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Both a growing need for hot fill systems for the filling of soft drinks in plastic bottles and increasing reliance on the flexibility of combination lines can be seen in today's market. KHS is satisfying market requirements by developing hot fill versions for proven KHS filling systems.
With its Innofill DFV-VF/NH, KHS has developed a filling system for plastic bottles, which is able to handle both pressurized filling and pressureless cold or hot filling. The Innofill DRV-VF/NH can thus fill either carbonated soft drinks or non-carbonated drinks with a variety of sensitivity levels. Pneumatic cylinders switch the filling valves of the Innofill DRV-VF/NH are switched to the filling system desired at the push of a button. Two cylinders are used exclusively to switch operating modes, and are controlled together using one pilot valve each. Another pneumatic cylinder controlled in the same way triggers the beverage circulation in idle phases in hot filling. This type of control saves up to 297 solenoids in one filler equipped with 100 filling stations. That means a clear reduction of complexity, with potential savings on service and repair.
If hot filling is desired, the first step is to bring the Innofill DRV-VF/NH up to temperature using hot water. The heated product then circulates until its temperature upon return to the ring bowl equals the desired filling temperature. The plastic bottle is pressed against the filling valve by spring force. Guided by a swirler, the product flows into the bottle walls without pressure. The system fills bottles according to the principle of the volumetric, electromagnetic induction flowmetering filling method. After the fast filling phase, there is a slow fill into the narrower bottle neck to avoid bubbles and foam. When the specified filling volume has been reached, the filling valve closes.
The Innofill DRV-VF/NH has a variety of advantages that are generally shared by the Innofill DRV product family as a whole. For instance, the tubular hygienic ring bowl, aseptic membrane and seal technology in all channels and paths carrying product and sterile gas, CIP plates which can be automatically inserted, and the hygienic drive and bottle guide concept without a front table. These advantages also apply to the newly designed Innofill NV-H. The Innofill NV-H is a computer-controlled filling system that is predestined for companies who only want to hot or cold fill non-carbonated soft drinks into plastic bottles. Like the Innofill DRV-VF/NH, this filling system also provides a filling output of up to 60,000 plastic bottles/hr. Bottle volumes – just as for the Innofill DRV-VF/NH – can vary between 0.1 and 0.3 liters. However, upon request this machine can also handle the filling of special sizes up to a 5-liter package.
In the Innofill NV-H, the non-contact filling of the plastic bottles through an open-jet fill valve means the highest possible microbiological and hygienic safety. If hot filling is selected, the filling system is brought to temperature using hot water and subsequent product circulation. The filling of product is carried out in two phases. Here, too, bottles are filled according to the principle of the volumetric, electromagnetic induction flowmetering filling method. The fast fill phase in the generally cylindrical part of the bottle is started after the plastic bottle has been positioned under the filling valve and is followed by the low-foam, slow filling phase in the narrow bottle neck. A gas lock integrated at the product outlet ensures no-drip filling. To be able to handle containers with different mouth types, there is the option of automatically switching the bottle pick-up of the Innofill NV-H between two mouth diameters. The CIP caps are also inserted under the filling valves at the push of a button.
With its newly developed hot fill options integrated into tried and tested filling systems, KHS is once more acting as the trendsetter on the market. Among other things, newly developed combination filling systems also show how perfectly specific simplicity and high future readiness can fit together.
| Manfred Rückstein Tel: +49 (231) 569-1339 Fax: +49 (231) 569-1226 manfred.rueckstein@khs.com |
