Description:
Can filling machines be customised? How fast can they be delivered? This article answers these two common questions from the perspective of industry trends, customisation capability, and delivery cycles.

Introduction

“Can you do customisation? How long is delivery?”

These are the two most common questions in filling machine procurement – and the two that cause the most confusion.

On one hand, every supplier says “yes, we can customise.” On the other, customisation almost always means longer lead times and higher costs. What’s the reality? This article helps you sort it out.

1. Customisation – Not “If,” But “To What Extent”

The domestic beverage packaging machinery industry is shifting from “standard equipment procurement” to “customised line integration.” Industry statistics show that in food and beverage, daily chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and chemical sectors, over 60% of mid-to-high-end filling line requirements involve some level of customisation.

Types of customisation typically include:

Customisation Type	Description	Common Scenario
Bottle adaptation	Custom filling heads, conveyor chains, and moulds based on customer bottle drawings	Almost every customer needs this
Fill volume adjustment	Adjusting piston stroke or flow meter parameters	Multi-SKU production
Capping method	Servo-controlled torque adjustment – sealing pass rate can reach 99.8%	Products with high sealing requirements
Label positioning	Custom label heads based on bottle shape	Irregular-shaped bottles
Full-line integration	End-to-end customisation from blow moulding, filling, capping, inspection, labelling, to final packaging	Large-scale projects

Important distinction: “Bottle adaptation” is a standard customisation requirement for every filling machine project and is typically included in the quote. “Full-line integration” is premium customisation that requires separate design, separate pricing, and longer timelines.

2. Fast Delivery – How Fast Is “Fast Enough”?

Delivery time is a major pain point for many buyers. Modular design is becoming an effective way to shorten lead times – standardised machine modules are designed not only to meet basic functional needs but also to allow easy addition of specific modules as required.

Typical lead time benchmarks:

Equipment Type	Lead Time
Standard models (stock / semi-auto)	7–15 days
Standard fully automatic models	15–25 days
Customised fully automatic models	30–45 days
Full-line custom projects	60–90 days

Key factors affecting lead time:

Level of customisation (more complex bottle shapes = longer mould machining time)

Supplier’s production schedule and capacity

Supply chain stability (e.g., Siemens PLC availability)

3. Customisation ≠ Slow Delivery – The Balance of Modular Design

In the past, customisation and fast delivery seemed contradictory. But increasingly, manufacturers are using modular design to solve this contradiction.

Standardised equipment adopts modular design to meet basic functional needs while allowing specific modules – such as sterilisation, prenitrogen purging, pressurised filling, automatic dummy cups, etc. – to be added as required.

Advantages of modular design:

Core modules are standardised and can be stocked in advance

Only specific modules need adjustment – overall delivery is not affected

Customers can add functions later without replacing the entire machine

4. Our Approach at ALL-FILLING

At Zhangjiagang AllFilling Machinery Co., Ltd. , we understand that every project is unique. Our standard machines are built on a modular platform, so we can customise bottle handling, filling volumes, capping torque, and even fullline integration without starting from scratch every time.

We also offer remote installation guidance and videobased commissioning support to accelerate your startup timeline, even when onsite travel is not immediately possible.

5. Sourcing Advice: How to Balance Customisation and Lead Time

1. Raise customisation needs early – the earlier you communicate, the sooner the supplier can arrange mould and design work
2. Distinguish “musthave” from “nicetohave” customisation – core features must be customised; noncritical features can be upgraded later
3. Ask about modular capability – choose suppliers who use modular design, so customisation and delivery can both be optimised
4. Prepare bottle drawings and factory layout in advance – the more complete your documentation, the faster the supplier can respond

Keywords: filling machine customisation, filling machine delivery time, modular design, filling machine procurement, customised production line, filling machine lead time