HEVS - Electronic volumetric filling system for sparkling products

1INFEED CONVEYOR
PET bottles are transported inside the machine through an air conveyor. The bottle flow is regulated using a pneumatically operated gate which, depending on the condition of plant production, enables or blocks the bottles transfer to the first star wheel.

2BOTTLE TRANSFER: INLET - RINSER
Bottles coming from the air conveyor are transported towards the rinser. This transfer is performed through a rotating star wheel which receives the bottles from the air conveyor, handling them by the neck, and transports them towards the rinsing carousel.

3RINSER
The bottle coming from the star wheel reaches the rinsing turret where a rubber gripper grabs the bottle neck, and by using a mechanical cam system inverts the bottle (180 degrees) in order to have the bottle lip aligned with its rinsing nozzle. The nozzle is activated, dispensing water or air depending on the filling product and on the customers preference. At the end of the rinsing phase, the bottle is inverted again, coming back to the initial position. The bottle is ready to be moved to the rinsing carousel. Each rinsing turret is equipped with a “no bottle-no spray" system: a sensor placed close to the rinser inlet detects the presence of the bottle. In the event that no bottle is detected, the correspondent turret will not perform any rinsing operation.

4BOTTLE TRANSFER: RINSER – FILLER
Bottles coming from the rinser are moved towards the filler. This transfer is performed through a rotating star wheel which collects the bottles from the rinsing turret, handling them by the neck, and transports them towards the filling carousel.

5FILLER
The bottle coming from the star wheel reaches the filling turret where the neck holder, directly connected with the filling valve, bring the bottle in contact with the filling valve in order to allow the filling. The product tank, located inside the filling carousel, is specially designed to hold high pressure. At the beginning of the filling, when the bottle is in contact with the valve, CO2 is injected inside the bottle in order to increase the pressure in the bottle and have a filing without loss of CO2 from the product and reducing foam creation while filling. The filling is electronic with volumetric flow meter. Each filling valve has a dedicated flow meter. When the filling starts, the flow meter detect the quantity of product going inside the bottle and stops the filling when reach the pre-set value from the format in use. While the product goes inside the bottle, the CO2 goes out from a dedicated channel. When the set filling volume is reached, the filling valve is closed and the sniff/decompression is done. A dedicated channel bring the pressure inside the bottle in a dedicated manifold and from there out of the filling area. The filled bottle is ready to be transferred to the capper. Each filling unit has a “no bottle-no fill” system: if the bottle is missing there is no filling.

6BOTTLE TRANSFER: FILLER – CAPPER
Bottles coming from the filler are moved towards the capper. This transfer is performed through a rotating star wheel which collects the bottles form the filling turret, handling them by the neck, and transports them towards the capping turret.

7CAPPER
The bottle coming from the star wheel reaches the capping turret where a star shaped mould allows the bottle centering under the corresponding capping turret. The cap coming from caps feeding system is picked up by means of a star wheel called "pick and place". The capping head collects the cap from the star wheel and it applies the cap to the bottle. Depending on the cap to be applied (plastic screw cap or plastic pressure cap), the capping system may be rotating or by-pressure. The rinsed, filled and capped bottle is ready to be moved to the outlet conveyor. Each capping turret is equipped with "no bottle-no cap" system: in the event that no bottle is detected under the capping turret, the cap will not be applied.

8OUTLET CONVEYOR
The rinsed, filled and capped bottles are transported out of the machine through an air conveyor. This conveyor is equipped with automatic height adjustment which allows the bottle point of support to be tailored to the bottle height.