Tetra Pak unveils new electron beam package sterilization technology
In a ground-breaking first for the beverage carton industry, Tetra Pak (tetrapak.com), launched a filling machine that uses electron beams, not hydrogen peroxide, to sterilize packaging material. The Tetra Pak® E3, on display at the Fispal Technologia International Trade Show in São Paulo, Brazil, promises a range of benefits to customers; not least the potential to run up to 40,000 portion packages per hour. Compared with the existing Tetra Pak A3/Speed platform, Tetra Pak E3 machines will also provide lower operational costs, improve environmental performance and increase production flexibility.
At the heart of the new machine is the eBeam sterilization technology that was developed by Tetra Pak in collaboration with COMET, a world leading company in high-voltage and high-vacuum technology. The technology works by focusing a controlled beam of electrons onto the surface of packaging material as it runs through the filling machine, killing any bacteria or micro-organisms present.