Multi-lane tray filling systems

VEMAG documents a Filling Head Line that fills viscous masses into cups, trays and thermoformed packs in multiple lanes. Its main elements are a vacuum filler, a filling flow divider and product-specific filling heads. The illustrated filling heads lower into the containers during filling.

A useful enquiry identifies what must happen at every outlet and how the trays arrive there. Draw the pack layout, name the food at each filling position and show the movement between filling and sealing. The project assessment can then address the complete arrangement.

Provide the food in the condition it reaches the hopper: recipe, filling temperature, holding time and preparation method. Describe its consistency and the size and proportion of inclusions. List all recipes that the system is expected to run.

Define the filling pattern you want inside the pack. Tell the team how closely the product can approach the edges, how the surface should look and which inclusions must retain their appearance. Discuss the outlet, head movement and product separation against those requirements.

VEMAG’s published multi-lane filling guidance covers viscous masses. Its customised-solution examples also describe pet food filled into thermoformed packs through multiple filling stations. These manufacturer applications are starting points for discussing your product and pack; they do not confirm the result for a different recipe or installation.

For the wider container-filling decision, our ready meal filling machines guide covers recipe and container checks. This page develops the additional lane, station and packaging-interface requirements.

For existing equipment, provide the packaging-machine make, model, format drawings and available controls information. Record transfer heights, tray pitch, direction of travel and the space available for the filling system. Include photographs of the line and access routes.

Discuss what tells the filler that containers are correctly positioned, what happens when a tray is missing and how filling stops or resumes with the packaging machine. Ask which signals and controls are included, and who is responsible for their implementation and testing.

For pre-made trays, include empty-tray presentation and the transfer of filled trays to the tray sealing equipment. For a thermoformer, include the web format and filling window in the assessment. Confirm the proposed equipment interfaces rather than assuming that a shared lane count establishes compatibility.

• Product supply and refill arrangements at the vacuum filler.
• Container presentation, indexing and transfer responsibilities.
• Required production sequence, stop conditions and restart behaviour.
• Access for operators, cleaning and changing product-contact parts.
• Any pack-format changes and the corresponding tooling or setting changes.

Send the recipe brief, portion quantities, pack drawing and proposed lane layout. Include the site location, output requirement, packaging-machine details and equipment you want to retain.

Ask the quotation to name the feeding machine, flow divider, heads, filling stations, controls and container-handling scope. Include the format-change requirements, trial work, installation and training responsibilities. Record any engineering decisions still needed before the system is finalised.