Enchedora aerossol bag-on-valve

A bag-on-valve aerosol filling machine is specialized equipment that fills BOV aerosol cans — a format where the product is sealed in a flexible bag inside the aerosol can, separate from the propellant (compressed air or nitrogen). The filling process differs from conventional aerosol filling: (1) The BOV bag and valve assembly is inserted into the can and crimped to seal before filling; (2) Product is then injected through the valve into the bag under pressure — the bag expands as it fills; (3) Propellant (compressed air or N₂) is then injected into the space between the bag and can wall via the valve side port (in BOV valves, the propellant fills from a separate port); (4) Final pressure check verifies the correct propellant charge. No LPG is used. Our BOV filling machines achieve fill accuracy of ±0.5% by weight and handle BOV bag volumes from 20ml to 600ml.

BOV aerosol technology is most suitable for four product categories: (1) Pharmaceutical and medical products — wound irrigation sprays (sterile saline, antiseptic), nasal irrigation sprays, ear sprays and first-aid sprays where sterility and absence of flammable propellant are regulatory requirements; (2) Sensitive cosmetics and personal care — vitamin C serums, retinol products, hyaluronic acid facial mists, sunscreen sprays and any product with oxygen-sensitive active ingredients that would degrade in contact with LPG-derived oxidation products; (3) Food and cooking sprays — extra-virgin olive oil sprays, cooking oil sprays, cream dispensers and wine preservation aerosols where food-grade propellant (air/N₂) is required and LPG would be prohibited; (4) Products for flammable-restricted environments — industrial environments (chemical plants, paint booths, clean rooms) where conventional aerosols are prohibited due to fire hazard regulations but pressurized spray dispensing is required.

BOV filling machines differ from conventional aerosol filling machines in three main ways: (1) Filling sequence — in conventional aerosol, product is filled first into an open can, then the valve is crimped, then propellant is injected under the valve cup (UTC) or through the valve (TTV). In BOV, the valve and bag assembly is crimped first, then product is pumped through the valve into the bag, then air/N₂ is injected through a side port; (2) No LPG — BOV propellant is compressed air or nitrogen at 4–8 bar, not liquefied LPG. This eliminates the need for explosion-proof motors, ATEX classification and LPG safety systems, making BOV filling rooms significantly safer and cheaper to operate; (3) Bag pressure management — during product filling, the bag pressure must be carefully managed to prevent over-pressurization before the propellant is added. Our BOV machines include a bag pressure sensor and automatic fill rate adjustment to maintain bag integrity during filling.

No — when filling with compressed air or nitrogen propellant only, a BOV aerosol filling machine does not require ATEX Zone classification, because no flammable propellant is handled. This is one of the major cost and safety advantages of BOV over conventional aerosol. However, ATEX considerations still apply if: (1) the product itself is a flammable liquid (flash point below 60°C) — in this case the product fill station may require Zone 2 classification despite the non-flammable propellant; (2) the facility also handles LPG for other aerosol products — in this case the entire propellant storage area requires ATEX treatment regardless of the individual product being filled. For dedicated BOV production with non-flammable product concentrates, standard industrial electrical specifications (IP55 motors, standard control panels) are sufficient — no ATEX-rated components are required.