PETpla.net Insider 04/ 2013

PET products 38 PET planet insider Vol. 14 No. 04/13 www.petpla.net Extended keg range Italian company PolyKeg s.r.l. launched a 16l version of its PolyKeg PET one-way kegs. The new size is available in all three variants of the package: BT, T and H. The BT type operates to a higher working pressure, offers good han- dling and ‘stackability’, and is claimed to be highly resistant to shocks. It incorporates a high-barrier polymer blend for long shelf-life, which is common to all three PolyKeg types. ‘O 2 -free’ versions are available on demand and all are com- patible with existing filling lines and dispensing systems. The packages are suitable for beers, wine, cider and soft drinks and hold EU and FDA approval for food use. The weicht of the PolyKegs is amounting to just 5% of total filled weight. The H type range is the lightest, with the 16l version tipping the scales at 0.65kg. The equivalent T type weighs 1.15kg; the BT 16l keg is 1.6kg. All three are available in 16, 20, 24 and 30l sizes. The largest BT Polykeg weighs 1.85kg; the 30l H type is less than half as heavy, at 0.83kg unfilled. PolyKeg one-way kegs are fully recyclable. www.polykeg.it Aseptic filler for ESL beverages The KHS linear aseptic filling system Asbofill ESL has been developed for the bottling of extended shelf life or ESL beverages for the cold chain: Milk, mixed milk, coffee and yoghurt beverages, fruit juices and teas. It can also process products containing pulp and/or chunks. Different forms of plastic containers with identical neck rings can be filled. There are two types of machine available. The Innosept Asbofill ESL 611 is designed for bottles of 0.1 and 0.75l and has a throughput of up to 12,000bph. The Innosept Asbofill ESL 711 fills 0.25 to 2.0l bottles at the same rate. Both machines can be supplied in the twin ver- sion. In the twin version many of the components central to the systems are implemented just once. The sanitary room of the Innosept Asbofill ESL measures 0.7m³ in the ESL 611 and 1.2m³ in the ESL 711. The steriliza- tion, filling, and sealing processes take place in different housings, with a partition separating the different areas. Bottles and caps are sterilized according to the process of dry sterilization. The bottles are filled using two-stage, free-flow filling valves, by the principle of volumetric, electromagnetic induction flow-metering into which pulp nozzles can be integrated. If products containing chunks are to be processed, a separate dosing unit can be incor- porated. Both seals and screw caps can be applied as closures. www.khs.com Labeller Ocme, which specialises in the design, development and production of supply of secondary packing systems, has recently introduced some upgrades and improvements to its complete packing line management. Vela is described as a ‘new generation labeller’ and has various features that are claimed to improve efficiency and reduce cost of owner- ship by up to 99%. The standard Vela machine is equipped with double-reel support powered by servo motors. Ocme says that this arrangement means that film can be pushed rather than pulled, which helps to prevent excessive stretch- ing and yield and thus reduce stoppages and enables the machine to process a wider range of materials. A servo motor-powered cutting drum is positioned above the support and is synchronised with the main machine drive. The drum incorporates a rotating blade which contacts the static blade and creates a “scissors” effect, which is intended to provide both a precise cut and up to 200,000 cuts between blade changes. The glue roller, which is also powered by a servo motor and is synchronised with the main machine drive, is fixed on a horizontal slide and moves forward and backward, rather than rotating. The roller is designed for fast changeo- ver and simple maintenance and the glue tank has a new filtering system, which prevents film pieces from reaching the tank. The motorised tooth-belt and centred platform design are also designed for ease of service and maintenance. Reel supports can be loaded vertically. Ocme says that the ser- vomotor on the labelling station delivers precisely-tensioned film, which is unwound, cut and transferred to the container using vacuum technology. The hot melt glue is spread on the leading and trailing edge of the label by a stainless steel glue roller. Ocme maintains that Vela can process up to 50,000bph. www.ocme.it Anti-loss screw cap Polish company Unicom International Ltd., based in Warsaw, has announced the launch of its patented anti- loss 30/25 screw cap. Unicom claims that this cap is the first of its type to the market. When the cap is unscrewed, it remains attached to a secondary part of the neck ring, which means it will not drop off or accidentally fall away. The company says this feature also helps to keep the caps of opened containers clean. It is suitable for packag- ing of water, soft drinks, juices, milk, detergents, chemi- cals, pharmaceuticals and other products. www.unicompackaging.eu