If you know, you know…filling carts manually is a costly endeavor. Not only is it labor-intensive ($$!), it’s also prone to waste and errors. Of course, there is a solution. In fact, these drivers of rising costs and dwindling profit margins are to thank for the rise in demand for vape cart filling machines.
Operators across the US are automating the process with cannabis filling machines, which are providing an immediate positive impact. From accurately filled cartridges, done so consistently, to machines that help preserve terpenes for quality, the best cart-filling machines are a game-changer for facilities seeking to scale.
As one of the fastest growing product categories…vape cartridges, and all-in-one devices aren’t going anywhere, anytime soon. Meaning, automation to gain a competitive advantage. That’s where this guide comes in handy. Here, we’ll dive deep into the top four best vape cartridge filling machines on the market today.
Wondering which of the best cart-filling machines would work best for your unique workflow and operation, from craft to high-volume and multi-SKUs? We’ve got you covered. Keep reading as we rank and compare these machines on real-world criteria affecting everyday operations: accuracy, speed, cleaning capabilities, compliance, and ROI.
How We Evaluated These Machines
To start, how exactly did we evaluate the machines? Not every piece of equipment can be treated equally, so here’s what went into our rankings and comparison.
- Functionality: The functionality of machines is crucial to the success of automation. We evaluated based on throughput (carts/hour), dosing precision, cleanability, and software features.
- Material handling: In the ever-evolving world of cannabis extracts, it’s wise to consider the equipment’s ability to handle various materials, such as distillates, live resin, and rosin.
- Operator feedback: A machine can have all the bells and whistles, but if they don’t translate to real-world applications, they might not be worth it. That’s where the weight of operator feedback, of how the machines work in real lab environments, helps.
- Costs to consider: Not just the upfront cost or investment, but also labor savings, cost of maintenance, and the financial risks of downtime.
Automatic Vape Cartridge Filling Machines Compared
With so many vape cart filling machines, and so little time, we put in the work to review and compare each of the most popular machines, using the most beneficial benchmarks. Before we dive into the detailed reviews of each cartridge-filling equipment, let’s introduce the top four machines: Vape-Jet, Convectium, Thompson Duke, and ATG. We’ll discuss the types of operations they’re best suited for and their most notable features.
Vape-Jet Vape Cart Filling Machine
The Vape-Jet vape cart filling machine is one of the top choices for its exceptional accuracy, extraordinary efficiency, and the quality manufacturing of the equipment itself. Using sanitary materials, such as stainless steel, and nitrogen-assisted fluid paths, operators can protect their precious oils while increasing efficiency with strong software and automation features.
Due to its higher upfront cost, many consider the Vape-Jet cartridge filling equipment, the cream of the crop, making it best suited for operators serious about scaling and brand reputation.
Convectium Filling Machine
On the other hand, if you’re running lower-quality distillate and prioritize speed over quality, the Convectium filling machine might be a consideration. This piece of equipment offers a high-speed throughput, which is efficient for large standardized batches (not various SKUs) for a streamlined tray-based workflow.
Due to its lack of flexibility, it’s not ideal for brands with various SKUs or those looking to expand exponentially. At the same time, its higher temperature during operation can also be harmful to delicate oils, degrading natural terpenes.
Thompson Duke Filling Machine
The Thompson Duke filling machine is another highly regarded and respected option that offers facilities, trusted and durable engineering. Its claim to fame is that GMP-ready models are readily accessible and available for upgrading quickly, with broad hardware compatibility for operations looking to scale to a variety of SKUs.
However, the transition to other SKUs isn’t as “cannabis-friendly”, with more labor-intensive steps to go from filling 510-carts to disposable hardware, or handling various materials. It’s also less software-driven than newer systems, losing out on valuable traceability data and insights.
ATG Filling Machine
Another lower-cost option that’s optimal for operations scaling from semi-automatic workflows to fully automated workflows is the ATG filling machine. This is another high-volume machine that prioritizes quantity over quality, making it ideal for distillate carts and lower-quality extract material.
One of its major drawbacks is that it’s not explicitly designed for the cannabis industry and offers a broader accuracy rate. Even more, it takes more time for cleaning and changeovers, making it more difficult to scale with various SKUs.
