Abstract: An automatic, continuous sterilization system is for use in a form, fill and seal packaging machine for forming, filling and sealing packages. The machine has a turret carrying a plurality of mandrels on which the packages are carried. A bottom panel heating station has a reciprocating bottom panel heater. The sterilization system includes a sterilant source for supplying a sterilant and a sterilant inlet at the bottom panel heater. Packages are positioned on one of the plurality of mandrels and are indexed to the bottom panel heater. The sterilant is introduced to the mandrel when the carton is positioned thereon. Introduction of the sterilant provides a log reduction of microbial colony forming units of at least about 5.9 after ten minutes of machine operation. A method for continuous mandrel sterilization is also disclosed.

Abstract: The invention relates to an installation (1) for sterilising objects (2) by low-energy electron bombardment, including sterilisation means (18) capable of generating an electron beam along an axis (A) passing through a treatment chamber (16). According to the invention, the installation includes a mechanical module (12) designed so as to be capable of generating a relative rotation movement, between the object and the sterilisation means, about an axis (A?) chosen so that axis (A) of the electron beam generated by the sterilisation means continuously passes through the external surface of the object during the relative rotation movement about the axis (A?). In addition, it comprises mechanical module (22) enabling the object to be rotated about an axis (A?) oriented orthogonally with respect to axis (A?).