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New equipment brings a boost to Pompeian

This maker of olive oils and other food ingredients is using new filling, labeling, and nitrogen-dosing equipment to improve its manufacturing efficiency.

FAST CHANGEOVER. Versatility and ease of changeover were among the most important benefits realized when this pressure-sensitive
FAST CHANGEOVER. Versatility and ease of changeover were among the most important benefits realized when this pressure-sensitive

Liquid nitrogen dosing of PET bottles, two new “tri-block” filling machines, and new labeling equipment selected largely on the strength of how easy it is to change over—these are the highlights of what has been a very busy year at Baltimore-based Pompeian Inc., a leading maker of olive oil, vinegar, and cooking wine.

The need for liquid nitrogen dosing is, as vice president of operations Kevin Lydon puts it, “a bit of a mystery.” Ordinarily it’s used in PET bottles that, because they’re hot-filled with non-carbonated products, develop an internal vacuum once they’re capped and begin to cool. The liquid nitrogen turns to gas that prevents buildup of internal vacuum pressure and, consequently, prevents bottle sidewalls from collapsing inward.

The PET bottles of cooking wine filled by Pompeian are not hot-filled. But for reasons that aren’t entirely clear, the normally round bottles were flattening inward, or panelling, due to the buildup of internal pressure. “Even though the product inside was fine, the shelf appeal was diminished,” says Lydon. “Consumers equated a misshapen bottle with poor quality.”

To remedy this problem, Lydon installed on its cooking wine packaging line an UltraDoser SC 350 liquid nitrogen doser from Cryotech International (www.vbsflex.com). It automatically adds less than a drop of liquid nitrogen to each bottle—at 70 bottles/min—and as the liquid nitrogen turns to gas, this internal pressure prevents the bottle sidewalls from paneling. Controls technology from Siemens (www.usa.siemens.com) makes the machine remarkably user friendly. Says Lydon, “We turn it on and forget about it.”

At the filling station, operators select dosing options from presets programmed into a Simatic TD100 touch screen from Siemens. Immediately after filling, the proper amount of liquid nitrogen is injected into the center of the bottle at a preset PSI level. As the liquid nitrogen turns to inert gas, oxygen is expelled from the head space and the bottle is capped. “

An operator just scrolls down the screen, selects a number, and the control system does the rest,” Lydon says. “It is a very complex machine that is easy to use.”

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