Aseptic Packaging Technology to Sparkle at Pack Expo Las Vegas
High Output, High Sterility
Benhil-Gasti (booth 2412) will be exhibiting two aseptic cup filling and sealing machines: its Combiseptic and Servotherm machines. The Servotherm is equipped with a special servo electronics package, which boosts output to as many as 57,000 cups per hour. The machine fills and seals tapered cups of all shapes, made of polystyrene, polypropylene, coated paper, coated aluminum, and other materials.
The machine's filler design prevents shearing of products, which include liquids to pasty foodstuffs. The fillers also hold a close entrance from nozzle to cup, which effectively stops recontamination. To again prevent recontamination, all motion transmission to the clean area is sealed via locks and slide rings. The Servotherm is completely enclosed, and receives controlled sterile air. The conveyor also operates in an enclosed, clean area.
Benhil-Gasti's Combiseptic machine departs from other aseptic filling machines by operating in continuous motion at infinitely adjustable speed. Continuous motion allows filling liquids into cups that have little headspace, at higher speeds. The liquid doesn't slosh and deposit on the cup rim, which typically occurs with intermittent motion filling machines.
Benhil-Gasti machines are available in the United States through Autoprod Inc. (booth 2412).
Serac Inc. (booth 1554) will demonstrate its extended-shelf-life (ESL) liquid filling system, which fills glass, PET, HDPE and multilayer containers at speeds to 600 containers per minute. Filling takes place under laminar flow of sterile air. Filling nozzles never come in contact with the bottle neck. Clean-in-place (CIP) and sterilization-in-place (SIP) systems reduce product changeover time.
Serac fields more than 50 aseptic/ESL liquid filling installations worldwide, including seven in the United States where the company defines its machine capabilities as extended-shelf-life rather than aseptic. Marc Binet, Serac president, says, "In other countries our level of sterility is considered aseptic. To call our machines aseptic here, we need FDA validation, which we are working hard toward attaining."
Four of Serac's ESL lines in North America fill dairy products. Serac has installed the first ultra-high temperature (140°C) ESL filling line in North America at Natrel dairy, Longeutuil, Quebec. The system permits the dairy to market single-serve milks and shakes with a 90-day refrigerated shelf life. Natrel processes the milk drinks at ultra-high temperatures and fills them into single-serve, resealable, high-density polyethylene bottles. The steam heat processing increases the milk's temperature rapidly but does not modify the flavor.
Serac sees consumer demand for extended-shelf-life dairy products growing. Binet says, "The recent introduction of single-serve, milk-based drinks under refrigerated conditions may lead to a host of new products and market opportunities. Larger dairies may eventually convert to fully aseptic lines to produce shelf-stable products."
Focus on Hot-Filling
Klöckner Bartelt Inc. (booth 2831) prefers to market machinery for hot-filling rather than aseptic packaging in the United States. The machine builder perceives strong potential for high-speed, hot-filling machinery for beverages, especially dairy products.
Jeff Martin, Klöckner Bartelt's business director of pouch packaging systems, believes that aseptic packaging for dairy products has not caught on in the United States as it has in Europe. "Consumers here prefer to purchase cold milk rather than at ambient temperature," he says.
As a result, the Sarasota, FL, company is introducing its Fusion horizontal pouching machine for hot-filling of liquids, powders, granules and free-flowing items such as snack and cereal products. Pouch styles include flat, gussetted or stand-up, zipper-resealable with gas flush. The Fusion machine integrates several features, such as high efficiency, sanitation, flexibility, quick and easy pushbutton changeovers, user friendliness and low maintenance.
Nitrogen Injection Encourages Cold-Filling
Vacuum Barrier Corp. (booth 6210) will show its new aseptic Nitrodose system for sterile applications. In filling bottles and cans, the Nitrodose system administers precise, highly controlled doses of sterile liquid nitrogen to the passing containers. Liquid nitrogen pressurizes lightweight PET bottles and aluminum cans to give them strength and to inert them, i.e. rid them of oxygen.
To prohibit bacteria from flowing through the Nitrodose unit, the system filters the liquid nitrogen with 0.2-micron membrane filters. In addition, the unit is gas-heat-sterilized at 300°F. "A significant accomplishment for us was to build the doser that can swing between a wide temperature range of 300°F for sterilization to a liquid nitrogen temperature of –320°F," says Russell Blanton, Vacuum Barrier vice president of engineering.
Blanton says the aseptic nitrogen injection unit encourages cold, sterile filling as an alternative to hot-filling for ESL products. The sterile liquid nitrogen enables cold-filling of products to require no preservatives. The unit currently is in use on an aseptic still beverage filling line.
Barrier Materials Roll out in Single Pass
For aseptic packaging barrier materials, Rollprint Packaging Products Inc. (booth 3449) has rolled out a $6 million co-extrusion line to meet market growth of products being packaged aseptically in flexible packages and trays. In a single pass, the coater/laminator can lay up to five layers for barrier structure and apply a peelable coating. This reduces the cost of lidding material, reduces waste and boosts production speed. Lidding materials include polyester base, EVOH, foil, silicon oxide deposited to polyester (Rollprint's ClearFoil), or others as desired by the customer. The 64-in wide line runs at a maximum speed of 1,000-ft per minute.
Rollprint's one-pass line takes less time than conventional multiple-pass techniques for building lidding laminates. Conventionally, each layer of peelable film and adhesive is laid down one by one, then is cured before the next layer is applied.
An example of Rollprint's expertise in high-barrier lidding films is seen in packaging ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene orthopedic implants. To maintain a sterile product and to keep out oxygen, the implants are double sterile packaged in a tray-within-a-tray. After evacuating oxygen, each PETG tray is sealed with Rollprint's three-layer laminates to provide oxygen barrier protection. The lidding films maintain seal strength and peelability after gamma sterilization and a punishing heat stabilization process that lasts for 144 hours.
Edited by Bill Noone
Editor's Note: Packaging Network would like to thank A.B. Isacson Associates Inc. (New York) for supplying this article. The marketing/public relations firm can be reached at Tel: 212-529-4500.