PETpla.net Insider 11 / 2014

TRADE SHOW PREVIEW 46 PET planet insider Vol. 15 No. 11/14 www.petpla.net Filling, consulting, kegs and decorating KHS’ stand will feature keg and decorating technology, along with the company’s consulting and other services. In the field of filling tech- nology KHS will be exhibiting an electronically controlled, volumetric filler for cans in the form of the Innofill Can DVD, which has a capacity of up to 120,000 cans/h. Washing, cleaning and filling kegs The hallmark of the Innokeg Combikeg keg, washing and filling machine, with a capacity of up to 80 kegs/h, is its com- pact design. The systems for washing the kegs inside and out and for racking them are integrated into a single hous- ing, as are the media tanks, controls and conveyors. The Combikeg is based on KHS’ established rotary principle. The target group for the product is small to medium-sized busi- nesses in the brewing, soft drinks, mineral water, fruit juice and wine sectors. One of the features that has been opti- mised on the latest version of the machine is its safety pan- elling. Doors, which are are now half-height, make it easier to keep an eye on the valves and sensors. Faster responses are also possible and system availability is claimed to have been boosted. An additional caustic spray, which is tasked with removing the ink code on the keg fitting and shoulder, is incorporated into the exterior washer. New valves (seat valves with cup gasket) are used specially for the washing stations. KHS says that the valves have been designed to withstand severe conditions, including the use of chemicals and steam. The pneumatic rotor main drive in the Innokeg Combikeg has now been replaced with a servomotor, which is intended to ensure soft acceleration and braking of the keg when changing stations. Among the kegs to benefit from this are the particularly sensitive slim kegs and Petainer kegs, which are handled with adapters. The machine is also equipped for the new non-refillable keg from Petainer, which makes its premier appearance at Brau Beviale. Novel printing Direct Print, the new technology for direct digital printing of PET bottles, will be the subject of a major presentation and demonstrated by a sample printer on KHS’ stand. The printing process uses only UV inks; the company says they have low viscosity, dry in milliseconds, adhere well to PET bottles, have a high opacity, can be overprinted and ensure a brilliant colour image, with optical resolution of 1080 x 1080 pixels. They have been confirmed as suitable for use with foodstuffs and for unrestricted bottle-to-bottle recycling. Bottles & Shapes Packaging designer Claudia Schulte will be showing visi- tors how the specific properties of a PET bottle and cap con- cept can be successfully combined with high-quality design. Bottle decoration will be demonstrated with the use of the sample Direct Print printer. All development steps are car- ried out from a holistic perspective, incorporating economic, ecological and functional aspects of the packaging equally. All known influences are simulated and applied to the virtual packaging, including stress during conveying through the line up to and including the palletising process, and during shipment to the retail trade and points of sale. Coping with higher pH KHS says that beverages and liquid foods with a higher pH stand to benefit from its recently-developed Plasmax+ process. It is claimed to have a better long-term stability with higher pHs (4.5 or more) than the standard Plasmax process and offers better barrier effect when bottle material is subject to greater mechanical stress from high internal pressures, such as carbonated beverages. The new technology can be retrofitted into existing InnoPET Plasmax machines. www.khs.com KHS Hall 5 | Booth 127