Hygienic design for CSD (carbonated soft drinks) filling

GEA Procomac has a long experience in manufacturing complete bottling lines for carbonated soft drinks (CSD) in PET bottles and has developed several fillers according to the different needs of beverage producers supplying the complete lines on a 'turnkey' basis. The best solution for CSD filling now offered by GEA Procomac is represented by the volumetric electronic counter pressure filler Fillstar CX. The filling machine is fitted with electronic control type filling valves, suitable to fill carbonated and still products into plastic made bottles. The specific configuration of the valve allows that, during still product filling, the air coming out from the bottle is collected into a separate channel.

Hygienic design for carbonated soft drinks filling

Fillstar CX is featured in Aero bloc version: the new solution with free-standing servo-driven starwheels and the well known GEA Procomac bottle neck-handling with grippers. Thanks to this new concept the surfaces are minimized, the intermediate gears and/ or the mechanical joints are eliminated and the accessibility to all the parts of the bloc are optimized, thus reducing the maintenance and intervention time. The new glass guards installed all around the bloc and the absence of basement confirm best accessibility and best cleanability as everything is under sight. The higher performances of the bloc are also achieved thanks to the pitching starwheel at bottle inlet, to deliver the containers at the right pitch, eliminating the inlet scroll. Fillstar CX is available in sizes from 60 to 140 valves with production speed from 18,000 to 67,500 1,0 liter bottles per hour when bottling still products and from 16,000 to 55,000 1,0 liter bottles per hour when bottling carbonated soft drinks.

GEA Procomac filling bloc for CSD in Aero version, with glass guards and absence of basement: best accessibility and cleanability. Laminar air flow system and top covering hood are included to improve hygienic environment.

Volumetric electronic counterpressure filler Fillstar CX

Features

• Magnetic flow meter installed on each filling head.
• Rotating ring tank.
• Pneumatical control of operations.
• Short-stroke lifting jack to optimize working angle of filler.
• The lifting jack stroke is performed by dedicated electrovalve (filling cycle).
• The "swirl type" nozzle allows to adapt perfectly to the different shapes of the container without changeover.
• Filling head is normally closed (no loss of product in case of power or compressed air break).
• Pressurization and separate air return are performed using a membrane valve. Return air valve is normally open (no wear and tear when bottling still liquids).
• A second membrane valve is used for snift. Snift is pipelined towards the inner part of the filler (one collecting point).
• Automatic dummy bottle insertion and extraction for closed-loop CIP.

Other possibilities for CSD filling

Thanks to their long experience in manufacturing complete filling lines, GEA Procomac can offer several fillers according to the different needs of beverage and specifically for carbonated soft drinks. GEA Procomac range lists mechanical or pneumatic counterpressure fillers.

Fillstar PET2 mechanical counterpressure filler is a sturdy machine which requires very low maintenance.

Fillstar PET2 ADV 3.3 pneumatic counterpressure filler main features are: fast changeover, separate return for bottle air when still filling is performed.

All fillers can be manufactured in Synchro version (blower-filler bloc) for reduced footprint and customer preference.