In the shape of the NitroHotfill process, Krones is offering an attractively cost-efficient alternative to the conventional hotfill process. Danone is now the first company in China to adopt the meanwhile field-proven method, and has retrofitted NitroHotfill to a line at its facility in Wuhan. Commissioned back in 2013, the line features a Contiform H 20 (Heatset), a Modulfill VFJ filler and a Sleevematic labeller, and has been dimensioned for 32,000 containers per hour.
Retrofitting the line with the NitroHotfill process creates numerous advantages for Danone, since Krones’ NitroHotfill technology scores highly in terms of material savings for the PET bottle, reduced blow-moulding air consumption, improved performance in the stretch blow-moulding process and an increased output from the line as a whole. Depending on the preform and bottle material being used, plus the disparate starting parameters like filling temperature, bottle design, design stipulations for styling and closure, material savings of up to 30 per cent can be achieved compared to the classical Heatset process. The Relax-Cooling (RC) technology also enables the flushing air consumption to be substantially reduced. This is the result of a lower flow rate and a shortened flushing time. Air recycling with the Air Wizard system contributes towards downsizing air consumption still further
In future, the line will be used to bottle two varieties of RTD tea: Mate Rose green tea and Rooibush Berry black tea.
When it came to designing the bottle, Danone was assisted by the specialists of the Plastics Design and Consulting Department at Krones Taicang. Thanks to the NitroHotfill process, panels could be dispensed with. The result is an elegant shape that is strikingly emphasised by the sleeve label, and thus constitutes a genuine eye-catcher on the supermarket shelves.