Mascara Filling Machine Product

Overview

A mascara filling machine is a specialized cosmetic production system that fills mascara tubes with formulated mascara base (a thick, pigmented wax-and-fiber suspension), inserts a pre-assembled wiper comb applicator, and screws on the cap in a single integrated line. The machine is designed for brands producing 1,000–50,000 units per month, balancing speed with formula integrity and applicator quality.

The system combines intermittent indexing conveyor technology, servo-controlled piston dispensing, pneumatic insertion, and torque-controlled capping to achieve 40–80 finished bottles per minute with minimal spillage and consistent fill quality.

How It Works

Mascara base formulation (a waxy suspension of iron oxide pigments, fibers, and oils) is stored in the Reservoir, a heated 80-liter vessel maintained at 38–45 °C. This temperature keeps the mascara flowable without separating. A small recirculation pump (2 L/min) continuously circulates mascara back to the tank, preventing settling and maintaining uniform pigment distribution. A Level Sensor monitors tank fill; if it drops below operational minimum, the PLC halts production and alerts the operator.

Empty mascara bottles arrive at the machine on a conveyor belt or are manually placed in the Bottle Conveyor. This is a stepper-motor-driven intermittent indexing table with 6–8 vacuum cup grippers. Each grip holds one bottle. The carousel advances one position every 2–3 seconds, stopping briefly at each of three stations: fill, wiper insertion, and capping.

At the fill station, the Piston Filler dispenses mascara into the open bottle. The piston filler is a servo-controlled metering pump with a 20 mm bore and 50 mm stroke. A Check Valve (Inlet) on the suction side and Check Valve (Outlet) on the discharge side prevent backflow. The Proportional Solenoid controls piston extension; when energized for a programmed duration (typically 0.3–0.5 seconds), it meters out 0.8–1.2 ml of mascara into the bottle. The servo controller adjusts stroke length and dwell time based on feedback from a Nozzle Tip pressure sensor, ensuring fill-volume repeatability within ±5%.

The Nozzle Tip is a stainless steel tube with a 1.2 mm orifice. This small diameter is critical: it minimizes air entrainment and spillage while maintaining backpressure to prevent dripping. The nozzle is thermally managed to stay at formula temperature; if mascara cools below 35 °C in the nozzle, viscosity rises and fill accuracy drops.

After fill, the carousel rotates to the wiper insertion station. A pre-assembled wiper comb (a separate sub-assembly: a plastic brush head with spiral teeth) is fed from a vibrating bowl hopper (Wiper Hopper) into the Wiper Gripper, a soft rubber two-finger clamp. A pneumatic Insertion Cylinder (25 mm bore, 80 mm stroke) rapidly inserts the wiper into the filled bottle. Insertion must be firm enough to seat the wiper collar but gentle enough to avoid splashing mascara. A Wiper Presence Sensor confirms the wiper is loaded before insertion; if not, the PLC skips that bottle and marks it for reject.

Finally, the carousel rotates to the capping station. Caps are fed by a vibratory bowl (Cap Feeder) and presented to a rotating spindle chuck driven by a 0.5 kW AC servo motor (Capping Motor). The servo accelerates the cap to 300 rpm, screws it onto the mascara bottle neck, and then decelerates while monitoring torque via an inline Torque Transducer. When torque reaches 0.5 N·m (indicating the cap is fully seated), the motor stops, retracts the chuck, and the capped bottle exits the machine onto a collection conveyor.

The entire cycle—fill, wiper insertion, capping—takes 2–3 seconds per bottle. At 6–8 carousel positions with staggered station timing, the machine sustains 40–80 bottles per minute.

Recipe Storage and Flexibility

The Electrical Cabinet houses a PLC and a Touchscreen 7-inch HMI where operators create and recall recipes. A recipe specifies:

• Fill volume (ml)
• Piston dwell time (ms)
• Carousel index speed (sec/position)
• Capping torque setpoint (N·m)
• Wiper insertion depth (mm)
• Tank heating setpoint (°C)

Different mascara formulations (different viscosity or fiber loading) require different fill times; a recipe system eliminates manual adjustment and ensures batch-to-batch consistency.

Vacuum Gripping

The bottle Bottle Grippers are vacuum cups (40 mm diameter, silicone elastomer). A small Vacuum Pump (0.3 kW) continuously supplies vacuum; a Vacuum Regulator proportional valve adjusts grip force per material (plastic vs. glass bottles). Vacuum is released during carousel motion transitions to prevent bottle tipping.

Heating and Recirculation Strategy

Mascara base is hygroscopic (absorbs water) and oxidizes slowly above 50 °C. The 38–45 °C operating window is carefully selected: warm enough for easy pumping, cool enough for stability. Recirculation prevents mascara from settling in the supply line during idle periods, reducing change-over time.

The Recirculation Filter (100 µm mesh) removes any fiber clumps or agglomerated pigment that might clog the Nozzle Tip. This filter is cleaned or replaced daily.

Safety and Interlock System

The Electrical Cabinet contains an emergency stop circuit (red Emergency Stop button) that immediately de-energizes all solenoids and motors, stopping the carousel and locking vacuum grip. All stations have physical guards; the capping head in particular is enclosed to prevent hair or loose sleeves from contacting the rotating spindle.

Typical Run Parameters

For a standard 13 ml mascara tube filled with water-resistant formula:

• Fill volume: 1.0 ml
• Tank setpoint: 42 °C
• Piston dwell: 0.4 seconds
• Carousel cycle: 2.5 seconds per position
• Capping torque: 0.55 N·m
• Wiper insertion depth: 25 mm (with 3 mm of comb visible at bottle mouth)
• Production rate: ~60 bottles/minute

At these parameters, a typical 8-hour shift produces 28,800 bottles with <1% rejects.

Related Subsystems

• Reservoir maintains mascara temperature and supply.
• Piston Filler meters precise fill volumes.
• Bottle Conveyor indexes bottles through stations.
• Wiper Inserter places applicator comb.
• Capper Head screws and torques caps.
• Electrical Cabinet coordinates all motion and logic.

Consumable and Wear Items

Vacuum cup grippers wear (replaced annually or after 500,000 cycles). Piston rod seals are the highest-wear consumable (replaced every 6 months in high-duty production). Cap feeding bowl surfaces scratch over time and are resurfaced or replaced. Recirculation filter mesh clogs and is cleaned or replaced every 2–4 weeks depending on mascara supplier quality and pigment loading.