Sauce Filling Machine for Cups, Tubs and Portion Cups
The SDH-R is an automatic rotary sauce filling machine that fills, seals and lids dipping sauces, salsas, pesto and cheese sauces in pre-formed cups at up to 30 cups per minute with ±0.5% fill accuracy.
A sauce filling machine for cups and tubs doses a measured portion of sauce into a pre-formed container and then seals it. The Hummus Pack SDH-R is an automatic rotary sauce filling machine with a servo-driven piston filler (±0.5%), fills from 50 g to 500 g, up to 30 cups per minute (18 to 25 real-world), and film sealing with optional nitrogen flush. It does not fill bottles, pouches or sachets.
- Machine
- SDH-R automatic rotary cup filling, sealing and lidding machine
- Output
- Up to 30 cups/min (18-25 real-world)
- Fill range and accuracy
- 50 g - 500 g (approx. 2 oz - 17 oz), ±0.5% servo-driven volumetric piston
- Containers
- Pre-formed round, square or rectangular cups and tubs, 2 oz - 32 oz with matching tooling
- SKU changeover
- Under ~15 minutes, recipes stored on the HMI
- Price
- From $45,000 USD for the single-filler configuration
- Lead time and warranty
- 8-12 weeks from order confirmation, 12-month warranty
What Is a Sauce Filling Machine for Cups and Tubs?
A sauce filling machine for cups and tubs is a packaging machine that doses a measured amount of sauce into a pre-formed container and then closes it with heat-sealed film or a lid. The Hummus Pack SDH-R is a fully automatic rotary sauce filling machine. Cups are loaded and denested, filled by a servo-driven volumetric piston, sealed from roll film, optionally flushed with nitrogen and fitted with a plastic lid in one pass around an indexing turret. We design and build it in Calgary, Alberta, powered by Alter Pack.
Scope matters. The SDH-R packs sauce into pre-formed cups, portion cups and tubs in round, square and rectangular formats. It does not fill bottles, pouches, sachets or squeeze tubes, and it does not thermoform cups. If your sauce ships in a bottle or pouch, you need a different machine, and we would rather say so before you request a quote.
This sauce filling machine suits fresh and refrigerated sauces for foodservice, deli, meal kits and private label. Output is up to 30 cups per minute on a dry cycle and 18 to 25 in real production, depending on the sauce, cup size, fill weight and options, with fills of 50 g to 500 g (about 2 oz to 17 oz) at ±0.5% accuracy.
Sauce Types a Cup Filling Machine for Sauces Can Handle
Viscosity, particulates and fat content drive the filler setup more than the product name does. These are the sauce families we configure the SDH-R for most often.
- Dipping sauces. Creamy, yogurt-based, herb and garlic dips fill cleanly with the standard servo piston filler and a suck-back nozzle.
- Salsas and chunky sauces. Wide-bore valving stops pieces of pepper or tomato holding the valve open. See our salsa filling machine page.
- Pesto and oil-based sauces. Oil separation and oxidation are the risks. See the pesto filling machine page.
- Cheese and queso sauces. Thick, temperature-sensitive and prone to skinning, so fill temperature is confirmed with our engineers. See the queso and cheese dip filling machine page.
- Garlic sauces. Aeration and shear are the concerns. See the aioli filling machine and mayonnaise filling machine pages.
- Curry and marinade cups. Spice particulates and an oil layer call for large-bore valving, and a second filler can add a garnish.
- Dressings in cups. Thin and drip-prone, so nozzle and pump choice matter most.
What we do not claim: hot-fill, retort or aseptic processing. As a sauce filling machine, the SDH-R targets fresh and refrigerated cups filled at a pumpable temperature. If your sauce is filled hot, sits at an extreme viscosity or carries large particulates, tell us at the quote stage and our engineering team will confirm the setup before we price it.
Sauce Type vs Viscosity vs Recommended Setup
Viscosity, particle size and temperature decide the right sauce filling machine setup. Use this table as a starting point; we check every configuration against your actual product before quoting.
Sauce type, texture and recommended SDH-R filler setup
| Sauce type | Texture | Recommended setup |
|---|---|---|
| Smooth dipping sauce | Medium, creamy | Servo piston filler, suck-back nozzle, film seal. Watch aeration and flange smear. |
| Salsa, chunky tomato sauce | Thin liquid with particulates | Piston filler with wide-bore valving, cut-off nozzle. |
| Pesto, oil-based sauce | Pasty, oil can separate | Piston filler, suck-back nozzle, optional nitrogen flush. Keep oil off the flange. |
| Cheese, queso sauce | Thick, temperature-sensitive | Piston filler with wide-bore valving; pumpable fill temperature confirmed in advance. |
| Garlic sauce, emulsions | Medium to thick, shear-sensitive | Servo piston filler with a controlled fill profile, suck-back nozzle. |
| Curry, marinade | Thick, chunky, oil layer | Large-bore piston valving, optional garnish filler for toppings. |
| Dressings | Thin, pourable | Peristaltic pump (optional) or piston with suck-back nozzle. |
Piston vs Peristaltic Pump in a Sauce Filling Machine
The standard filler on the SDH-R is a servo-driven volumetric piston. It draws a fixed volume and pushes it through the nozzle on every cycle, which is where the ±0.5% fill-weight accuracy comes from, and it handles liquids and pastes. A peristaltic pump is an optional alternative for liquids such as oil, liquid spices, dressings and thin sauces: rollers squeeze a flexible tube, so the product touches only the tube. Our piston vs pump filler guide goes deeper.
