Krones Viscofill – the new product family for food filling applications

Food filling machines need to be flexible, hygienic, versatile and accurate – quite a demanding list. The Krones Viscofill product family is the perfect solution for gently filling jam, honey, sauces, milk products, salad dressings and baby food into jars, tins or PET containers. The machines are based on a familiar piston-type design but with some sophisticated advanced features. Manfred Faltermeier, Food Applications Department Manager, provided some details about the Viscofill series.

The capabilities of the Viscofill family extend to high-viscosity products.
What approach was taken during the design phase?

The existing Krones machine portfolio was unsuitable for filling large chunks and pasty products. We wanted to fill that gap. We rely on technologies that are already established in the market while adding features which are based on our own filling technology expertise.

What challenges did you need to overcome?

Machines for filling food have to meet different product quality and machine design criteria compared to beverage production. We had to step back, take a new look and consider some new aspects.

What it is about Viscofill that makes you particularly proud?

Our quickness, no question about it. We developed a marketable Viscofill prototype within a very short space of time. The machine now produces jam products ready for sale. The consistency range extends from liquid to high viscosity and the machine is extremely hygienic. This along with fast time to market makes the Viscofill family very special in my opinion.

What potential do you see for the Viscofill?

We would like to considerably expand the product base in the future. We are thinking about the home and personal care and pet food markets. Viscofill gives Krones access to a core market which offers very considerable additional potential. There is currently no end in sight.