NOVEDADES Y PRODUCTOS
The air is fed in through filters to prevent any possible microbiological contamination. In addition, the empty bottles are first filled with nitrogen to improve the microbiological quality of the filling process. In order to satisfy its own growing demand for quality, Nectar has now opted for aseptic filling. This allows its range of products to be considerably expanded – both with regard to the fruit content and the various flavors and product variants in all categories. “For us, the most important thing is that we can now carry out this process under sterile conditions,” smiles production manager Milka Tomanović. “This retains the natural properties of the fruit. We have a better quality of final product and can offer greater microbiological quality over a longer period.”
Safety first
Creating sterile conditions for aseptic fillers is a tricky undertaking. It was thus soon clear to Nectar that the only technological partners to come into question were certified systems manufacturers proven worldwide. “Not only was the high quality of the components important to us; it was also essential that we could fully rely on the technology to generate aseptic production conditions,” emphasizes Tomanović. This quickly narrowed down the number of possible manufacturers. Nenad Delovski, head of the KHS office in Belgrade, had long been in touch with Nectar. “Five years ago we attended an aseptic presentation at the KHS factory in Bad Kreuznach together,” he remembers. “Since then we’ve been in constant contact, both locally and at various trade shows.”
In the meantime the customer had become convinced that the high standard it required for its own products could only be achieved by using equipment of an equally top quality. This is even more important when it comes to securing a permanent supply to the European market. Above and beyond the basic requirements, the many opportunities offered by the system, its control setup and maintenance program and – above all – the recommendations from other companies ultimately persuaded Nectar to work together with the Dortmund systems supplier. “With the new Innosept Asbofill ABF 711 C Nectar has the first aseptic filler of this kind for the production of fruit juice in all of Serbia,” explains Delovski – more than befitting for the biggest fruit processor in the whole of southeast Europe.
Money well spent
The line has a capacity of 12,000 bottles per hour and processes 500-milliliter, 750-milliliter and 1.5-liter PET bottles. Nectar not only invested in a filler but also in a stretch blow molder by seizing the opportunity to acquire a used, fully overhauled system from KHS (see the box entitled ‘Second hand, first class’). Including all air conveyors, discharge to the packaging and palletizing section and an Innocheck FHC fill height control system the investment came to about €3.5 million – which Nectar believes is money well spent.