How to get quotes on filling equipment and small bottling lines

Step 1: Describe your product

The product decides the fill method:

• Thin, free-flowing liquids (water, juice, spirits): often gravity, overflow or volumetric fillers
• Viscous or chunky products (sauces, dressings, nut butters): often piston or pump fillers. Tell suppliers the particle size.
• Carbonated drinks: counter-pressure fillers that hold CO2 in solution
• Hot-fill products: fillers and contact parts rated for your fill temperature
• Foamy products: ask how the nozzle handles foam
• Powders and granules: auger or cup fillers (a different class of machine)
• Fill by weight vs. by volume: net-weight fillers suit some high-value or variable-density products

Tell suppliers viscosity (or compare it to something familiar), temperature at fill, particulates, foaming, and whether the product strings or drips.

Step 2: Define containers and closures

• Every container you'll run now and expect to run later: material, size, shape, and neck finish
• Closures: screw cap, lug, crown, ROPP, snap lid, induction seal, and the torque spec
• Fill volume range and required accuracy
• Change parts needed for each container, and how fast you need to switch

Under-specifying the container range is a common mistake. Change parts bought later usually cost more than ones quoted up front.

Step 3: Be realistic about speed and automation

• Quote sustained throughput in containers per minute, not the machine's nameplate peak. Real output after changeovers, jams and breaks is lower.
• Decide the automation level: semi-automatic (operator places containers), automatic inline, or rotary monobloc (filler and capper combined)
• Decide what's in scope: just a filler, or a line with rinser, capper, labeler, coder, conveyors and case packing
• Plan for growth: what volume do you expect in two or three years?

Step 4: List utilities, site and sanitation

• Electrical supply (voltage, phase), compressed air volume and quality, and water if needed
• Floor space, ceiling height, and line layout
• Contact materials (for example 316L stainless) and how the machine is cleaned: clean-in-place, or disassembly
• Sanitary design requirements, including 3-A if you're in dairy
• Guarding and safety features

Step 5: Ask what's included

• Change parts for each container
• Installation, startup and operator training
• Factory acceptance test (FAT) at the supplier before shipping, and site acceptance test (SAT) after installation
• Manuals, electrical drawings and a spare parts list
• Warranty terms and local service coverage
• Freight, crating and rigging

Step 6: Compare quotes on total cost, not just price

Line up each quote on:

• Machine price and what it includes
• Change parts, options and spares
• Installation, training and freight
• Lead time from order or deposit to ship, and to running production
• Payment terms and deposit
• Warranty and service: who comes when it breaks, and how fast parts ship
• New vs. used, and if used, condition and refurbishment

See our guide on how to compare supplier quotes for a comparison table.

What drives lead time

There's no standard lead time. It depends on:

• Stocked vs. built-to-order machines. Semi-automatic bench fillers can ship much sooner than integrated monobloc lines.
• Custom change parts and integration with your other equipment
• FAT scheduling and any changes it turns up
• Imported equipment, which adds freight and customs time
• Your site prep: power, air and space

Questions to ask filling equipment suppliers

• Which fill method do you recommend for my product, and why?
• What sustained speed should I expect with my containers, not the nameplate rate?
• Which containers can this machine run, and what do change parts cost?
• How long does a changeover take?
• How is it cleaned, and what parts contact the product?
• What utilities does it need?
• Can I send product and containers for a test fill before I buy?
• What's included: installation, training, FAT, SAT, spares, freight?
• Who services it near me, and how fast do parts ship?

Not ready to buy a line?

If volumes are low or uncertain, a co-packer may be the better first step. See beverage co-packers and sauce co-packers.

How PostRequest helps

Tell us your product, containers, target speed and budget range once. Our agents shortlist filling equipment suppliers, new and used, email each one your spec from a PostRequest address, follow up once, and line up the replies: price, what's included, lead time, warranty and terms. Suppliers see your spec, not your name or company, until you choose to connect. During early access, a person on our team reviews every comparison before it reaches you.