Serac showcases blow-fill-cap machine

SERAC has recently installed a new blow-fill-cap machine in Brazil, for packaging of 50g yoghurt portions presented in an attractive fruit-shaped pet flask. By taking up the challenge of blowing and filling such a light and delicate package, Serac opens new perspectives for all dairy and food manufacturers willing to develop single serve packaging or lightweight bottle in order to answer economic issues or meet on-the-go consumption needs. A Combox machine is on display at interpack in Hall 13/C63.

Blown from PET preform of only 2.3g, with nearly half of the mass concentrated in the neck, the fruit-shaped flask requires an expansion rate of 16 (4 times in both length and width),  which is extreme in this industry. On such tiny preforms, the SBL blower demonstrates a high level of precision in heating, stretching and blowing operations.

The 100% positive neck transfer patented by the company ensures that the packages will move along the process without touching each other, thereby preventing damage. Based on a starwheel system that compensates for difference in pitch between the blowing and filling functions, it allows the direct coupling of Serac’s SBL blower with any rotary weigh filler.

With a neck diameter of 20mm, the slightest deviation under the filling nozzles can have dramatic effects. This is why the company has included a servo-driven transfer system that ensures top-of-class positioning and filling accuracy.

A 20-mm sealed cap would have been impossible to open but an oversized strip together with a new die press tool from Serac can achieve hygienic and user-friendly seal.