The invention relates to a method and a device for treating foods and/or containers for holding foods. The foods and/or containers are treated in at least one treatment zone by a process liquid, wherein the process liquid is at least partially recirculated into the treatment zone or the treatment zones after completed treatment of the foods and/or the containers. At least one membrane filtration system and at least one UV irradiation apparatus are provided for cleaning and sterilisation of the process liquid.

Among other things, there is shown a system for filling vials with fluid that maintains a localized sterile zone around the filling location. In particular embodiments, the sterile zone is provided by a manifold having an internal space to which clean air is supplied. One or more filling assemblies are attached to the manifold. Vials enter the sterile zone and are filled within it. Additional structure, such as coverings for vials, are disclosed to assist in maintaining sterility.

One embodiment of the present invention provides a method for processing plastic containers within an open aseptic converter chamber comprising a sanitized environment, a supply line, a sanitizer device, a perforator device, a sealing device, and a conveyer. During operation, the method includes: providing and filling a container with heated or heatable liquid including water; sealing the container with a seal or cap; cooling the container to create a first headspace pressure; enclosing the container within the chamber; creating an opening in the seal or cap within a sanitized environment of the perforator device; increasing the first headspace pressure to a second headspace pressure by introduction of a sanitized fluid; resealing the container within a sanitized environment of the sealing device; and, transporting or conveying the sealed container away from the chamber.

A sterilization tunnel has an inlet opening for pharmaceutical containers to be sterilised, an outlet opening, a high-temperature sterilisation chamber and a cooling chamber in line therewith and communicating with the outlet opening. A conveyor means transports the containers through the sterilisation chamber and the cooling chamber up to the outlet opening. A transfer plane is positionable in a first configuration aligned with the conveyor to transfer the containers out of the tunnel through the outlet opening. A shutter opens and closes the outlet opening. The transfer plane is movable and positionable in a second configuration inside the cooling chamber and misaligned with respect to the conveyor. When the transfer plane is inside the cooling chamber, the shutter is lowerable in abutment with a seal element.

There is described a packaging machine for producing sealed packages of a pourable product from a web of packaging material, the packaging machine comprises an isolation chamber having an inner environment and within which, in use, the web of packaging material is formed into a tube, a conduct assembly being in fluid connection with the inner environment; the conduct assembly defining and/or forming together with the inner environment at least a portion of a flow circuit of the packaging machine, a nitrogen distribution unit configured to inject and/or direct nitrogen into the flow circuit and a flow controlling device configured to create a flow of gas along a flow path within the flow circuit from the inner environment through at least a portion of the conduct assembly back into the inner environment.

A packaging machine comprises a conveying device for advancing a web along a web advancement path at least to a tube forming station at which the web is formed into a tube and for advancing the tube along a tube advancement path, a tube forming and sealing device configured to form and longitudinally seal the tube, a tensioning device upstream of the tube forming station and configured to control tension of the tube and a control unit configured to control operation of the packaging machine. The tensioning device comprises a main drive roller rotatable around a main rotation axis and a main drive motor configured to actuate rotation of the main drive roller around the main rotation axis. The control unit controls the main drive motor such that an angular speed and/or angular acceleration of the main drive roller is cyclically varied to control tension of the tube.

A method for manufacturing and filling a composite can (201), the method comprising: —forming a tubular body (203) by bending a body blank (16) and bringing two opposing edges of the body blank (16) together in an end-to-end join; —sealing the join by welding a sealing strip (214) over the join, thereby forming an intermediate can (403; 503); —sealing a top opening (211) by attaching a top sealing member (227) across the top opening (211); —applying a top rim (223) to the intermediate can (403; 503) by welding an inserted part of the top rim (223) to the inner surface of the tubular body (203); —turning the intermediate can (403; 503) upside-down and placing the intermediate can (403; 503) on a conveyor (2a) with the top rim (223) resting on the conveyor (2a); filling the intermediate can (403; 503) through the bottom opening (213); —sealing the bottom opening (213) of the tubular body (203) by attaching a bottom sealing member (215) across the bottom opening (213); —turning the intermediate can (403; 503) to bring the top rim (223) in an upward-facing position; —attaching a reclosable lid (221) at the top end of the tubular body (203). The intermediate can is kept in a protective gas atmosphere from said filling of said intermediate can until said bottom opening (213) of said tubular body (203) has been sealed. An assembly line (1) for manufacturing and filling of composite cans (201) is also disclosed.

A modular production system including a plurality of production modules connected in a linear series to form a production tunnel, and collectively defining a production channel, and wherein at least one fluid inlet port defined along the production tunnel, said inlet port is in fluid communication with a pressurized fluid source, whereby influx of fluid from said fluid source through said fluid inlet port acts to maintain the fluid pressure within the production channel at a higher pressure than the atmospheric pressure outside of the production tunnel; and wherein one of said production modules positioned between said proximal-most and distal-most production modules comprises a depyrogenator and/or sterilization module, comprising a transparent tubular body, and an irradiation source positioned external to said transparent tubular body, said irradiation source capable of heating the internal environment of the depyrogenation and/or sterilization module to a temperature sufficient to depyrogenate or sterilize articles passing therethrough.

In combination a spouted pouch to be filled with a flowable product by a filling machine, a plug, and a cap. The interference fit plug is releasably mounted over the top end of the neck of the spout body and hermetically seals the product passage of the spout body. The plug is adapted to be removed by the filling machine and to be replaced by pressing the plug onto the neck after filling of the pouch. The plug removal, filling, and replacing of the plug are preferably performed in an aseptic environment. The cap is after the filling of the pouch and the replacing of the plug onto the neck. The capping is preferably performed by a capping machine in a non-aseptic environment.

A modular production system including a plurality of production modules connected in a linear series to form a production tunnel, and collectively defining a production channel, and wherein at least one fluid inlet port defined along the production tunnel, said inlet port is in fluid communication with a pressurized fluid source, whereby influx of fluid from said fluid source through said fluid inlet port acts to maintain the fluid pressure within the production channel at a higher pressure than the atmospheric pressure outside of the production tunnel; and wherein one of said production modules positioned between said proximal-most and distal-most production modules comprises a depyrogenator and/or sterilization module, comprising a transparent tubular body, and an irradiation source positioned external to said transparent tubular body, said irradiation source capable of heating the internal environment of the depyrogenation and/or sterilization module to a temperature sufficient to depyrogenate or sterilize articles passing therethrough.