"Generalist" in juice packaging

In the past German democracy, the parent company of the Sachsenobst juice plant (now Obstland Dürrweitzschen AG) was one of the top five fruit growing centers in the country. The legal form was a cooperative, with 1,500 hectares of orchards and 1,000. Hectares of farmland. After re-privatization in 1990, more than 1,300 employees at the time became shareholders of the newly founded company Obstland Dürrweitzschen AG. With huge planting area, this joint stock company has now become one of the largest fruit growing companies in Germany. The good quality of raw materials promoted the development of the Sachsenobst juicer. In 1991, the juice plant became a member of the Obstland Enterprise Group.

Ensure the quality of the future and increase sales as much as possible – this is the precondition for Sachsenobst's determination of new filling equipment. Although the original Italian filling machine was just installed in 2011, it has already reached the point where it needs to be updated. In a short period of time, two floods hit the area and affected the company. After experiencing a century-long flood in 2002, the accumulated water was as high as one meter. Later, the company immediately responded by adding flood protection facilities to the building. However, in 2013, it was confirmed that the retaining wall was just 6cm lower, as General Manager Steffen Rockmann said: “I can only watch as the water rises a centimeter by a centimeter. After a while: the floodwater passes over the protective wall again. Overwhelm the entire workshop.” For Sachsenobst, this means that the filling shop must be rebuilt. "In this regard, we now focus on quality and experience. Krones has both."

Select Shell Heat Exchanger

The new filling equipment needs to be installed in a 600-square-meter building - this is indeed a challenge. First, the Sachsenobst company rebuilt the dry zone equipment and then started using the Krones filling machine in the summer of 2016. “The most beautiful is always at the end,” said Steffen Rockmann. “When signing the contract, we believe that the filling equipment and process equipment should be provided by the same manufacturer. The juice industry is very complicated.”

In order to get more space, Sachsenobst also freed a warehouse next to it. As a result, Krones can install process equipment in an additional area of ​​approximately 100 square meters. Sachsenobst used the VarioClean automatic CIP equipment for the first time to significantly increase the microbiological reliability of the filling process. For product heating, the company chose VarioFlashH instant sterilizing equipment equipped with a shell and tube heat exchanger. “This is a decision for the future. Of course, the first investment in shell and tube heat exchangers is higher than the plate heat exchanger. However, lower maintenance, scrubbing and operating costs can compensate for this.” Steffen Rockmann convinced. Undoubtedly, "the shell-and-tube heat exchanger has also opened up new possibilities for us. We can sterilize and fill fiber-based products as needed."

Emphasis on recycling glass bottles

The basic premise of a new filling machine is that it can both fill PET bottles and fill them – because for this size of business, two sets of equipment are not considered to be running at the same time. “We started relatively early and started filling PET bottle juices in 2002.” explains Steffen Rockmann. “This is good, because current food retailers will not add new glass juices.” Nevertheless More than half of Sachsenobst's sales are still glass bottles. The 1 liter recyclable Glass Bottle has always been the largest sales package. “Because we only expand sales in the region, we are not affected by the decline in sales volume in the recycling packaging industry.” said the general manager.

Due to the production of many varieties, Sachsenobst needs to replace the production line once or twice a day, sometimes changing the product and sometimes changing the bottle type. Converting from a glass bottle to a PET bottle, or vice versa, from a PET bottle to a glass bottle, this task is always performed by maintenance personnel after a day shift, so that each filling team can use all of its shifts Filling work. In response, Sachsenobst strives to fill only PET bottles or glass bottles for several days in a row. “The current brushing time is longer, but it has a positive impact on the safety of the beverage. Juice is a very sensitive product. Krones designed the process technology is to ensure a stable quality of production.” Steffen Rockmann stressed.

Lightweight shaped bottles

Sachsenobst buys finished PET bottles from a bottle factory. The company uses the NitroHotfill filling process: liquid nitrogen is injected into the bottle neck after hot filling. This avoids container shrinkage during cooling. For Sachsenobst, the NitroHotfill process means that conventional hot fill bottles can be eliminated – which also brings two advantages. “On the one hand, we have used this together with the bottle manufacturers to develop a special-shaped bottle that can use even more dazzling brand names. On the other hand, by reducing the weight of the bottle by about 10%, we can also save costs.” said Steffen Rockmann. , "We have optimized the hot filling process and the new process can achieve a more stable filling process."

However, the new filling technology has also increased the requirements for operators: "The control technology behind them reflects the quality-oriented process technology provided by Krones. In this regard, our employees must have a deeper understanding than before." Therefore, Sachsenobst decided that Krones should conduct follow-up training on the spot for the corresponding operators.

Localization trends

In recent years, the overall sales volume of Sachsenobst has grown against the trend in the industry and will continue to do so in the future. Most of Sachsenobst's products are sold through beverage wholesalers, catering and beverage agents. "If we supply to beverage retail stores, we must maintain quality image and price," stressed Steffen Rockmann. In particular, the trend of localization forecasted by market research institutions will be maintained for a long time, which also coincides with the strategy of this Saxony juice supplier. Sachsenobst hopes to use this development as a pillar in an increasingly complex world to strengthen its ecological products. “We always believe that ecological products must be cultivated locally. We do not import ecological raw materials from a remote corner of the globe. We think this is contrary to the ecological philosophy of the Sachsenobst brand.” The general manager emphasized.

Eco-products are very popular in Germany at present, and the raw material on the market has been seriously insufficient. With the support of the parent company Obstland Dürrweitzschen AG, Sachsenobst juicers can more easily provide feedback. Now they can provide fruit juices made from apples in their own orchards.

This species will be further expanded in the future. In 2017, a food series was also introduced to the market, including a single variety of fresh apple juice, as well as currant, wild cherries and sour cherry mixed drinks. Currently, gooseberry and gooseberry have been changed to ecological planting methods. After a prescribed transitional period, these raw materials were marketed as ecological raw materials from 2019 onwards. Steffen Rockmann confidently said: "The goal of ecological juice and localization is our concrete response to the challenges of the times."