Liquid filler dosing principle: diaphragm, magnetic pump, piston or servo?
Once you know you need a liquid filler, the next choice is how the machine meters each dose. Timed-flow pumps (diaphragm, magnetic) meter by how long the pump runs; volumetric fillers (piston, gear pump) meter by displaced volume under servo or pneumatic control. The table below lines up every dosing principle represented in the listed catalog models, with the fill ranges and speeds each model's own parameter table states. Where a figure is not on record, the cell says so instead of guessing.
The figures describe the specific models listed on this site, under the source's stated conditions. They are reference points for shortlisting — the final configuration must be confirmed against your actual product and production line before purchase.
Principle → listed models → stated figures
The product-form wording in the second column follows each model's own catalog description. Dosing principles are not interchangeable across viscosity: a timed-flow pump that states its flow rate in water (or thin solvent) will not hold that figure on a paste, and a paste-rated piston line is rarely the economical answer for a thin, free-pouring liquid.
| Dosing principle | Product form (per catalog descriptions) | Listed models | Fill range (as stated) | Capacity (as stated) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diaphragm pump (benchtop, self-priming) | Thin, low-viscosity liquids in small batches; draws straight from the supply container with no manual priming. | ZONESUN GFK160 · ZONESUN GFK160A | Recommended filling range ≤500ml; maximum flow rate 3.1 L/min (water) · Recommended filling range ≤500ml; max flow rate 3.1 L/min (water) | Confirm via inquiry · Confirm via inquiry |
| Magnetic pump (timed flow) | Low-viscosity liquids — the catalog describes these models with toner, solvent and similar thin products; pumps are stated in SUS316/316L stainless steel. | ZS-MPZ6 (dual nozzle, semi-auto) · ZS-MPYT900 (single head, semi-auto) · ZS-MP5000 (six channels, semi-auto) · ZS-VTMP6D (six diving nozzles, inline) | 5-3000ml(recommend) · 10–1000 mL · 10–1000ml · 5-3000ml(recommend) | About 10-30 bottles/min · Confirm via inquiry · 18 bottles/min (250ml) · About 12-30 bottles/min |
| Pneumatic piston (volumetric) | Liquids and creams — the piston metering handles thicker products than a timed-flow pump. | Cleveland SGP-D-1000-2 (dual head) | 3.5 - 33.5 oz / 100ml - 1000ml Per Head | 0-30 cycles per minute per head |
| Servo piston (volumetric, heated options) | Viscous pastes and sauces; the YT6T-6PXH variant adds heated hoppers for hot-fill products such as sauce and jam. | ZS-YT12T-12PX (12 heads, feeding pump) · ZS-YT6T-6PXH (6 heads, heated) | 100–1000ml (customizable) · 10–300 ml (customizable) | 30–70 bottles/min · About 20–70 bottles/min (depends on material & bottle size) |
| Servo gear pump (volumetric, high flow) | Viscous liquids at larger volumes — the VTGF8A is described with stainless steel food-grade gear pumps and an 8-head station. | ZS-VTGF8A (8 heads) | 50–5000 ml | About 24–40 bottles/min (based on 5L filling volume) |
How to read this table: within one row, models differ mainly in automation level (benchtop semi-automatic vs inline automatic) and head count, so read each model's range and speed against your container rather than picking the largest number. The GFK160 diaphragm fill range is stated as "recommended ≤500 ml, 3.1 L/min (water)" — a water flow figure, which is exactly the kind of condition the confirm-before-purchase qualifier exists for.
Where the trade-offs are written up
This page shows what is on record; the reasoning lives in the knowledge base. Three articles carry the principle-level analysis behind the table above:
- Product behavior classification for filling machine selection — sorting your product into a behavior class before comparing machines.
- Piston filler vs servo filler for liquids, compared — where volumetric servo control changes the answer over pneumatic metering.
- Achievable fill accuracy across dosing principles — what each principle can hold, including the catalog's own stated accuracy for the SGP-D (+/-1% liquids, +/-2% creams).
For cosmetic creams specifically, the piston vs servo vs peristaltic comparison works the same trade-off against cream, lotion and gel behavior.
Shortlisting to configuration
Product viscosity, foaming behavior, particle content and the fill volume you actually run all sit between the stated figure and your throughput. Send the product (or its behavior description) and container with the inquiry and the quotation comes back against your configuration — or return to the comparison hub to narrow by task and capacity first.
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