Multi-Head Cup Filling Machine: Base, Drizzle and Topping in One Pass
Our SDH-R carries up to three filling heads on one rotary turret, so a servo piston base, a peristaltic oil or sauce dose and a garnish topping land in every cup in a single pass, at up to 30 cups per minute.
A multi-head cup filling machine doses two or more components into the same cup from separate filling heads. The Hummus Pack SDH-R rotary machine carries up to three heads on one indexing turret: a servo volumetric piston for the base (50-500 g at ±0.5%), a peristaltic pump for oil or sauce, and a garnish or vibration filler for toppings, then seals and lids in one pass at up to 30 CPM (18-25 real-world).
- Filling heads
- Up to 3 per pass (base + liquid + garnish)
- Base filler
- Servo-driven volumetric piston, ±0.5% accuracy
- Topping fillers
- Peristaltic pump, garnish filler, vibration filler (optional)
- Output
- Up to 30 CPM dry cycle (18-25 CPM real-world)
- Fill range & cups
- 50-500 g; 4, 8, 10, 16 oz standard (2-32 oz custom)
- Changeover
- Under ~15 minutes with HMI recipe storage
- Price
- From $45,000 USD single-filler; scales with added heads
What Is a Multi-Head Cup Filling Machine?
A multi-head cup filling machine is an automatic filler that doses two or more components into the same cup from separate filling heads, each matched to a different ingredient. On our SDH-R rotary cup filling, sealing and lidding machine, those heads are stations on one indexing turret, so a single cup can receive a hummus base, an olive oil drizzle and a chickpea garnish before it reaches the sealer. The SDH-R accepts up to three filling heads in one pass.
The term is used loosely, so it helps to separate three machines with similar names:
- Multi-head (multi-component) cup filler: several heads, each dosing a different ingredient into the same cup. This is the SDH-R.
- Multi-lane cup filler: identical heads filling several cups side by side with one product, usually on an inline machine, to multiply output of a single SKU.
- Multihead combination weigher: weigh hoppers that combine portions of dry, free-flowing pieces such as snacks. It does not pump pastes.
If your goal is more components per cup, a multi-head cup filling machine on a rotary turret is the efficient answer. If your goal is more cups per minute of one plain product, you are describing multi-lane, compared candidly below.
Station Roles on a Multi-Head Filling Machine
Each head on a multi-component cup filling machine is chosen for how its ingredient flows. The SDH-R runs its stations in a fixed order: cup denesting, base filling, secondary and third filling, membrane sealing, optional nitrogen flushing, optional lidding, then discharge.
SDH-R filling head options and typical roles
| Filling head | Best for | Typical role | Example components |
|---|---|---|---|
| Volumetric piston (standard, servo-driven) | Pastes and liquids, particulates via wide-bore valving | Base, 50-500 g at ±0.5% | Hummus, yogurt, cream cheese, custard |
| Peristaltic pump (optional) | Thin liquids | Drizzle or sauce layer | Olive oil, chili oil, dressings, sauces |
| Garnish filler (optional) | Discrete solid pieces | Visible topping | Whole chickpeas, pine nuts, seeds, herbs |
| Vibration filler (optional) | Powders and dry blends | Spice finish | Paprika, sumac, za'atar |
| Custom engineered-to-order | Ingredients outside standard options | Set in application review | Confirmed with our engineering team |
Base head: servo-driven piston
The base carries most of the cup's weight, so it defines net-quantity accuracy. A servo-driven volumetric piston filler pushes a set volume through a cut-off or suck-back nozzle; suck-back pulls product back at the end of the stroke so dense pastes do not string onto the cup rim.
Liquid head: peristaltic pump
Oils and thin sauces are the components most likely to ruin a seal. A peristaltic pump moves liquid through a closed tube, dosed by pump rotation, which suits an olive oil swirl or dressing layer that must land in the center and stay off the flange.
Topping head: garnish or vibration filler
Garnish fillers place whole chickpeas, pine nuts, herbs or seeds; vibration fillers meter powders such as paprika. Both sit after the wet components and drop onto a product surface that is already in place.
Why Extra Heads Do Not Slow a Multi-Head Cup Filling Machine
Buyers often assume a three-head filler runs at a third of the speed of a single-head machine. On an indexing turret it does not. Every station holds a different cup at the same moment, all of them work during the same dwell, and the turret then moves every cup forward together. Our rotary cup filling machine page covers the turret mechanics; one cycle on a fully loaded SDH-R looks like this:
- The pneumatic denester drops a pre-formed cup into an empty pocket.
- Simultaneously, the piston fills the base into the cup one position ahead.
- The second and third heads add oil and garnish to the cups ahead of that.
- The sealing station heat-seals a roll-film membrane onto a fully dressed cup.
- The optional lid station places a plastic lid and a finished cup discharges.
- The turret indexes once and the cycle repeats.
Adding a garnish head adds a station, not a pass. Cycle rate is set by the slowest operation inside the dwell, usually the base fill or the seal. The ceiling stays at up to 30 cups per minute dry, with 18-25 CPM typical in production depending on product, cup size, fill weight and options.
