BOTTLING / FILLING PETplanet Insider Vol. 23 No. 11/22 www.petpla.net 18 Ramseier Suisse AG invests in state-of-the-art aseptic line from KHS A unique construction With technology from KHS, Ramseier Suisse AG in Sursee in Switzerland recently commissioned a special aseptic line: one that is flexible, efficient and perfectly tailored to the company’s demand for quality. Established as a cider press over 100 years ago, with a gross turnover of CHF 156 million, traditional company Ramseier Suisse AG is one of the biggest beverage producers and most important independent breweries in the Swiss Confederation. At its four facilities it produces not just beer but primarily apple juice, cider and apple spritzers, fruit juice, mineral water, soda pop and soft drinks – some as exclusive own brands for retail chains such as Coop or Migros. As it processes more than half of all cider fruit in Switzerland, Ramseier Suisse AG attaches great importance to quality. Apples, pears and the apple mint used in its freshly brewed iced tea are sourced from local farmers and governed by strict specifications. The company’s high demands equally apply to its products and the methods used to make them: many of the fruit juice and tea beverages are not hot filled, for example, but instead undergo gentle pasteurisation and are filled into the bottle under aseptic conditions in order to retain the full fruity or herbal flavour. When it comes to the production technology, using standard equipment is not, for the Swiss, a satisfactory option. Ramseier Suisse AG has worked with systems provider KHS for over 30 years. The most recent product of this cooperation is an aseptic line at the production site in Sursee near Lucerne. The Dortmund engineering company has supplied the process technology, the stretch blow moulder/ filler block and a labelling machine. The new line, in which around €15 million have been invested, is part of the systematic innovation process that is intended to make the bottler technologically fit for the future. “We reckon that the variety of products and packaging will continue to increase,” explains Christoph Suter, CTO and board member of Ramseier Suisse AG. “In the future our production setup must be able to react even more flexibly to constantly changing market requirements. This calls for continuous renewal of our plant infrastructure.” FILLING Full view of the KHS aseptic line A dormer had to be built into the roof to accommodate the 9,000 l buffer tank installed on the platform.
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