Drum and Tote Filling Machines

A drum and tote filling machine is an industrial filling station that accurately measures and fills large containers — typically 20L–220L drums (barrels) and 200L–1,000L IBC totes (intermediate bulk containers). The machine uses a load cell floor scale (net-weight filling) or flow meter to measure the fill quantity. The operator positions the drum under the fill nozzle, the system reads the tare weight, then fills to the preset target weight automatically. Fill accuracy is typically ±0.1% by weight.

Drum and tote filling machines handle a wide range of industrial liquids including: lubricating oils (engine oil, gear oil, hydraulic fluid), chemicals (solvents, acids, alkalis — with appropriate materials), food liquids (vegetable oils, syrups, vinegars), paints and coatings (architectural and industrial), water treatment chemicals, adhesives and resins. For hazardous or flammable products, ATEX-certified equipment is required.

Drum fillers typically handle containers from 20L pails up to 220L standard drums. They may use top-fill or bottom-fill nozzles. IBC tote fillers are designed for 275L–1,250L intermediate bulk containers and require higher flow rates (50–200 L/min) due to larger volumes. IBC fillers use larger-diameter valves and may include gantry or crane systems for lifting fill heads above the IBC. Both use net-weight measurement for accuracy.

Yes. For flammable products (flash point below 60°C) including solvents, petrochemicals, alcohols and certain lubricants, we supply ATEX Zone 1 and Zone 2 certified drum filling equipment. ATEX features include: explosion-proof motors and junction boxes, anti-static earthing and bonding clamps, spark-free stainless steel or bronze valves, non-sparking conveyor systems, and ATEX-rated control panels. CE and ATEX Directive 2014/34/EU compliant.

Net-weight load cell drum fillers achieve ±0.1% accuracy (±200g on a 200L drum fill). This is significantly more accurate than timed-fill or flow meter systems. For IBC filling, load cell systems achieve ±0.1% on fills up to 1,000L. Accuracy is maintained across different drum tare weights through automatic tare compensation. All systems can be calibrated to meet local weights & measures legal requirements.

Semi-automatic floor-scale drum fillers: 3–8 drums/minute (one operator, manual drum placement). Fully automatic rotary drum filling lines: 8–15 drums/minute (conveyor-fed, automatic drum handling). IBC filling stations: 2–6 IBC totes per hour (due to the larger fill volumes of 1,000L per tote). Pail filling machines (5L–25L): 5–20 pails/minute depending on container size and fill volume.