UK processing equipment manufacturer Armfield has combined its FT94X HTST/UHT Mini Pilot System with bag-in-box specialist Rapak’s Intasept 2200 laboratory filler.
The result is a unique integrated facility for food product developers to aseptically process and bag-in-box fill batches of as little as 15 litres, Armfield’s spokesman told FoodProductionDaily.com.
“No other product integrates these two facilities,” said the spokesman. “It’s easily installed in the lab and has a very small footprint.”
Batch operation
Designed for fast, economical production of packaged product samples, the system is suitable for a wide range of applications including beverages, liquid foods, dairy products and pharmaceuticals, he added. It is said to be capable of continuous and batch operation at process temperatures of up to 150ºC.
The mini pilot system is available with plate and tubular heat exchanger options, upstream and downstream homogenisation capabilities, and a direct steam injection module, which could be retrofitted if necessary. “From a cold start, steady state operation is achieved in a matter of minutes,” said the spokesman. The main service unit contains controls and instrumentation required to operate the tubular and plate heat exchangers including a 20cm colour touch screen control panel, variable speed progressing cavity product feed pump, steam-heated hot water system for product pre-heating and indirect steam for final heating.
There are also automatic steam control valves and facilities for CIP and SIP.
Barrier materials
Rapak’s Intasept 2200 filling module handles a variety of bags and films, ranging from 0.75-30 litres and in various barrier materials. This offers an effective and environmentally friendly alternative to many traditional packaging materials, according to Armfield.
The semi automatic, single head filler is available with either a 16mm or 32mm filling head, with an option to enable the user to switch between sizes.
The gland, or filling port, which is heat sealed into the barrier bag wall includes a dual barrier membrane designed to provide full interface sterilisation, filling and resealing without the need to remove the bag from the filling head. This ensures the product is not exposed to any potential sources of contamination, said the company.
A data logging package allows users to measure and record process data, including temperatures, product and steam pressures, feed pump speed and other sensor values, providing the knowledge needed to scale up to production to commercial levels.