Contact :
Loïc GERARD
Serac accompanies Bio-Z au Japan in its project to introduce a new instantaneous beverages concept on the market
Japan is without doubt a breading ground when it comes to developing new product concepts which are accompanied by innovative and often original packaging solutions such as the present case of the Shupon® cap.
Shupon® is a cap containing a compartment which releases a powder the moment it is opened. The concentrated powder is mixed with the water in the bottle to produce an instantaneous beverage (fruit juice, tea, probiotic…).
Serac was chosen by the Japanese manufacturer to develop a unique machine which accomplishes all tasks such as assembly and filling of the caps, followed by filling and capping of the bottles.
3 of the qualities processed by Serac governed the choice of this Japanese manufacturer. First of all the fact that Serac is already present in Asia, followed by its understanding of the beverages market and finally the know-how acquired by Serac in the transfer and assembly of small parts in the cosmetics sector.
3 subsidiaries of the French manufacturer worked together on this project (Serac France, Serac Spain, specialist in the cosmetics market, and Serac Asia).
The machine, resulting from this joint-venture, comprises 6 different stations uniting precision, rapidity (high work-rates) and safety.
- The two parts of the cap are assembled and placed on transport trays.
- The concentrated product is placed in the cap compartment. This task is carried out with a Hera type linear machine. It is enclosed in a sealed booth in order to solve the problems related to powder volatility.
- In order to preserve the quality of the concentrated product, the next operation consists in creating a vacuum and pressurizing the cap compartment with an inert gas before fitting the lid which protects the powder until the lid is removed.
- After checking the pressure, sealing and decontamination with a peracetic acid based solution, the caps are transferred to the bottles.
- A 30-station rotary filling machine is used for hot filling of 3 PET bottle formats (200,280, 350 ml), while a 15-head screw capping machine seals the assembly at a work-rate of around 300 containers per minute.
This method of mixing two different products when the container is opened offers numerous advantages.
For the processing company, the production method is simple as it fills water only. The initial investments for production and maintenance are lower than those encountered with «traditional» beverage filling processes.
The bottle fillers have increased flexibility as they can ship the caps quickly to various production sites, organization of product changes on the line become easier as well as the storage of various flavors.
The consumer is able to consume a stable product, exempt of all conservation products and additives which are normally used to protect the beverages.
The instantaneous preparation avoids all risk of browning or oxidation and preserves the organoleptic qualities.
Release of an active agent in the liquid at the moment the bottle is opened is a method which may be adopted in numerous applications such as: pharmaceutics, agrochemical, functional foods, specialized milks, high-energy drinks, cosmetics… and certainly many more!