GEA Procomac aseptic technology empowers Sandora’s PET juice operations in Ukraine
Founded in 1995, Kherson-based Sandora LLC is Ukraine’s leading manufacturer of branded packaged juices and nectars. With three plants in Southern Ukraine, Sandora produces a wide range of natural juices and nectars from locally grown fruits and vegetables and imported concentrated juices. Located in the rich agricultural southern region of Ukraine, Sandora has been rapidly growing with sales last year of around $120 million. It has three manufacturing plants employing more than 1,500 people and produces more than 180 types of drinks under seven trademarks and although it exports to Russia, the Baltic states, central Asia, Canada and Germany, most of its production is for domestic consumption. Its factories are in Kherson, Crimea and Mykolaiv.
JUIDES IN EASTERN EUROPE: A PROMISING MARKET
The global market for juices grew at 24 percent in the five years to 2005, more than double that for carbonates, according to Euromonitor International in a recent report. But in Eastern Europe sales of juices will be even stronger. In Russia, Ukraine and Poland the combined volume growth of 100 percent juices will be more than 600 million litres over the next five years. Nectars, defined as having between 25 and 99 percent juice, will grow by a quarter in Russia in the five years to 2009, and more so in Poland and Turkey. But it is Ukraine that is offering the most promise. Nectars are expected to more than double in the same period; full-strength juices by 117 percent.
UNIBLOC SPIN: A PROMISING TECHNOLOGY
For its expansion into PET bottling, Sandora pinpointed Mykolaiv, a city near the Crimea which was for many years closed to outsiders as it was the USSR’s strategic navy ship building centre. Sandora clearly had big plans and constructed a plant with ample room for many filling lines with an eventual capacity in excess of 100,000 bottles an hour. It signed up GEA Procomac to provide the first Pet aseptic filling line. Ordered in May 2005, the line was commissioned a year later and provided capacity to fill 26,000 bottles an hour. Using the latest aseptic techniques developed by GEA Procomac, the line packs a variety of fruit and vegetable juices with long shelf life in PET bottles with sleeve labels. SIPA supplied an SFR 16-cavity rotary blow-moulding machine to feed the line with the 380ml bottles made from performs. The machine is in a separate room some distance from the aseptic filling line. The bottles are transferred to the aseptic system using a Convair 2000 air conveyor system in aseptic version. The blowing stations used on the system feature a three-step filtration system using HEPA filters to produce sterile air for bottle motion. An unique feature of the Convair is the integration of blowing nozzle directly in the neck guide, to push the bottles in the best area to stabilize them and avoid bottle jams.
The sterilizing/rinsing/filling bloc is GEA Procomac fourth generation Unibloc Spin system. Simplification of the neck handling is partly a result of a complete redesign of the sterilizing and rinsing system that both reduces the footprint and extends the time for treating the bottles with sterilizing fluids. This has been achieved by eliminating the devices that invert the bottles at the infeed of the sterilizer and exit of the rinser. Instead, a specialised starwheel at each end inverts the bottles in a single action. This enables the full perimeter of the sterilizer carousel to be used, enabling it to be of a small diameter, and for a simplified gripper design to be used. The bottles are transferred to the rinser inverted and this also increases the time for dripping. The reduced number of components further improves microbiological reliability compared with the third generation machines. Process units for sterilizing solution preparation, sterile water preparation, utilities filtration and CIP are grouped into few pre-assembled skids to reduce installation and piping times. Their operating logic is closely connected with the bloc operation, so that most start-up and end-of-production operations are completely automatic. Moreover, all process units can be controlled directly from the main line control panel installed next to the filling bloc. As on earlier aseptic systems by GEA Procomac, the Fillstar Fx electronically-controlled volumetric filler with 100 heads is mounted in a microbiological isolator. Access for dealing with temporary stops is through rubber intervention gloves. Each filling head is designed to accommodate liquids that contain pulps and fibers and it integrates automatic dummy bottle deployment for closed-loop CIP (cleaning in place) and SIP (sterilizing in place) operations. The ELESEPTIC capper by Arol features brushless gear drives fro torque application and a patented heat barrier on moving parts that separates the upper lubricated part from the botton part tat comes into contact with the bottles.
