Krones has developed a new line concept for PETbottling beverages. The PET bottles are produced in the Contiform stretch blow-molding machine immediately afterwards filled by the beverage-specific filler involved and then closed and labelled straight away. For the first time direct synchronisation with a Canmatic labeller is also possible. The system’s components are linked to each other over minimised distances thus producing a compact-size configuration. Krones has implemented this concept with its new VG filler for still water. This configuration offers a whole series of advantages. Air conveyors and blowers can be dispensed with entirely. This means there is no retrospective bottle contamination on the long path otherwise customary from the blow-molder to the filler. Nor do the bottles need to be pretreated in a rinser thus not only saving the capital investment for a rinser but enabling the entire bloc to be supervised by a single operator who has an excellent view of the entire system from a central control panel.
Microbiological safety
Neck-handling operation throughout preventing the bottles from touching each other renders the process mechanically safe. Microbiological safety is assured by the almost enclosed production and filling system with largely contamination-free bottling.
To ensure that microbiologically optimal bottles are passed to the filler we recommend a perform pretreatment feature upstream of the blow-molding machine with the preforms being irradiated with UV light and blown out with ionised air. At the same time a preform inspector integrated into the blow-molding machine’s infeed prevents possible machine stops due to deformed preforms. The preferred option for use in the bloc configuration is The bloc comprising Contiform VG filler and Canmatic labeller is an up-to-the-future model offering users the leading edge of modern-day technology for bottling still water and non-carbonated juices in PET bottles.
The hygiene pack
To upgrade the microbiological safety of the filler’s surroundings Krones has developed the hipped-roof front table available in versions for both glass bottles and for PET containers. The Roof Table meets even the most stringent of hygienerelated requirements.
Product and cleaning agent can drain off automatically over the angled tabletop. The floor underneath the machine can be easily cleaned all equipment under the front table is very easy to access. To enable the machine guard to be optimally cleaned it is a stand-alone construction with frameless doors made of laminated glass which are suspended at the corner columns with spaces. To avoid microbiologically unfavourable cavities all starwheel columns and flanges are sealed with O-rings. Machine feet threaded spindles and foot plates are made of stainless steel.
The spaced-off lubrication lines are all in plastic the end-pieces manifolds and mountings of stainless steel. All cables are laid in open guides. For chemical cleaning the pneumatic cylinder housing has been manufactured in V2A. The pneumatics themselves are located outside the machine. There is also an option for flushing the handling parts and for spraying the tabletop to remove product residues flushed onto the front table during rinsing.
Can be used for all Krones fillers
With the model for glass bottles the infeed and discharge conveyors are in open design for simple cleaning. The handling parts are made of PVC or of V2A as an optional extra with cross-shaped handles for fast and easy changeover and long-lived replaceable wear strips at the centre guides.
In the PET package the PET bottles are securely held at their neck rings for handling. A lowering starwheel takes the bottles from the neck-handling starwheel down to the discharge conveyor likewise executed in open construction.
The hygiene-enhancing Roof Table can be installed at all Krones fillers.
