Every day, millions of products move through manufacturing lines without a second thought from the people who buy them. A bottle of dressing is filled evenly. A frozen breakfast sandwich has the same portion every time. A pumpkin pie looks exactly like the one next to it in the freezer case. Behind those small moments of consistency is a complex industrial automation process, one that depends on precision, manufacturing reliability and trusted partners who understand how production lines operate day after day.
For more than three decades, Volumetric Technologies has been a quiet force behind those results. Based in Red Wing, Minn., Volumetric designs and builds American-made, food-grade liquid filling equipment that helps manufacturers turn raw ingredients into finished products with speed and accuracy. From startup brands to some of the largest food and consumer goods producers in the country, Volumetric Technologies’ equipment plays a critical role in production facilities across the Midwest and beyond.
American‑made liquid filling equipment built by Volumetric Technologies supports consistent, reliable production across food and consumer goods manufacturing lines.
“Volumetric Technologies builds American-made automated filling equipment designed to increase capacity and production in manufacturing facilities,” says Troy Diercks, sales manager. “If it flows — from water to thick sauces to egg batter — we can deposit it accurately into just about any type of container.”
Behind the mechanical precision of those systems is a strong electrical and automation backbone — an area where long-time partner Van Meter plays a key role in supporting Volumetric Technologies work.
Solving Problems Others Can’t
Volumetric Technologies expertise is rooted in handling products that don’t behave nicely. Thick, viscous, aerated or temperature-sensitive materials can be difficult to control on a production line, especially at high speeds. While many filling systems perform well with thin liquids, Volumetric Technologies has built its reputation designing equipment that handles the full range of viscosities — from free-flowing liquids to products that challenge conventional filling systems.
Volumetric Technologies designs, builds, and tests custom filling systems in Red Wing, Minnesota.
“Our niche really comes down to viscosity,” Diercks says. “That’s where our engineering group has excelled, especially with products that cheap imports or off-the-shelf equipment just can’t handle.”
That focus has led Volumetric Technologies into a wide range of applications. The company builds benchtop fillers for entrepreneurs launching their first product line, as well as large-scale, multi-lane systems capable of filling hundreds of containers per minute. Food and beverage make up a significant portion of the work, but Volumetric Technologies also supports cosmetics, personal care, chemical and industrial applications.
“What people don’t realize is how many variables go into filling a product correctly,” Diercks explains. “Speed, accuracy, container type, temperature, nozzle design — all of that matters. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution.”
Built, Tested and Supported in the Midwest
Volumetric Technologies’ Red Wing facility is designed to support that level of customization. The company handles machining, welding, assembly, R&D and testing in-house, allowing engineers and technicians to collaborate closely throughout the build process. Customers are invited to send their product for testing or visit the facility to see proof-of-concept demonstrations before committing to a solution.
“We want to know upfront that we can do what we say we can do,” Diercks says. “We test the product, capture the data and share that with customers before we ever quote a machine.”
That philosophy extends beyond the sale. Volumetric Technologies builds its equipment locally so it can support it locally, with installation, training, service and parts readily available.
“Our machines are designed to last,” Diercks say. “But service and support are just as important as the initial build. That’s part of what being Midwest-made really means to us.”
What Does Volumetric Technologies Do?
From piston to rotary cup and overflow filling systems, Volumetric Technologies engineers every part of the filling process to match the realities of modern manufacturing — especially when products are thick, aerated, or difficult to control.
Filling Solutions Designed Around the Product
Different products require different approaches. Volumetric Technologies designs vertical, horizontal, and inverted filling configurations to handle viscosity, temperature, and container shape — ensuring accurate deposits even when products don’t behave predictably on the line.
Rotary Cup Filling Built for Throughput and Consistency
For producers that denest, fill, seal and lid containers, Volumetric Technologies builds rotary cup systems that deliver repeatable accuracy, with control functions that are adjustable via menu-driven interface.
Precision Nozzles for Product Control
Volumetric Technologies engineers nozzle designs based on the product and placement needs of each product – from clean cut off for sauces to controlled deposit for thicker or aerated products. Finding and/or customizing the right nozzle helps manufacturers reduce waste, improve accuracy and maintain consistent production.
