KHS Group Innofill CAN Compact

The KHS Group’s Innofill CAN Compact is designed for low to medium outputs of 10,000 to 48,000 cans/h. This compact combination of filler and seamer is shipped to the customer as a complete machine in a single container and commissioned on-site on a plug-and-produce basis without any need for complicated installation processes. The company is making the machines available to the craft brewing segment in this area, too.

With its efficient CO₂ purging system the machine is designed to enable extremely low oxygen pickup. Thanks to its patented purging process it also consumes about 30% less carbon dioxide than conventional systems, the company claims. Craft brewers can now also profit from this feature with the compact version. The filler, seamer, control cabinet, valve manifold and panelling of the product form a closed unit.

It features a gapless bell guide with PTFE expansion joints (Teflon) and bells which are lifted and positioned fully electropneumatically to seal the cans — without any mechanical action from cams and rollers. This does away with the need for water lubrication, simplifies cleaning and promises a service life that is up to twice as long as before. KHS also uses PTFE materials in the filling valve. Flavour carryover when changing the product to be filled is thus as good as eliminated. The bell enables can necks from 200 to 206 to be processed.

The new central product tank, which is installed at the top of the filler carousel and has a working volume of 50 to 200 litres, holds 300 litres less than the product tank on the big machines. Unlike in the latter plant technology, the tank does not rotate with the filler carousel on the can filler. The beverage to be canned is supplied to the filling stations by a rotary distributor.