Filling Machine Open-Sided Package Sterilization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing filling machines for open-sided packages, particularly cardboard composite packages, face complexity and unreliability in heating, sterilization, and drying processes, especially at high throughputs, leading to potential product quality issues and increased reject rates.
Innovation Solution
Introducing preheating air, drying air, or sterilizing agent in volumes at least three times the package volume to ensure efficient and reliable processing, reducing the number of processing stations and equipment complexity, and allowing for faster and more consistent treatment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If packages are moved continuously through the filling machine, then processing speed increases, but the period of time for introducing preheating air, sterilising agent, drying air becomes extended requiring machine extension
Solution Approach 1:
The filling machine is designed with movable and adjustable components that allow dynamic adaptation to continuous package flow. The processing zones are arranged to accommodate varying package speeds, enabling the system to maintain effective treatment times while operating in continuous mode rather than cyclic stop-start operation.
2Device complexity
If processing times for heating, sterilising, drying are reduced to compensate for machine extension, then machine length is controlled, but reliability of processing deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The filling machine implements continuous processing zones where preheating air, sterilising agent, and drying air are introduced in succession without interrupting package flow. This continuous action ensures sufficient processing time for each stage while maintaining compact machine dimensions, achieving both reliability and space efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
Preheating air is introduced before the sterilising agent to prepare the package interior for subsequent treatment. This preliminary action ensures optimal conditions for sterilisation and drying, maintaining processing reliability without requiring extended machine length.
3Loss of time
If too little time remains in one cycle to introduce sufficient quantity of media, then processing time is limited, but sufficient sterilisation and drying cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from cyclic batch processing to continuous flow processing, eliminating cycle time limitations. Packages receive continuous exposure to preheating air, sterilising agent, and drying air as they move through dedicated processing zones, ensuring sufficient treatment quantity and quality without time constraints.
Solution Approach 2:
The filling machine is divided into separate processing zones: preheating zone, sterilisation zone, and drying zone. Each zone is optimised for its specific function with appropriate media introduction, allowing sufficient processing time for each stage while maintaining overall compact design and continuous operation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enhances the reliability and speed of heating, sterilization, and drying processes, reducing equipment complexity and improving product quality by ensuring sufficient medium volume for effective treatment, even at high throughputs.
Implementation Method 1
the packages are preheated, high reaction speeds are achieved during the sterilisation, and excessive condensate is prevented from forming in the package
Implementation Method 2
Moisture and residual hydrogen peroxide are subsequently removed from the package by drying the package with, preferably hot and sterile, drying air
Implementation Method 3
drying the package with, preferably hot and sterile, drying air
Implementation Method 4
A sterilising agent that typically is or at least comprises hydrogen peroxide is then introduced into the packages heated in this way
Data Source
AI summary
Described and depicted is a method for filling packages that are open on one side, in particular cardboard composite packages, with free-flowing products, in particular foodstuffs, in a filling machine. In order to allow the heating, sterilisation and/or drying to be carried out at high throughputs more reliably and with less complexity in terms of the equipment and/or method, it is provided that preheating air and/or drying air and/or sterilising agent is introduced into the packages that are open on one side and that a volume of preheating air and/or drying air and/or sterilising agent, said volume corresponding to at least three times the volume of the package that is open on one side, is introduced into at least one, preferably at least substantially each, package that is open on one side.