k 2014, Bosch Packaging Technology, a leading supplier of processing and packaging solutions, will highlight its comprehensive range of filling and packaging equipment for liquid and viscous food, including three innovations tailored to the dairy and baby food markets with their sensitive products.The TFC 5532 thermoform, fill and seal machine with a unique labeling system offers customers high output and design flexibility for their hygienic packaging applications. For shelf differentiation purposes, the new BLO linear PET container blowing machine allows both dairy and beverage producers to package their products in a wide range of container shapes, styles and sizes. In addition, Ampack GmbH, a Bosch Packaging Technology company since October 2012, has developed a new generation of the KF 2/4 carousel filling machine to offer simple changing between bottle formats, cup formats and pack styles and ensure easy access for machine maintenance.
“With competition for consumers on the increase, manufacturers demand a technology that will enable them to quickly switch between products or pack styles on the production line,” says Robert Fesl, head of sales for product lines thermoform and pouch at Bosch Packaging Technology. “As a result, we focused on developing systems that provide design flexibility and production efficiency while also helping speed up the time to market.”
Adding speed and versatility to thermoforming lines
For producers in the dairy or baby food industry aiming at increasing their output, Bosch launches its TFC 5532 for liquid and viscous food such as yogurts, desserts and fresh products which require extended shelf life (ESL). The machine’s extended 4x6 cup configuration enables a high output of up to 43,200 cups per hour and handling of various cup sizes ranging from portion packs up to dessert cups. The TFC 5532 is available for clean and ultra-clean hygienic packaging. In addition, it can handle hot-fill applications and products with particulates of up to 25 millimeters in diameter.
A core feature of the TFC 5532 is Bosch’s patented in-mould labeling system, which minimizes the TFC’s space requirements. In only one step 24 single labels are created and then fed in parallel into the machine. The system also enables tool-less changeovers to ensure more flexible production and short downtime.
The machine’s ergonomic, compact design and low height facilitates access to all parts, thereby simplifying cleaning and maintenance. Its hygienic design is further enhanced with the positioning of drives above the cup transport area. An additional benefit of the TFC 5532 is its semi-enclosed tunnel with overpressure of filtered air, maintaining the required hygienic level during product filling to avoid recontamination.
PET blowing for on-shelf differentiation and efficient production
For dairy and beverage producers wishing to clearly differentiate their products at the point of sale, Bosch is launching its BLO linear PET container blowing machine. Featuring a maximum speed of up to 35,000 containers per hour and the ability to handle container volumes of 60 milliliters to 2 liters, it offers flexible production of a wide range of container shapes and styles. When combined with aseptic filling technologies from Ampack, the equipment can be used for hygienic applications, including dairy-based yogurt and coffee drinks, alongside mineral water and beverages.
The BLO has been created to minimize PET material use and energy consumption. By rotating the preforms during the heating stage equal heat distribution on every material surface is ensured, allowing for the production of thin-walled containers. The BLO produces lightweight containers with the smallest bottle neck rims on the market, reducing the amount of material required and costs. With its intermittent motion and step-by-step production feature, the BLO heats only a few preforms at a time. This prevents possible product jams during the production process, resulting in reliable operation and maximum uptime.
The BLO’s unique linear machine concept and open-machine design facilitate maintenance and operation procedure. For further cost savings and high flexibility to produce a wide variety of shapes, the machine enables simple, quick and tool-less format changeovers, as only a few moulds need to be changed in the blow-moulding module. In addition, other modules and machines can be easily integrated with the BLO machine.
New design of aseptic carousel filler with high degree of flexibility
Ampack also launches the KF 2/4 carousel filling machine for the aseptic or ultra-clean filling and closing of bottles and cups. The machine fills liquid products, including those with higher viscosity, fibers and particles such as fruit yogurts, milk drinks, teas, coffees, protein drinks, baby food and clinical nutrition products. Capable of handling cup and bottle sizes from 100 to 1,000 milliliters, the carousel filling machine can reach speeds of up to 10,000 bottles per hour for 200 milliliter bottles.
The carousel filler offers greater flexibility compared to linear filling machines as it enables quicker changeovers between formats and pack styles, such as bottles and cups, in a variety of sizes. This can be attributed to its servo motor concept, which facilitates adjustment to different formats, as well as to its new gripper system that feeds and inserts bottles into the machine’s transportation system and outfeeds the filled and closed bottles.
In addition, the KF 2/4 carousel filling machine includes a separate platform for its sterile air unit ensuring filters, pipes and sensors can be effortlessly reached for maintenance. Large doors around the filling machine further simplify monitoring of the filling process as well as maintenance.
For product quality assurance, the machine features a dosing system by inductive flow meter (IFM) and a unique filling valve developed and manufactured by Ampack. Due to the rotary valve design the filler allows fruit, cereals or pulps to pass through. When it closes, its sharp edge cuts the particles instead of crushing them, thus avoiding dripping and preventing any hygienic issues. Compared with mechanical versions, the servo driven stations provide much more flexibiltiy and enable a safe and simple format change via recipe controlled actions.
Bosch’s technologies will be on display at Interpack 2014, Duesseldorf, Germany from May 8 to 14 in hall 6, booth A31 – C58.
