With the rapid development of the food, beverage, chemical and other industries, automatic canning lines have become key equipment for increasing production capacity, reducing labor costs and ensuring product consistency. However, faced with a wide variety of canning systems, complex configuration options and diverse application requirements, companies are often confused during the selection process. To this end, this article will help you gain an in-depth understanding of the composition, selection points, industry applications and latest technologies of canning lines, helping you to efficiently build intelligent canning production lines and achieve the goal of reducing costs and increasing efficiency.
Catalog
1. What is an automatic canning line?
2. Workflow of automatic canning line
3. Components of an automatic canning line
4. What are the common automatic canning lines or equipment?
5. Several key factors that must be considered before purchasing an automatic canning line
6. Comparison of common configuration schemes of automatic canning lines
7. Industry Applications of Automatic Canning Lines
8. Recommendations for purchasing automatic canning lines
9. The core advantages of Shipu automatic canning line
10. Summary: Choosing the right automatic canning line is the key to efficient production
1. What is an automatic canning line?
An automatic canning line is an automated production equipment system used to accurately fill liquids, pastes, granules or other materials into metal cans, plastic cans or composite cans, and complete processes such as sealing, labeling, and testing. It realizes unmanned, high-speed and standardized operations throughout the canning process through a highly integrated mechanical structure and intelligent control system, which can greatly reduce manual intervention and improve production efficiency and product consistency.
2. Workflow of automatic canning line
A standard automatic canning line usually includes multiple continuous and highly coordinated operation links to ensure that the entire process from empty can feeding to finished product output is efficient, accurate and safe.
1. Depalletizing & Infeed
2. Filling Station
3. Lid Placement & Seaming
4. Inspection
5. Labeling & Coding
6. Discharge & Packing
With flexible system design, the automatic canning line is compatible with a variety of containers such as metal cans, plastic cans, composite paper cans, etc., and is suitable for different material viscosities and properties. It is widely used in food, beverages, daily chemicals, chemicals and other industries to adapt to changing market demands.
3. Components of an automatic canning line
Canning line conveyor system
Canning line conveyor system serves as the backbone of the automatic canning line, efficiently transporting empty cans, partially filled cans, and finished products through each stage of the production process. Typically, chain or roller conveyors are employed to ensure smooth, continuous flow of materials, thereby enhancing overall operational efficiency.
Unscrambling the cans which unload by manual or unloading machine to queue a line.
Fully stainless steel structure, With guard rail, can be adjustable, suitable for different size of round cans.
As the core equipment of the canning line, the filling machine accurately dispenses liquids or pastes into cans. Depending on the product’s properties, filling methods such as volumetric, gravimetric (weight-based), or pressure filling are commonly used. The filling machine’s precision and speed are critical factors affecting production capacity and product quality.
Can seaming machine securely attaches the can lid to the body, ensuring a tight seal that prevents leaks and protects the contents from contamination. The quality of the seam directly impacts the shelf life and safety of the final product.
Coding Machine
This device prints essential information such as production dates, batch numbers, and barcodes on the can body or lid. Effective coding supports traceability and quality control throughout the supply chain.
Including weight inspection machine, leakage inspection machine and appearance inspection equipment, used to ensure that each canned product meets the quality standards. The inspection equipment can automatically remove unqualified products to ensure the quality of the final product.
Palletizer
Used to automatically stack the canned and packaged products on pallets for easy transportation and warehousing, and improve the degree of automation.
An automatic canning line is a highly integrated production system composed of several key components working seamlessly together. From the conveyor system that ensures smooth material flow, to the precision filling machine, and the reliable seaming machine that guarantees product safety—each part plays a vital role in maintaining high efficiency and product quality. Additional equipment like the can opening and coding machines further optimize the process, enabling accurate preparation and effective traceability. Together, these components form a streamlined solution for modern, high-volume canning operations.
4. What are the common automatic canning lines or equipment?
Automatic Milk Powder Canning Line
The fully automatic canning line designed for milk powder production covers the entire process from empty can conveying, can cleaning, precise metering filling, vacuum can sealing, coding to finished product palletizing.
Adopt high-precision spiral metering filling machine to ensure accurate and waste-free milk powder filling
Equipped with automatic can sorting, demagnetization, sterilization and other auxiliary equipment to ensure product hygiene and safety
Possess stable vacuum can sealing technology to extend the shelf life of products
Achieve unmanned operation of the entire line to improve production efficiency and safety
Automatic Vitamin Powder Filling Machine
Automatic filling equipment dedicated to vitamins and micronutrient powders, suitable for can packaging of different specifications.
