The following content originally appeared in issue 135 of Beverage Innovation, which you can subscribe to here.
Sismatico produces solutions for air conveying systems for PET bottles and empty cans plus can rinsers for OEMs and global beverage manufacturers. Claire Rowan spoke to Sismatico UK technical sales manager Duncan Griffiths to find out more about the latest developments.
What trends are driving developments in air conveying?
The main market shift we see is towards the sleek and slim cans, which are more user-friendly and easier to hold. However, moving from standard 66mm cans to the sleek 57mm or slim 53mm cans does require adjustments to the conveyor system. So, we have been modifying our lines to meet this demand. We use the combiners to channel the cans from a mass flow into a single lane
We use combiners to channel the cans from a mass flow into single lane, so have had to include various areas of adjustment and fit multi position can stops in order to accommodate the varying can diameters.
Next generation lacquers are also appearing that can prove stickier than other lacquers, and we have had to make further modifications to our conveyor lines to tackle this challenge.
What is the most challenging of requests you have had recently, and does the request reflect a growing trend?
The most complicated thing for us recently has been customers wanting to operate with an ever broader range of different size cans and materials.
We are currently building a system for one customer that needs the line to handle ten different can options ranging from 250ml, through 330ml standard and sleek cans, 720ml, up to one litre cans, plus aluminium and steel in some cases. This has involved some quite extreme modifications to our equipment.
What speeds are we talking about fulfilling with air conveyors?
This current ten different can option line is a relatively slow line. Air conveyors are generally operated on lines with speeds from 90,000 up to 132,000 cans per hour. Traditional belt conveyors are sufficient for lower production speeds and are generally lower in cost, but once the plant is running at greater than 1,500 cans per minute, belts will have added maintenance issues due to wear. Air conveyors have a natural catch up feature which is also hard to replicate without complicated control on belt conveyors.
As slim and sleek cans become more popular, beverage producers will need to modify their lines
and rinsers to accommodate them, and may also decide to invest in higher throughput lines to meet demand, which will lead to a higher demand for air conveying.
© FoodBev Media Ltd 2024