Filling and packaging systems manufacturer KHS is launching a new range of engineering concepts at the Brau Beviale 2004. The company intends to focus on the labelling, filtration, keg racking technologies and crate inspection.
The firm's new Innoket APL pressure-sensitive labelling station for example features a new slender design that makes station redundancy possible and eliminates machine downtime.
Two support stands are used to mount the labelling stations on a cart docked at the labeller. The resulting exact coupling between the labelling station and the labeller also guarantees precise label application.
KHS claims that the station is capable of applying labels to a wide variety of container types at outputs of up to 60,000 containers per hour.
KHS is also introducing the Innopro Kometronic horizontal pre-coat filter. This, says the company, represents a revolution in the field of filtration technology. It is equally well suited for use in the brewing industry as it is in the fruit juice and wine sectors.
KHS believes that the equipment will help processors achieve a considerable reduction in the cost of filtration versus classic sheet filter filtration. Computer-controlled flow control during all processing steps, especially during sanitizing and filter aid precoating, means very low filter aid and cleaning media consumption.
Only regenerable media such as cellulose and plastic fibres are used as filter aids. The Innopro Kometronic is capable of filtering beer at up to 600 hl/h, and requires only ten per cent of the planned filter area compared to classic sheet filters.
At the Brau Beviale, KHS Till will be presenting the inline Innokeg Transomat 5/1. Due to the large number of washing and sterilizing stations, the Innokeg Transomat 5/1 DUO is especially well suited for those products requiring special treatment such as soft drinks. Built-in media supplies are standard equipment.
Integrated in the machine are two cleaning agent tanks equipped with chrome nickel steel cleaning agent pumps for the various types of cleanser plus automatic filling level and temperature controls. The Innokeg Transomat uses new precision casting medium valves together with an innovative non-threadable conduit concept.
The KHS Metec division will be presenting its new crate rejection and distribution system, Tangens. This space-saving system pushes various styles of beverage crates from one conveyor belt onto several conveyor belts, and requires only small gaps between the individual crates.
These product innovations are set to be unveiled at the Brau Beviale 2004 show, which runs from the 10 to 12 November 2004. However the company is continuing to push through new developments - KHS recently installed its largest ever filler for glass bottles at one of Germany's biggest breweries, Bitburger Brauerei.
The heart of what is to be the biggest modern KHS turnkey glass bottling line was installed late in August.
The output capacity of the filler is 70,000 0.5-liter bottles per hour. The filler is nine metres long, eight metres wide and 3.5 metres high. Alone the largest section of machine is 6.6 meters long, 6.4 meters wide, and 3.1 meters high. The entire machine weighs nearly 30 tons.