Krones has introduced LinaFlex eSync, a pioneering pasteurisation solution. For the first time, a system combines a fully integrated dynamic line buffer with single-lane transport throughout the line, setting new standards in beverage filling.

Instead of wide bulk conveyors with external buffering sections, the LinaFlex eSync features a swift, slimline conveyor system. Thanks to a compact yet efficient line layout, the cans travel in a closed-packed flow from the filler to the pasteuriser and then to the packe, no interim buffering needed. Not only does that substantially reduce the amount of floor space required (by up to 40 per cent in the wet end and by up to 25 per cent in the entire line), it also makes it easier to access the machines for maintenance and operation.

Buffer management integrated into the pasteuriser

Buffer management has been fully integrated into the pasteuriser. A separate variable-speed buffer belt creates a dynamic buffer section, whose capacity can be flexibly matched to the current line speed. “The transitions between the different belt speeds are technically ingenious,” explains product manager Niels Clausen. “In this way, the system can respond to any fluctuations in production – both upstream and downstream of the pasteuriser , with the requisite flexibility.”

Yet another advantage: gentle can handling reduces the risk of mechanical damage. That makes it possible to use lighter cans with thinner walls, which saves material and raises sustainability levels. And thanks to the compact design, significantly better use can be made of the space available in the production line.

Heat recovery and speed control boost energy efficiency

The LinaFlex eSync scores just as highly when it comes to energy efficiency. Thanks to a proven heat recovery system between the heat-up and cooling zones, the amount of energy needed is substantially reduced. Functions like speed control, zone insulation, low-pressure-optimised nozzles and an optional cooling module with heat pump complement the system perfectly. The latter enables the heat recovered in product cooling to be used to heat the pasteurising zones or to be fed into a central heating grid. The module can achieve a COP (coefficient of performance) value of up to 2.9.

On the shopfloor at DICO Drinks
The pasteuriser’s prototype has been up and running at DICO Drinks in Hückelhoven, Germany, since July 2023. Rated at 95,000 containers per hour, the system provides a buffering capacity of three minutes on just six square metres. Sven Breitfeld, the Head of Production, is impressed: “The footprint difference is striking – the new system is a genuine gain in efficiency.”