PACKAGING IS CRUCIAL
The sleeve labeller supplied by Intersleeve accommodates both square and round format bottles as does the shrink-wrapper from Italy’s SMI. All conveyor systems are provided by GEA Procomac Packaging, the Packaging Division of GEA Procomac; besides accommodating all bottle and pack formats, they are designed to eliminate all possible damage to container and provide ample buffering time among the varius machines inserted on the line to minimize line stops during production. Palletising is provided by an Agilis top-level machine made by GEA Procomac Packaging. All the main movements of the machines are executed by means of inverter and controlled with encoders. In this way it is possible to finely adapt the machine to any product from the control panel. The extensive use of belt handling systems accounts for reduced operating noise and easier maintenance.
“A COMPLETE SUCCESS”After installation of the first line, the product istantly became a market success. To cope with rising market request, plans started very soon to double the first aseptic line. The second line was commissioned after some months and has been installed in January 2007, ready for producing fruit drinks for the summer season. GEA Procomac technologies had the occasion to meet Mr. Vladimir Yehorenko, Plant Director of Sandora production facility 2 in Mykolayiv, to discuss the outcome of the first aseptic PET line installation and prospects for the future.
Mr. Yehorenko, can you give us some data about this production facility?
Sandora history began 15 kilometers from here, in the old factory. In this case, “old” does not mean “old”, because it was established only 6 years ago, in 2000. Its production capacity is now in excess of 700 million packages per year. This facility where we are now, the plant number 2, was built in a few months from june 2005 to accommodate carton lines for wine and aseptic PET production. We started production in April 2006. It now hosts 5 carton packages lines and two aseptic filling lines for PET for a production capability of 660 million pieces per year.
What kind of products do you make at Sandora?
We produce about 300 different references, 180 flavours in different packages. We are number 1 not only in juices but also in wine bottling in carton packages. We bottle grapes from Crimea. Wine in Ukraine has a different history compared to Italy or France: besides dry wine, fortified wine (more than 20 alcoholic degrees) produced by adding grape spirits to wine is very popular.
What are the main markets for Sandora?
Of course Ukraine, but also in 18 countries countries around the world: we have obtained BRC certificate so that we can sell our product worldwide. Main other country is currently Bielorussia followed by Russia. Sandora is the market leader for juices in Ukraine, an interesting market with a growing consumption of more than 10 liters per capita.
Is Pet a successful container in Ukraine?
Sandora has been number one in Ulraine for 10 years for juice in carton packages. Juices in Pet were introduced in Ukraine in 2005; in one year they conquered 20% of the juice market in Ukraine. I think that Pet is a new container and people is always interested in new and modern packages, fitted also for consumption on the move. We decided to buy a second aseptic PET line to be ready for a fast market growth. We could easily sell more this summer, but we just couldn’t produce as many bottles as we wished.
How can you describe your relationship with GEA Procomac?
Two years ago, when the project started, we evaluated many suppliers before signing the contract for the aseptic PET line with GEA Procomac. After the experience that we have had during these two years, I can affirm now that Sandora took a good decision, because when some issues arose, we always got immediate advice from GEA Procomac’s side, immediately, either by mail, by phone, or in person from your technicians. Moreover, our decision to buy the second line from GEA Procomac means that we are happy with GEA Procomac.
What about the next future?
With the new installations of Carton lines and the second aseptic line in operation from January 2007 we will be in a position to increase the total production of plant number two by 25% during 2007. We expect the second line to arrive to contract production speed in a short time, because our operators are now experienced in managing this technology. We are also thinking about new format, new products in PET that are absolutely new to Ukranian market, line for example iced tea and many others.
Are the European Union countries a possible target for future exports from Sandora?
Yes, of course. We do sell some products in the EU at the moment; although we have some limitations due to Ukraine market position. We see the situation evolving in the next few years and we hope to be able to increase EU export dramatically in the next future.
(06/01/2007)