PETpla.net Insider 03 / 2019

BOTTLING / FILLING PET planet Insider Vol. 20 No. 03/19 www.petpla.net 26 Linear stretch-blow and filling systems Blocking the elements Sipa is now into its third year of production of the Sincro Bloc integrated linear PET bottle blowing, filling and capping systems. They were introduced in 2017 to complement the company’s existing offering in rotary systems. The company is very well known for its linear stretch-blow moulding systems with its SFL range, capable of highly cost-effective production of PET containers in all shapes and sizes. The SFL system continues to evolve, the most recent addition being the high-performance all-electric SFL 6/8 EVO featuring high-speed press movements and an improved blowing valve. The Linear Sincro Blocs were introduced in response to calls, par- ticularly from companies bottling water and also oil, for a compact system that could produce and fill bottles in all formats up to 12 litres in size. The Linear Sincro Blocs are highly productive: a unit based on Sipa’s SFL 6 has a maximum output of close to 11,000 small bottles per hour, while a system configured for larger formats can produce and fill up to 4,000 12 l containers in the same time, or 6,600 5 l containers. Sipa says that the Linear Sincro Blocs are user-friendly, thanks to their relatively simple mechanical move- ments. This helps keep maintenance and initial investment costs down, leading to an advantageous Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). Simplicity helps with cleanliness and hygiene. There is no need for rinsing between blowing and filling, no need for external con- veying systems, and total protection from the outside environment, from the moment the preform enters the feed shoot until the filled and sealed bottle emerges, ready for wrapping. On Sipa systems with integrated PET preform and bottle production, vari- ous options are available to maintain the cleanliness of the preforms between the injection moulding machine and the stretch-blow moulding unit. The col- lection hopper, lift and slide can all be enclosed and subject to over-pressure to keep out dust, for example; preforms can be blown with ionised air and sub- ject to ventilation to remove possible dust; special ventilation filters can be installed in the reheat oven area. The filling system is extremely clean and easily sanitised, with advanced cleaning systems for both the production circuit (Clean-In-Place, CIP) and the total filling environment (Clean-Out-of-Place, COP). Automatic false bottle loading, together with the use of microbiological isolation around the immediate filling area, produce a high reduction in the space that needs to be kept under control, making it possible to use sanitising systems that are highly cost effective. “Our extended line-up means that bottling companies can now turn to Sipa for whatever line that best fits their production requirement, for formats of all sizes,” says Roberto Cucciol, Business Unit Director Spe- cialties and Beverage. “Linear Sincro Bloc systems are ideal for large formats, and they are also the best choice for smaller runs. They can pro- duce bottles with handles and wide- mouth jars and can also work with all types of liquids, water, oil, CSDs, milk, hot-filled products, detergents and personal care products. If necessary, the same line can produce and fill hot- fill and CSD drinks. Numerous Sipa customers have taken advantage of this feature.” In the recent past, Sipa has installed various complete lines incor- porating the SFL Sincro Bloc system for mineral water and edible oil in Europe, Turkey, and China some of them reaching the speed of 6,600 units an hour. In Turkey, to name but one, DSL Group chose the Sipa Linear Sincro Bloc after almost three years of positive experience with an earlier linear stretch- blow moulding system, an SFL6/4XL, which is now integrated into a line pro- ducing and filling 10l still mineral water bottles. “Our satisfaction with the previ- ous generation of Sipa equipment gave us the confidence we needed to go back to Sipa when we decided to make another important investment in blow- ing and filling,” says General Manager Kenan Dişli. www.sipasolutions.com Filling Special