In today’s world, sustainability is more critical than ever, and companies are looking for innovative ways to reduce their environmental impact. JBT provides an ingenious solution to help customers fill oxygen-sensitive liquid products sustainably: Nitrogen Volume Displacement (NVD).

Recently a new generation of the NVD module was launched to provide customers with a sustainable option for filling oxygen-sensitive products into bottles. The new generation improves sustainability by reducing nitrogen consumption, while maintaining the same level of product quality and safety for oxygen-sensitive products. According to Bram Baars, Sr. Mechanical R&D Engineer at JBT, “The new generation NVD for AsepTec Fillers is an excellent example of how sustainability can drive innovation.”

We developed a solution that improves product quality and safety and reduces environmental impact.

The Need for Low Oxygen in Liquid Food Filling

JBT AsepTec Fillers are used to aseptically fill liquid food products into bottles. Some products, such as juices, plant-based products, and nutraceuticals require a low oxygen environment to prevent oxidation of valuable ingredients. To address this need, JBT offers oxygen reducing modules as an option. The modules displace the air mixture with nitrogen.

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“The oxygen reducing modules include several key components that work together to create a more sustainable filling process.” explains Antonio Martinez, Aseptic Customer Care Manager. “By using empty bottle flushes, headspace flushes, and protective nitrogen blanketing, we can minimize the amount of oxygen in the package, while not jeopardizing aseptic performance and operator safety.”

The empty bottle flush prevents foam bubbles on top of the product from being filled with air by flushing the empty bottle with nitrogen. The headspace flush then flushes the area above the product with nitrogen just before applying a screwcap or foil lid. The protective nitrogen blanketing replaces the air volume displacement between filling and cap applications with nitrogen volume displacement (NVD).

Reducing Nitrogen Consumption in Aseptic Liquid Filling

The new generation NVD system has reduced the aseptic zone area with nitrogen downflow by 50%, resulting in reducing the nitrogen consumption by 50% as well.

Also new is that the downflow can be a mixture of nitrogen and compressed air, adjustable on the HMI (Human Machine Interface). Customers can adjust the mixture to product quality requirements, reducing nitrogen consumption even more when the product is less oxygen sensitive.

JBT's NVD Retrofit Benefits

“One of the main benefits is the ability to reduce nitrogen consumption during the filling process while maintaining the aseptic conditions.” says Bram Baars. “By optimizing the mixture of nitrogen and compressed air to product requirement, our customers are able to achieve significant reductions in nitrogen consumption, while maintaining the required oxygen reduction in the final package”

“The NVD improvement is not only an option for new machines, but it can also be retrofitted to existing AsepTec Fillers with an NVD module,” says Antonio Martinez. “This means that customers can take advantage of sustainability benefits of the NVD system without the invest for a completely new machine.”

Innovative Solutions for Reducing Environmental Impact in Aseptic Liquid Filling: NVD Retrofit

As a global leader in food and beverage processing solutions, JBT is dedicated to providing customers with innovative technologies that enhance their operations while prioritizing sustainability. The development of the new generation NVD module for JBT AsepTec Fillers is a testament to JBT’s commitment to sustainability in the food and beverage industry.

Understanding the importance of sustainability for customers, JBT focuses on developing solutions that not only improve efficiency and product quality but also minimize environmental impact. By offering sustainable solutions, such as the NVD retrofit, JBT empowers customers to make informed decisions that positively impact their operations and the environment. Antonio Martinez explains “As sustainability becomes increasingly important to JBT and our customers, we are seeing more interest in innovative solutions like the NVD retrofit. By continuing to invest in sustainable technologies, we help our customers meet their sustainability goals and reduce environmental impact.”

Aseptec Filler Heads with NVD Retrofit

In addition to the NVD retrofit, JBT continually invests in a wide range of sustainable technologies and applications for the food and beverage industry. These advancements aim to reduce waste, optimize energy consumption, and minimize the use of resources, allowing customers to achieve their sustainability goals while maintaining high standards of quality and safety.

JBT understands that achieving a sustainable food and beverage industry requires collaboration and commitment from all stakeholders. By working closely with customers and industry partners, JBT can develop and implement innovative solutions that drive sustainability across the sector. By fostering a culture of collaboration, JBT helps shape a more sustainable future for the food and beverage industry.

JBT’s commitment to sustainability is evident in the innovative solutions it offers to support customers in the food and beverage industry. The new generation NVD retrofit for JBT AsepTec Fillers demonstrates JBT’s dedication to providing sustainable options that help customers achieve their environmental goals. As the demand for sustainable technologies grows, JBT will continue to invest in research and development to ensure its customers have access to the best solutions for a greener future in the food and beverage industry.

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