Krones has supplied a complete aseptic line to Vinícola Panizzon. The highlight of the line is the Contipure AseptBloc DA, which will be used for bottling wine, among other things – which is rather unusual. The technology has many advantages in terms of both product quality and sustainability. In addition to the blow molder and filler, the block also includes a sterilization system for the preforms.
With consumers’ growing thirst for healthier beverages that contain no added preservatives, one technology in particular has gained more and more prominence in the market: aseptic filling in PET bottles. This is precisely the solution Krones supplied to Vinícola Panizzon in Brazil, in the form of a complete aseptic line.
Installation of the new line began in early 2021, and production got underway in December of the same year. Krones took care of the entire aseptic line project for the Brazilian winery. “The word that best defines the partnership between Krones and Panizzon is ‘trust’. Knowing that we can count on a company that understands and meets the needs of customers from the beginning to the end of the process of acquiring a line is very important,” says Filipe Panizzon, responsible for marketing at Vinícola Panizzon.
The word that best defines the partnership between Krones and Panizzon is ‘trust’. Filipe PanizzonResponsible for marketing at Vinícola Panizzon
According to Ayrton Irokawa, sales manager at Krones do Brasil, the turnkey approach optimizes the installation of a production line and gives customers more security. “Krones is committed to understanding the customer's needs from the initial idea of their project, developing packaging and customized solutions to match market demands – for technologies in beverage production and filling. That was the case with Panizzon, a successful company that values investment in high technology. It is very gratifying to work with a family company that is seeking to improve its business more and more and be part of this history,” says Ayrton Irokawa. “Krones is not just a machine manufacturer; it is a provider of integrated solutions.”
The highlight of Panizzon's aseptic line is the Contipure AseptBloc DA, a block that integrates a Contiform 3 Pro blow molder and an aseptic filler with a preform sterilization system, ensuring that asepsis is maintained at all stages of the production line. Besides a flash pasteurizer and a homogenizer, Krones also supplied a DynaBloc system, which consists of a labeler and a packer, to optimize space in the layout of the plant.
The partnership between Krones and Panizzon also prioritized sustainable solutions, such as optimizing energy and air consumption in the blowing process, in keeping with Krones’ sustainability program, enviro. No water is used in the entire aseptic system as preform sterilization is done us-ing hydrogen peroxide in the gaseous state. This increases microbiological safety and reduces costs. Since the preforms retain their shape during sterilization, the Contipure AseptBloc DA can also be used to process lightweight bottles, where only the smallest possible amount of PET is used.
Panizzon's aseptic line has a maximum output of 18,400 bottles per hour, based on a 300 ml bottle, for different products, such as juices and teas of several flavors, as well as wine in PET packaging. “The beverage sector has been impacted by glass bottle shortages. So, in 2019, we started the search for a new filling line that could package our products with quality, without being tied to glass. That's when we found Krones, who offered us a filling line that met our expectations for efficiency and product quality in PET packaging. We are satisfied with the equipment supplied by Krones,” emphasizes Filipe Panizzon.
