PETpla.net Insider 03 / 2020

BOTTLING / FILLING PET planet Insider Vol. 21 No. 03/20 www.petpla.net 30 The first linear InnoPET BloFill ABF aseptic block from KHS Taking care of sensitive products The market for sensitive beverages is flourishing. Throughout the world manufacturers of dairy products have recognised the potential of wholesome beverages and expanded their product portfolio over the past few years. Most of the new products are filled into PET bottles. With the new linear InnoPET BloFill ABF aseptic block KHS reacts on the requirements of the dairy industry for flexible filling technology for sensitive products. FILLING Sensitive beverages are becom- ing increasingly popular all over the world. The demand for functional foods with less sugar in particular is growing. “Keeping to a healthy diet is playing a central role in the lives of more and more consumers,” explains Thomas Redeker, sales director for Dairy Europe at the KHS Group. “The demand for products that are sus- tainably packaged and attractively presented has also greatly increased in the last few years.” Dairy industry’s packaging of choice: PET containers PET bottles are the ideal vehi- cles for this new trend. An increasing number of makers of dairy products are thus relying on containers made of PET. “Not only producers but also consumers are convinced by their many different advantages,” says Redeker. In particular this includes the great capacity for individual design this type of container has. “PET bot- tles lend themselves to exclusive design. The cap and label can be per- fectly tailored to the brand. This had a positive effect on the brand posi- tioning at the point of sale,” Redeker states. The plastic containers score when it comes to their environmental balance as they are fully recyclable. PET bottles not only provide reliable product protection; they also have good pouring properties. KHS new linear InnoPET BloFill ABF aseptic block KHS recognised the potential of PET containers for aseptic filling 25 years ago. Its latest development is the linear InnoPET BloFill ABF aseptic block. This combines the rotary Inno- PET Blomax Series V stretch blow moulder with the linear Innosept Asbo- fill ABF 712 aseptic filler. The block takes up less space than the individ- ual machines; the air conveyor is also no longer required. This cuts down on energy consumption. Personnel costs are reduced as only one operator is needed in place of the former two. “By blocking the machinery and including a continuous clock module we also minimise the risk of soiling. This has a positive impact on hygiene and line availability,” smiles Redeker. Fast format changeovers within up to ten minutes help to boost system availability. They are per- formed under aseptic conditions, doing away with the need for any additional cleaning and sterilisation. The short change-over times let pro- ducers of sensitive beverages fill a large number of different stock-keep- ing units (SKUs). The linear aseptic block is designed to fill milk, mixed milk beverages, juice, smoothies and iced tea into PET bottles holding between 250ml and 2 l. The equip- ment outputs up to 12,000 1.0 liter bottles and a maximum of 15,000 0.5 liter bottles per hour. The modular design of the dry aseptic block allows the filler to expand at any time. Operators can retrofit their block with a chunk filler or additional filling and capping unit, for instance. “The modular design gives our customers greater flex- ibility. They don’t have to think about precisely which products they want to bottle when purchasing the block,” Redeker says. “KHS enables them to retrofit the required modules on site as soon as they expand their product portfolio.” This in turn permits bever- age producers to react more flexibly to changing market demands. Integrating the stretch blow moulder With the integration of the stretch blow moulder the aseptic block gains a number of plus points. The heating system in the new Blomax genera- tion consumes up to 40% less energy compared to most standard heating systems thanks to its optimised near infrared heating concept and new double gate technology. This is made possible by the near infrared heater centrally installed in the closed reflector tunnel. In the heater the preforms pass the centrally arranged heating units to both the left and right. The preforms are spaced just around 18mm apart instead of the previous approximately 37mm. The Dortmund systems supplier has been able to considerably reduce the number of heater boxes used. The air management system for heater box ventilation has also been optimised. “The fan can be set separately for the neck, reflector and lamps. This means that the machine only cools the areas which actually need cooling,” explains Redeker. InnoPET Blomax Series V: The heat- ing system in the new Blomax genera- tion consumes up to 40% less energy compared to most standard heating systems thanks to its optimised near infrared heating concept and new Double Gate technology.