Food Tube Filling Machine with Tube - Feeding Mechanism | Discus Technology

A food tube filling machine equipped with a specialized tube feeding mechanism is a precision engineered device designed for efficiently filling and sealing flexible tubes with food grade creams, such as spreads, ointments, or specialty food products, ensuring hygiene, accuracy, and productivity. The tube feeding mechanism is a critical component, responsible for automatically supplying empty tubes to the filling station, orienting them correctly, and positioning them for precise filling and sealing. These mechanisms typically use a combination of hoppers, vibratory feeders, or magazine racks to store empty tubes, which are then singulated and transported via conveyor belts or robotic arms to the indexing station. Advanced systems incorporate sensors to detect tube presence, orientation, and integrity, rejecting damaged or misaligned tubes before they reach the filling stage to prevent product waste and downtime. Once positioned, the tubes are held securely by pneumatic clamps while the filling nozzle—often a tapered or needle style design—inserts into the tube opening to dispense the cream, minimizing air entrapment and ensuring full, even filling. The feeding mechanism works in sync with the filling and sealing units, with timing controlled by a PLC to coordinate tube supply with filling cycles, maximizing throughput. For food applications, the entire system is constructed from food grade materials: 316L stainless steel for product contact surfaces, FDA approved silicone gaskets, and corrosion resistant components to meet strict hygienic standards. The tube feeding mechanism is designed for versatility, accommodating various tube sizes (from small 5ml tubes to large 200ml tubes) and materials, including plastic, laminate, and metal, with quick change tooling to facilitate rapid switchovers between tube types. After filling, integrated sealing mechanisms—such as hot air, ultrasonic, or crimp sealing—secure the tube ends, with the feeding system advancing the filled tubes to the next stage, such as trimming, coding, or packaging. Hygiene features include easy to clean surfaces, CIP compatibility, and smooth, crevice free designs in the feeding mechanism to prevent bacterial buildup. With features like adjustable feeding speed to match filling rates, tube count tracking, and alarms for low tube inventory, these machines ensure continuous operation with minimal operator oversight. Whether used for filling gourmet food spreads, medicinal food creams, or specialty condiments, a food tube filling machine with an efficient tube feeding mechanism delivers the reliability, hygiene, and flexibility needed to meet the demands of food processing industries while ensuring consumer safety and product quality.