Recently, AKOMAG has delivered, installed and tested a new high-speed machine for washing recycled glass bottles for the PepsiCo Group.
The machine supplied by Akomag to PepsiCo Group is a Hydra 8.2, characterised by a production speed of 37,500 bottles/h. It reaches a mechanical efficiency of 99.4%, successfully exceeding the standards required by the customer in the contractual phase, confirming once again Akomag as world leader in the construction of glass bottle washers. The Hydra 8.2 bottle washer has been specially designed to minimize the environmental impact, with particular attention to water and steam consumptions, and to the duration of the detergent bath.
The completely automated washing cycle includes a bottle pre-wash spraying station and a double pre-soak bath that significantly reduces the detergent bath pollution obtaining a considerable decrease in energy consumption. In addition, in the pre-soak area, a belt filter has been installed to automatically remove the main impurities present in recycled bottles (straws, paper, cigarette butts). The bottle washing cycle is completed with the internal and external high-pressure detergent sprays, using self-cleaning and self-centring rotating nozzles.
The bottles are accompanied to the final rinsing station, with sprays using mains water at decreasing temperature. It is precisely on the final rinsing sprays using mains water that AKOMAG focused its attention in designing this machine. The expedients developed in the design stage have allowed to achieve extraordinary results. By installing a special valve with integrated flow meter on the mains pipe (controlled directly from the control panel), it is possible to detect the instantaneous and daily water consumption, necessary for the proper washing of the bottles.
With extreme satisfaction Akomag can state that, thanks to the new design, the machine has reached a water consumption of 0.098 lt./bott. , a lower value than strictly imposed by the customer in the contractual phase. The supply is completed with sensors for slowing down and stopping the machine in case of missing or clogging of the bottles on the conveyor belts; synchronization systems of the bottle washer speed with that of the filling unit; control and introduction of detergent and additives in the washing bath and of sequestrants/disinfectants in the spray tanks; self-cleaning filters in the tanks; automatic loading and unloading of bottles, perfectly synchronized with the movement of the main chain.
Who is who
AKOMAG is a flexible and dynamic company that bases its policy on customer satisfaction, the quality of its systems, customer service and technological innovation. It has been working for several years in the bottling sector and thanks to the proven experience developed in this field, it can guarantee its customers maximum yields, user-friendly operation, minimum operating costs as well as long working life of its machines built with top quality, certified materials. The company’s experience and research are available to customers who are looking for the best.
