From the first 510 cartridge to today’s eclectic collection of disposable vapes, the world of vaporizing has come a long way since its emergence on the scene. As one of the most beloved ways to consume for novice and experienced consumers alike, it’s no wonder the product category has evolved to prioritize convenience and quality.
Of course, the way in which operators are filling those carts or all-in-one devices has also evolved. Long gone are the days when manual hand-filling is the norm, and today, more and more operations are turning to advanced technology and manufacturing to streamline their workflows and processes.
Looking to expand your SKUs or improve your throughput, accuracy, or product integrity – no matter which product you’re filling? This is the guide for you! Keep reading as we cover all the similarities and differences of filling a disposable vape vs. cartridges, and all the latest innovations that can help you do both the most efficiently.
Understanding Filling Disposable Vapes And 510 Cartridges
First, let’s get a general understanding of how disposable all-in-one devices differ from 510 cartridges, to understand the filling process for each better. It all starts with the hardware construction of each. Disposable devices come equipped with integrated batteries, hence their all-in-one nature, and reservoirs with a mouthpiece for airflow and use. Inside the reservoir is a wick that heats the material.
Unlike 510 cartridges, disposable all-in-one devices don’t require manual attachment to batteries to power their use. Instead, 510 carts have a standardized threading to attach to the consumer’s battery, and are then capped with a mouthpiece as a seal. They, too, contain an inner core, or wick, that heats the oil to vaporize, for the consumer to inhale.
One thing that is similar for both is that they can both be filled with various extract types. Both 510 and disposables can contain oils with different viscosities, such as distillate (the most liquid), to live resin, and live rosin (the most viscous). But the construction of each piece of hardware varies, causing differences in the space you have to fill, and the method in which you can do so, accurately and cleanly, to avoid waste.
All in all, when learning how to fill a 510 cartridge, or exploring how do you fill a disposable vape in-house, it all comes down to the hardware you choose, and the equipment or tools you’ll need to do so, the most efficiently and effectively. To dive deeper, let’s explore fill head types and compatibility with disposable and 510 cartridge fillers, next.
Fill Head Types and Compatibility
So, how do the fill head types differ when filling disposable vapes vs. 510 cartridges? Let’s consider their designs to understand the process better. For cartridges, you’ll typically be working with top-fill designs and press-on cap styles. However, as we’ve mentioned, there’s no standard disposable device, making each one unique.
This means disposables may require top-fill designs, side-fills, or even proprietary fill port styles. This requires specific nozzle control, or geometry, to place the filler nozzle into the device just right to fill precisely. As for the similarities, both demand clean insertion and can benefit from nitrogen-assisted flow for the utmost preservation of the oil’s integrity, and precision filing, for protection against leaks.
For differences, as you can likely tell, disposables are less forgiving, as mismatched fill heads can damage seals or create leaks, while 510s are standardized and generally more compatible. The advantage of investing in equipment, like Vape-Jet, means your operation can benefit from machine vision alignment that enables seamless transitions between disposables and 510s, minimizing downtime.
Dosing Adjustments and Precision
In the legal cannabis industry, it doesn’t matter exactly how you fill a 510 cartridge or disposable all-in-one device, but it does matter that you maintain accurate dosing for compliance, consumer trust, and margin protection. The dosing adjustments for both devices vary; however, cartridges tend to be more universal compared to modern-day disposables.
Today, 510 carts usually have standardized fill volumes of 0.5g or 1g. While disposables vary more widely in reservoir sizes (0.3g–2g+), requiring reprogrammed dosing profiles. The precision of fill not only comes down to the volume, but also depends heavily on the viscosity management (read more about fill weight vs. volume here!).
Equipment with a pharmaceutical pump and software-based guided calibration procedures is the most helpful for increasing precision filling, regardless of the device type. For instance, the Vape-Jet 4.0 allows operators to consistently hit desired fill volume with a repeatability rate of ±0.25% and the lowest transfer loss on the market, avoiding costly overfills.
Workflow Considerations for Production
The key to scaling when filling disposable vapes vs 510 cartridges is to implement a workflow that allows the optimal production of both. For the majority of producers, this means investing in or upgrading the type of vape cart filler they’re using internally. The more efficient your fills get, the more products you can produce, and the higher the profits.
Of course, it’s crucial also to consider the end-consumer. Just because you can fill more 510 cartridges or disposable vapes, that doesn’t mean you’re doing so optimally. If the fill clogs the device, it can affect the way in which the device draws, affecting customer loyalty and retention. If overfilling is common, you can waste product, which can negatively impact your bottom line. And so on, and so on.
So, to finish our comprehensive guide to disposable vape vs. cartridge filling, here are the top workflow consideration differences and similarities to think of when implementing workflow improvements for each:
- Changeovers: 510s cartridges allow for quick changes due to the standardization of size. On the flip side, disposables come in a variety of proprietary hardware types, which adds a level of complexity for manual fills. To combat this, leading operations implement technology or equipment that allows for saved machine profiles and potentially different handling steps, if filling with different viscosities, etc.
- Scalability: Thanks to the 510s universal capability, they are often filled in larger volume batches. Disposables, however, usually run across multiple SKU variations, which include different types of oil fills, capacities (up to 3g!), and various designs for exclusive drops. This means that having workflows that can easily adjust to variants is key.
- Quality assurance data: As mentioned previously, both workflows must consider compliance when it comes to filling and quality assurance, too. Traceability is required via METRC for all products, so having a workflow that integrates it into the process is crucial for avoiding costly fines and violations. For quality purposes, data that tracks good batches and not-so-ideal batches is a helpful tool for improving processes to meet consumer preferences and demand better.
- Labor efficiency: Your workflow is only as good as its efficiency. When implementing automation for filling either 510 or disposable vapes, you can not only reduce training gaps or downtime across workflows, but also human errors that can affect profit margins.
In the end, these considerations, and ultimate efficiency and quality, are what drive operators to invest in innovative equipment, like the fully automatic Vape-Jet 4.0 for filling disposable vapes vs 510 cartridges. If you’re looking to level up your facility’s operations, whether filling 510 cartridges or disposable all-in-one devices, look no further than our fleet of equipment.
Learn more about Vape-Jet now to fuel your workflows for optimal production.