Pasteurizing and Cooling Tunnels for Jars, Bottles and Cans
Continuous spray tunnels that heat, hold and cool filled containers, with zone-by-zone temperature control, heat recovery and water re-circulation.
- Customized from about 2,000 to 60,000 bottles per hour, and cans (Bigtem brochure)
- Continuous temperature recording in every zone
- Regenerative heat recovery between zones
- Cooling water re-circulated through a tower
How the tunnel works
- Spray headers with pressure monitoring to catch nozzle clogging
- Stainless steel circulation pumps with side overflow tanks and slide-in filters
- Curtains and insulated panels between zones
- Alarm and agreed emergency routine to prevent over-pasteurizing if a downstream machine stops
- Blower and adjustable air knives at discharge
- Interior cleaning system for the top covers
Before the tunnel: jar and bottle washing
A gripper washer turns containers and cleans them with water spray and steam jets before filling.
See also pickle lines and packaging and palletizing.
Questions
Which containers can be pasteurized?
Glass jars, bottles and cans, for pickles, vegetables, fruit, sauces, juices and beverages.
How is the process controlled?
Temperature sensors in each zone feed thermostatically controlled valves, proportional in the pasteurization zones, with continuous recording on a touch screen. Bigtem software shows the expected pasteurization units from process parameters.
How is energy and water saved?
A regenerative design re-uses heat from pasteurized product to pre-heat incoming containers, and cooling water is re-circulated through a tower with inverter-controlled pumps.
What sizes are available?
Tunnels are customized, from about 2,000 to 60,000 bottles per hour as well as cans, according to the Bigtem tunnel pasteurizer brochure.
Tell us your crop, capacity and timeline
A Bigtem USA engineer will review your project and follow up with a recommended configuration and a utilities outline.