Rotary Cup Filling Machine That Fills, Seals and Lids in One Pass
The SDH-R is a fully automatic rotary cup filler built in Calgary that denests, fills up to three components, seals, nitrogen-flushes and lids pre-formed cups at up to 30 cups per minute, with ±0.5% fill accuracy in a 44 × 52 in footprint.
A rotary cup filling machine is a fully automatic filler built around an indexing turret that carries pre-formed cups through fixed stations for denesting, filling, sealing and lidding. Our SDH-R rotary cup filling machine runs up to 30 cups per minute dry (18-25 real-world), fills 50-500 g at ±0.5% accuracy with a servo piston, takes 4-16 oz standard cups, changes SKUs in under about 15 minutes and fits a 44 × 52 in footprint.
- Machine type
- Fully automatic rotary (indexing turret)
- Output
- Up to 30 CPM dry cycle (18-25 CPM real-world)
- Fill range & accuracy
- 50-500 g at ±0.5% (servo-driven volumetric piston)
- Cup sizes
- 4, 8, 10, 16 oz standard; 2-32 oz custom
- Footprint
- 44 × 52 in (1,100.5 × 1,315.5 mm); 65.6 in high
- Changeover
- Under ~15 minutes between SKUs
- Price
- From $45,000 USD (single-filler configuration)
What Is a Rotary Cup Filling Machine?
A rotary cup filling machine is a fully automatic packaging machine that carries pre-formed cups around an indexing turret, or dial plate, and stops each cup under a series of fixed stations that denest, fill, seal and lid it. Because the stations sit in a circle rather than a straight line, the whole process fits on one compact frame. Our SDH-R rotary cup filling, sealing and lidding machine is built on this architecture in Calgary, Alberta, and it is the platform we configure for fresh dips, spreads, dairy cups and sauces.
Rotary machines are also called rotary cup fillers or turret cup fillers. The defining trait is intermittent motion: the turret indexes one position, pauses (the dwell) while every station works on its cup, then indexes again. That repeatable cycle makes a rotary cup filling and sealing machine predictable, quick to change over and well suited to plants running several SKUs on one line.
How an Indexing Turret Works on a Rotary Filling Machine
Every rotary filling machine runs a two-phase cycle. During the index, the turret rotates one pocket and every cup moves to the next station. During the dwell, the turret holds still while each station works: the denester drops a cup, the piston doses product, the seal head presses film onto the flange. When the slowest task finishes, the turret indexes again.
Cycle time is set by the slowest station
Because all stations share one dwell, the machine cycles only as fast as its slowest station. At 30 cups per minute it releases one finished cup every 2 seconds; at 20 CPM, one every 3 seconds. Typical bottlenecks:
- Fill stroke: a stiff paste needs a slower piston draw than a pourable salsa, or the cylinder under-charges and weights drift.
- Suck-back: a drip-free nozzle needs time to pull product back from the tip, or strings land on the flange.
- Seal dwell: seal quality depends on temperature, pressure and dwell together, and heavier films may need longer.
- Optional stations: a third filler, nitrogen flush or lid placement each add work to the cycle.
SDH-R Rotary Cup Filler Stations, Step by Step
The SDH-R completes every operation in one pass around the turret:
- Cup loading: a pneumatic denester places one pre-formed round, square or rectangular cup in the turret pocket.
- Base filling: a servo-driven volumetric piston doses 50-500 g at ±0.5% fill-weight accuracy.
- Secondary or third filling (optional): oil, a liquid garnish, spices, nuts or a second paste on top of the base.
- Membrane sealing: film cut from a roll is heat-sealed to the flange for a tamper-evident seal; pre-die-cut lids are an alternative.
- Nitrogen MAP flushing (optional): residual oxygen is reduced to 0.3-0.4%.
- Lid placement (optional): plastic lids are picked, placed and snapped on.
- Discharge: finished cups exit to a conveyor that can be extended to labeling, coding or weight checking.
Filler and nozzle options
Up to three fillers run in one pass, so a single rotary cup filler produces layered and garnished cups without a second machine. Our guide to multi-component filling for layered dips and parfaits shows how recipes are built station by station. Beyond the standard piston, options include:
- Volumetric piston filler (standard, servo-driven) for liquids and pastes
- Vibration filler for powders such as spice blends
- Garnish filler for nuts, seeds, herbs and chunky toppings
- Peristaltic pump for oil, liquid spices, dressings and sauces
- Cut-off or suck-back (drip-free) nozzles, with large-bore valving that passes particulates
- Custom engineered-to-order fillers
Rotary Cup Filling Machine Throughput and Footprint
The SDH-R rotary cup filling machine is rated at up to 30 cups per minute on a dry cycle, meaning the turret indexing without product, film or lids. In production, plan for 18 to 25 CPM, because viscosity, cup size, fill weight and the options installed all change the longest dwell.
For capacity planning, 20 CPM equals 1,200 cups an hour; size the machine against the realistic range, not the dry rating.