Summary Comparison Table
Nothing helps a decision more than pros and cons, and a comparison table with the top features for facilities to consider. So, here’s a quick side-by-side look at each of the best vape cartridge filling machines to help decide which is right for you.
Detailed Reviews of Each Machine
Now that you have a good idea of which machine you might be leaning towards, let’s get into our complete and more detailed reviews of each of these cannabis filling machines.
Vape-Jet
Vape-Jet is a USA-based team committed to bringing the most innovative automation technology to niche markets and underserved processes – like cannabis and vape cart filling. Its fleet of equipment includes the fully automatic vape cart filling machine, the Vape-Jet and a semi-automatic vape cartridge filling machine, the Jet Fueler.
Made specifically for cannabis, the manufacturers of Vape-Jet have a deep understanding of the nuances and challenges of the industry, like quality and throughput, both of which are imperative to higher retail prices, and scaling exponentially. This commitment is evident in the equipment’s design, which features materials designed to preserve and protect extracts, along with AI-powered automation for maximum efficiency.
With its advanced accuracy and repeatability rate of consistent fills, it offers operators the most advanced features available in an automated cannabis filling machine today, including its clean-in-place procedures, which take just 10 minutes and X ml of alcohol to perform, reducing downtime between SKUs. It also lets you skip the loading jig, minimizing the steps to start filling.
To reflect on any weaknesses, the more innovative and effective a piece of equipment = the more it’ll cost, meaning it has a higher up-front cost than most machines. However, its operators can see a quick ROI in return, and savings in labor, thanks to only needing one operator to run.
Convectium 710 Shark
The Convectium filling machine, named the 710 Shark, is an automatic vape cart filling that relies on a tray fill approach and is built primarily for speed (no matter its compromises). It delivers there, with the capability to fill up to 100 devices at one time, in under 60 seconds. While the standardized system is well-suited for high-volume runs, it comes with a few compromises.
If you want repeatable and programmable routines that keep the line moving while on one single SKU, the 710 Shark could be for you. But changeovers are less flexible than other machines, which can be difficult for operations that offer various SKUs. This means it’s best suited for distillate producers, with standard 510-threaded or disposable hardware, especially when the upstream prep and downstream capping routines are dialed in.
Of course, something so high-speed can burn at higher temperatures, meaning operations will be limited on the type of terp-rich or solventless extracts they produce. Another disadvantage is the loading of the tray, which adds extra touch points and time to the operation as a whole, as well as additional employees to support the process.
Thompson Duke
One recognizable name in the manufacturing world that also makes our list of the best vape cartridge filling machines is none other than Thompson Duke. This long-standing company now offers an entire portfolio of equipment that’s specifically built for the volumetric dosing of cartridges, pods, jars, and syringes. The collection includes the ACF automatic filler line and the larger IZR platform, both designed to prioritize repeatability and SKU flexibility.
Designed for operations that prioritize consistency and broad device compatibility, Thompson Duke emphasizes reliable mechanics and straightforward controls over flashy features. Teams running standardized programs appreciate its predictable fills, sturdy build, and established service network that supports training, spares, and uptime.
As for weaknesses, the Thompson Duke equipment is less software and vision-centric than more advanced AI models, like Vape-Jet. Plus, its heated-reservoir changeovers will add time to workflows when producing multiple SKUs or changing input extracts frequently. To run solventless material, or material that’s more terpene-rich, you’ll also need to fine-tune the prep to achieve the best results, adding time to the process overall.
ATG Pharma
Finally, the last cannabis filling machine to review is the ATG filling machine. ATG Pharma is a manufacturer that specializes in filling and packaging equipment, like vape carts, but also creams, balms, lotions, bottles, etc. Their fully automatic system, the RoboCAP, prides itself on prioritizing flexibility between various SKUs, making it ideal for operations that produce more than just 510 carts.
For teams that need one platform to run multiple product lines, RoboCAP’s recipe-driven controls and modular tooling make day-to-day operations feel familiar across cartridges, bottles, and topicals. It also offers an approachable path to scaling (from semi-automated setups to full automation) while aligning capital spend with growing demand.
