HEADSPACE STERILIZER

The Sentry "Headspace" or Cap Sterilizer is designed specifically to serve between the capper and cooler on hot fill lines. Products that need to be filled hot, such as tea, juice, or sports drinks usually have a very limited period of time before they need to reach the cooling tunnel. In transit to the cooler it is necessary to tilt or invert the product for a given period of time to allow the super-heated liquid to envelope the inside of the closure. 

The size of the unit is directly related to the amount of exposure required by the customer's QC specifications. The inversion of the container combined with the extreme temperature of the product sterilizes and seals the "headspace" or cap area of the closure. Also, turning the product to a horizontal profile exposes missing caps and allows the customer's downstream low-fill inspection system to reject the container.

Each machine is equipped with aluminum wheel-assisted curves to minimize the chain pull at higher speeds. Horizontal models for areas with limited overhead space and pressure-free "lay-down" styles for sensitive containers are also available. A dual-drive arrangement allows the option of rotating round containers by running one chain slightly faster than the other.