Idustry leading predis aseptic technology now available for sidel matrix platform
20 January 2016
Sidel has announced that its dry preform decontaminationtechnology - Predis™ - is now available for the company's latestgeneration of modular Sidel Matrix™ blowing and Combiequipment. This combines the high level of processflexibility required by beverage producers with the reliability,environmental and cost benefits associated with a technology thathas become the industry standard in aseptic productionoperations.
More natural and healthier drinks in PET
Worldwide, consumers are becoming increasinglyhealth-conscious and moving towards drinks with a more naturaltaste. This has brought a focus from beverage producers onfilling methods that protect the quality, taste and vitamin content- without using preservatives or additives. The main drinkscurrently driving the global growth of the beverage industry arethose known as 'sensitive' products, including juices, nectars,soft drinks, isotonics, teas and liquid dairy products, which areexpected to grow by a further 6% by 2016.
PET is already the material of choice for this beverage segmentand continues to contribute to its growth. Its increasing usage isdue to its 100% recyclability, excellent barrier materialproperties that can extend shelf life, bottle design freedom,lightweighting potential and the greater brand recognitionpossibilities offered by the package transparency. Sidel has beenworking in providing aseptic PET packaging solutions for more than30 years, ensuring the pre-requisite of product safety, integrityand quality.
Predis - the industry standard - now available on SidelMatrix equipment
Since its launch over 15 years ago, the SidelPredis dry preform decontamination technology has become thebeverage industry standard in aseptic production. Sidel wasthe first company to recognise that it was simpler and safer todecontaminate the preform rather than the bottle.
Supplied predominantly in a Combi configuration, Sidel's provenPredis technology is now used by many major beverage and dairycompanies, with more than 90 production lines equipped around theworld. Interest continues to grow, with the popularity ofPredis set to increase further with the announcement that it is nowavailable in a configuration compatible with the latest generationof Sidel Matrix equipment.
The objective is to take the benefits of all the innovativetechnologies in the Sidel Matrix blower - increased productionoutput, consumption reduction, hygienic design and a widerportfolio range - and extend those benefits even further bystandardising the new Predis solution for all Sidel Matrix blowers.No specific adaptation was required to connect it with the asepticfilling function because the mechanical interface remainsunchanged.
A more competitive aseptic portfoliorange
The Combi configuration for Predis includes preformdecontamination, blowing, filling and capping in one unique andsafe environment. Sidel Matrix Predis will be available forproduction of up to 60,000 bottles per hour (bph), representing anincrease in output of 20% compared to when Predis is integratedwith the previous Sidel blower generation. This provides a Combifor high speed production, as the proven aseptic filling range alsooffers a capacity of up to 60,000 bph for on-the-go 0.5 litrebottles.
The Sidel Matrix Combi Predis FMa is more competitive for thesame number of blow moulding stations as the output is higher permould - up to 2,300 bottles per mould per hour. The electricalstretching included in the Sidel Matrix blowing station allowssimple, fast and safe changeover with limited manualintervention. This expands the flexibility for beveragesproducers to handle a wide variety of sensitive beveragesaseptically, whatever the recipe or bottle format, ranging from 0.2to 2 litres at high running outputs of up to 2,300 bottles permould per hour.
Always simpler and safer
Sidel Matrix equipment delivers a high level ofsafety and consistency down the complete line. It is based ona hygienic concept, fully compliant with hygienic design standards(European Hygienic Engineering & Design Group: EHEDG) andbeverage industry regulations. The simplified Sidel Matrix Predisdesign, with fewer transfer wheels, is more compact and moreaccessible for easier production and maintenance operations. Thedecontamination of the surfaces of the transfer wheel is nowautomatic, further reducing manual interventions in themachine. Only the relevant parts have been retained in theblowing area to improve production environment safety. The oven isequipped with new more powerful UV lamps for external preformdecontamination, adapted to higher output production. The airmanagement in the oven has also been improved.
Saving time, money and resources
Compared to traditional aseptic filling systems, the new SidelMatrix Combi Predis FMa gives producers both the benefits ofcost-efficiency and an improved environmental footprint. Thisensures full preform sterilisation with no water and using just aminimal amount of chemicals.
The Sidel Matrix Ecoven requires fewer heating modules andlamps, yet reduces preform-heating time and cuts electricalconsumption by up to 45% compared to Sidel's previous generation ofequipment. In addition, the Combi Predis FMa optimises productionsimplicity by requiring only one operator, which can also reduceoperating costs by up to 30% compared with standaloneequipment.
A new record in continuousasepticproduction
Alongside developing industry-leading innovative aseptictechnology, Sidel has also focused on ensuring that its asepticequipment is reliable and efficient in daily use. The CombiPredis FMa is designed to offer a continuous production run of 165hours between two cleaning and sterilising cycles - the longestcontinuous production time of any aseptic equipment.
This new record of extended production run gives producers thehighest aseptic bottling uptime available on the beverage markettoday. This allows them to achieve higher production levelsfor bottling of both high and low acidity products. Byrequiring fewer cleaning and sterilisation cycles, the componentsare also subjected to less stress, thereby giving them a longerlifespan with less maintenance.
Industry experts are predicting that sensitive products will bethe main drivers of growth in the beverage industry in years tocome. PET is expected to play a large role in the production ofthese products with its flexible properties and excellent safetyprofile. With all the innovations of the Sidel Matrix blowergeneration, plus the continuous technical improvements on the drypreform decontamination solution in recent years, the new SidelMatrix Combi Predis FMa offers the beverage industry the fastestaseptic solution with dry preform decontamination on themarket. It also provides the best TCO (total cost ofownership), without compromising on its simplicity or on the foodsafety it ensures.
Further details on the Sidel Matrix Combi Predis FMa areavailable at sidel.com/predis.