Highly sensitive metering system, suitable for fine powders and various formulas
With dust-proof and anti-static design to ensure product purity and clean operating environment
Flexible mechanical structure, convenient for changing packaging specifications and adjusting production speed
Automatic nutrition powder can filling machine
Fully automatic filling equipment suitable for infant nutrition powder, health powder and other products
Multi-stage metering system ensures accurate formula and prevents error accumulation
Automatic exhaust and sealing technology to ensure product quality
Compatible with various packaging forms, such as iron cans, aluminum cans and plastic cans
Automatic protein powder filling machine
Designed for protein powder products, it emphasizes accurate metering and sealing.
Adopts servo-driven spiral metering to improve filling speed and stability
Can be equipped with an intelligent weighing system to ensure that the weight of each can meets the standard
Wide range of applications, supports a variety of packaging materials and specifications
Automatic seasoning powder filling machine
Used for automatic canning of various seasoning powders, such as salt, pepper, chili powder, etc.
Equipped with an efficient mixing and feeding system to prevent powder agglomeration
Supports a variety of filling capacity adjustments to meet different market needs
Reasonable structural design, easy to clean and maintain
Each of these canning solutions is tailored to specific powder properties and packaging standards. By aligning your product type with the appropriate equipment, you can achieve greater efficiency, lower production costs, and better product consistency.
5. Several key factors that must be considered before purchasing an automatic canning line
1. Product type and material characteristics
Different products have different requirements for canning equipment, such as:
Liquid, paste, powder or granules?
Is the product corrosive, sticky or volatile?
Does it need to be aseptic, vacuum or nitrogen-filled?
These will affect the filling method, sealing process and the choice of equipment materials.
2. Filling accuracy and output requirements
Is high-precision filling required? For example: milk powder, vitamin powder, etc. are very sensitive to the gram weight of each can.
What is the output target per hour/day/month?
High output requirements may require a double-head or multi-head filling system, combined with high-speed conveying and sealing equipment.
3. Packaging form and can specifications
Round cans, square cans, plastic cans, metal cans or paper cans?
Are the heights and diameters of the cans diverse?
Do you need to be compatible with multiple specifications?
This will determine the compatibility and adjustment range of the canning line.
4. Automation level
Is fully automatic unmanned production required?
Is it necessary to integrate visual inspection, automatic weighing, automatic labeling, and automatic inkjet printing?
Although high-automation equipment requires a higher investment, it can significantly reduce labor costs and improve stability.
5. Hygiene standards and cleaning convenience
Is the product suitable for industries with high hygiene requirements such as food and medicine?
Is the equipment easy to clean and does it support CIP automatic cleaning?
Ensure the safety and compliance of the equipment in long-term operation.
6. Plant space and layout limitations
Is there enough space on site?
Does the layout need to be customized to accommodate the existing production line?
A suitable production line layout can help improve production efficiency and operational convenience.
Enterprises should choose the right level of production line based on their own production capacity planning, plant space, labor input, and future expansion expectations. If you are unsure, please contact us and we will tailor a solution based on your product filling needs.
6. Comparison of common configuration schemes of automatic canning lines
| Configuration Type | Basic Line (Entry-Level) | Standard Line (Mid-Level) | Advanced Line (High-Speed) |
| Suitable For | Small factories, start-up brands, test runs | Medium-sized food/health product factories | Large manufacturers, OEM factories |
| Output Capacity | ≤ 800 cans/hour | 800 – 2,000 cans/hour | ≥ 3,000 cans/hour |
| Main Equipment | Semi-auto filler + manual seamer + simple conveyor | Automatic filler + seamer + coding machine | Multi-head filler + vacuum seamer + checkweigher + palletizer |
| Automation Level | Low (manual assistance required) | Medium (main processes automated) | Fully automated (unmanned line possible) |
| Applicable Products | Milk powder, seasoning powder, protein powder (small batches) | Nutrition powder, vitamin powder, food powders | Milk powder, formula powder, baby food, export lines |
| Scalability | Low – standalone use | Medium – expandable with add-on modules | High – supports full-line upgrades and smart integration |
| Advantages | Low cost, flexible, ideal for product testing | Balanced performance and cost, stable output | High capacity, efficient, ideal for mass production |
| Disadvantages | Labor intensive, low throughput | Some manual steps required | High initial setup cost, requires more space and power |
7. Industry Applications of Automatic Canning Lines
| Industry | Typical Products |
| Food Industry | - Milk powder, protein powder, nutrition powder – Canned fruits, meat, seafood – Sauces (ketchup, chili paste), seasoning powders – Instant soups, coffee powder, cocoa powder |
| Beverage Industry | - Carbonated drinks, fruit juices – Tea and coffee beverages – Functional and plant-based drinks |
| Pharmaceutical Industry | - Vitamin powders, oral medications – Medical nutrition formulas – Disinfectants, health supplements |
| Health & Nutrition | - Whey protein, meal replacement powders – Collagen powder, probiotic powder – Herbal supplements |
| Chemical Industry | - Paints, greases, lubricants – Fertilizer powders, agrochemicals – Cleaning and degreasing agents |
| Pet Food Industry | - Canned dog and cat food – Nutritional supplements for pets – Powdered feed additives |
| Personal Care Industry | - Talcum powder, herbal face masks – Bath salts, body scrubs – Body care powder products |
| Industrial Products | - Metal powders, industrial additives – Machine grease, industrial adhesives – Specialized powdered materials |
8. Recommendations for purchasing automatic canning lines
When purchasing automatic canning lines, it is not only about production and price, but also about the matching degree of equipment and long-term use effects.
