Innovative Cup Seal Helps Bottle Filling Process
31 October 2008
Improving safety and performance are the key benefits resulting from the reduction of glass inclusion in the bottle filling process in leading breweries, wineries and soft drink manufacturers, thanks to Super Seal, a new cup seal.
The revolutionary Super Seal has been developed by Uni-Spray, represented in the UK and Europe by BETE Ltd.
The device is intended to replace rubber based seals and centering cups which are used extensively in the North American bottling industry as part of the rapid automated process of filling glass bottles with a wide range of drinks.
Today’s fast, highly efficient bottling filling processes however, are not without risks, for example breakages can occur randomly, depending on the strength and quality of the glass bottle. On some bottle filling systems an automatic decontamination alarm is activated when breakages occur and these activate water and air sprays to flush and decontaminate the affected area. However, when breakages occur the risk of potential glass ingress within the soft, rubber based seal significantly increases.
This led Uni-Spray to focus its attention on alternative materials as a way of minimising the major risks of glass inclusion in seals and centering cups. Prevention, as opposed to cure. Choice of materials was critical in overcoming the problem and Uni-Spray designed new Polyurethane seals and centering cups, including a patented auto-decontamination system, a combination which significantly reduced instances of glass inclusion.
The Polyurethane material (which is FDA approved) also provided increased lifespan, on average twice the life of a comparable cup / seal manufactured from a rubber based material.
A secondary benefit of the Polyurethane material is its ability to be easily colour coded, helping users and maintenance staff to correctly identify the right cup / seal for the right bottle filler. The Super-Seal cup seal has applications wherever high-speed bottling is required for a wide range of liquids such as beer, wines, ciders, water or carbonated drinks.
A further development from Uni-Spray is a two composition, coloured cup /seal and holder for KHS, one of the leading manufacturers of bottling equipment in the USA. These new seals offer superior changeability, wearability, sanitation, yet at lower cost.
Maximising safety and improving efficiency are essential in today’s high-speed bottling environments and the development of the Super Seal product is a good example of Uni-Spray’s skills as a full-service moulding company offering a complete manufacturing and design service
Released By
Uni Spray
