Xiamen Yinlu Tongmou, one of the biggest food and beverage groups on the Chinese market, recently contracted Italian company Procomac to fit a complete PET aseptic filling line for its latest production facility.
Procomac claims that in recent years it has steadily been developing its presence in the Chinese market and that this latest contract is the culmination of great efforts to win the confidence of the Chinese food and beverage industry - a feat that is still rarely achieved by western companies in that particular sector.
President Enterprises Beijing, which has a strong presence in the Asian market and a smaller market in North America, has contracted Procomac to fit the first ever aseptic line in its history.
The line is characterised by a sterilising/rinsing/filling unit consisting of two sterilising units and a rinser Gripstar 1R GX and a filler Fillstar FX with a filling speed of 36,000 bph. This line is meant to fill low-acid beverages in the formats of 0.35 litre and 0.5 litre.
The aseptic line is equipped with a microbiological isolator that ensures the separation of the sterile interior from the outward ambiance. The used conveyors Convair 2000, in the aseptic version, enable a transportation of the empty bottles by means of sterile air stream that affects the bottleneck. The bottles are supported by special holding rings, which ensures transportation under controlled conditions.
Procomac is based at Sala Baganza near Parma and manufactures bottling plants. Established in 1979, the company supplies complete lines to meet all bottling needs on a global level. Overall sales for 2001 totalled more than L128 billion - 70 per cent due to foreign sales to 70 countries - and there is a current workforce of more than 330 people.