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Report: Innovative New Filling Machinery at PACK EXPO Las Vegas

PMMI Media Group editors fanned out across the many booths at PACK EXPO Las Vegas to bring you this Innovations Report. Here’s what they saw in the filling category.

Image #1 in the article text.
Image #1 in the article text.

Well known for its in-line filling systems, Shemesh Automation showed at PACK EXPO Las Vegas a new rotary filler (1) for high- or low-Image #1 in the article text.Image #1 in the article text.viscosity products. The robust Asterra machine is a positive-displacement piston filling machine with a filling tolerance of +/- 2mL and speeds to 300 containers/min (higher throughputs available depending on the number of filling stations). The machine shown at Las Vegas had 16 filling heads and is suitable for a range of products in food, beverage, cosmetics, chemicals, household products, and others.

The Asterra features a proprietary mechanical cam with built-in bottom-up Shemesh nozzles and portioning technology developed across three decades of expertise in manufacturing high-quality and reliable filling and packaging machines. Asterra also offers a programmable portioning speed graph for anti-foaming and drip prevention. Mechanical-cam based, Asterra’s technology is said to deliver higher accuracy as the filling process itself does not depend on auxiliary air pressure, which may be unstable or sometimes liquid-contaminated. Additionally, with this filling method the portioning process is faster and more consistent while producing less waste and spillage. Thanks to its proprietary nozzles and mechanical cam technology, unlike other more common pneumatic based rotary piston fillers, Asterra can also easily fill highly viscous liquids, including sauces with fruit pieces inside, peanut butter, pastes, etc.

There is also no trade-off when it comes to hygiene: the new Asterra is constructed of 304/316L stainless steel and USDA/FDA approved materials as well as sanitary welds. The mainframe, slat chain conveyor and construction base are made of 304 stainless steel, while all pistons and 170 L smart liquid tank are constructed from 316 electro polished stainless steel. Featuring tri-clamp sanitary nozzle connections designed for quick cleanup and maintenance, the tool-less cam mounting system saves valuable time when changing production and product specifications; less than 30 minutes are required for the complete changeover.

Featuring top-of-the line SEW motors, this rotary filling machine is fully controlled by a Siemens HMI and PLC, though a Rockwell controls platform is also optional. Fill speed and portioning trajectory is adjusted simultaneously for all pistons via the touch panel. The user-friendly interface software provides a wide range of functions, controls, monitoring, and traceability for improved production efficiency.

This filling machine is offered both as a stand-alone filler, in a rinser-filler-capper monoblock, or in a filler-capper monoblock configuration. Asterra can also be easily incorporated as part of the complete Shemesh custom-made bottling line featuring unscramblers, rinsing machines, loading systems, cappers, sealers, labellers, case packers, palletizers, and depalletizers.

The new Asterra has a small footprint: 4.9 ft x 5.2 ft only (1500 mm x 1600 mm), excluding infeed and outfeed conveyors. That is thanks to the fact that the portioning process itself is much faster, which results in a need for fewer filling stations and smaller turrets overall, saving space in your production plant. Furthermore, Asterra’s mechanical cam technology does not require pneumatics and air-pressure dependency. This in turn results in a more consistent and sustainable machine that requires less utility consumption.

Image #2 in the article text.Image #2 in the article text.More innovative liquid filling technology was on display from Syntegon subsidiaries Ampack GmbH, Germany, and Osgood Industries, LLC, USA, who highlighted the new LFS filling machine (2) for the dairy and food industry. Available in clean or ultra-clean hygienic executions, the LFS fills pre-formed containers with liquid, viscous, or pump-required products, such as yogurt, sour cream, margarine, deli salads, dips, sauces, soups, or retorted pet food. The machine’s new modular concept enables manufacturers to react quickly to changing market demands. Each machine function can be retrofitted, added, or exchanged to meet customized requirements. The open design ensures optimum accessibility and visibility for easy cleaning and maintenance, resulting in a highly efficient and economical production.

The ability to flexibly handle a variety of products and formats is a key advantage in the highly competitive food market. “While developing the LFS, we paid special attention to a modular concept, which enables our customers with peace of mind that their new filling and packaging solution can be counted on for decades to come,” says Oguz Karcier, Product Manager at Syntegon.

The LFS consists of individual modules that include main machine functions such as cup supply, disinfection, filling, sealing, capping, and cup discharge. Each module can be configured, added, or retrofitted according to individual production needs for maximum flexibility. For example, the LFS can be equipped with either a servo-driven tank pump for homogeneous liquid products or a spool pump for viscous foods such as potato salad. And according to Head of Sales & Marketing Jonathan Viens, 2022 will see the commercial availability of a servo-driven single-pump system capable of handling a variety of different product viscosities. “It could be a game-changer,” says Viens. “It will let customers go from one viscosity range to another simply by changing nozzles.”

The dosing station incorporates exchangeable nozzles as well as integrated CIP (Cleaning In Place) and SIP (Sterilization in Place) for ultra-clean configurations. The LFS processes all common container formats with a diameter between 60 and 160 mm on up to eight lanes with a maximum output rate of up to 20,000 cups/hr. In sequential indexing configuration, alternating carrier plates allow for processing two different packaging formats one after another without format changes needed.

Image #3 in the article text.Image #3 in the article text.To ensure optimum hygienic conditions during the filling process, the disinfection station can be configured to meet individual product requirements. For ultra-clean applications such as products with extended shelf life, customers can opt for two types of chemical-free disinfection methods: UVC light or pulsed-light technology from Claranor. Optionally, the same technologies can be used to disinfect the lids before placing them on the cups. In addition, HEPA filters purify the air, while container vacuums remove loose particles and debris from the cups before filling. Food producers can seal their product’s packaging either using pre-cut lids or by heat-sealing rollstock film. Integrated sensors perform seal integrity checks to detect any leakage or poor seals to ensure product safety.

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