Abstract: A filling/closing device comprises a conditioned zone 2 for performing operations to containers. A drive actuator 11 of an operating system is movable with into and out of the zone. The drive actuator extends through a decontamination box 14 with an outer suction chamber 15 and an inner sterilization chamber 16 is provided. A sterilization medium supply 17 connects to the sterilization chamber, and a discharge 22 connects to the suction chamber. One or more outflow gaps 20, 21 are provided which connect the sterilization to the suction chamber. According to the invention an inner inflow gap 24 is provided in between the suction chamber and the drive actuator which connects the zone to the suction chamber.

Abstract: A filling/closing device comprises a conditioned zone 2 for performing operations to containers. A drive actuator 11 of an operating system is movable with into and out of the zone. The drive actuator extends through a decontamination box 14 with an outer suction chamber 15 and an inner sterilization chamber 16 is provided. A sterilization medium supply 17 connects to the sterilization chamber, and a discharge 22 connects to the suction chamber. One or more outflow gaps 20, 21 are provided which connect the sterilization to the suction chamber. According to the invention an inner inflow gap 24 is provided in between the suction chamber and the drive actuator which connects the zone to the suction chamber.

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.