Knives are out
July 1st 2005

Air Control Industries has launched two innovative new products that greatly improve drying efficiency on bottling and canning lines. Ian Clay was among the first people to hear about the systems Despite being the company that introduced airknives to the UK in 1991 Air Control Industries has decided that there is a need for change in the way the technology has been used in bottle and can drying applications. The problems with the way airknives are used at present, explains ACI marketing manager, Matt Forknall is that guide rails interrupt air flow and that getting the right angle for air delivery can be a very tricky task. Couple these problems with the lack of control of the spray being blown from the bottles and that airknives offer no thermal drying effect and you have a wholly unsatisfactory situation.

In order to answer these problems ACI is launching two new pieces of equipment to be shown for the first time at the Drinktec exhibition in Munich (September 12-17th 2005). The first of these products, integrated into ACI’s Dri-Line bottle drying systems is the new JetPlate, a development of airknife technology that is designed to improve drying efficiency while also simplifying installation and maintenance.

The JetPlate can deliver twice the volume of high pressure air over the bottles from a closer position than before with the entrained air ensuring that all water and spray is directed downwards to prevent possible recontamination. JetPlates are also simple and quick to adjust while their positioning permits single bottles – of varying heights – to pass through without falling. Essentially the JetPlate comprises facing plenums each with a face plate with stepped air delivery slots. The configuration ensures the air delivery pattern effectively pushes liquid down and off the product as it is conveyed between the plenums. The JetPlate simplifies installation and maintenance because the plenum face plates act as bottle guides thereby eliminating the need for rails. Also, there is no call for pitch adjustment such as might be required with conventional Airknife systems to achieve optimum drying.

The improvement in drying performance offered by the JetPlate offers the user the opportunity to increase line speeds and so increase production. Another advantage of the system is that it can dry cold bottles, a great benefit with the increasing trend towards flash pasteurisation. The throughput capacity of the JetPlate has been proven on fast bottling lines such as the Stella Artois facility in Mager (UK). Here the JetPlate is part of a line that processes 55 000 bottles per hour.

The second product to be launched by ACI is a can tunnel that can eliminate such problems as illegible ink jet coding, unsightly water stains and label slip due to moisture carry-over on canning lines. The drying also eliminates the risk of stress corrosion cracking while in storage/transportation due to trapped moisture.

Blower powered air in these new can tunnels is delivered through a Y-shaped slot sited straight above the can. This Yshaped air delivery leads to less turbulence and thus less noise. It also delivers advantages in terms of spray direction.

Unlike conventional airknife system where spray is blown in all directions with the new can tunnels spray runs to the floor and can be easily contained. Also, unlike conventional air knives the new ACI can tunnels offer easy adjustment for different can heights. A 30 second process involving quick release clamps is all that is need to re-set the tunnel for a new run.

Again, beta tests of the new products have been run by ACI and have been proven on lines that run at 60 000 cans per hour.

The new products from ACI answer many of the problems experienced on canning and bottling lines already using blower powered air to dry their products.

Like all the best ideas the JetPlate and Can Tunnel are simple ones and if you want to get a closer look the first public showing of the products will be on Stand A3-243 at the Drinktec exhibition, Munich, September 12-17 2005.

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