When it comes to new initiatives, the Research and Innovation Centre at GEA Procomac in Parma, Italy is about as new as they come. The Centre is a supreme example of an innovation facility that has its eyes focused firmly on the future.
The R&I Centre opened the doors in January 2009 with the sole purpose of pushing the boundaries of aseptic bottling technology. It is much more than simply product development; it is innovation in its true sense.
The idea for a special department to look at new technology came some years ago with the first dedicated team formed in 2006. The research functions were managed by the GEA Procomac Aseptic Division and, during that time, the team pioneered a number of aseptic technologies, including the use of microbiological isolator technology instead of the traditional clean room environment for aseptic filling lines.
Although having the R&I team in-house worked well, the new facility is now located just 1 km from GEA Procomac’s office. Paolo Pagliarini, GEA Procomac R&D Director explained that it was not far away but the separation of the ten-strong team from the main office was important. “Now the R&I personnel can focus on their work without interruption. This is a more efficient and productive arrangement”.

Facilities
The new facility includes offices, a laboratory, and a workshop (with pilot plants) for new equipment testing and evaluation. Its purpose is to enable evaluation of new innovative technologies required to remain competitive in an ever-changing business climate. The Centre was designed to provide flexibility for ongoing evaluation of existing aseptic “wet” chemical sterilisation technologies and the workspace required for new equipment. The laboratory allows the R&I team to conduct chemical, micro and pilot plant tests much quicker than would be possible if GEA Procomac had to rely on outside laboratories. This allows the company to respond to requests, both from internal departments and customers, faster and more economically than would otherwise be possible.

R&I Centre equipment
As well as the PAA (Peracetic Acid) located in its own clean room, the Centre includes a pilot plant for VHP H2O2 (Vapourised Hydrogen Peroxide) sterilisation and a prototype plant using an energy-based (electron beam) cap sterilisation system. PAA is used as a chemical sterilant for equipment and packaging container sterilisation in existing aseptic filling systems. In an industrial application, VHP is used to sterilise bottles internally with CHP (Condensing Hydrogen Peroxide) used for the bottles’ exterior. The Sterilbeam cap steriliser is a temporary installation that sterilises bottle caps using low-energy electrons from electron beam emitters.
Additional equipment within the Centre includes: a chemical hood, biological hood, autoclave, an optic microscope with contrast phase kit, incubators with temperature control, analytical balances, a water bath with temperature control, a microbiological vacuum filtration system, heating plates with magnetic stirrer, a venting solvent cabinet, a spectrophotometer in visible range, a reflectometer, an aspirator pump for gas detecting, a refrigerator, a colony counter, laboratory glassware, chemical reagents, microbiological broths and microbiological indicators.

The Centre at work
The Centre has been designed to be extremely flexible. As well as pure innovation work it can also be used by customers for temporary installation and validation of new equipment used in packaging sterilisation or aseptic filling. In some cases, the facilities of the Centre can be hired out to customers to have their own tests performed by GEA Procomac’s research team.
Since its opening in January, the R&I Centre has been used for new PAA chemistry evaluation and to support customer testing. Examples of research activities undertaken include: evaluating competitive PAA sterilant formulations; evaluating the operating parameters required to minimise customer TCO (Total Cost of Ownership); and studying water rinsing requirements to minimise PAA residuals. Testing activities performed on behalf of customers include: evaluating the sterilising capabilities of new and existing bottle designs; and assessing the temperatures and PAA concentrations required to meet customer sterilisation objectives.
The Centre has performed a number of specific projects this year. For example, the VHP pilot plant has been used to identify the optimum formulation required to achieve the desired sterilisation (while minimising H2O2 residuals and bottle shrinkage). These tests have been critical in determining the right solution and compromise between the required bacteria killing rate, the residual sterilant left in the bottles, and the shrinkage of the plastic bottles during the process.
In another example, the Sterilbeam prototype is currently being used to perform dosimetry tests on different customer cap designs (and geometries). Dosimetry testing is used to confirm the formulation needed to obtain the minimum sterilisation dose as well as to “map” the dose obtained in different areas of the cap. The Sterilbeam prototype will soon be used to perform the validation required to obtain the LNO (Letter of Non-Objection) from the USA FDA (Food and Drug Administration).
Silvia Armanetti, Marketing Manager for GEA Procomac, is obviously delighted with the way the R&I Centre is working and is keen to spread the word to the rest of the GEA P Division. “It is very important to us that our customers understand the facilities we have here and we need the help of our GEA partners to get our message out. We need people to understand that we have a unique facility here that we can make available to them. We also want our customers and potential customers to know that we take innovation seriously. Not just for our existing products but innovation and research into what might be possible in the future.”
It is a sobering thought that although development of today’s products is important; it is in the future that we will all spend the rest of our lives. Only by understanding the possibilities of tomorrow can we ensure the successes of today.