Make the process safe and preserve the evidence before adjusting it.
Record the product batch, pack, tooling, recipe, hopper level, refill method and the last acceptable result. Photograph product build-up or pack presentation where safe. Save raw weight data and alarm history. If the issue involves guarding, electrical equipment, unexpected movement, hazardous dust, contamination or damaged parts, stop and use the site's isolation and escalation procedures.
Do not use compressed air, strike a hopper, reach into moving equipment or bypass an interlock as a troubleshooting shortcut. Product-specific COSHH and DSEAR controls, lock-off procedures and the machine instructions take priority over production recovery.
Use the timing of the symptom to narrow the likely cause.
| Symptom | Evidence-based checks | When another route may be needed |
|---|---|---|
| Fill weights drift gradually | Compare density and product condition through the batch; inspect hopper head, compaction, build-up, tooling wear and the weighing method. | If product state cannot be stabilised, compare feedback, weighing or a different feed arrangement. |
| Sudden low fills or no product | Look for bridging, ratholing, empty feed, blocked tooling, level-signal faults and changes immediately after a stop. | If reliable hopper feed cannot be achieved safely, the product-conditioning or feeding system needs redesign. |
| Overfill or flooding after refill | Check aeration, uncontrolled dribble, hopper head, gate or nozzle closure and settings used before refill. | A free-flowing product may need a different cut-off or weight-based route. |
| Excessive dust or spillage | Review transfer, fill height, nozzle-to-pack fit, displaced air, extraction condition, pack movement and product settling. | If the current open process cannot be contained, evaluate enclosure, closed transfer or a different pack route. |
| Product in threads, rim or seal | Check dose timing, headspace, product settling, pack vibration, nozzle dribble and extraction position. | The pack may need more volume, a longer settling stage or different presentation and closing equipment. |
| Inconsistent weigh-fill cycle | Check feeder flow, dribble cut-off, product breakage, weigh-hopper freedom, vibration, tare and upstream starvation. | Very cohesive product may need controlled auger dosing or a different feeder before weighing. |
| Container tipping or misfill | Check guides, infeed spacing, fill height, conveyor speed, base shape, static and the smallest or lightest format. | Dedicated puck, indexing or alternative pack support may be required. |
| Frequent automatic-line stops | Separate filler faults from upstream starvation, downstream blocking, missing packs, reject accumulation and ambiguous reset logic. | The line may need accumulation, clearer control ownership or a lower balanced rate. |
Change one factor at a time and return to a known reference.
Start with the approved recipe and verified tooling. Confirm the scale and tare method independently. Take a short consecutive result sequence before changing a setting, make one documented change and repeat the same sequence. If several settings are changed together, it becomes impossible to know which change improved or worsened the process.
- Confirm the correct screw, tube, nozzle, feeder, weigh hopper, pack guide or forming set is installed.
- Inspect contact parts for damage, loose fittings, product build-up and incorrect assembly.
- Verify product grade, batch, storage and refill condition against the accepted trial.
- Check pack dimensions, opening, tare variation, stability and closure or film supply.
- Compare results before and after refill, stop, cleaning or operator change.
- Keep adjustments within authorised limits and save the approved settings when control is restored.
Distinguish a dosing fault from a line-state fault.
An automatic filler may be dosing correctly but losing output because containers arrive irregularly, a capper blocks, labels are unavailable or rejected packs are not cleared. Record fault codes and a time line of starved, blocked, running and stopped states. Measure saleable output over the complete route rather than using the filling-head cycle alone.
For VFFS, a seal fault can originate in product dosing, film tracking, temperature, pressure, dwell, contamination or the bag geometry. For premade pouches, confirm opening, support and seal presentation. Keep the powder and packaging investigations connected.
Send a concise evidence pack when requesting support.
| Include | Useful detail |
|---|---|
| Machine identity | Model or quotation reference, serial number where available, tooling and current recipe. |
| Product and pack | Grade and batch, density method, sample, dimensions, closure or film and any recent supplier change. |
| Problem pattern | When it starts, frequency, before or after refill, product change, stop or maintenance. |
| Measured evidence | Consecutive fill results, reject reasons, alarm history and video or photographs captured safely. |
| Changes already made | Settings, parts, cleaning, repairs and whether the original condition can be restored. |
Do not troubleshoot a safety uncertainty as a production setting.
Unexpected movement, damaged guards, electrical faults, hazardous dust release and equipment damage require competent assessment and the approved isolation procedure.