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Feature
Krones biggest supplier of machines to F&B industry
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Friday, 02 July, 2010, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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As the world’s market leader for packaging machinery, Krones is the right choice when it comes to machines and lines for processing, filling and packaging liquids and paste-like products. The Germany-based company’s product portfolio includes systems for manufacturing plastic bottles, and for container pre-treatment, cleaning and inspection, as well as lines for product creation and treatment, plus fillers, closers and labellers, and machines for packing and palletizing the bottles and containers. The company also specializes in brewing technology, information technology and label adhesive as well.
“Innovation is what drives us forward – fast, flexible development of new machines or products, plus proactively managed change inside the company. Our people are committed to improving all the business processes involved, so as to maintain our competitive capabilities at an appropriately higher level,” says a Krones’ booklet.
Quality is its trademark. Machines and lines from Krones meet the most stringent of standards in terms of material selection and workmanship.
All over the world, the company takes on jobs for implementing turnkey projects – from the initial concept and planning work, continuing with engineering and the tendering procedure, all the way through to final completion.
Process engineering for milk
Milk is an extremely sensitive product. For the specialized treatment processes involved, the company supplies state-of-the-art systems for homogenization, UHT heat treatment and pasteurization, plus equipment for recipe-controlled milk mixing and dosing.
By providing the requisite lines and technological knowledge for producing milk and liquid dairy products, plus the mixing and thermal treatment processes involved, and the filling, packaging and warehousing operations as well, the company assumes responsibility for the entire production process. The success of this single-sourcing strategy results from adopting a truly holistic approach to the production line, a line where each production step is synergised to form a harmonious whole. Krones aims to be a single-sourcing partner for dairies – their vendor for a consistently automated and controlled line without any interfacing problems whatsoever. That’s precisely what it means by total responsibility for the production process.
Process engineering for beer
As a vendor for complete breweries, Knones focuses on the entire production facility, including all its processing engineering ramifications. That is why it is able to incorporate higher-order aspects like energy saving and water treatment, or deploy information technology for optimizing resource utilization. Krones holistic approach creates exceptionally effective solution for breweries, since all its line’s parts, consumables and processes are optimally harmonized with each other.
Krones can provide breweries with all the technical options required. It creates a harmonized synthesis of equipment expertise, process engineering and information technology to arrive at a comprehensively holistic solution for the entire production line.
The work ranges from initial planning and technical specifications for the building, the brewhouse and the bottling line to their erection and commissioning. Krones process engineering also supplies the requisite utility units for handling water, effluent, steam, compressed air, refrigeration, CO2, energy etc.
Testing under realistic conditions
Krones state-of-the-art Filling and Process Pilot Plant provide a scientific basis for new processes and trial. It is here that under realistic conditions Krones tests the process engineering involved in treating and filling beverages and liquid products of all kind. Together with the relevant plants, the production and optimum processing of the beverages concerned can thus be tested in trial runs for each individual user, and realistically filled in the specified bottles and containers.
The pilot plant with its experimental set-ups and the resultant options provided, leaves nothing to be desired. For example, in the fully automated aseptic line bottles can be filled and closed under sterile conditions. The adjoining microbiological laboratory analyses the beverages, bottles and closures for their degree of microbial contamination. And the fields of automation and process monitoring are effectively covered in the pilot plant as well.
Product treatment technology
When long beverage shelf life is vital criterion, pasteurization is an important constituent of the product treatment process. With tunnel pasteurising systems from its subsidiary SANDER HANSN, the company can provide technological solutions of leading edge sophistication. Krones offers options for selective regulation of the temperature ranges and for high-precision tracking of the containers, including the spraying and dwell times involved. A strategy for heat recovery ensures cost-efficient energy utilization during the pasteurization process.
Plastics technology
The triumphal progress of the PET bottle in the beverage world shows no signs of halting. Besides the company’s Contiform stretch blow-moulding machine and the associated components like a preform interior cleaning unit or perform sorters, Krones offers its clients a wide range of machines and line components for filling plastic bottles. These include a coating process, its own design for bottles to be used in hot beverage filling, and a development center for customized plastic bottles, specifically tailored to suit the design requirements of the client concerned, and featuring all the characteristics needed for an optimally smooth filling process.
Filling technology
Filling technology plays a crucial role in the overall production sequence. Since each beverage exhibits different product characteristics, the filling process concerned is appropriately customized. The shape and nature of the container is, of course, also significant in this context, so that the company has developed numerous filling processes for its clients. Directly after being filled, the containers are closed using Krones closers.
With the ongoing trend towards what are called “freshness” drinks, the company sees an increasing demand for lines that operate under aseptic conditions, providing optimum shelf life for products not containing any preservatives. For this segment, Krones builds lines for cold-aseptic fillings that assure maximized product quality levels.
Labelling technology
A product’s image is determined not least by the bottle dress concerned. The beautifully designed labels are applied to the bottles by Krones labelers. The company has a suitable machine for every kind of dress. Depending on the type of label involved, a traditional cold-gluing process or hotmelt labeling can be employed, or pressure-sensitive labeling stations integrated into the machine. Wrap-around labeling or sleeves are further options. If the labeling schedule demands a high degree of flexibility for coping with small batches, the ultra-versatile modularized machines, with their replaceable labeling stations, are the optimum choice.
Inspection technology
Monitoring production steps is a particularly important point when processing foods and beverages. Empty containers are inspect
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