Highly flexible aseptic line for iced tea, water and more – Krones
Highly flexible aseptic line for iced tea, water and more
Acqua Sant’Anna is a regular customer of Krones technology. Line number 16 is currently under construction – and it marks two major milestones at once: It is the first Krones aseptic line for the company, and it contains the 1,000th Sleevematic labeler Krones has ever built.
Seeing your new machines in person for the first time is always a very special experience. And that was certainly the case for Marco Balbiano, plant manager and chief information officer for Acqua Sant’Anna, on a recent visit to Krones’ factory in Neutraubling. Even though the process has become somewhat routine over the years – after all, he has overseen the installation of nine PET lines with Krones – this visit brought two premieres: The most lines currently running at Acqua Sant’Anna are of the Ergo Bloc L variety, while the newest addition that Krones is currently building for the Italian beverage maker is an aseptic one, the company’s first.
“We chose this Krones solution very intentionally, because it enables us to stay flexible in the future. We wanted to invest in a line that would allow us to handle any upcoming challenges – including those on the soft drinks market – and thus achieve our growth targets for the years ahead,” is how Marco Balbiano explains this latest investment decision.
The new line is dimensioned for an output of 36,000 containers per hour, based on 1.5-liter bottles for iced tea, the main drink to be filled on the line. Acqua Sant’Anna will remain true to its core business, water, on this line as well, producing 0.75-liter PET bottles for the premium market.
Block technology wins the day
This Krones line will contain not just one block but two: the Contipure AseptBloc for filling and a second block for labelling. The latter combines a Contiroll and a Sleevematic so that the PET containers can be fitted with wrap-around labels or sleeves, while an additional Autocol station makes it possible to apply pressure-sensitive labels as well – all depending on the product at hand. “We really have been thinking about integrating a sleeve labeler for some time. This new 36,000-bph line was the perfect opportunity to try it out on various container types and sizes. After all, labels are a highly effective means for us to communicate with our customers – and now between wrap-around labels, pressure-sensitive labels and sleeves, we’ve got plenty of options for that,” explains Marco Balbiano.
There are practical reasons for combining the Contiroll and Sleevematic units in a block. For instance, it made it possible to fit the entire aseptic line on a footprint of just 36 x 39 meters – which is exactly how much space was available in the existing hall. Downstream of the Sleevematic TS are a Shrinkmat shrink tunnel and a Checkmat label placement inspector.
“The partnership between Acqua Sant’Anna and Krones has always been excellent over the past several years. In the last eight years alone, we’ve purchased eight Krones lines. This one is the ninth,” says Marco Balbiano. “And with it, we are going all in for efficiency – not only with respect to energy use and other consumption figures on the line but also when it comes to materials and standardizing the lines in our Vinadio plant.”
