Knowledge centre · Upgrade
Upgrading a filling line from piston to servo rotor pump
Most upgrade projects are not about speed. They are about how much product is given away on every container, and how much of the shift is spent adjusting the machine instead of running it.
What typically changes
| Item | Piston line | Servo rotor pump line |
|---|---|---|
| Metering element | Piston + valve seat | Rotor pump + servo drive |
| Fill volume changeover | Mechanical adjustment or part change | Parameter change on the HMI |
| Particle tolerance | Limited | High — no seat to bridge |
| Cleaning | Disassembly for solids | CIP-capable configuration |
| Accuracy control | Manual trial and re-adjustment | Servo correction, check-weigh feedback |
What usually stays
- Conveyor, capping, labelling and coding stations — normally reused.
- Container handling and accumulation.
- Utilities, guarding and line control architecture, subject to inspection.
A changeover is therefore usually a filling-station retrofit rather than a new line — which is why the payback calculation is dominated by material savings rather than by throughput.
Planning the changeover
- Weigh current fill performance statistically before the change — a baseline is the only way to prove the gain.
- Confirm container and cap dimensions on site; nozzle geometry is where retrofit projects most often lose accuracy.
- Decide the cleaning regime and choose CIP-capable construction if the product requires it.
- Plan a product-specific acceptance test: dose a defined number of consecutive fills and weigh them.
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