The viscosity of a liquid such as honey can be affected when the liquid is warmed up.
Liquid packaging is easier than ever with modern, flexible packaging machines. When using these machines, you can guarantee that your packaging process will be faster, cleaner, and easier than ever before. However, you must know your liquid products’ important characteristics before you can know which packaging settings are required. The most important factor to be aware of is your liquid’s viscosity. But what exactly is viscosity, and how does it impact your liquid packaging? Read on to learn more about this crucial factor.
Understanding Liquid Viscosity
Viscosity is generally defined as a measure of a fluid’s resistance to flow. It refers to the internal friction within that liquid. A liquid with high viscosity, like icing or molasses, resists motion because it has a lot of internal friction. A fluid with lower viscosity, like water, flows smoothly when in motion because it has little friction.
The viscosity of a liquid is usually expressed in centipoise (cps). Water has one cps, while a liquid like honey has a viscosity between 2,000 and 3,000 cps. You can find more information on how to measure viscosity through our previous article here.
Why Does Viscosity Matter?
Being aware of the liquid product’s viscosity is vital because this factor affects a few factors. Specifically, viscosity affects the rate at which a liquid product travels, how long it takes to set, and the time it takes to insert the fluid into its packaging.
Viscosity will help determine the type of product filler used. The machine must be set to include the right amount of force to induce flow, but not be so forceful that the packaging will overflow.
The Influence of Fill Temperatures
The fill temperature is also crucial to consider when filling liquid packages. When heated, most liquid products flow more easily. Imagine what happens when frosting melts, and you can see how much heat can affect the flow of a liquid. To provide the best liquid packaging solution, you must provide an accurate fill temperature. You don’t want to overheat the liquid, but you will likely want it a little warmer to flow into the packaging faster.
Being aware of your liquid’s viscosity can help you create an accurate, mess-free liquid packaging system.
Liquid Filling Machine Specialists
For over 70 years, FILAMATIC has provided a wide range of liquid filling machines to the packaging market. We create flexible, customized solutions for every stage of your business growth. Whether you require a single machine, a complete turnkey solution, or a fully-automated, integrated Monobloc system, we have the liquid filling experience for any solution.
For more information on liquid filling, capping and labeling solutions, please call 866.258.1914 or visit – www.filamatic.com/contact-us.