The ergonomic designed machine can be used for bottling lines operating at low to medium outputs, with energy savings up to 10 kW/10 meters thanks to the absence of conveyors, and lighter bottles.
Higher production yields
All bottles move along the process without touching each other, avoiding any risk of damage.
“The Combox concept also allows manufacturers to benefit from higher production yields,” said Ollivier Chevreteau, sales director, EMEA, Serac.
“The blow-fill-cap unit downtime is reduced to a minimum, thanks to quick mold changeovers that require around 10 minutes of one operator, simplified maintenance operations and the avoidance of production starts and stops potentially associated with accumulation systems.”
It has also launched the Combox H2F – a blow-fill-cap single block unit equipped with a rotary weight filler for output levels under 12,000 bottles per hour.
Designed to meet the low to medium output needs of niche and emerging markets, and mid-sized dairy products manufacturers, Combox H2F has already been sold to customers in the US, Mexico, Italy, Russia, France, China and Australia.
Chilled dairy products
Chevreteau added the clean filling environment of the Combox H2F meets the hygiene requirements for chilled dairy products, and doesn’t need water or chemical treatment for bottle and cap decontamination, which is done with pulsed light.
“The PET bottle is definitely the preferred packaging for new market segments within the dairy industry,” he said.
“Used for fresh milk, flavored milk, drinking yogurt, probiotics and all new dairy based, high value products.
“White milk drunk at home, mainly by children and for breakfast, remains the highest market in volume for Liquid Dairy Product (LDP) around the world.
“Growth on this particular segment is however limited and competition is harsh. One of the main reasons why PET bottles succeed on this segment is because they allow brands to differentiate from competition on the shelves.”