Paste Filling Machine for Cups and Tubs: Hummus, Tahini, Nut Butter and Spreads
Fill hummus, tahini, nut butters and cheese spreads into pre-formed cups and tubs without voids, drips or dirty flanges. The SDH-R doses 50–500 g at ±0.5% with a servo piston, then seals and lids at up to 30 cups per minute.
A paste filling machine doses thick, non-pourable food pastes such as hummus, tahini and nut butter into containers at a controlled volume. Hummus Pack's SDH-R is an automatic rotary paste filling machine for pre-formed cups and tubs: a servo-driven volumetric piston fills 50–500 g at ±0.5% accuracy, then the machine heat-seals roll film and can snap on lids, at up to 30 cups per minute (18–25 real-world).
- Output
- Up to 30 cups/min (18–25 real-world)
- Fill range
- 50 g – 500 g (approx. 2–17 oz)
- Fill accuracy
- ±0.5% (servo-driven volumetric piston)
- Containers
- Pre-formed cups and tubs, 4/8/10/16 oz standard; 2–32 oz custom
- Nozzles
- Cut-off or suck-back (drip-free); wide-bore valving for particulates
- Price
- From $45,000 USD (single filler)
- Lead time / warranty
- 8–12 weeks / 12 months
What Is a Paste Filling Machine and Which Pastes Does It Fill?
A paste filling machine meters a thick, non-pourable food paste into a container at a controlled volume. Unlike a liquid filler, it must move product that holds its shape, resists flow until pushed and clings to every surface it touches. Our SDH-R is an automatic rotary cup filling machine built for that job: it loads pre-formed cups or tubs, fills them with a servo-driven volumetric piston, seals them with roll film and, if you choose, snaps on a plastic lid in one pass.
The pastes it is designed around include:
- Chickpea and bean products, from hummus to smooth bean pastes
- Sesame and seed pastes, led by tahini
- Nut butters, including the products on our peanut butter filling machine page
- Cheese-based spreads such as cream cheese, labneh, queso and cheese dips
- Flavor pastes such as garlic paste and chili paste
- Baby food purees, plant-based dips and vegetable spreads
Hummus, tahini, nut butters, cheese spreads, baby food purees and sauces are on our verified product list. Garlic, chili and bean pastes belong to the same pumpable-paste family but vary widely, so we confirm each recipe's viscosity, particulates and fill temperature before quoting. The SDH-R targets fresh and refrigerated products.
Why Thick Pastes Are Hard to Fill: A Rheology Checklist
Pastes are not just thick liquids. Most are shear-thinning and have a yield stress: they stay put until enough force is applied, flow, then stop abruptly when the force is removed. That behavior causes most paste filling defects, so we review five properties before specifying any paste filling machine.
- Viscosity and yield stress. A paste that will not fall from a nozzle under gravity must be pushed positively and cut cleanly. Viscosity also shifts with shear and temperature, so a bench figure rarely describes product at the fill head.
- Particulates. Chickpea skins, sesame hulls, chili flakes, garlic pieces and nut fragments block narrow valves. Particle size relative to valve bore matters more than particle count.
- Temperature. Tahini and nut butters stiffen as they cool and cheese spreads set, so fill temperature changes dose behavior. We confirm it for your recipe before quoting and do not claim hot-fill capability.
- Aeration. Air folded in during mixing or transfer appears as voids in the cup and as weight drift, because a volumetric dose measures volume, not mass. Deaerate upstream where you can.
- Oil separation and weeping. Natural tahini and nut butters separate, and cheese spreads or bean pastes can release water. Remix before the hopper; free liquid wets the seal flange.
Why a Servo Piston Beats a Pump or Auger as a Paste Filler
A piston is the dosing heart of a paste filling machine: each stroke draws and expels a defined volume, so the dose does not depend on how willingly the paste flows. A servo drive makes stroke length and speed programmable per recipe, which is how the SDH-R holds ±0.5% accuracy across a 50–500 g range.
Dosing methods compared for thick pastes
| Method | How it doses | Fit for pastes |
|---|---|---|
| Servo volumetric piston (SDH-R standard) | Fixed volume per stroke, servo-controlled | Strong: positive displacement, ±0.5%, passes particulates with wide-bore valving |
| Pump (gear, lobe, progressive cavity) | Flow metered by speed and time or a flow meter | Mixed: dose can drift with back-pressure and slip; shear can damage pieces |
| Auger | Screw rotations meter product | Suited to powders and dry pastes; sticky pastes tend to tail and string |
The SDH-R also offers an optional peristaltic pump, but for oils, dressings and thin sauces, not for the paste itself. For a deeper comparison read piston vs pump filler, and see how the dosing hardware works on our piston filling machine and servo cup filler pages.
Nozzle, Valve and Hopper Choices on a Thick Paste Filling Machine
Dosing accuracy means little if the last inch of the delivery path leaves a tail or a smear. These choices decide it.