Technology Driven For Accurate Depositing
From hopper-level sensors to photo eyes that confirm container presence (or detect when no container is present to prevent a deposit), Volumetric Technologies designs solutions that help manufacturers with the individual product line needs.
Engineering Solutions That Deliver Real Results
One example of Volumetric Technologies’ problem-solving approach can be seen in its work with a company producing egg-white-based tortillas sold nationwide. The product’s unique, aerated created challenges for accuracy, shape and waste using traditional filling equipment.
“They were having issues with product piling up, falling over and inconsistent weights,” Diercks says. “That leads to waste, and product that can’t be sold.”
Volumetric Technologies partnered closely with the company’s team to understand the process and engineer a solution that could meet tight specifications. The final system included dual multi-lane fillers capable of making 72 precise deposits per cycle onto an oven belt conveyor. Beyond improving consistency and accuracy, the system significantly reduced cleaning time between runs.
“Their previous cleaning process took hours,” Diercks says. “We were able to get that down to under an hour, which makes a huge difference in production efficiency.”
The result was a solution that reduced waste, increased throughput and delivered a clear return on investment — with the flexibility to scale as demand grows.
Another example involved a large-scale pie filling system for Apple Valley Foods. The project required filling multiple pie sizes and recipes at high speeds while ensuring product was only deposited when containers were properly positioned.
Says Diercks: “At that scale, even small errors can create big problems.”
The finished system was capable of producing hundreds of pies per minute, delivering both precision and reliability in a demanding environment.
“These are the kinds of challenges our team loves,” Diercks says. “They’re complex, but that’s where we can really add value.”
A Midwest Manufacturing Partner Built on Trust and Responsiveness
As Volumetric Technologies has expanded its servo-driven industrial automation capabilities over the past five to six years, its relationship with Van Meter has evolved into a strategic partnership.
“We buy all of our Allen Bradley drives, electric actuators and servo components through Van Meter,” Diercks says. “They’re our primary source for that technology.”
But the relationship extends far beyond parts procurement.
“They’ve always looked for ways to help,” he adds. “It’s not just, ‘Here are your components.’ It’s, ‘What else can we do? How can we add value?’”
“We have to have a very good system in place,” Diercks says. “We give Van Meter forecasts, and they make sure we don’t run out of product. That consistency is huge for us.”
When technical challenges arise, that partnership becomes even more critical.
“When we ran into overheating issues on a complex project, waiting months for replacement components wasn’t an option,” Diercks says. “Van Meter and their vendor partners jumped in immediately and helped us engineer a solution within days.”
Beyond urgent problem-solving, Van Meter supports Volumetric Technologies day to day through inventory management, lead-time coordination, pricing support and technical updates that keep Volumetric Technologies’ engineering team current on evolving automation technologies.
“They keep us informed about new technology, they stock critical components, and they help us think through alternatives,” Diercks says. “Even during a worldwide pandemic, they prioritized our needs and made sure we didn’t miss shipments when supply chains were under real pressure.”
For Volumetric Technologies, that level of responsiveness reinforces something deeper than vendor relationships.
“Van Meter is truly an extension of our team,” Diercks says. “They don’t just sell us parts. They help us solve problems.”
"At the end of the day, our success is tied to our customers’ success, and having the right partners alongside us makes all the difference."
– Troy Diercks - Volumetric Technologies, Sales Manager
Looking Ahead
As Volumetric Technologies continues to grow as part of their parent company, Excelis Packaging Automation, they see new opportunities to expand its reach in the United States while maintaining its Midwest roots. Collaboration across Excelis’ portfolio of companies is opening doors to new customers, new applications and new ways to support manufacturers throughout the entire production line — from filling to capping to downstream packaging integration.
“What excites me most is having more people out there who understand what Volumetric Technologies can do,” Diercks says. “That creates opportunities for growth and for deeper relationships with customers.”
With a focus on reliability, precision and innovation — and partners like Van Meter supporting the automation systems that power each build — Volumetric Technologies is positioned to continue solving complex manufacturing challenges for decades to come.
“At the end of the day, our success is tied to our customers’ success,” Diercks says. “And having the right partners alongside us makes all the difference.”