PETpla.net Insider 01+02 / 2017

BOTTLING / FILLING PET planet Insider Vol. 18 No. 01+02/17 www.petpla.net 21 BOTTLING / FILLING 21 Aseptic bottling of all soft drinks on one machine without line shut downs One machine fills all In the last ten years global con- sumers have increasingly looked for healthier, naturally-positioned bever- ages including milk-based products, juices (with and without fibres), RTD (Ready To Drink) teas and functional or energy drinks. This need to produce a wide range of drinks has created a demand for multi-functional equip- ment, hence the Fillstar CX EVO. Gea has recently launched this latest development of its Fillstar aseptic bottling technology for carbonated products. The new counter-pressure, volumetric electronic filling head has the ability to fill all types of soft drinks – high acid, low acid, still, carbonated and those containing fibres and fruit pieces up to 3mm diameter x 20mm long without any mechanical adjust- ment of the machine or loss of sterility during changeover. This is intended to provide the instant flexibility demanded by manufacturers who wish to bottle a range of products on a single machine. Product switch without downtime Previous generations of machines had to be shut down for mechani- cal adjustment when changing from a ‘noncontact’ filling process for still drinks to a ‘contact’ process for car- bonated drinks. This was time con- suming – more than three hours to stop, adjust, clean and restart – and the machine lost sterility during the process. The new Fillstar CX Evo, While global consumers are increasingly looking for trendy beverages such as ‘food in a bottle’, manufactur- ers are in need of multi-functional equipment that can switch smoothly between products and bottle types in a single aseptic machine: Gea’s new Fillstar CX Evo is claimed to give them this flexibility in an efficient way. www.bericap.com Unique range of light weight screw and sports closures for light weight PET neck standards for water • Closures for all common neck sizes 26/22, 28mm (PCO 1810, PCO 1881), 29/25, 30/25 • Light weight Hexalite range allowing light weight neck • Still water closures suitable for N 2 dosing • Sports closures fulfill BSDA requirements • Boreseal systems for excellent tightness • Consumer friendly opening forces BERI CAP Technology for still water ASEPTIC HOT FILL SPECIAL however, can seamlessly switch between products, adjust bottling speed and handle different cap and bottle sizes without losing steril- ity or interrupting the process. The new bottling parameters are simply programmed through the machine’s control system. When integrated with an aseptic piston doser the system can also fill products that contain fibres or fruit pieces of up to 10mm 3 . Meeting the challenges of a diverse market The global market for soft drinks has changed in recent years. The need for high production of standard products has diminished in favour of increased variety that requires dynamic manufacturing systems that can meet the demand for ‘food in a bottle’ that has become popular, especially for the Far East market. Products include high and low acid drinks, still, car- bonated and slightly carbonated products that are becoming the ‘fizzy’ alternative to conventional still drinks. All these drinks are presented in a range of PET bottle sizes that provide both practicality and mar- keting inspiration. Gea’s intention was to bring this whole capabil- ity together into a single aseptic machine. The company has already received advance orders for high speed machines (up to 54,000bph) fitted with the Fillstar CX Evo and aseptic piston doser technology for HA/LA products (High Acid/Low Acid) which are planned for delivery to the Far East during the first half of 2017. www.gea.com