Abstract: A method for controlling the operation of an aseptic product filling machine includes the steps of performing a pre-production test procedure during a pre-production phase in which at least a set of subcritical control parameters are measured, diagnosed and stored, checking if those subcritical control parameters are within their range, starting a production phase if all of the subcritical control parameters are indeed within their range, and measuring, diagnosing and storing a set of supercritical control parameters and not the subcritical control parameters during the production phase.

Abstract: A method for controlling the operation of an aseptic product filling machine includes the steps of performing a pre-production test procedure during a pre-production phase in which at least a set of subcritical control parameters are measured, diagnosed and stored, checking if those subcritical control parameters are within their range, starting a production phase if all of the subcritical control parameters are indeed within their range, and measuring, diagnosing and storing a set of supercritical control parameters and not the subcritical control parameters during the production phase.

Abstract: The invention relates to a sterilizing device (10) for sterilizing closures (16), such as lids and caps for containers, such as bottles and jars, which device comprises a housing (12), provided with a closure entry (14) for supplying closures, a closure exit (18) for discharging sterilized closures from the device, a sterilizing-agent feed (21) for feeding sterilizing agent into the device and a discharge (28; 30) for discharging used sterilizing agent, as well as pass-through means (20) for passing closures (16) through the housing (12), the pass-through means (20) comprising a non-rectilinear pass-through path (58) in the plane parallel to the main plane of the closures. A sterilizing method is also described.

Abstract: A distributing device for distributing closures, supplied from a supply line with outlet, over a plurality of manufacturing lines, each manufacturing line comprising a feed-in, comprises a distributing element, which distributing element comprises at least a number of guideways conforming to the number of manufacturing lines, each guideway comprising an entrance for the positioning of the guideway relative to the outlet of the supply line, an exit for the positioning of the guideway relative to the feed-in of the particular manufacturing line, and a passage connecting the entrance to the exit, as well as a displacement mechanism for the simultaneous positioning of an entrance of a specific guideway of the distributing element in line with the outlet of the supply line and, respectively, of an exit of the specific guideway in line with the feed-in of a manufacturing line, the entrances of the guideways being disposed in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal plane of the supply line.

Abstract: The container holder (5) is intended for transporting at least one container (7) with a neck flange (72), the neck flange having a top surface (74), a bottom surface (73) and a lateral surface (75). In particular, the container is a bottle with a neck flange, the bottle being made of PE, PET or HDPE material. The container holder according to the invention is furthermore provided with a rotation-blocking element (10), which is movable to a blocking position. Characteristic of the invention is the fact that in the blocking position the rotation-blocking element is arranged to engage upon the neck flange of the container, in such a way that the rotation of the container relative to the container holder is blocked.

Abstract: A filling device for filling containers with foods and closing the containers includes an endless conveyor system for conveying container holders; a container infeed mechanism for supplying containers to the container holders; workstations for carrying out operations on containers conveyed therealong, including a filling station and a closing station; a container discharge mechanism for removing containers from the container holders; at least one processing line provided along the conveyor track for containers to be processed; a housing that at least partially encloses the processing line; and gas supply means for feeding conditioned gases into the housing. The housing extends at least along the filling station and the closing station. Inside the housing, the gas supply means supply gas flow substantially close to filling apertures along outsides of containers. The gas supply means includes a plurality of adjacent gas outflow apertures opening into the housing.

Abstract: Filling device (1) for filling containers (5) with foods and closing said containers, comprising an endless conveyor system (2), a filling station (21) and a closing station (22), a housing (15) that at least partially encloses the processing line which is provided along the conveyor track, and gas supply means (25) for feeding conditioned gases into the housing. The housing (15) extends at least along the filling station (21) and the closing station (22), inside which housing the gas supply means (25) are designed so that, during operation, the gases flow substantially close to the filling aperture along the outside of the containers (5), in the direction of bottoms of said containers. The gas supply means comprise a plurality of adjacent gas outflow apertures opening into the housing, and for substantially each conveyance position of a container along the housing, at least one of the gas outflow apertures is situated at a distance of less than 25 centimeters from the corresponding container aperture.

Abstract: An apparatus for preserving food products in a pulsed electric field comprises a treatment chamber having an inlet for food products to be treated and an outlet fortreated food products and has an effective area of flow having rounded corners. The treatment chamber further comprises at least one first electrode and at least one second electrode which are disposed in such a way that the field lines of the electric field run parallel to one another, as well as an energy source and a potential controller to control the potential on at least one first electrode and on at least one second electrode in order to generate a pulsed electric field, of such design that the electric field in the effective area of flow is constant. In a method for preserving food products in a pulsed electric field, the direction of said pulsed electric field in successive pulses is rotated through 90°.

Abstract: A device for filling containers with free-flowing products under aseptic conditions comprises a conveyor system for intermittently conveying the containers along a conveyor path past appropriate filling stations in separate compartments inside a housing. The conveyor system comprises a guide assembly for guiding at least two carriers which interact with one another in order to position and retain containers, and a pusher mechanism with a chainless drive for displacing the carriers in the guide assembly each time, a container guide, which is arranged beneath the conveyor path of the containers, for supporting the containers, and a blocking device for temporarily blocking the movement of the carrier which is situated at the outlet of the device during operation.

Abstract: An apparatus for preserving food products in a pulsed electric field comprises a treatment chamber having an inlet for food products to be treated and an outlet fortreated food products and has an effective area of flow having rounded corners. The treatment chamber further comprises at least one first electrode and at least one second electrode which are disposed in such a way that the field lines of the electric field run parallel to one another, as well as an energy source and a potential controller to control the potential on at least one first electrode and on at least one second electrode in order to generate a pulsed electric field, of such design that the electric field in the effective area of flow is constant.

Abstract: An apparatus for preserving food products in a pulsed electric field comprises a treatment chamber having an inlet for food products to be treated and an outlet fortreated food products and has an effective area of flow having rounded corners. The treatment chamber further comprises at least one first electrode and at least one second electrode which are disposed in such a way that the field lines of the electric field run parallel to one another, as well as an energy source and a potential controller to control the potential on at least one first electrode and on at least one second electrode in order to generate a pulsed electric field, of such design that the electric field in the effective area of flow is constant. In a method for preserving food products in a pulsed electric field, the direction of said pulsed electric field in successive pulses is rotated through 90°.