Granule / Seed

The Nexus Australia granule filling machine doses granules, seeds and dry goods accurately into jars, bottles, pouches, bags and tubs, from small batch runs to high-speed production lines. Also called a seed filling machine, dry goods filling machine or granular filling machine, it is the same filling machine platform as the powder fillers, fitted with the dosing head that suits free-flowing product. Supplied and supported Australia-wide.

What counts as a granule or dry good

Anything that pours: rice, pulses, sugar, salt, coffee beans, nuts, seeds, cereal, granola, pet food kibble, fertiliser prills, chemical granules, plastic pellets, small hardware and fasteners. If the product flows freely and does not pack down, a volumetric cup or a weigher will dose it faster and cleaner than an auger. Fine, dusty or cohesive products belong on the powder filling machine.

How a granule filling machine works

Product is held in a hopper above the dosing head. Containers or pouches index under the head, the dose is measured by volume or by weight, and the product drops through a funnel into the container. Filled containers move on to capping, sealing or labelling. A vibratory feeder keeps the hopper level so every dose sees the same head of product.

Filling systems

• Volumetric cup filler: adjustable cups fill to a set volume on every cycle. The fastest and lowest-cost option for uniform granules such as rice, sugar and seeds.
• Auger filler: controlled dosing for granular and powdered products that do not flow well through a cup.
• Weight scale filler: a load cell weighs each fill for products sold by declared weight, where giveaway matters.
• Multihead weighing system: multiple weigh heads combine to hit the target weight at high speed, for mixed products such as trail mix and for irregular pieces.
• Gravity flow filler: consistent, controlled filling for very free-flowing granules.

Packaging formats

The same dosing heads mount on different packaging machines. Jars, bottles, tubs and cans run on an in-line or rotary filling machine. Pillow bags and quad-seal bags are formed and filled on a VFFS bagging machine. Premade stand-up pouches run on a pouch filling machine. Single-serve seed packets and sugar sticks run on a stick pack machine or sachet machine. Seed packets can also be flow wrapped.

Semi-automatic and automatic

A semi-automatic granule filler is operator-fed: place the container, trigger the dose, remove the container. It suits small producers, seed merchants and product trials. An automatic filler takes containers from a conveyor or bags from the former and runs continuously. Both use the same cup, auger or weigher head, so the head moves with you when volume grows.

Industries served

• Food and beverages: rice, grains, sugar, coffee, nuts, cereals and confectionery.
• Agriculture and horticulture: seeds, fertiliser, animal feed and pet food.
• Pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals: granulated supplements and effervescent granules.
• Chemicals: water treatment granules, detergent beads and industrial pellets.
• Hardware and manufacturing: fasteners, small parts and plastic resin.

Configurations

• In-line filling system: continuous filling in a straight-line process.
• Rotary filling system: high-speed filling in a rotary setup.
• Mono-block filling system: filling, sealing and capping in a single block.

Output

Throughput ranges from entry-level up to high-speed production lines, set by dose size, container and dosing method. Dust extraction and easy-clean stainless steel contact parts are standard for food and pharmaceutical use.

See the full filling machine range, or send us a sample of your product and your container and we will recommend the dosing head. Contact Nexus Australia for a quote on a granule filling machine.