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Juice it up

A new rinsing, filling, and capping system helps one nutraceutical contract packager eliminate microbial growth and reduce product giveaway.

ROTARY FILLER. The new 54-head rotary filling system (left) can handle hot or cold filling, and its design has greatly simplifie
ROTARY FILLER. The new 54-head rotary filling system (left) can handle hot or cold filling, and its design has greatly simplifie

Antioxidant-rich juices are a growing trend among health-conscious consumers—and the mainstay of SupraNatural’s business. The co-packer of nutraceuticals, liquid fills, and dietary supplements blends the ingredients for functional drinks and stores them in one of six refrigerated 5,500-gal stainless-steel tanks. After the product is blended and pasteurized, it enters a Class 100 filler enclosure where it is filled in glass, PET, or high-density polyethylene bottles in sizes ranging from 500 mL to 1 L.

“We were using an antiquated 24-head filler,” says Jed Mower, SupraNaturals’ engineering manager, “and fill rates were very slow, ranging from 45 to 70 bottles a minute.” But the biggest problem with the old filler, he adds, was microbial growth. “We had a really hard time cleaning the machine and keeping our microbial counts down. We would have to disassemble the nozzles and hoses, and it would take three to four hours to clean the machine.”

Additionally, fill levels were inconsistent. “We always overfilled slightly to ensure we met our fill level claims,” explains Mower. Product was also lost when bottles broke on the line as a result of the capper’s inconsistent torque. “Yields above 97 percent are considered good in our industry,” says Mower. “Our yields were in the low 90s.”

The process

SupraNaturals invested in a F6.2 FAA-5418 filling machine from Fogg Filler (www.foggfiller.com) equipped with 54 filling valves and an 18-head CA 12 N series capper made by Fowler Products Co. (www.fowlerproducts.com). The new filling machine is capable of hot and cold filling and replaces two machines: one used exclusively for cold-fill applications and the other for hot fill. In addition to its smaller footprint, the new system has helped simplify operator training.

After bottles are inverted and rinsed using Fogg Filler’s two-stage bottle rinser, they enter the rotary filling machine. Currently, the new system is used to hot-fill 750- and 1,000-mL glass bottles and cold-fill 550- and 1,050-mL PET bottles. The filler is capable of running up to 600 bottles/min.

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