PETpla.net Insider 05 / 2012

BOTTLING / FILLING 19 PET planet insider Vol. 13 No. 05/12 www.petpla.net age costs are considerably reduced – and costs for keg repairs become a thing of the past. The kegs, avail- able in sizes of 15, 20, 30, and 40l are currently available and come with a compatible flat fitting and a basket fitting. One 40-foot standard container can deliver 40,000 fittings sets and preforms. 15l or 20 l kegs weigh 250g, with 30l kegs slightly over the 400g mark. Logistics costs for deliveries are reduced by between around 20% and 30% per hectolitre of beer. The keg fittings are fully compatible with standard tapping apparatus and can be connected up to existing systems for draught beer in the same way as classic steel kegs. This means that bar staff do not have to undergo spe- cial training. Recycling is said to be straightforward. After being relieved of pressure, the empty kegs can be easily folded and disposed of as recy- clable waste. The keg makes use of modern barrier technology. An oxygen scaven- ger prevents oxygen from penetrating the container; nylon particles protect the product from CO 2 loss. Pigments in the polymer also help to guard the contents against infiltration of UV light. The minimum shelf life of beer racked in a Petainer is nine months – with the quality of beer comparable to beer in steel kegs. Lipetskpivo invested in a fully automatic, KHS Innokeg Till PETLine F8 Petainer keg system which also includes an Innopro pasteuriser and Innopro CIP system. The output of the line can reach 240 kegs/h. At present the line is set up to rack 30l kegs only. Markov comments, “In our view the 30l keg best combines all the eco- nomical and ecological advantages. Our current plan is to limit ourselves to processing this size of keg. How- ever, it’s good to know that should we make any changes at our end, our KHS system can be adapted to suit.” Lipetskpivo manufactures its containers inline. The preforms and fittings are supplied by the manu- facturer. The preforms are blown in a blow moulder which has an auto- matic preform intake. The blown kegs are sent off to the fitting inserter on a conveyor enclosed in Plexiglas for ultra hygienic transportation. Here, Moretto S.p.A. Via dell’Artigianato 3 35010 Massanzago (PD) ITALY Tel. +39 049 93 96 711 Fax +39 049 93 96 710 www.moretto.com designed by Moretto The most ambitious project in the history of dehumidification. Drying Revolution a handling robot first grips the fitting and attaches it to the rinser pipe. This robot then inserts the assem- bled elements into the keg. The kegs then travel to a filling and packaging area specially tailored to Lipetsk- pivo’s requirements. Four Innokeg Till PETBoy F2 racking segments, each with two racking stations, are arranged in a semicircle. A robot with a radius of 240° feeds the eight rack- ing heads with kegs. The robot has a swivelable gripper head which can transport two kegs at once. After each keg has been racked, the robot places the racked kegs in packaging cartons. When packed with one keg apiece the cartons then travel on to the carton sealer and carton coder. An Innopack CV carton sealer downstream of the racking and packag- ing process ensures flawless glue appli- cation and perfectly sealed cartons. An Innopal PBL1N1 column-type robot, equipped with a low pack infeed, is responsible for pal- letising the cartons. Lipetskpivo will begin marketing the Petainer keg in spring. By then all test phases in the hospitality and food trade will have ended and market- ing concepts devel- oped. First response from the market has been extremely encouraging. “By next summer at the latest we’re reck- oning on our keg line running in two shifts at full capacity” states Markov. If Lipetskpivo’s forecast turns out to be right, in the future the brewery also plans to rack soft drinks in the kegs beside beer and kvass. The brewery is planning to modernise the plant and extend their production capacities up until the end of 2013, with capacities of up to 2.5 million hectolitres. The kegs are handled in the Innokeg Till PET Boy F2 racking stations by a robot.