PETpla.net Insider 03 / 2019

BOTTLING / FILLING PET planet Insider Vol. 20 No. 03/19 www.petpla.net 21 At a glance: Kassatly Chtau- ra’s integrated Ecobloc Ergon 2-9-3 K Ev system from SMI Stretch-blow moulding, filling and capping of 1 l and 2.65 l bottles in PET. Output up to 3,200 bph (1 l).  The Ecobloc Ergon K series uses technological solutions inspired by the principles of Industry 4.0 and Internet of Things (IoT);  Rotary, high efficiency stretch- blow moulding equipped with motorised stretch rods claimed to offer advantages compared to linear blowers;  Compact plant groups stretch- blow moulding, filling and cap- ping of PET bottles in a single bloc and does not need a rinser or airveyors between blower and filler. For many years, Kassatly Chtaura had bottled their Jallab syrup by hand, buying empty PET bottles on the open market from a third party. Meeting increased demand during Ramadan with traditional, manual bottling was very difficult, so the company decided to automate the process, making it much easier to adjust production output according to market requirements. Its new, compact, integrated system from the Ecobloc Ergon K EV range was integrated in the existing line, to automate blowing, filling and capping operations in new PET bot- tles. While the other operations, such as labelling, are still carried out manu- ally, the production process does not require secondary or tertiary packag- ing, as the bottles are sold loose. While the new PET bottle, which is blown and filled by the new line, is the same as that used in the past From left: Pierre Anid, General Manager of Novadim Food Technology; Nayef Kassatly, Managing Partner of Kassatly Chtaura; and Maurice Rassi, Technical Manager of Kassatly Chtaura. Jallab is a syrup made from carobs, dates, grape molasses and rose water. for manual production, SMI’s design- ers were asked to create a lighter bottle than its predecessor. This objective was achieved by optimis- ing the preform material and working on the mechanical characteristics of the new container. The new design features improved material distribu- tion and strengthening where needed. The outcome was a lighter bottle with economical and environmental advan- tages. www.smigroup.it  Filling and capping process uses electronic control systems and high-efficiency, flowmeter- controlled valves.  Preform heater module equipped with high-efficiency IR lamps and blow-moulding module equipped with a dual air recovery system helps to reduce compressed air and pre-heating energy costs.  Weld-free modular structure, equipped with reinforced glass protection doors.  Economical solutions allow the flow management of seasonal or bespoke production. Easy-Cap cap grabber Gravitational cap grabber col- lects the caps from a hopper, ori- entates them correctly and carries them to the bottling line. Made from AISI 304 steel, its compact structure makes it suitable for a wide range of layout solutions. It will only carry caps that are the correct way up; those that are misoriented will fall back into the hopper. The system is claimed to be suitable for a variety of differ- ent plastic caps. The interface is designed to allow the operator to use the machine easily and efficiently. The Kassatly Chtaura’s new Ecobloc Ergon K line was installed and will be serviced by Novadim Food Technology Company, which has represented the SMI Group in Lebanon for over 20 years. Its six- strong team provides sales, ser- vice and technical assistance for over 200 SMI machines installed in Lebanon, Syria, Kuwait, Bahrein, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Yemen, Ethiopia, Sudan, Uganda and parts of Eastern Africa. Novadim, which is headquar- tered in Beirut, has a client list that includes Salassato Chtaura, Société Moderne Libanaise pour le Commerce (PepsiCo), National Beverage Company (Coca-Cola) and others. www.kassatly.net www.novadimft.com