As for its disadvantages, that same multi-format flexibility can lengthen changeovers and increase cleaning/calibration time between SKUs. The equipment’s accuracy tolerances are broader than ultra-precision, cannabis-specific fillers, and low-temperature, terp-preserving workflows may require extra tuning and disciplined SOPs to hit ideal results.
Material & Accuracy: What Many Overlook
When considering automation and upgrading your facility’s workflows, you may be overwhelmed by the initial costs, thinking, “Where can I save?”. However, when you consider how certain features can impact your brand’s future and long-term customer loyalty, you might think differently about which factors to skimp on – those being material handling and accuracy.
Stainless steel reservoirs and PTFE lines are essential to preserving the natural integrity of the material you’ll be filling carts with, and protecting it from contamination. If a safe, trustworthy, quality, and tasty product is what you’re seeking, then you’ll want to avoid equipment that has aluminum or silicone parts, which can degrade terpenes (the taste centers!) and cause leaching.
Not only do sanitary materials support a quality end-product when it comes to terpene and flavor integrity, but they also support compliance, keeping your material free of harmful contaminants. Even more critical to compliance and consumer satisfaction is dosing precision. While state regulations vary on the margin of error that’s acceptable for dosage, it’s something you don’t want to worry about, if necessary.
Beyond that, a quick search on Reddit shows that consumers are highly concerned about underfilled carts, and overfill inaccuracies can compound over time, making a cumulative impact. What may seem like a small amount here and there can equal an immense cost of waste over thousands of carts, all of which are overfilled.
Cost and ROI in Practice
Again, like we mentioned earlier, it’s not just the upfront price you should consider when factoring in the cost of the machine you choose. You’ll also want to consider the ROI you’ll get in return, as long-term savings, including:
- Less waste
- Labor reduction
- Higher retail cost/profit margins
By increasing your precision and accuracy in fills, you’ll minimize the amount of oil loss per cart and boost margins overall. Beyond, by upgrading your equipment, you can also better preserve its natural integrity, which can, in turn, command a higher retail price. Moreover, reliable machines (with reliable support!) can cut downtime costs, too.
Altogether, treat the upgrade as an investment in your brand’s future growth, as choosing the right system (and paying extra for the features that matter!) will pay itself back, faster than you may imagine.
Choosing the Right Machine for Your Operation
Lastly, to finish our complete guide to the best cart-filling machines, it’s crucial to weigh the options, features, and capabilities, alongside your operation’s unique demands. First, and foremost, where are you in your business? Are you a craft operation or a high-throughput enterprise? Do you fill with low-quality distillate or terp-rich solventless extracts?
These answers will determine whether you should prioritize material quality or output (despite accuracy), while you can consider other factors, such as compliance, cleanability, space, and price from there. Another crucial factor that’ll make a long-lasting effect over future workflows is the type of support the brand offers, too.
In the end, a machine is only as good as the training, warranty, and type of support that’s available when you need it the most (like meeting retailer’s drop dates, or keeping up with demand and avoiding downtime). When choosing the right machine for your operation, ask for references you can speak to directly, or at the very least, peruse reviews and testimonials.
Vape-Jet Compared: Why It’s the Smart Choice for Scaling and Compliance
All in all, while it’s always best to receive a second opinion or do your research, it’s not hard to see who’s manufacturing the best vape cartridge filling machine. Vape-Jet is the leading choice of leading extract companies across the globe. From its industry-leading accuracy to premium materials, it’s designed for terpene-rich, high-value extracts for brands seeking to gain consumer trust and retention.
Adding to optimal profit margins is the Vape-Jet’s clean-in-place procedures, minimal downtime, and fast SKU changeovers, supporting the efficient operations of leading vape companies. The Vape-Jet’s advanced software and data reporting tools make it compliance-ready with traceability features, and allow you to make future-proof decisions with valuable insights.
At Vape-Jet, our machines are specifically made for the cannabis industry, with a dedicated cannabis-focused support team that understands the unique challenges of the industry. Ready to propel your business to all new heights? Look no further than the Vape-Jet fleet of equipment, from the fully automatic Vape-Jet to the Jet Fueler, a semi-automatic vape cartridge filling machine.
Get in touch with our sales team to learn more now or to schedule a demo.
