by an auger filler:

Tobacco (wraps around auger)
Raw Vegetables (damage)
Raw Fruit (damage)
Cornflakes (damage)
Cheese Doodles (damage)

PRODUCT TYPES

Products that auger filling equipment dispenses can be categorized into six categories:

Granular or Free flow (Sugar, Whole Bean Coffee, Kitty Litter)
Compressible Powder (Talc, Toner, Whey Protein Powder, Flour)
Non-compressible Powder or Flakes (Pepsin, Parsley, Sodium Acetate)
Paste (Collagen, Joint Compound/Spackle, Nut Butters)
Liquid (Royal Icing, Nail Polish, Soup)
Processed foods (Potato Salad, Cooked Rice, Chili)

TOOLING: mechanical parts that vary or “change out” according to product. Tooling consists of the following parts: Auger, Funnel, Agitator(s). Some tooling sets have additional parts like: dust termination, spinner disk, collector funnel, adapter plate, double knife cut-off, spout, moyno pump rotary cut-off valve, etc.

Drawing of Tooling Types: Self Feed, Free Flow, Straight, Rotary Cut-off (Moyno)

Straight Tooling: auger flights are uniform in diameter and pitch over the length of the auger. The funnel can have a lip and/or wires at the discharge to help the material “bridge” to prevent dripping after the dispense. This tooling type is used for powder products that do not compress, flake spices and “leafy” teas. Examples of products that use Straight Tooling include: saw dust, parsley, oregano, instant coffee, psyllium.

Straight Tooling

Self-Feed Tooling

Self-feed Tooling: “self feeding” or “compression” auger. This means that the upper flights are of a larger diameter than those in the straight section of the funnel. The larger upper flights help to compress the product and make it more uniform. The funnel can have a lip and/or wires at the discharge to help the material “bridge” to prevent dripping after the dispense. This tooling type is used for powder products that require compression or viscous paste products. Examples of products that use Self-feed Tooling include: talc, cornstarch, flour, toner, pancake mix, baking mixes, protein powders, ground coffee, cocoa, wood dough, spackling compound, glazing compound.

Free-Flow Tooling

Free Flow Tooling: Examples of products that use Free Flow Tooling include: salt, sugar, drinking mix, bath beads, Creatine, sand, silica, oral suspension powder, coffee beans, flax seed, developer.

Double Knife Tooling

Double Knife Tooling: This tooling type can use a straight or self feed auger. The heart of this tooling is the pneumatic actuated double knife which ensures positive cut-off and no-drip dispensing. This tooling type is used for processed food products, such as cooked rice, stews, salads, etc. Many customers do not think auger fillers are suitable for food products because they will damage the product – this is not correct. An auger filler (when properly tooled) can handle most food products more gently than a piston filler. Examples of products that use Double Knife Tooling include: potato salad, apple pie filling, stew, chili, taco meat, IQF vegetables, cooked rice.

Liquid Tooling (Moyno)

Liquid Tooling: This tooling type uses a moyno pump with pneumatic actuated rotary cut-off valve. This cut-off ensures no-drip dispensing. This tooling type is used for creams and liquid products. Examples of products that use Liquid Tooling include: hand cream, body lotion, bath gel, liquid bandage, oil.

Side Ported Tooling