The honest caveat: a very large or sticky garnish dose can become the pacing station. We check this during the application review, not after delivery.
Layered and Topped SKUs for a Multi-Component Cup Filling Machine
The value of a multi-head machine is the SKUs it unlocks without a second line or a manual topping crew:
- Topped hummus: hummus base by piston, olive oil by peristaltic pump, and whole chickpeas by garnish filler, or a paprika dusting by vibration filler instead. See our hummus filling machine page for tahini-rich bases.
- Yogurt parfaits: fruit and yogurt layers from separate heads, topping last. Our parfait cup filling machine page covers layer order and clear cups.
- Flan and caramel dessert cups: caramel sauce first, custard on top, with fill temperature and set behavior confirmed by our engineers before quoting. See the dessert cup filling machine page.
- Mediterranean and layered dips: labneh or tzatziki finished with oil and za'atar, or bean, salsa and sour cream layers in a clear cup, as on our dip filling and sealing machine page.
For layer sequencing and how density decides which component goes first, read our guide to multi-component filling for layered dips and parfaits.
Get a configured SDH-R quote for your productSend your product, cup size and target cups per minute — we reply within 24 hours.
Request a quotePer-Component Fill Accuracy on a Multi Station Cup Filler
Accuracy has to be judged per component, because each head uses its own dosing principle. The SDH-R base head, a servo-driven volumetric piston, is rated at ±0.5% fill-weight accuracy across 50-500 g. On a 227 g (8 oz) hummus base, that is a band of roughly ±1.1 g.
Peristaltic and garnish heads dose much smaller amounts, and their repeatability depends on the ingredient: oil viscosity shifts with room temperature, and chickpeas or nut pieces arrive as discrete units. We do not publish a single figure for those heads; our engineering team sets and verifies them with your product during trials.
An optional weight checker with feedback loop helps, within limits:
- It weighs the whole cup, confirming total net weight and catching a short base fill.
- It cannot tell whether a heavy cup carries extra oil or extra hummus.
- For per-component checks, QA samples each head's dose into a tared cup at startup and after every changeover.
Keeping Layers Distinct and Seal Flanges Clean
Most multi-head problems on fresh-food lines are product-behavior problems, and they surface at the seal:
- Density order. A thin component dropped onto a soft base can punch through and mix, so the firmer component usually goes first and nozzle height and fill speed are set so the next layer lands on it, not in it.
- Oil separation. Tahini-rich hummus and pesto can weep oil; a drizzle on top raises the chance of oil reaching the rim, so its volume and placement stay centered.
- Syneresis. Yogurt and sour cream can release whey, which shows as a wet line between layers in a clear cup.
- Aeration. Air entrained in the base causes weight drift and voids, so piston stroke speed is matched to the product.
- Flange contamination. Oil, powder or crumbs on the rim weaken the heat seal. Suck-back nozzles, centered dosing and a controlled garnish drop keep it clean.
Seal temperature, pressure and dwell are then set for the film and cup together. Optional nitrogen flushing on the MAP cup filler configuration reduces residual oxygen to 0.3-0.4%, which can extend refrigerated shelf life from roughly 7-10 days to 30-45+ days, depending on the product.
Multi-Head vs Multi-Lane Cup Filling Machines
Both designs put more than one filling head on a machine, but they solve opposite problems: multi-head adds components to each cup, multi-lane adds cups to each stroke.
Multi-head rotary vs multi-lane inline cup fillers
| Factor | Multi-head rotary (SDH-R) | Multi-lane inline |
|---|---|---|
| Extra heads | Dose different components into one cup | Dose one product into several cups side by side |
| Output | Up to 30 CPM dry, 18-25 CPM real-world | Higher, scaling with lane count |
| Best fit | Many SKUs, layered and topped cups | Long runs of one plain SKU |
| Toppings | Up to 3 fillers in one pass | Each topping station repeated across every lane |
| Changeover | Under ~15 minutes, HMI recipes | Parts and settings change on every lane |
| Footprint | 44 × 52 in, 65.6 in high | Longer, linear layout |
| Entry price | From $45,000 USD single-filler | Typically a larger capital project |
Our candid view: if you need well beyond 30 cups per minute of one product, a multi-lane inline cup filling machine is the right category. If growth is coming from more SKUs, toppings and smaller batches, a multi-head rotary machine keeps the line compact. Our rotary vs inline comparison covers the trade-offs.
Two-Head or Three-Head Cup Filling Machine: Choosing a Configuration
SDH-R pricing starts from $45,000 USD for the single-filler configuration and scales with each added filler, MAP, labeling and custom tooling, so buy the heads you will use:
- Two-head cup filling machine (base plus one topping): plain and topped versions of one product, such as hummus with or without oil, or yogurt with a fruit layer.
- Three-head configuration (base, liquid and garnish): fully dressed SKUs like hummus with oil and whole chickpeas, or a three-layer parfait.
- Powder instead of pieces: a vibration filler takes the topping position for a spice dusting.
