Case Study – Portable Filler for Eight Filling Stations

Chemical manufacturers have many challenges when it comes to batch filling of drums and totes. It’s difficult for them to justify the cost of high-quality filling machinery when they only use a filling station a few hours a day. Some companies fill by hand, which means poor weight accuracy and over and under filling containers.

The Customer

A large chemical manufacturer with a variety of products called us with their batch filling problems. They had eight liquids in constant demand, but in small quantities, and needed a more efficient filling method. Some chemicals were flammable and others were toxic, so contracting the operations was not an option.

The Challenge

The customer had two options to solve their problem. They could run an enormous amount of piping and valves throughout their plant to bring eight chemical lines to one filling station, or they could find one filling machine to bring to eight filling locations.

The Solution

We were already known for building the most rugged mobile pail filling machines, so we used that technology to design a palletized drum filler. However, since a palletized drum filling machine weighs in at 3,250 lbs. it was not feasible to make it mobile, so we designed a “portable” drum and tote filler, which was exactly what this customer needed and could easily justify. We modified our most popular palletized drum filler by making a special base that was “fork-truck-able.”

The Specifications:

In addition to a standard palletized drum filler, model DF-54540, the new fork-truck-able filler included:

• 10,000 lb. scale mounted on a welded structural steel stand
• Scale and weight meter are both, NTEP approved
• Controller is a PLC, with 10” HMI touch screen
• Type X purge for class 1, division 1 electrical code
• Air-operated fume bellows covering the bung opening
• Mounted on a welded structural tubing base
• Fork truck slots on both sides, front and back
• Pivoting outrigger stabilizers on both sides, front and back
• Leveling pads on the corners of the base and outriggers
• Dimensions; approx. 6’ long x 8’ deep x 14’ tall, at 3,850 lbs.

The Benefits

The customer was able to justify the cost of one filling machine to be used at eight separate filling stations. They told us the payback was six months. Further justification came from not having to run massive piping lines and valving all around their plant to bring the eight liquids to one common station. This customer has since purchased a second portable drum filler.

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