Filling machine configured to fill containers with a pourable product and method

A filling machine (1) configured to fill containers (2) with a pourable product, comprising:

• a conveyor (3), the machine (1) being configured so that the conveyor sequentially receives containers (2) to be filled at an input station (I) thereof, sequentially advances the received containers (2) along a filling path, and sequentially releases the filled containers (2) at an output station (O) thereof;
• a plurality of filling devices (4) carried by the conveyor (3), each filling device (4) comprising a respective filling valve and being configured for delivering the product to at least one container (2) to be filled at a time, during the advancement of at least one container to be filled along the filling path and by means of the respective filling valve being in an open position, the filling valve of each filling device being controllable between the respective open position and a respective closed position;
• a control unit (8);
• wherein the machine (1) is configured so that, for each filling device (4):
• the filling device (4) receives cyclically at least one container (2) to be filled, when the filling device (4) is at the input station I;
• with an advance time before the filling device (4) receives the at least one container to be filled, the control unit (8) cyclically sends an opening control signal for triggering the opening of the respective filling valve.