Recipes stored on the HMI let one multi-head cup filling machine carry a plain SKU and its topped variants; confirm with our engineers how stations are set for SKUs that skip a topping. Our cup filling and sealing machine cost guide explains how options affect budget.
Sanitation, Allergens and Compliance with Multiple Fillers
Every added head is another product-contact path to clean and another place for allergen carry-over. Sesame became the 9th major US allergen on January 1, 2023 under the FASTER Act, and tree nuts such as pine nuts are major allergens under FALCPA. The SDH-R supports validated changeovers with:
- Food-grade 304 stainless steel and tool-free strip-down.
- An optional CIP (clean-in-place) system.
- Peristaltic tubing that keeps liquid toppings out of the pump mechanism.
- CE marking, UL listing and FDA-compliant food-contact materials.
The machine is designed to support plants operating under FDA FSMA Preventive Controls (21 CFR Part 117), HACCP, BRCGS or SQF, Canada's SFCR and EU Regulation (EC) 1935/2004. It is not itself certified to those schemes; your validated sanitation records are what auditors review.
When a Multi-Head Cup Filler Is Not the Right Fit
- Single-SKU volume well above 30 CPM: multi-lane inline equipment is the better investment.
- Aseptic, retort or shelf-stable products, and frozen products such as ice cream: outside what the SDH-R is built for.
- Fills below 50 g, such as 1 oz cups: outside the standard range; 2 oz is the low end.
- Thermoformed packs: the SDH-R runs pre-formed cups and does not form them.
- Very hot fills, extreme viscosity or large particulates: these need engineering confirmation before we quote.
- Toppings that must stay crunchy, such as granola directly on yogurt, may soften over shelf life, so discuss pack format first.
How to Specify a Multi-Head Cup Filling Machine
For each SKU, send us:
- Each component in fill order, with target weight and how it flows (paste, thin liquid, pieces or powder).
- Cup size and shape (round, square or rectangular), confirming cups are pre-formed.
- Target cups per minute and the number of SKUs sharing the line.
- Closure (roll-film membrane, pre-die-cut lid, plastic or snap-on lid) and whether you want nitrogen MAP.
- Options such as labeling, variable data coding, a weight checker, CIP or an extended discharge conveyor.
Send it through our quote request page or to sales@hummuspack.com and we typically reply within about 24 hours, sometimes after a few questions about the application. Machines are built in Calgary, Alberta, with delivery in 8-12 weeks, a 12-month warranty and support from our Alberta, New Jersey and California service centers.
Multi-head Cup Filling Machine — Frequently Asked Questions
The Hummus Pack SDH-R starts from $45,000 USD for the single-filler configuration. A multi-head build adds a second or third filler, such as a peristaltic pump for oil or a garnish filler for chickpeas, and price scales with each added head, MAP, labeling and custom tooling. Send your product, cup size and target speed through our quote request form for a configured price.
Not on a rotary turret. On the SDH-R multi-head cup filling machine, each head works on a different cup during the same dwell and the turret indexes all cups together, so a head adds a station, not a pass. Output stays at up to 30 cups per minute dry, typically 18-25 CPM in production, set by the slowest station.
On the SDH-R, the base is dosed by a servo-driven volumetric piston rated at ±0.5% across 50-500 g. Peristaltic and garnish heads dose smaller amounts whose repeatability depends on the ingredient, so we set and verify them with your product. An optional weight checker confirms total cup weight; per-component checks sample each head's dose into tared cups.
A multi-head cup filling machine, like the Hummus Pack SDH-R, uses up to three heads to put different components into the same cup, such as hummus, olive oil and chickpeas, at up to 30 cups per minute. A multi-lane machine fills several cups side by side with one product. Choose multi-head for layered or topped SKUs, multi-lane for high-volume single products.
The SDH-R handles 4, 8, 10 and 16 oz cups as standard, with custom sizes from 2 oz to 32 oz using matching change parts. Cups can be round, square or rectangular and must be pre-formed. The standard fill range is 50-500 g at ±0.5%; fills below 50 g, such as 1 oz cups, are outside the standard range.
Yes, with the optional nitrogen MAP station on the Hummus Pack SDH-R, which reduces residual oxygen to 0.3-0.4% and can extend refrigerated shelf life from roughly 7-10 days to 30-45+ days, depending on the product. Topped and oil-drizzled cups also need a clean flange for a reliable heat seal, so drizzle and garnish placement are tuned during trials.
SKU changeover on the SDH-R takes under about 15 minutes using recipes stored on the HMI. The machine uses food-grade 304 stainless steel with tool-free strip-down and an optional CIP system. With multiple heads, allergen changeovers, such as from a sesame or pine-nut topping to an allergen-free SKU, should follow a validated procedure covering every product-contact path.
The Hummus Pack SDH-R is designed and built in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, with delivery 8-12 weeks from order confirmation and a 12-month warranty. Support comes from our Alberta, New Jersey and California service centers, serving producers in the USA, Canada, UK, EU, Middle East, Australia and New Zealand. Quote requests typically get a reply within about 24 hours.
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