Cut-off nozzle
A cut-off nozzle closes mechanically at the end of the stroke and severs the paste column at the tip. It suits pastes that break cleanly, such as smooth hummus.
Suck-back nozzle
A suck-back nozzle draws a small volume of paste back into the tip after the dose, giving a drip-free finish. It is the better choice for stringy, oily or sticky pastes such as nut butters and cheese spreads.
Wide-bore valving
Large-bore valving passes particulates such as herbs, shredded cucumber and nut pieces without bridging. Pastes with visible pieces should be specified this way from the start.
Hopper and multi-component fills
The hopper feeds the piston. Its size, level control and any need for agitation to keep an oil-separating paste uniform are decided with our engineering team for your product. One pass can also carry up to three fillers, for example a paste base, a peristaltic oil drizzle and a garnish filler for nuts, seeds or herbs.
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 quotePaste Filling Machine Setup by Paste Type: Filler and Nozzle
Paste types and typical SDH-R setup (confirmed per recipe)
| Paste | Main challenge | Typical setup |
|---|---|---|
| Hummus and bean pastes | Skins, aeration, surface weeping | Piston filler, wide-bore valving, cut-off nozzle; optional oil drizzle and nitrogen MAP |
| Tahini and seed pastes | Oil separation, stiffens when cool | Piston filler, suck-back nozzle; remix before the hopper |
| Nut butters | High viscosity, stringing, oil layer | Piston filler, suck-back nozzle; optional garnish filler for nut pieces |
| Garlic, chili and seasoning pastes | Flakes and pieces, strong aroma carry-over | Piston filler, wide-bore valving; confirmed on a sample |
| Cream cheese, labneh and cheese spreads | Temperature-sensitive set, weeping | Piston filler, suck-back nozzle; fill temperature confirmed |
| Baby food purees and plant-based dips | Hygiene, smooth texture, allergen control | Piston filler, cut-off nozzle; optional CIP system |
How the SDH-R Automatic Paste Filling and Sealing Machine Works
The SDH-R is an indexing rotary paste filling machine, so every cup visits the same stations in the same order. The cup filling and sealing sequence is:
- Cup loading and denesting: a pneumatic denester places pre-formed cups or tubs on the turret.
- Base paste filling: the servo volumetric piston doses the paste through your chosen nozzle.
- Secondary or third filling (optional): oil, spices, nuts or a liquid garnish.
- Roll-film membrane sealing: film cut from a roll is heat-sealed to the flange, tamper-evident.
- Nitrogen MAP flushing (optional): the container is flushed with nitrogen.
- Plastic lid pick-and-place or snap-on (optional), then discharge to the conveyor.
Control is PLC-based with an HMI that stores recipes and raises diagnostic alerts, and changeover between SKUs takes under about 15 minutes. The full configuration is on the SDH-R product page.
Keeping Flanges Clean for a Reliable Paste Seal
On any paste filling machine, the most common failure is not the fill but the seal. A smear of paste on the cup flange sits between film and rim, so the heat seal can leak, lose tamper evidence or fail a pull test. Prevention starts at the nozzle and continues through the machine.
- Choose a suck-back or cut-off nozzle so no tail swings onto the rim as the cup indexes.
- Keep the dose centered in the cup and leave sensible headspace rather than filling to the brim.
- Control aeration, because bubbles that burst at the surface throw paste onto the flange.
- Tune seal temperature, pressure and dwell time to your cup and film combination.
- Add the optional weight checker with feedback loop to catch over- and under-fills early.
Shelf Life, MAP and Food Safety for Filled Pastes
Fresh pastes are perishable, and oxygen is a large part of why. The optional nitrogen MAP flushing brings residual oxygen in the container to 0.3–0.4%, which can extend typical refrigerated shelf life from roughly 7–10 days to 30–45+ days, depending on the product.
On the hygiene side, the frame is food-grade 304 stainless steel with an optional CIP (clean-in-place) system and tool-free strip-down. The machine is designed to support plants operating under FSMA Preventive Controls (21 CFR Part 117), HACCP, BRCGS or SQF, and in Canada under the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations; the machine itself is not certified to those schemes. It carries CE and UL listing and uses FDA-compliant food-contact materials, detailed on our certifications and compliance page.
Allergens need their own plan. Tahini and hummus bring sesame, which became the ninth major US allergen on January 1, 2023; nut butters bring peanuts or tree nuts; cheese spreads bring milk. Fast changeover helps, but cleaning validation remains your plant's responsibility.