1. Clarify product characteristics and packaging requirements
Different products (such as milk powder, vitamin powder, seasoning powder) have different requirements for filling accuracy, hygiene standards and packaging forms. When purchasing, be sure to determine the appropriate type of equipment based on the characteristics of the material.
2. Evaluate production capacity needs and future expansion
Based on current and future expected production, choose equipment that meets the production rhythm. It is recommended to reserve a certain amount of expansion space to cope with production growth or product upgrades.
3. Pay attention to the degree of equipment automation
Fully automatic equipment has high efficiency and low labor costs, but the investment is large. You can reasonably choose the level of automation based on your own budget and production management level.
4. Investigate the convenience of equipment cleaning and maintenance
Especially in the food and pharmaceutical industries, the convenience of equipment cleaning and disinfection is crucial, which affects production safety and product quality.
5. Check the supplier’s technical support and after-sales service
Good after-sales service can ensure the stable operation of equipment, solve problems encountered in production in a timely manner, and reduce downtime.
6. Pay attention to equipment compatibility and integration capabilities
The equipment should be able to adapt to cans of different specifications and be easily connected to existing production lines or other packaging equipment.
7. Learn more about equipment consumables and spare parts
The availability of spare parts directly affects the equipment maintenance cycle and production continuity.
Reasoable selection of automatic canning lines not only improves production efficiency, but also ensures product quality and corporate competitiveness. Welcome to consult professional solutions based on specific needs.
9. The core advantages of Shipu automatic canning line
1. High-precision filling technology: Shipu automatic canning line adopts advanced spiral metering and weighing system to ensure the accurate and stable weight of each can of product, minimize the waste of raw materials and ensure product consistency.
2. Fully automatic intelligent control: The whole line adopts PLC intelligent control system, supports human-machine interface (HMI) operation, one-key setting of production parameters, automatic alarm and fault diagnosis, greatly reducing the difficulty of operation and improving production efficiency.
3. Multi-functional compatible design: Suitable for filling a variety of powdered materials such as milk powder, vitamin powder, protein powder, seasoning powder, etc., compatible with different can specifications and materials, to meet diversified production needs.
4. Excellent sealing performance: Equipped with advanced vacuum canning technology and efficient sealing system, it effectively prevents the product from moisture and oxidation, extends the shelf life, and ensures product safety and hygiene.
5. High efficiency and energy saving and stable operation: Adopting energy-saving motor and environmental protection design, the equipment runs smoothly, with low noise and low maintenance cost, which is suitable for long-term continuous production.
6. Easy to clean and maintain: Modular design, key components are easy to disassemble, meet the hygiene standards of the food and pharmaceutical industries, support quick cleaning, and ensure a clean production environment.
7. High-quality after-sales service guarantee: Shipu provides professional technical support and training services, responds promptly, ensures stable operation of equipment, and helps customers solve various problems encountered in production.
10. Summary: Choosing the right automatic canning line is the key to efficient production
Choosing a suitable automatic canning line is the key to achieving efficient production, ensuring product quality and reducing operating costs. Our ultimate selection guide helps you make a wise decision that best suits your business development from multiple dimensions such as product characteristics, output requirements, degree of automation, equipment compatibility and after-sales service.
If you have any questions or needs during the purchase process, please contact Shipu. We have a professional technical team and industry experts who are committed to providing you with tailored advice and the best solutions to help you maximize production efficiency, improve product competitiveness and promote sustainable development of the company.
Post time: Jul-11-2025