| Valve type | Hot-fill, up to 85 C |
| Output range | 6,000-36,000 BPH at 0.2-2 L |
| Bottle | Heat-resistant PET geometry, or glass |
| Line | Hot-fill monobloc with tunnel pasteuriser |
| Products | Juice, tea, nectar, functional drinks |
| Key control | Fill temperature, hold time, cap seal |
Hot filling does two jobs at once: it pasteurises the product on the way to the filler, and the residual heat sanitises the bottle and cap. That is why a hot-fill line can run an acidic juice without a separate bottle steriliser. The price is a heat-resistant bottle and a longer cooling tunnel.
By employing strategies such as nitrogen dosing, selecting appropriate packaging materials, controlling storage temperatures, and understanding the causes of oxidation, you can enhance product shelf life and maintain superior taste and freshness.
Cap seals and filling valve O-rings, because they see the highest temperature every cycle. A seal that is fine on a water line at 20 C will harden in weeks at 85 C. The spare parts list should carry those two items in proportion to the number of valves, not as a single set.
Maintaining proper storage temperatures is imperative in preventing oxidation in juices and oils.
| Route | Temperature | What it costs |
|---|---|---|
| Hot fill | Up to 85 C | Heat-resistant bottle and a cooling tunnel |
| Cold fill with preservative | Ambient | Formulation constraint, not a machine constraint |
| Cold fill with in-line pasteuriser | Product-side only | Separate pasteuriser and a closed filling zone |
| Hot fill in glass | Up to 85 C | Glass mass, slower line, higher transport cost |
A different bottle format means a different unit; see the Hotfill Type Filling Machine for Juice.
Glass brings mass, breakage and a slower line. It also brings a closure decision: crown, lug or screw. A glass hot-fill line usually runs at a lower rate than the same filler on PET, and the difference is handling and inspection, not the valve.
Where this becomes a line rather than a single machine, the Juice By Volumetric Filler is the starting point.
Oxygen pickup and excessive heat. Deaeration before the filler, a closed product path and a short hold time protect the volatile fraction. A line that meets its microbial target can still fail on taste if it holds the product hot for too long.
The same question is worked through from another angle in How Hotfill Juice Lines Comply with HACCP Standards.
It replaces the bottle steriliser for acidic products, because the fill temperature and hold time do the microbial work. It does not replace correct product formulation or a validated hold tube.
Yes, if the filler, the recipe and the downstream cooling are specified for both. Tea usually needs a finer filtration step and a different deaeration setting, so the changeover is a recipe and filter change, not just a new label.
Heat-sensitive pigments and vitamins degrade above the product temperature limit. The fill temperature and the hold time are the two variables; lowering either protects colour and shortens the microbial margin.
A controlled ramp rather than a cold plunge, so the bottle does not deform under vacuum. The tunnel zones are set per bottle geometry and validated with a temperature probe in the product.
Country: Turkey
Product: Glass and PET Bottled Juice
Capacity: 20000BPH(330ml) Glass Bottle; 4000BPH(3L) PET Bottle
Solution:Juice Production Line
Country:Kazakhstan
Product: PET Bottled Sparkling Water, Canned Soft Drink, Canned Tea
Capacity: 25000CPH (250ml)
Solution:Three Lines,7000BPH(1.5L), 15000CPH(330ml),15000CPH(450ml)