Description

Description of the Process

Production of the PET bottles:
The preform consists of two main parts: the already formed thread to close the bottle after the filling process and the PET material to form the body of the bottle. The PET performs are heated to a temperature at which the material changes into a ductile state. Then they are put into a mould which has the negative shape of a bottle. By stretching and blowing compressed air in the PET material, the material is blown up to a bottle with the shape of the mould. This process is semi-automatic. The preforms have to be put into the blow moulding machine manually.

Filling – closing – labelling line:
When the bottle is ready, it is automatically forwarded to the following filling, closing and labelling line. At first, the bottle is exposed to UV light as a safety disinfection step, especially for the bottle neck. In a covered area, the bottle is filled with drinking water and then automatically closed with a cap (incl. safety seal ring). During filling, the water is exposed to UV light as a second safety step to avoid any contamination by microorganisms. After that, the bottle is labelled to indicate important information (e.g. expiry date, machine number, etc.). The bottle filling machine is fully automatic. Filling, closing and labelling are done under the best possible hygienic conditions without the need for any operating personnel. The drinking water input has to be provided by the customer. The drinking water must be fed into the buffer tank of the bottling container under pressure and with a sufficient flow rate.
Bottle storage:
The bottles are forwarded to a slide connected on the outside of the front door of the container by the force of the production line which pushes the bottles forward through an opening in the front door. The slide can either be inclined to let the bottles slide into a box or set in the horizontal position to function as a buffer area at the end of the filling/closing/labelling line. The bottles have to be taken away by a second operator to assure the continuous flow of the bottling process. This person also refills the consumables (preforms, caps, etc.).

“Six-pack” bundling machine:
A bundling machine can be operated in the buffer area in front of the WBP 700 container. This machine takes advantage of the special shape of the bottle and fixes six bottles together with several straps to form a six-pack.