Servo piston filler vs peristaltic pump on the SDH-R
| Factor | Servo piston filler (standard) | Peristaltic pump (optional) |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Pastes, creamy and chunky sauces | Thin liquids: oil, dressings, liquid spices |
| Accuracy | ±0.5% fill weight | Confirmed with our engineers for your product |
| Particulates | Passed through wide-bore valving | Better suited to smooth liquids |
| Product contact | Piston, valve and nozzle; tool-free strip-down | Flexible tube and nozzle |
You do not have to choose one. The SDH-R takes up to three fillers in one pass, so a piston can dose the base sauce while a peristaltic pump adds an oil drizzle or liquid garnish at the next station.
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 quoteDrip Control, Clean Flanges and Seal Integrity
Sauce packaging fails at the flange. If sauce lands on the cup rim, the film cannot bond cleanly, and the result is weak seals, leakers and rejected cups. A sauce filling machine earns its keep by how the product leaves the nozzle and where it lands.
- Suck-back nozzle: draws the tail of the sauce back after dosing for drip-free filling.
- Cut-off nozzle: shuts thicker sauces off cleanly at the end of the stroke so they do not string.
- Wide-bore valving: passes herbs, shredded cucumber and nut pieces without holding the valve open.
- Roll-film membrane sealing: heat-seals film cut from a roll for a tamper-evident closure, with seal temperature, pressure and dwell set per recipe.
- Optional weight checker with feedback loop: catches fill drift before it becomes a seal or giveaway problem.
Oily sauces such as pesto, curry and garlic sauce are the least forgiving, because a thin oil film on the sealing surface can stop adhesion even when no drip is visible. Fill so the sauce sits below the flange with the headspace the film needs.
The optional nitrogen flush reduces residual oxygen to 0.3 to 0.4%, which can extend typical refrigerated shelf life from roughly 7 to 10 days to 30 to 45+ days, depending on the product. Details are on our MAP cup filler page.
Sauce Filling and Sealing Machine Stations, Step by Step
As a sauce filling and sealing machine, the SDH-R moves each cup through up to six stations in sequence:
- Cup loading and denesting. A pneumatic denester places one pre-formed cup on the turret.
- Base filling. The servo-driven volumetric piston doses the main sauce.
- Secondary or third filling (optional). Adds paste, spices, nuts, oil or a liquid garnish.
- Roll-film membrane sealing. Film cut from a roll is heat-sealed to the rim.
- Nitrogen MAP flushing (optional). Lowers residual oxygen for longer refrigerated life.
- Plastic lid pick-and-place or snap-on (optional). Finished cups discharge to the conveyor.
The frame is food-grade 304 stainless steel with CIP and tool-free strip-down. Footprint is 44 × 52 in (1,100.5 × 1,315.5 mm), 65.6 in (1,666 mm) high. A PLC runs the cycle, and the HMI stores recipes and raises diagnostic alerts.
Choosing a Sauce Filling Machine for Co-Packing and Multi-SKU Runs
Co-packers and multi-line sauce brands rarely run one product all day, so changeover is the figure to compare. SKU changeover on the SDH-R takes under about 15 minutes, with cup-size tooling swapped as change parts and fill, seal and lid settings recalled from stored recipes. When you cross-shop sauce filling machine suppliers, ask:
- How long does a real SKU change take, including cup size and film?
- Are fill volume, seal temperature, pressure and dwell stored as recipes?
- Can the product path be stripped without tools for allergen cleaning?
- What are the real-world cups per minute at your fill weights, not the dry-cycle figure?
As an illustration, 20 cups per minute at 100 g per cup is 2 kg of sauce per minute. Plan around 18 to 25 cups per minute in production, against 30 on a dry cycle. If one SKU alone must run faster, an inline line is the better fit.
Portion Cups and Small Dipping Sauce Cups: Where 2 oz Fits
The standard fill range starts at 50 g, roughly 2 oz, so on this sauce filling machine a 2 oz portion cup filled close to full sits at the very bottom of the range. Custom cup sizes from 2 oz to 32 oz are available with matching tooling. Fills below 50 g, such as 1 oz sauce portions, are outside the standard range. If your portion is smaller than 50 g, talk to our engineering team before planning around the SDH-R. Our portion cup filling machine page covers small-cup formats in more detail.
