A new laboratory-scale HTST/UHT pilot system has been developed to support aseptic bag-in-box filling of product samples, in a joint venture between Armfield www.armfield.co.uk and Rapak.

The UK based manufacturers have combined the Armfield FT94X HTST/UHT Mini Pilot System and Rapak Intasept 2200 laboratory filler, offering product developers an integrated facility for aseptic processing and bag-in-box filling of process batches of as little as 15 litres.

The unit is capable of continuous and batch operation at process temperatures of up to 150ºC and is available with plate and tubular heat exchanger options. From a cold start, steady state operation is achieved in a matter of minutes. The system was specifically designed for fast, economical production of packaged product samples and is suitable for a wide range of applications including beverages, liquid foods, dairy products and pharmaceuticals.

The main service unit contains the services, controls and instrumentation required to operate the tubular and plate heat exchangers, including a 20cm colour touch screen control panel, variable speed progressing cavity product feed pump, steam-heated hot water system for product pre-heating and indirect steam for final heating, with automatic steam control valves and facilities for CIP and SIP.The Intasept™ 2200 filling module accepts a variety of Rapak bags and films, ranging from 0.75-30 litres and in various barrier materials, offering an effective and environmentally friendly alternative to many traditional packaging materials. The semi automatic, single head filler is available with either a 16mm or 32mm filling head, with an option to enable the user to switch between sizes.

The gland, or filling port, heat sealed into the barrier bag wall, features a specially designed dual barrier membrane. The unique design provides full interface sterilisation, filling and resealing without the need to remove the bag from the filling head. This ensures that, throughout the process, product is not exposed to any potential sources of contamination.

A sophisticated data logging package allows the user to measure and record essential process data, including temperatures, product and steam pressures, feed pump speed and many other sensor values, providing the knowledge required to scale up to production plant.