What moves a rotary cup filler toward the low or high end of 18-25 CPM
| Factor | Pushes speed lower | Pushes speed higher |
|---|---|---|
| Product viscosity | Stiff pastes, nut butters, cold dense dips | Pourable sauces and smooth dips at a pumpable temperature |
| Fill weight and cup size | Large fills in 16 oz cups | Small fills in 4 oz cups |
| Particulates | Chunky product and garnish toppings | Smooth, homogeneous product |
| Options installed | Third filler, MAP flush, lid pick-and-place | Single filler with membrane seal only |
A compact footprint
Arranging the stations in a circle keeps the frame to 44 × 52 in (1,100.5 × 1,315.5 mm) with a height of 65.6 in (1,666 mm), which often decides the purchase for co-packers and growing brands adding automation to an existing room. Our article on optimizing production footprint covers layout and material flow.
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 quoteRotary vs Inline vs Semi-Automatic Cup Fillers
An inline cup filler moves cups in a straight line, often in parallel lanes, and suits higher sustained output on long single-SKU runs. Semi-automatic systems rely on an operator to place cups and trigger the depositor, often with a separate sealer. Our rotary vs inline filling machines comparison goes deeper.
Rotary vs inline vs semi-automatic cup filling
| Criterion | Rotary (SDH-R) | Inline | Semi-automatic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cup transport | Indexing turret on a compact frame | Straight conveyor, often multi-lane | Operator places and removes cups |
| Output | Up to 30 CPM dry; 18-25 CPM real-world | Higher sustained output for large single-SKU volume | Paced by the operator |
| Footprint | 44 × 52 in | Longer frame that grows with lanes and stations | Small, but the sealer is often separate |
| SKU changeover | Under ~15 minutes with recipe recall and change parts | Typically more tooling to swap across lanes | Quick, but weights depend on the operator |
| Starting price | From $45,000 USD (single filler) | Generally higher capital cost | Lower capital cost |
| Best fit | Multi-SKU fresh producers at 18-25 CPM | Very high single-SKU volume | Pilot runs and very low volume |
Multi-SKU Changeover on a Rotary Cup Filling and Sealing Machine
The biggest operational advantage of a rotary cup filling and sealing machine is fast product changes. Fresh-food producers run several flavors, sizes and private-label SKUs on one line, so every minute of changeover is lost output. On the SDH-R, a SKU change takes under about 15 minutes:
- Recall the recipe on the HMI so fill volume, piston motion and seal settings load from recipe storage.
- Swap cup-size change parts if needed: 4, 8, 10 and 16 oz standard, 2-32 oz custom.
- Strip down product-contact parts without tools for allergen changes, or run the optional CIP system.
- Load new film or lids and run test cups to confirm weight and seal.
One compact turret means less tooling to swap and fewer parts to clean than a multi-lane line, and diagnostic alerts on the PLC-based HMI point operators to the station that needs attention. That flexibility is why the same platform serves our product applications, from hummus and salsa to yogurt, nut butters and baby food purees.
How Product Behavior Shapes a Rotary Cup Filler Setup
Speed and accuracy depend on how the product behaves in the hopper, the cylinder and the cup. Our engineering team reviews these points before quoting:
- Viscosity: thick hummus, tahini and cream cheese need piston profiles that charge the cylinder fully, while thin sauces need a clean cut-off.
- Particulates: chunky salsa, tzatziki with shredded cucumber and pesto with nut pieces need large-bore valving to avoid bridging or crushing.
- Syneresis: sour cream, yogurt and tzatziki can weep liquid if over-sheared, so gentle piston motion helps preserve body.
- Oil separation: tahini and pesto separate if they sit, so keep product homogeneous upstream of the filler.
- Aeration: whipped product varies in density, so volumetric fills vary in weight; the optional weight checker with feedback loop corrects drift.
- Fill temperature: the SDH-R targets fresh, refrigerated products filled at a pumpable temperature; elevated temperatures and viscosity extremes are confirmed before quoting.
- Flange contamination: product on the flange is a leading cause of seal failures, and suck-back nozzles at the correct height keep it clean.
Sealing and MAP on a Rotary Cup Sealing Machine
As a rotary cup sealing machine, the SDH-R offers membrane sealing with film cut from a roll (heat seal, tamper-evident), pre-die-cut lids in film or other materials, plastic lid pick-and-place and a snapping device for over-top lids. Many fresh dips combine a membrane seal with a snap-on lid for reclosing.
Seal integrity depends on temperature, pressure and dwell working together. Too little leaves channels or weak spots; too much can scorch film or distort a thin flange. Recipe storage holds them per SKU.
For extended shelf life, optional nitrogen flushing turns the machine into a MAP cup filler. The container MAP system reduces residual oxygen 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, its starting microbiology and the barrier of the cup and film.
Hygienic Design and Food-Safety Compliance
The SDH-R is built from food-grade 304 stainless steel with tool-free strip-down and an optional CIP (clean-in-place) system. It is CE marked, UL listed and uses FDA-compliant food-contact materials.
