The portfolio of cup filling and sealing machines from Syntegon subsidiaries Ampack GmbH, Germany, and Osgood Industries, LLC, US, has been extended with the new LFS filling machine for the dairy and food industry. Available in clean and ultra-clean hygienic executions, the LFS fills and packages liquid, viscous and pump required products, such as yoghurt, sour cream, margarine, deli salads, dips, sauces, soups, or retorted pet food into preformed containers. The machines new modular concept enables manufacturers to react quickly to changing market demands. Each machine function can be retrofitted, added or exchanged to meet customised requirements. The open design ensures optimum accessibility and visibility for easy cleaning and maintenance, resulting in a highly efficient and economical production.

The ability to flexibly handle a variety of products and formats is a key advantage in the highly competitive food market.

"While developing the LFS, we paid special attention to a modular concept, which enables our customers with peace of mind that their new filling and packaging solution can be counted on for decades to come," explained Oguz Karcier, product manager at Syntegon.

New modular concept offers various possibilities

The LFS consists of individual modules which include main machine functions such as cup supply, disinfection, filling, sealing, capping, and cup discharge. Each module can be configured, added or retrofitted according to individual production needs for maximum flexibility. For example, the LFS can be equipped with up to three servo-driven pump systems, either a tank pump or a newly developed single pump system, to cover a variety of different product viscosities. The dosing station incorporates exchangable nozzles as well as integrated CIP (Cleaning In Place) and SIP (Sterilisation in Place) for ultra-clean configurations. The LFS processes all common container formats with a diameter between 60 and 160mm on up to eight lanes with a maximum output rate of up to 20,000 cups per hour. In sequential indexing configuration, alternating carrier plates allow for processing two different packaging formats one after another without format changes needed.

To ensure optimum hygienic conditions during the filling process, the disinfection station can be configured to meet individual product requirements. For ultra-clean applications such as products with extended shelf life, customers can opt for two types of chemical-free disinfection methods: UVC light or pulsed-light. Optionally, the same technology can be used to disinfect the lids before placing them on the cups. In addition, HEPA filters purify the air, while container vacuums remove loose particles and debris from the cups before filling. Food producers can seal their products packaging either using pre-cut foils or heat-sealing rollstock film. Integrated sensors perform seal integrity checks to detect any leakage or poor seals to ensure product safety.

Economical and efficient production now and for the future

Thanks to its overall open layout and maintenance-friendly design, operators have optimum accessibility of the LFS machine parts and can perform tool-less format changes safely and quickly. A new feature for punctual chain elongation adjustment as well as lifetime lubricated bearings reduce downtime and ensure a highly efficient, reliable production. Furthermore, the LFS was designed with the future in mind: The integrated HMI 4.0 multi touch screen provides intuitive operator guidance with a clear and structured menu to assist efficient workflow and simplify troubleshooting. Further digital solutions can be added to enable quick product changes. For example, recipe changes and all necessary machine parameter adaptions are done automatically by the push of a button. In terms of sustainability, the LFS saves energy and can be configured to process sustainable materials, including paper and monomaterials for better recyclability.

"Our goal was to offer dairy and food manufacturers a flexible filling and packaging solution that fits their specific needs," said Jonathan Viens, sales and marketing manager at Osgood Industries, LLC. "The LFS provides future-proof flexibility: customers can configure the system to fit their products and integrate it into existing production lines. They can use sustainable packaging material, add additional filling stations or exchange their existing lidding station. In a nutshell: whatever the customer opts for, we make sure their LFS linear filling machines will be ready for all future requirements."