Paste Filling Machine Specifications, Price and Lead Time
SDH-R paste filling machine specifications
| Specification | SDH-R |
|---|---|
| Machine type | Fully automatic rotary cup filling, sealing and lidding |
| Output | Up to 30 cups/min dry cycle; 18–25 real-world |
| Fill range | 50–500 g (approx. 2–17 oz) |
| Fill accuracy | ±0.5%, servo-driven volumetric piston |
| Cup sizes | 4, 8, 10, 16 oz standard; custom 2–32 oz with tooling |
| Fillers | Up to 3 per pass; piston standard |
| Closing | Roll-film membrane seal; optional lid |
| Footprint | 44 × 52 in; height 65.6 in |
| Price | From $45,000 USD, single filler |
| Lead time and warranty | 8–12 weeks; 12 months |
The starting price covers the single-filler configuration and rises with additional fillers, MAP, labeling and custom tooling. Machines are designed and built in Calgary, Alberta, with service centres in Alberta, New Jersey and California supporting buyers across the USA and Canada. To price your paste, send us your product, cup size and target cups per minute; we reply within about 24 hours.
When the SDH-R Is Not the Right Paste Filling Machine
Candor saves everyone time. The SDH-R is the wrong tool when:
- You pack in squeeze tubes, jars or bottles. It fills pre-formed cups and tubs only, and we do not quote it for other containers.
- Single-SKU volume exceeds 30 cups per minute. An inline cup filling machine is the better fit.
- The product is aseptic, retort, hot-filled or frozen. We make no such claims; the SDH-R targets fresh and refrigerated cups filled at a pumpable temperature.
- Fills fall below 50 g. 2 oz portion cups sit at the low end, and 1 oz cups are outside the standard range.
- The paste is extremely stiff or carries unusual particulates. Ask us first; we confirm these case by case.
Paste Filling Machine Buying Checklist
Use this list to compare any paste filling machine, ours included, and to prepare a useful quote request.
- Define the paste: viscosity, fill temperature, largest particle, oil or water separation and allergens.
- Set the container: cup or tub size, shape, flange and material.
- Set the dose: target fill weight in grams or ounces, and tolerance.
- Set the rate: required cups per minute, planning on 18–25 for real-world SDH-R output.
- Choose the nozzle and valving: cut-off or suck-back, standard or wide-bore.
- Choose the closure: roll-film seal, pre-cut lids, snap-on lids and any labeling.
- Decide on MAP, CIP and weight checking.
- Confirm recipe storage and changeover time for your number of SKUs.
- Ask for lead time, warranty and the nearest service centre.
Send those answers through our contact page and our team will respond within about 24 hours.
Paste Filling Machine — Frequently Asked Questions
Hummus Pack's SDH-R automatic paste filling machine starts from $45,000 USD for the single-filler configuration. Price rises with additional fillers, nitrogen MAP, labeling integration and custom tooling. Output is up to 30 cups per minute with ±0.5% fill accuracy. Our cup filling and sealing machine cost guide explains what drives the quote.
The SDH-R runs up to 30 cups per minute on a dry cycle and 18–25 cups per minute in real-world production, depending on the paste, cup size, fill weight and options. Share your target rate and product and our team will confirm what is realistic.
A servo-driven volumetric piston displaces a fixed volume every stroke, so the dose does not depend on how the paste flows, how much back-pressure builds or how fast the line runs. The SDH-R holds ±0.5% accuracy on this principle and passes particulates with wide-bore valving. Pumps can drift with back-pressure and shear delicate pieces.
Within limits, yes. Wide-bore valving passes particulates such as herbs, shredded cucumber and nut pieces, and an optional garnish filler adds nuts, seeds or herbs as a separate component. Very large pieces or unusual particulates are confirmed with our engineering team before quoting.
Paste on the flange can compromise the heat seal, so the SDH-R pairs its piston with a cut-off or drip-free suck-back nozzle, a centered dose and sensible headspace. Seal temperature, pressure and dwell time are tuned to your cup and film. The roll-film membrane seal is tamper-evident when the flange is clean.
The SDH-R fills 50–500 g (approximately 2–17 oz) into pre-formed round, square or rectangular cups and tubs. Standard sizes are 4, 8, 10 and 16 oz, and custom sizes from 2 to 32 oz are available with matching tooling. Fills below 50 g, such as 1 oz cups, fall outside the standard range.
With the SDH-R's optional nitrogen flush, residual oxygen in the container falls to 0.3–0.4%. Typical refrigerated shelf life can extend from roughly 7–10 days to 30–45+ days, depending on the product, recipe and cold-chain handling. Final dating is your decision and should follow your own shelf-life testing.
Changeover between SKUs on the SDH-R takes under about 15 minutes using stored HMI recipes and change parts. The machine is food-grade 304 stainless steel with tool-free strip-down and an optional CIP system. Allergen control for sesame, nut or dairy-based pastes still depends on your plant's cleaning validation and allergen program.
Delivery of the SDH-R is 8–12 weeks from order confirmation, and the machine carries a 12-month warranty. For pricing and timing on your paste, contact our team; we reply within about 24 hours.
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