The machine is designed to support plants operating under HACCP, FDA FSMA Preventive Controls for Human Food (21 CFR Part 117), BRCGS, SQF, Canada's Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR, enforced by CFIA) and EU food-contact rules under Regulation (EC) 1935/2004. Those programs and certifications belong to your facility; our job is equipment that is easy to clean, inspect and validate.
Sesame became the ninth major US food allergen on January 1, 2023 under the FASTER Act, joining the eight defined by FALCPA, so tahini products often share lines with milk and tree nut SKUs. Tool-free strip-down makes verified allergen changeovers practical between runs.
When a Rotary Cup Filling Machine Is Not the Right Choice
We would rather tell you up front if the SDH-R does not fit. A rotary cup filling machine is the wrong choice when:
- You need sustained output above 30 cups per minute on one SKU; an inline system is the better investment.
- The product must be aseptic or shelf-stable at ambient temperature; the SDH-R is not an aseptic or retort system.
- The product is frozen, such as ice cream.
- You need to thermoform cups from roll stock; the SDH-R uses pre-formed cups and tubs.
- Fill weights fall below 50 g, such as 1 oz sauce cups; 2 oz portion cups sit at the low end of the range.
If you are unsure, talk to our engineering team before deciding.
Rotary Cup Filling Machine Buying Checklist
Use this checklist to specify a rotary cup filling machine and compare quotes:
- Output: plan on 18-25 CPM rather than the 30 CPM dry rating, and check it against daily volume.
- SKUs: products, cup sizes and shapes, fill weights (50-500 g standard) and changeover frequency.
- Components: how many fillers each cup needs (up to three) and the filler type for each.
- Closure: membrane seal, pre-die-cut lid, snap-on lid or a combination, plus MAP if you need extended shelf life.
- Product behavior: viscosity, particulates, fill temperature and allergen profile.
- Space: 44 × 52 in footprint and 65.6 in height, plus room to load cups, film and lids.
- Downstream: top and side labeling, variable data coding and weight checking with feedback.
- Sanitation: tool-free strip-down, the CIP option and your allergen changeover procedure.
- Budget and timing: from $45,000 USD for a single filler, 8-12 weeks delivery from order confirmation and a 12-month warranty.
- Service: support from Calgary plus our New Jersey and California service centres.
For a breakdown of what drives price, read our guide to what a cup filler and sealer costs. When you are ready, request a quote with your product, cup size, target cups per minute and options. We typically reply within about 24 hours and may ask a few questions about your application first.
Rotary Cup Filling Machine — Frequently Asked Questions
The Hummus Pack SDH-R rotary cup filling machine starts from $45,000 USD for the single-filler configuration. Price rises with additional fillers (up to three), nitrogen MAP flushing, lid placement, labeling and coding integration, CIP and custom cup tooling. Send your product, cup size, target cups per minute and options, and we typically quote within about 24 hours.
The SDH-R rotary cup filler is rated at up to 30 cups per minute on a dry cycle and typically runs 18 to 25 cups per minute in production. Real-world speed depends on viscosity, cup size, fill weight and options such as a third filler, MAP or lidding, because the slowest station sets the turret's cycle time.
The SDH-R handles 4, 8, 10 and 16 oz cups as standard, with custom tooling from 2 to 32 oz in round, square or rectangular shapes. The standard fill range is 50 to 500 g (about 2 to 17 oz); larger fills are confirmed with our engineers. Fills below 50 g are outside the standard range, so 2 oz portion cups sit at the low end.
The SDH-R rotary filling machine uses a servo-driven volumetric piston filler with fill-weight accuracy of ±0.5%. The servo sets draw and discharge speed per recipe, keeping dosing consistent across thick pastes and pourable sauces. For aerated products, an optional weight checker with a feedback loop corrects drift, reducing giveaway while protecting declared net weight.
Yes, with nitrogen MAP. The SDH-R rotary cup sealing machine's container MAP system reduces residual oxygen to 0.3-0.4%, which can extend typical refrigerated shelf life of fresh dips from roughly 7-10 days to 30-45+ days, depending on the product and packaging barrier. Our guide to MAP nitrogen flushing and dip shelf life explains the details.
SKU changeover on the SDH-R rotary cup filling machine takes under about 15 minutes: operators recall the recipe on the HMI, swap cup-size change parts if needed and load new film or lids. Between allergen runs, product-contact parts strip down without tools for cleaning and inspection, and an optional CIP system is available.
Choose a rotary machine such as the SDH-R if your realistic target is up to about 25 cups per minute, you run several SKUs or cup sizes, and floor space is limited (44 × 52 in footprint, changeovers under about 15 minutes). Choose an inline system for sustained output above 30 cups per minute on a single SKU.
The SDH-R rotary cup filling machine is designed and built in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, with delivery of 8 to 12 weeks from order confirmation and a 12-month warranty. Support comes from our Alberta team and our New Jersey and California service centres for producers in the USA, Canada and other export markets.
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