Sidel Combi – a very safe and efficient production environment
As product safety and integrity - along with production efficiency - were important priorities for the water producer, the original Sidel Combi FMc was perfectly matched with the producer's expectations. Its single production enclosure - including the three main integrated functions configured with the positive, filtered air-pressure - ensures a very hygienic and safe production environment. The hygienic design of the filling valve, with no mechanical parts in contact with the filled water and a filling process controlled by a pneumatic membrane valve, ensures safe filling. Additional hygienic options have been implemented in the Combi configuration to further optimise food safety, including air filtration and overpressure area protection.The Combi also offers efficiency levels that are up to 4% higher than standalone machines. The magnetic flow meters, which control the filling volume, ensure an accurate dosing while the filling parameters of each filling valve are controlled directly from the operator panel. The automatic dummy bottles to close the filling circuit during the internal and external cleaning of the filling valves (cleaning in place, or 'CIP' as it is commonly known) contribute to fast and safe product changeover.
Based on the performance of the newly installed bottling line producing Akvile, a second Sidel line was installed.
Second complete PET line solution meets requirements of challenging installation
BMV renewed its confidence in Sidel only seven months after the order for the initial equipment, investing in this second Sidel complete PET bottling line solution to produce the 'Vytautas' brand at the Birštonas plant. This line features a very similar scope of supply, therefore ensuring that the advantages and benefits of the Combi would be realised again. However, the installation of this second line was more challenging because the footprint of the layout was 20% more compact than the original bottling line.Mr. Valentinas Lukosevicius, BMV's Production Director at the Birštonas site, commented: "Installation of the second line was a big challenge - both for us and Sidel. This new Sidel line was substituting the old existing line and the constraints of the limited plant floor space were therefore an important consideration when designing the line layout. Sidel's considerable project experience was therefore very important in achieving our goals."
The new complete line solution comprises: a Sidel Combi 8 FMc; a cap air rinser; UV lamps on the infeed rail of the preform feeding rail; a Sidel Rollquattro Evolution labeller; a cap feeder for sport and flat caps, coder, packer, handle applicator twin pack, bottle conveyor, pack conveyor, and palletiser.
Mr. Lukosevicius continued: "We particularly appreciated the comprehensive customer service, the excellent collaboration and engineering support we received from Sidel, in terms of the chosen equipment to meet our needs, the complete line design and the rapid installation. All this resulted in what can only be described as a very successful installation, particularly when taking into account the fact we needed to keep production stoppages to an absolute minimum by installing the new line as quickly as possible. The first sellable bottles coming off the line one month ahead of the planned schedule allowed us to be ready and to have preparations in place for our high season with plenty of time to spare".
