Aerosol Filler Troubleshooting: Causes & Fixes

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Problems on this page:

Fill weight varying Crimp out of specification Leaking cans at leak test Propellant under-fill Cans jamming in the starwheels Valves not placed correctly Gas detection alarm in the gassing room Caps or actuators not fitting Spray test failures

Fill weight varying

Hits OEE: Quality

Symptoms: Checkweigher rejects rise or fill weights drift high or low.

Product viscosity changing with temperature

Keep the product at a steady temperature before filling.

Filler piston or dosing seals worn

Replace worn dosing seals and check the stroke setting.

Product supply pressure varying

Check the supply tank level and pressure.

Air in the product line

Bleed air from the filler and check for suction leaks.

Prevention: Fill weights checked on a fixed schedule with the results charted.

Crimp out of specification

Hits OEE: Quality

Symptoms: Crimp height or diameter measurements fall outside the valve maker specification.

Crimp collet or head worn

Replace worn collets and check the crimp head setting.

Settings not changed for a new valve cup

Set the crimp for the valve in use and record it.

Can height or curl varying

Check incoming cans against their specification.

Crimp head out of alignment with the can

Check alignment and centring of the crimp head.

Prevention: Crimp measured with a gauge at start-up and on a fixed schedule.

Leaking cans at leak test

Hits OEE: Quality

Symptoms: Cans show bubbles in the hot water test or leak detection rejects rise.

Crimp out of specification

Measure the crimp and correct the crimp head.

Valve gasket damaged

Check incoming valves and the valve placement step for damage.

Can defect at the seam or curl

Inspect rejected cans and raise defects with the can supplier.

Leak test not set correctly

Check the test temperature and time against the validated settings.

Prevention: Leak test rejects recorded by cause each shift.

Propellant under-fill

Hits OEE: Quality

Symptoms: Cans are short on propellant, giving low pressure or poor spray.

Propellant supply pressure or temperature wrong

Check the propellant supply against the gassing specification.

Gasser head seals worn

Replace the gasser seals on schedule.

Gassing timing wrong

Check the gassing time and stroke for the valve type.

Valve type not suited to through-valve gassing

Check the valve specification for the gassing method used.

Prevention: Can pressure or weight after gassing checked on a schedule.

Cans jamming in the starwheels

Hits OEE: Performance

Symptoms: Cans jam at the starwheels or guides and the line stops often.

Wrong change parts for the can size

Check the starwheels and guides are the set for this can size.

Dented cans

Inspect incoming cans and how they are handled before the filler.

Timing between machines off

Check the timing of the starwheels with the filler and crimper.

Worn starwheel pockets

Replace worn starwheels.

Prevention: Change parts labelled by can size and checked at each changeover.

Valves not placed correctly

Hits OEE: Quality

Symptoms: Valves are missing, tilted or the dip tube is bent when the can reaches the crimper.

Valve sorter or feed track jammed

Clear the sorter and check its settings for the valve type.

Valve placement head misaligned

Check the alignment of the placement head with the can.

Dip tube length wrong for the can

Check the valve specification for this can height.

Static or debris in the feed track

Clean the feed track.

Prevention: Valve placement checked visually at start-up.

Gas detection alarm in the gassing room

Hits OEE: Availability

Symptoms: The gas detector in the gassing area alarms and the line stops.

Propellant leak at the gasser or its pipework

Follow the site emergency plan: stop gassing, keep ventilation running and let only trained staff find the leak.

Ventilation fault in the gassing room

Check the extract fans and their interlocks with the line.

Damaged or leaking cans in the area

Remove damaged cans safely.

Detector out of calibration

Calibrate gas detectors on the maker schedule.

Prevention: Gas detectors and ventilation interlocks tested on a fixed schedule; only equipment rated for the area is used.

Caps or actuators not fitting

Hits OEE: Quality

Symptoms: Actuators or overcaps are missing, loose or crooked at the end of the line.

Wrong actuator or cap for the valve

Check the parts against the product specification.

Placement head pressure or height wrong

Adjust the head for the can and cap in use.

Feed track jams

Clear and adjust the feed track.

Can height varying

Check incoming can heights.

Prevention: End of line checks on caps and actuators each shift.

Spray test failures

Hits OEE: Quality

Symptoms: Sample cans do not spray, spray weakly or give the wrong pattern.

Particles blocking the valve or actuator

Check product filtration and the cleanliness of the filling line.

Wrong valve or actuator for the product

Check the valve and actuator against the product specification.

Propellant level low

Check gassing for under-fill.

Product separating before filling

Keep the product mixed in the supply tank.

Prevention: Spray test on sample cans from each batch.

Guidance only. Always follow lockout/tagout and your site's safe-work procedures, and verify against OEM manuals before acting.

Related equipment guides: filling machine · capping machine · checkweigher · labelling machine · can seamer

Stop the same fault coming back

Recurring aerosol filler stops usually trace to a cause you cannot see by hand. The partner we recommend is Fabrico: it tracks OEE and downtime live from PLCs, IoT sensors or AI cameras; where cameras are fitted, the video of a stop sits next to its machine data so the cause can be reviewed; and a technician opens the work order from the stop in the same system. Data is hosted in the AWS EU region, and Fabrico and the company behind it hold ISO/IEC 27001, ISO/IEC 20000-1 and ISO 9001.

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Methods that cut recurring stops: the six big losses · root cause analysis · preventive vs predictive maintenance · TPM · SMED & changeover