Minding your footprint in more ways than one
For many beverage makers, the decision to invest in a new line is driven by a need for a small physical footprint and therefore a compact layout. But space requirements are just one of many aspects informing our efforts to develop new and improved solutions for glass containers.
Krones knows all about customers’ needs and wants – and we’ve got the right solutions, too. At drinktec, you can see first-hand how we’ve put our vision for space savings, digital transformation and sustainability into practice. You’ll find them at the Krones stand in hall B6.
Stability for aseptically filled bottles
Whether during labelling, palletising or transport: PET bottles are exposed to a lot of stress and strain on their way from filling to consumption. NitroAdd Asept is used to optimally prepare them. The newly developed system doses a precise quantity of sterile liquid nitrogen into the head space of the filled bottle. The nitrogen evaporates after capping and thereby establishes a stabilising pressure. The result: Even thin-walled light-weight bottles retain their shape in every situation!
A special feature of the aseptic nitrogen doser: It consists of only one container. Apart from that, it simply uses the technical equipment of the filler: from the valve manifold to the sterile air filter, all the way to the operator panel and controller. In addition, its electric heating is used to preheat the sterile nitrogen and also protects the nozzle from freezing. An ultra-slim design and carefully thought out down to the smallest detail!
If you want to see the NitroAdd Asept for yourself, just drop by the drinktec where the Krones filling technology team presents this and many more innovations from their portfolio! You will find us in hall B6.
When and where using a heat pump makes sense
Heat pumps offer huge potential – both in terms of energy savings and with regard to reducing CO~2~ emissions. That’s why they are an important part of the energy transition. If our customers want to utilise this potential, they need to create the right conditions – and Krones will help them do so.
Krones has plenty of experience when it comes to using heat pumps in production. One possibility is a central concept, such as those the Krones Plant Engineering team offers for entire lines or even production facilities.
But also at machine level, there are attractive decentralised approaches that – thanks to their ability to be implemented quickly – are particularly attractive for retrofits. Most suitable are processes that require both heating and cooling energy, such as in the VarioFlash or VarioAsept flash pasteurisers.
The heat pump is not yet the energy source of choice for the thermal product treatment, because the COP (coefficient of performance) is not high enough. The COP value indicates the efficiency of the heat pump and depends on a large number of factors: In addition to the temperature lift delivered by the heat pump, for instance, which is determined by the desired heating temperatures, the viscosity of the product, the heat exchanger used and the degree of heat recovery to be achieved also play a critical role. The use of a heat pump makes sense, for example, when producing highly viscous beverages with the aid of tubular heat exchangers.
As well as the kind of product and the production environment, the installation position also affects whether heat pumps are economical. Alongside the footprint of the equipment, issues such as noise emissions and the possible explosion hazard associated with certain refrigerants also need to be taken into consideration. And most important, the prevailing gas and electricity prices play a crucial role when it comes to the decision if switching to a more sustainable energy supply makes sense.
For all those whose heads are now spinning with ifs and buts, Krones also has some good – and very simple – news: You don’t have to make the decision alone, because our team at Krones knows the challenges and can thus provide a comprehensive advice on the possibilities of using a heat pump.
So why not take advantage of the opportunity and meet up with us at drinktec in Munich? Not only our experts are waiting for you there, but also many exciting examples on the topic of sustainability in production.
It doesn’t get any safer than this
If you want to ensure a microbiologically safe environment for sensitive drinks, there’s no way round aseptic filling. So it’s hardly surprising that the technology is booming right now. Our developers are also huge fans – which is why they’re continually finding new ways to make our systems even better. First and foremost, they’ve focused on shrinking the physical footprint, reducing resource consumption, shortening cleaning times and speeding up product change-overs.
Whether you are already running aseptic equipment or are interested in adding this pioneering technology, we’ve got plenty for you to explore at drinktec. Come and visit us in Hall B6.