OYSTAR USA (oystar-group.com) – whose parent company, OYSTAR Group, develops and manufactures both complete packaging lines and individual machines for the dairy and food industries – provides a complete line of aseptic packaging equipment and services to food and dairy processors, resulting in extended shelf life for food & beverage products. Solutions from OYSTAR USA include machines that sterilize packaging material, as well as those that sterilize filling systems and filling and sealing areas. These aseptic packaging solutions meet all international hygiene standards, including those mandated by the American Food & Drug Administration.

OYSTAR USA’s portfolio of aseptic packaging solutions encompasses fill-seal cup fillers with a capacity up to 57,000 cups per hour; form-fill-seal cup fillers with capacities of over 90,000 cups/hr.; and stick pack pouch fillers that can produce up to 36,000 packages/hr. The company also has broad expertise in sterilization methods running with peroxide (bath, spray and vapor), as well as in physical sterilization methods such as dry heat, steam sterilization, use of light sources, plasma and E-beam. End-of-line equipment that handles secondary and tertiary packaging operations also is available.

OYSTAR Group current aseptic filler installations range from single machines to complete lines, and from standard models to those customized to suit customers’ specific, individualized needs. Installations are complemented by a full range of customer support services including on-site training, inspections and maintenance.

OYSTAR Group’s machines are regularly used to package dairy products, cereals, pasty foods and liquids; in recent years, the company also has become a leader in the aseptic packaging of evaporated milk and coffee creamers in stick packs. OYSTAR also offers in-mold labeling on aseptic form-fill-seal machine; this is suitable for long-life products like thermized yogurt, desserts and baby food in thermoformed cups.

Recent developments in OYSTAR USA’s aseptic packaging capabilities include

• Half-tunnel Concept – OYSTAR Group developed and introduced equipment that incorporates small aseptic zones, thereby eliminating the need to house aseptic filling machinery in large clean rooms.
• Green Aseptic– OYSTAR Group continuously refines its aseptic packaging solutions to reduce energy, packaging and chemical use. This includes using physical sterilization methods like steam sterilization which, for example, the company utilizes to sterilize polypropylene material for aseptically filling baby food.
• Short-run Aseptic Filling –OYSTAR Group has developed an aseptic pilot filling machine for limited runs of pre-formed cups – a unique offering within the aseptic technology marketplace.
• Aseptic swirling– In response to specific customer demands, OYSTAR now offers aseptic filler nozzles for two-flavor dessert products with patterning, such as chocolate and vanilla puddings.

Machine Focus: Flexline FL 8/8 CA Cup Filler

Recently installed at Bakoma Sp. z o. o., Poland’s largest dairy foods provider, the fully servo-controlled Flexline FL 8/8 CAaseptically fills and seals preformed cups with dairy products.All movements are servo-controlled, meaning changes in filling curves or quantities can be controlled from the control panel and saved as dispensing formulas for future runs.The Flexline FL 8/8 CA achieves a production rate of up to 38,400 cups per hour; its filling quantity range is 90-400g.

After first being cleaned with ionized air and suctioning to remove any potential particles, cups are sterilized with peroxide and dried with sterile air.The machine has three different dosing devices, providing maximum product flexibility.All dosing equipment is designed for CIP/SIP treatment.

Pre-punched cover plates – also sterilized with peroxide – are used to seal cups.For uninterrupted production, the foil lid stations are equipped with automated changeover devices.The adjustable sealing heads are designed to reliably seal 16 cups per cycle. A ring-shaped cylinder heater warms the sealing heads, which are controlled and monitored using special software. Foil seal tightness is examined before cups are removed by an integrated packer that sets them in four stacks at a time.