GEA Whitebloc Filling System Aseptic

H2O2 bottle sterilization with Whitebloc Aseptic

During the dosing phase, the internal and external surfaces of the bottles are sprayed with an H2O2 solution. In a subsequent carrousel, the bottles are flushed by hot, sterile air – to activate the H2O2 – which also provides a purging action and ensures a final residual peroxide level of less than 0.5 ppm. No water rinsing is required.

Maximum sterilization efficiency is ensured by carefully analyzing and monitoring the critical control points. A ‘Smart Sensor’ compares the force and the spray angle of the sterilant jet in real-time with a pre-calibrated value to confirm that each surface of every bottle is properly treated.

When handling HDPE bottles, the Whitebloc Aseptic is supplied in a standalone configuration that receives bottles from air conveyors. For PET bottles, it is combined with a traditional blowing machine and equipped with a dedicated temperature holding system that’s positioned between the blower and the treatment carrousel. This ensures that, during the dosing phase, an ideal temperature profile is provided for the bottles.

A microbiological isolator encloses the sensitive area

Filling and capping are performed inside a microbiological isolator that guarantees a high level of hygiene, owing to an overpressure of sterile air that prevents contamination after the H2O2 treatment. All surfaces in the microbiological isolator zone are designed to be accessible and very easy to clean.

Benefits

•    Versatile production: the Whitebloc Aseptic is ideal for a wide range of applications, including both high and low acid products, PET and HDPE bottles, flat and sport caps as well as foil aluminum closures
•    No need for water rinsing after sterilization allows water saving
•    Production flexibility thanks to an automatic bottle changeover 
•    Easy to use and manage: low maintenance (no moving parts or valves on the two treatment carrousels) and less wear and tear
•    Compact design

Performance

VHP sterilization treatment with penetrating nozzle ensures a B.atrophaeus reduction of up to 6 log for both PET and HDPE containers. Whitebloc Aseptic is capable of production speeds of up to 48.000 bottles per hour on 500 ml bottle and allows a line availability of 165 hours without the need for intermediate COP and SOP cycles during production.

Sterilfoil VHP L: H2O2 technology for foil sterilization

With Sterilfoil VHP L, it’s also possible to handle and sterilize aluminium foil closures for HDPE or PET bottles. Sterilfoil is a simple, linear system that’s mounted on top of the capping area and integrated within the microbiological isolation area of the machine.

The system uses vaporized hydrogen peroxide (VHP) technology to provide a highly effective microbiological sterilization solution for aluminum foil caps.