Switzerland-based Sidel said it had refined its existing Combi Predis/Capdis FMa technology to cater for growing demand for aseptic filling of teas, juices, nectars and isotonic beverages in cartons, sensitive products where care is required to achieve shelf life demands while protecting taste, quality and vitamins.
The new machine (pictured) – Sidel said the technology was ideally suited for high output markets and countries where water resources were scarce – will be capable of handling up to 48,000 bottles per hour (Combi Predis range speeds start at 10,800 per hour) for small containers up to 700ml, used mainly for ‘on the go’ consumption.
“This is especially true for Asia, a market requiring high-output production where demand for water is rising as supply decreases,” Sidel said in parent group Tetra Laval’s 2011/12 report released in April, where the new machine launch was trailed.
Unique patented technology
Launched in 2006 with over 60 dry preform decontamination systems now sold (5bn bottles produced using it by the end of 2011) Predis (used within a Combi system combining blow moulding, filling and capping) provides 100% pre-form and cap sterilisation without hygienic rinsing, which is required by traditional filling methods.
It is suited for aseptic bottling of any beverage type – whether low or high acid: fruit juices, teas, isotonic beverages, carbonates without chemical preservatives, liquid dairy products, UHT milk, soya milk, waters.
The patented system replaces bottle rinsing with dry preform decontamination using a hydrogen peroxide ‘mist’, where the Predis ‘dry solution’ does not require water and emits no effluent, saving 250m3 of water and 200 litres of chemicals daily compared to a standard aseptic bottling line.
Decontamination of dry preforms also cut annual operating costs by 30% compared to traditional dry bottle decontamination, Sidel said, enabling sterilization of all types of preforms (Predis) and caps (Capdis).
Natural reformulation boon
Because bottles were blown from decontaminated preforms, empty bottles did not endure any thermal stress and can thus be given any shape and design, Sidel added, while high temperature sterilisation of preforms rather than bottles opens up new possibilities for lightweighting.
Further advantages include energy savings, a smaller footprint and the potential for lighter bottles, Sidel said, while straightforward format and liquid changeovers were possible, as was 120 hour, non-stop production.
Sidel initially launched its Predis technology into the dairy sphere (yogurts) and only later extended it to beverages.
“Sensitive beverages, which were traditionally packaged with preservatives, can be reformulated naturally, satisfying evolving consumer preferences and increasingly strict food regulations,” the company wrote in the Tetra Laval report.
“Predis is one example of a technological leap forward that introduces a new economic and environmental model. While such aseptic solutions are technologically advanced, they are also extremely simple.”