Food Safety, Allergens and Regulatory Context
US sauce plants operate under FDA FSMA Preventive Controls for Human Food (21 CFR Part 117), and many also run HACCP-based programs, BRCGS or SQF. In Canada, licensed manufacturers follow the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations enforced by the CFIA. The SDH-R is not itself certified to any of these programs; it is designed to support plants operating under them. It carries CE marking and UL listing and uses FDA-compliant food-contact materials. See our certifications and compliance page.
Sauces are allergen-dense: milk in cheese sauces, eggs in aioli, tree nuts in some pestos, sesame in tahini-based sauces, soy and wheat in marinades. Sesame became the ninth major US allergen on January 1, 2023 under the FASTER Act. Switching between allergen and allergen-free sauces needs a validated cleaning procedure, and tool-free strip-down shortens it. For exports to Europe, food-contact materials fall under Regulation (EC) 1935/2004.
When the SDH-R Is Not the Right Sauce Filling Machine
The SDH-R is the wrong machine for:
- Bottles, pouches, sachets or squeeze tubes, which are different machine types.
- A single SKU that must run above 30 cups per minute. An inline cup filling machine is the better route.
- Aseptic, retort or shelf-stable sauces for ambient distribution.
- Frozen sauces and ice-cream-style products.
- Portions below 50 g, which sit outside the standard fill range.
Sauce Filling Machine Price, Lead Time and Quotes
The SDH-R sauce filling machine starts from $45,000 USD for the single-filler configuration. Price scales with additional fillers, MAP, labeling and custom tooling. Delivery is 8 to 12 weeks from order confirmation, the warranty is 12 months, and our service centres in Alberta, New Jersey and California support customers across the USA and Canada. For a cost breakdown, read our guide to cup filling and sealing machine cost.
What to send with your quote request
- The sauce you are filling and its fill temperature.
- Cup size, shape and closure (film, lid or both).
- Target cups per minute.
- Options: extra fillers, nitrogen flush, labeling, coding, CIP or weight checker.
Our team may reach out to learn more about the application before quoting, and we reply within about 24 hours. Use our contact page or call +1 (888) 922-7271, Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM MDT.
Sauce Filling Machine — Frequently Asked Questions
The Hummus Pack SDH-R is an automatic rotary sauce filling machine for pre-formed cups and tubs. It uses a servo-driven volumetric piston filler with ±0.5% accuracy, fills 50 g to 500 g, and runs up to 30 cups per minute (18 to 25 real-world). It seals with roll film, with optional nitrogen flush and lids.
The SDH-R sauce filling machine starts from $45,000 USD for the single-filler configuration. Price rises with additional fillers, MAP nitrogen flushing, labeling, coding and custom tooling. Delivery is 8 to 12 weeks from order confirmation, with a 12-month warranty. Send your product, cup size and target cups per minute for a configured quote.
The SDH-R runs up to 30 cups per minute on a dry cycle. In real production most sauces run at 18 to 25 cups per minute, depending on the product, cup size, fill weight and options. Plan around the real-world range, not the dry-cycle maximum.
Yes, within limits. The servo piston filler handles liquids and pastes, and wide-bore valving passes particulates such as herbs, shredded cucumber and nut pieces. Very large particulates, unusual viscosity or hot fill temperatures are confirmed with our engineering team before we quote, so the SDH-R is configured for your actual sauce.
Piston is the standard on the SDH-R and suits pastes, creamy sauces and chunky sauces, with ±0.5% fill accuracy. A peristaltic pump is optional for thin liquids such as oil, dressings and liquid spices. Many lines combine both: a piston dosing the base sauce and a pump adding an oil or liquid garnish.
On the SDH-R sauce filling machine, a suck-back nozzle draws the tail of the sauce back after dosing for drip-free filling, and a cut-off nozzle shuts thicker sauces off cleanly. Fill height keeps sauce below the flange, and seal temperature, pressure and dwell are stored per recipe, so the film bonds to a clean rim.
SKU changeover on the SDH-R sauce filling machine takes under about 15 minutes, using stored HMI recipes and change parts for different cup sizes. Tool-free strip-down and an optional CIP system support cleaning. Moving between allergen-containing and allergen-free sauces still requires your validated cleaning procedure under your food safety plan.
Yes, at the low end of the range. The standard fill range is 50 g to 500 g, about 2 oz to 17 oz, and custom cup sizes start at 2 oz with matching tooling. Fills below 50 g, such as 1 oz portions, are outside the standard range and should be discussed with our engineering team first.
No. This sauce filling machine fills pre-formed cups and tubs only, in round, square and rectangular shapes. It does not fill bottles, pouches, sachets or squeeze tubes, and it does not thermoform cups. If you are unsure about your container, describe it on our contact page and we will say whether it fits.
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