Sanitisation process for sanitising a filling device (1) of a receptacle, the filling device (1) comprising a valve body (2), an inlet (4) for a fluid, a dispensing nozzle (5), and a shutter (8) that can be moved inside the valve body (2), comprising the steps of: bringing the shutter (8) into a position whereby it engages the dispensing nozzle (5) so as to close it completely; supplying the inlet (4) with the sanitisation fluid so as to fill the valve body (2) with the sanitisation fluid; moving the shutter (8) away from the dispensing nozzle (5) so as to discharge the condensation that has formed inside the valve body (2).

A method of decontaminating an aseptic filling apparatus that includes stations including a content filling station arranged from an upstream side to a downstream side of a flow of a preform or container, and each of the stations is covered by a chamber. The method includes sterilizing the content filling station by performing a CIP and then an SIP or performing an SIP serving also as a CIP of the content filling station, removing a cleaning liquid used in the CIP or SIP, and performing a COP and/or an SOP of the various kinds of stations in a predetermined order. A first SOP using a first sterilizer and a second SOP using a second sterilizer are performed stepwise on the various kinds of stations while the CIP and the SIP or the SIP serving also as the CIP are being performed on the content filling station.

A method of decontaminating an aseptic filling apparatus that includes stations including a content filling station arranged from an upstream side to a downstream side of a flow of a preform or container, and each of the stations is covered by a chamber. The method includes sterilizing the content filling station by performing a CIP and then an SIP or performing an SIP serving also as a CIP of the content filling station, removing a cleaning liquid used in the CIP or SIP, and performing a COP and/or an SOP of the various kinds of stations in a predetermined order. A first SOP using a first sterilizer and a second SOP using a second sterilizer are performed stepwise on the various kinds of stations while the CIP and the SIP or the SIP serving also as the CIP are being performed on the content filling station.

A cleaning method of a heat sterilization system includes: a step of causing a fluid formed of a cleaning liquid or a rinse liquid to flow through the heat sterilization system; a step of supplying hot water to a second-stage heating unit to heat the second-stage heating unit; and a step of measuring fluid temperatures of the fluid at the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet of the second-stage heating unit, and medium temperatures of the hot water at a medium inlet of the second-stage heating unit and a medium outlet of the second-stage heating unit. An overall heat transfer coefficient (U value) of a heating pipe of the second-stage heating unit is calculated based on the fluid temperatures at the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet of the second-stage heating unit and the medium temperatures at the medium inlet and the medium outlet of the second-stage heating unit.

In an aseptic filling apparatus, a CIP of the content filling station is performed after rotation of a wheel in the content filling station is stopped, a COP or SOP of the content filling station is performed while the wheel in the content filling station is rotating immediately after the CIP is completed, an SIP of the content filling station is performed with rotation of the wheel in the content filling station being stopped immediately after the COP or SOP is completed, and one or both of the COP and SOP of the other stations is performed in a predetermined order while wheels in the other stations are rotating in a period from the start of the CIP to the end of the SIP.

In an aseptic filling apparatus, a CIP of the content filling station is performed after rotation of a wheel in the content filling station is stopped, a COP or SOP of the content filling station is performed while the wheel in the content filling station is rotating immediately after the CIP is completed, an SIP of the content filling station is performed with rotation of the wheel in the content filling station being stopped immediately after the COP or SOP is completed, and one or both of the COP and SOP of the other stations is performed in a predetermined order while wheels in the other stations are rotating in a period from the start of the CIP to the end of the SIP.

In an aseptic filling apparatus, a CIP of the content filling station is performed after rotation of a wheel in the content filling station is stopped, a COP or SOP of the content filling station is performed while the wheel in the content filling station is rotating immediately after the CIP is completed, an SIP of the content filling station is performed with rotation of the wheel in the content filling station being stopped immediately after the COP or SOP is completed, and one or both of the COP and SOP of the other stations is performed in a predetermined order while wheels in the other stations are rotating in a period from the start of the CIP to the end of the SIP.

An automatic liquid filling system includes a machine assembly, a gripping unit, and a controlling unit. The machine assembly has a filling zone for receiving at least one container. The container has an opening. The machine assembly includes a plurality of filling nozzles in the filling zone. The gripping unit in the machine assembly includes a moving track and a robotic arm. The robotic arm is movably disposed on the moving track. The controlling unit in the machine assembly is electrically connected to the gripping unit. When the container is located in the filling zone, the controlling unit controls the robotic arm to move along the moving track and to pick up one of the filling nozzles to fill the container through the opening of the container. A method of filling liquid is provided herewith.

In an aseptic filling machine including content supply piping for feeding a content to a filler via a heat sterilization portion, CIP and SIP of the inside of the content supply piping is performed by circulating a cleaning liquid, SIP is performed by heating the cleaning liquid to a required temperature for sterilization from the start of the CIP or during the CIP, the overall heat transfer coefficient of the heating piping is calculated, it is determined that the CIP is completed when the overall heat transfer coefficient calculated reaches a target value, temperatures are measured by a plurality of temperature sensors provided, a lowest temperature is selected from the measured temperatures, F values are calculated for the selected lowest temperature, the calculated F values are accumulated, and it is determined that the SIP is completed when the accumulated F value reaches a target value.

A carbonated beverage aseptic filling system (10) comprises: a filling nozzle (72) for filling a carbonated beverage; a carbonated beverage filling tank (75) connected to the filling nozzle (72) via a carbonated beverage supplying pipe (73) and a counter pressure pipe (74); a snift pipe (78) connected to the filling nozzle; and an aseptic chamber (13) enclosing the filling nozzle (72), at least part of the carbonated beverage supplying pipe (73), and at least part of the counter pressure pipe (74). The carbonated beverage supplying pipe (73) and the counter pressure pipe (74) are attached to the aseptic chamber (13) by a rotary joint (77). A discharging valve (79) is provided in the snift pipe (78) inside the aseptic chamber (13), and gas from the snift pipe (78) is discharged into the aseptic chamber.