With the Innofill Can DVD can filler from KHS, beer or carbonated soft drinks can now be hot-filled. Hot filling of juices is also possible.
11 November 2020
The first Innofill Can DVD with the new technological functions has been in operation at Radegast Brewery in Nošovice, Czech Republic, since spring 2020. (Image: KHS Group)
KHS has revised its Innofill Can DVD can filler. It can now be used to hot fill beverages such as beer or soft drinks. Hot filling of juices is also possible.
KHS launched the Innofill Can DVD, the first can filler of a new generation, back in 2014. up to 135,000 cans per hour. In 2017, the compact Innofill Can C can filler was specially designed the target group of small to medium-sized bottlers in the eye. Now the company has further improved both pens.
In this way With the revised KHS Innofill Can DVD can filler beverages can also be filled hot. This process is becoming increasingly important, especially with regard to the further processing steps in the line, as it prevents the formation of condensation. Softening, mould formation or microbial contamination of cartons, trays and cans packed in six-packs are virtually eliminated.
Can filler also enables hot filling
Beer is filled at a temperature of 20 degrees Celsius, carbonated soft drinks at around 22 degrees Celsius. Hot filling of juices is also possible with the further developed Innofill Can DVD. This application is particularly increasingly in demand in the low and medium power range.
Display
(Image: KHS Group)
„Our customers want flexible machines that can also be used to realise new products. For example, our fillers can process widgets - small plastic bodies filled with nitrogen - that release nitrogen into the beverage when the can is opened for low-carbonated beers. This creates a particularly creamy and compact foam - just like freshly tapped draught beer.“ Manfred Härtel, Product Manager Filling at KHS
The most important update to the Innofill Can DVD is therefore the pneumatic lowering device for the centring tulips. Unlike before, these are no longer moved mechanically by rollers and cams. Instead, the pneumatic lifting and lowering already proven in the smaller Innofill Can C can filler is now also used in the big brother for use.
Intelligent control of the tulips
Manfred Härtel: „The pneumatic solution allows us to reduce the number of attachments on the valve. You can imagine how much stress is placed on the rollers, especially with a filler in which there is a lot of pressure. process up to 132,000 cans around the clock, seven days a week. A certain amount of abrasion can occur above the open cans. By eliminating this in future, we have been able to significantly improve the already very high level of hygiene.“
The Raising and lowering the tulip is intelligently controlled. As sheet metal is becoming thinner and thinner due to weight and material savings, it is particularly important to guide and fill the can as gently as possible. The pneumatic actuation allows the contact pressure to be adapted to different material qualities.
Even more hygienic: Electropneumatically actuated tulips for sealing the cans with PTFE bellows. (Image: KHS Group)
As hot filling is becoming increasingly important, KHS now also offers a version of the Innofill Can C with for the medium power range on. To achieve this, the pitch circle has been increased by 720 millimetres to 1,800 millimetres, so that machine outputs of up to 50,000 cans per hour can be achieved with 60 filling valves. With this capacity, the Innofill Can C can now also be integrated into lines with higher outputs. This is particularly true in conjunction with process systems such as blending systems, flash pasteurisers or the CIP module. This means that even in the medium capacity range, beverage processing and filling can be carried out consistently with KHS systems to save space.
