PETpla.net Insider 04 / 2014

BOTTLING / FILLING 38 PET planet insider Vol. 15 No. 04/14 www.petpla.net Sidel has produced a new Sidel Matrix modular hotfill machine with a wide choice of possible configurations. Raising the hygiene bar Sidel’s modular Matrix hotfill system has been developed to ensure high levels of product safety and quality in the production of juices, nectars, still drinks, isotonics and tea (JNSDIT). The new Sidel Matrix hot filler has been devel- oped to meet these standards for any kind of drink, of high or low acidity, that is to be bottled in PET containers in sizes ranging from 200ml to 2l. The filler is equipped with Sidel’s Integrated Slurry Dosing (ISD) and is designed to handle products with pulps or fruit pieces, sacs or fibres for products like pulpy juices, flavoured waters with fruit pieces, and new generation products such as Chinese Aloe Vera or coconut-based drinks. Electronic filling valves with individual flow meters have been installed in order to provide high levels of accu- racy in dispensing appropriate filling volumes, while minimising product wastage. The new machine is capable of operating at production rates rang- ing from 6,000 to 60,000bph. Pulps and fibres Sidel says that its new Matrix hot filler can handle a broad range of products with or without pieces. In block-rinser configuration it man- ages still beverages, with a simple grid valve. Products with small pulps and fibres up to 1 x 10mm can be handled with the option of a plunger valve. It is also available for products with pieces measuring up to 10mm 3 , using a volumetric bits dosing turret . Any of these configu- rations can be utilised as the ‘filling’ module of an integrated ‘blow-fill- cap’ solution within a Sidel Combi set-up. All the components that come into contact with the product are made from stainless steel. The fillers can be readily adapted to meet changing needs and the system’s upgradeable platform will enable customers to take advantage of new technical develop- ments in the future. Hygienic solution Sidel says that its new Matrix hot filler will provide product safety by means of hygienic design and contact- less filling valves, through the entire packaging process. The product never comes into contact with ambient air, and bottles are never brought into con- tact with filling valves, which reduces the risk of cross contamination. The fill- ing environment can be tailored accord- ing to the level of hygiene required by the product being bottled. Alternatives include an open enclosure with the option of a roof with an air filtration unit, and a reduced enclosure, which has a filling area volume 72% less than the standard configuration. As fewer chemi- cals are required for cleaning, it offers even higher hygiene standards and less filtered air in the filling area. All effluents from its automatic cleaning system are drained into a single point, through col- lecting trays located around the base and the carousel. Flow management It is possible to control the flow rate from the tank to the filling valve throughout the filling process, without stressing the product being bottled. Any turbulence created by chang- ing the flow rate remains within the tank, which acts as a buffer from the incoming product. This does not affect distribution and delivers a constant pressure on the filling valve, which helps to deliver high accuracy in the process. Dual-speed filling avoids the generation of any foam. The bottle and filling valve are both fixed during filling, to avoid any splashing and con- sequent product wastage. With the slurry dosing (ISD) integrated, the system undertakes a two-phase process. The first phase delivers the slurry (or particles) into the bottle, and the second fills the liquid juice. The slurry-dosing turret is also equipped with contactless valves. No parts enter the bottle, to maintain hygiene standards. The conic design of the valve for the volumetric doser is designed to prevent product leakage and waste. This dual-stream dosing by pistons is intended to ensure a constant and accurate delivery of pulp or slurry. Particle concentration can be adjusted from 20ml to 300ml, depend- ing on the recipe and size of format being bottled, with a tolerance of plus or minus 10%. Sidel claims a particle damage rate of less than 10%. www.sidel.com