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Aseptic filling machines

The local food industry is subject to many requirements and regulations. Access authorisations, dress codes and cold chain guarantees cause a great deal of additional work in companies. A particularly sensitive point: the filling of food and beverages. This interface between manufacturer and consumer holds many gateways for germs. Even the smallest parts can contaminate complete batches during this final process. Anyone who wants to comply with the hygiene regulations of the Food and Drug Administration and does not want to frighten away his customers with regular product recalls due to "swallowable foreign objects" needs a high-quality aseptic filling system.

Cleanliness first

The essential feature of an aseptic filling line is cleanliness. The prefix "aseptic" indicates that the hygienic requirements for filling systems of this type are particularly high. A common method of ensuring sterile handling is the use of peracetic acid, often referred to as peroxyacetic acid (PES). This approach is used in particular for bottling beverages:

Previously heated containers (glass bottles) are filled with the acid, which then reliably sterilizes the container. Since the gas mixture has to escape from the packaging before filling, evaporation containers are integrated in aseptic filling plants with a focus on mass production. In these rooms, the bottles rotate, sometimes on several levels, to ensure that the acid escapes evenly and completely. Depending on the filling plant, a blow-out system can be connected to remove any residual peracetic acid. Since the bottles are constantly in motion in a circular or circular process, a seamless connection to the filling process is possible. After all, the processing chain is not in danger of coming to a standstill.

Fine details about fine details

An aseptic filling machine basically works according to the following principle:

1. cleaning of the packaging
2. filling of the batch
3. closure of the final product

In most systems, these processes take place in an overpressure isolator. In a number of plants the cleaning of the packaging is also carried out in a non-sterile atmosphere. However, as this practice violates the principle of aseptic handling in the narrower sense, these filling systems are rarely used in this country. A useful additional function of an aseptic filling system is the anticipatory disinfection of the packaged goods: The machine is equipped with a cleaning system that removes physical and/or microbiological contamination from the outer walls of the packaging.

Other special features often concern the filling process. For example, strict separation of the filling valve from the machine technology prevents contamination. The actual filling process can be supplemented by the use of vacuum technology. Hot food/beverages, for example, benefit from the native vacuum principle, which can be caused by monitored thermoregulation in a cold room. If filling is carried out using injection technology, any oxygen that has previously been left can be transported from inside by adding liquid nitrogen. Both processes serve to ensure shelf life and can increase this significantly depending on the product.

The packaging does it

Filling systems are often used for food and there especially in the production of beverages. This is important when choosing a filling line for liquids: It should be possible to use PET and HDPE standard bottles. The choice of the packaged goods or the shape and material of the bottle can change depending on the product and market trend! In addition, attention should be paid to the possibility of seamless integration of the packaging into the filling process: If the bottles can be fed directly into a collecting container and if they are conveyed via so-called neck handling, the filling machine operates almost autonomously.