Innovative container sterilization treatment reduces environmental impact
By Canadian Packaging staff
Automation General Bottles Bottling Plastic BluSteam sterilization plastic bottle sterilization SeracSerac's BlueStream ebeam technology is a revolutionary breakthrough in aseptic filling of plastic bottles.
Serac—a global specialist in the design and manufacture of liquid filling and capping machines, as well as blow molding equipment—uses its expertise in container treatment to provide a dry plastic bottle sterilization process that uses ebeam technology the company calls BluStream.
BluStream is a real technological breakthrough in the aseptic filling of plastic bottles, and is capable of a 5 log bacteriological reduction on Bacillus pumilus without leaving any chemical residue, which in layman’s terms means it eliminates the potential consumption of chemical agents in the decontaminate a bottle.
BluStream is important for manufacturers wishing to highlight:
- Production processes that respect both human beings and the environment;
- Brands that follow natural trends and target sensitive consumers (babies, allergic people, etc.).
Quick sterilization without chemical products
Unlike peracetic acid (PAA) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) treatments that rely on chemical principles, BluStream is based on a physical process.
It uses an issuer which throws an electron beam over the container’s surface whereby electrons quickly destroy micro-organisms by breaking their DNA chains.
This enables BluStream to achieve a 5 log bacteriological reduction on Bacillus Pulumilus with a 1.5 liter bottle in about five seconds. Without the use of chemicals, BluStream ensures that containers are totally-free of any toxic residue.
Simpler and economical
BluStream is a simpler process which makes sterilization easier to monitor.
The BluStream process only depends on three critical easy to control parameters: voltage, current intensity and exposure time.
BluStream treatment is also more economical in production because it requires no chemicals, no water, no compressed air, and a minimum increase in electrical consumption comparable to the H₂O₂ treatment.
BluStream: continuous and complete sterilization in a compact unit
Serac’s BluStream unit is more compact than PAA and H₂O₂; the floor area is only 215 square feet for a rate up to 36,000 bottles per hour.
Bottles are treated on two successive carousels; the first one for the exterior treatment and the second one for the interior treatment of the bottle.
For all products packed in plastic bottles
BluStream treatment is compatible with all kinds of plastics; HDPE (High-density polyethylene), PET (Polyethylene terephthalate), PP (Polypropylene), PS (Polystyrene), whatever their weight or shape (off handle). All bottle sizes can also be treated, provided that the neck diameter is above or equal to 30 mm.
Treatment efficiency allows this method to be used for high-acid products such as fruit juices, as well as for low-acid products like cow milk, soy milk, other vegetable milks and all nutritional products.
With BluStream, Serac offers a cutting-edge sterilization solution which reinforces its position as an expert in the aseptic filling of bottles.
Along with the new line of machines, BluStream sterilization will also be available via modernization of existing lines.
About Serac
Serac specializes in the design and manufacturing of liquid filling and capping machines as well as blowmolding equipment. With over 5,200 machines installed in more than 100 countries, its customer base boasts a wide variety of machines in many different industries with a very diverse customer. Company information available at www.serac-inc.com.
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