GC EVANS 4′ x 16′ STAINLESS BOTTLE COOLING TUNNEL, WARMER, PASTEURIZER

A bottle cooling tunnel is a conveyor-based machine that uses water spray and air circulation to gradually and safely cool hot-filled bottles, jars, and cans. This process, often part of a larger production line, is essential for preserving product quality, extending shelf life, and ensuring bottles are cool enough for downstream processes like labeling. How it works; Hot filling: Beverages are filled at high temperatures to kill bacteria and increase shelf life, and also to make the liquid less viscous for efficient filling. Conveyor system: Bottles move through the tunnel on a conveyor belt. Water spray: Nozzles spray cool water over the containers to rapidly lower their temperature. Air circulation: Blowers force external air through the tunnel, which helps to cool the recirculating water and the bottles themselves. Multi-zone cooling: The tunnel is often divided into zones, with temperature control and cooling time adjustable for each zone to prevent thermal shock and ensure consistent results. Benefits; Product preservation: Rapid cooling maintains the quality, taste, and nutritional value of the product inside. Improved shelf life: Cooling after hot filling is a key step in preserving many food and beverage products. Efficient labeling: Bottles must be cool for the adhesive to set properly, which is why rapid cooling is critical for labeling. Safety: Cooling makes bottles safer for workers to handle. Reduced breakage: A gradual cooling process prevents thermal shock that can cause glass bottles to break. A tunnel pasteurizer is a food processing machine that uses a continuous process to pasteurize packaged beverages (like cans or bottles) by exposing them to a controlled temperature and time, typically using hot water sprays, to kill harmful microorganisms and extend shelf life. Here’s a more detailed explanation: How it works: Packages containing beverages are conveyed through a tunnel-like structure where they are exposed to hot water sprays, gradually reaching a specific temperature for a predetermined time, ensuring that the beverage is pasteurized. Pasteurization Units (PU): The effectiveness of pasteurization is measured in Pasteurization Units (PUs), which are calculated based on the temperature and time the beverage is held at. Benefits: Shelf life extension: Tunnel pasteurization effectively kills microorganisms, extending the shelf life of beverages. Versatility: It can be used for various packaged beverages, including aluminum cans, glass bottles, and some types of plastic bottles. Natural labeling: Beverages pasteurized using this method can potentially be labeled as “natural”. Process Stages: Heating: The packages are sprayed with hot water to raise the temperature of the beverage to the required level. Holding: The packages are held at the pasteurization temperature for a specific duration to ensure that the microorganisms are killed. Cooling: The packages are then cooled with clean water before exiting the tunnel. Features: Stainless steel construction: Tunnel pasteurizers are typically made of durable stainless steel. Clean-in-place (CIP) capability: The machines are designed for easy cleaning and maintenance. Conveying systems: Infeed and outfeed conveyors are included to facilitate the movement of packages into and out of the pasteurization tunnel. Touchscreen HMI: Some models have touchscreens for easy control and monitoring of the pasteurization process.