RG280: Galdi's Gable Top filler with superior hygienic performance

Unveiled a few weeks ago in a preview video, the new RG280 is the most advanced packaging machine for delicate and extended shelf life products ever manufactured by Galdi.

Raising Standards was the guiding philosophy behind the development process. With this model, which is the result of research, innovation and extensive testing, we wanted to raise the performance bar for filling machines available on the market.

Here are the RG280’s 3 main drivers for development:

• Superior hygienic performance
• Consistent hygiene levels over time
• Safety and sustainability

In order to offer concrete guarantees to our customers, the new packaging machine was designed and developed in accordance with objective and evidence-based guidelines.

The RG280 is a Class IV machine as per the German VDMA standard, which sets out the design and hygiene requirements for machines used to fill extended shelf life products, distributed both at ambient temperature (acidic) and in the cold chain (pasteurised).

To make sure that we were providing high guarantees in terms of hygiene performance effectiveness and repeatability, we implemented a range of technical solutions to reach performance levels that are usually only achieved with aseptic systems.

Our research and development efforts focused particularly on:

In the new RG280 food filling machine, vaporized hydrogen peroxide (35% solution) is used for carton and cap disinfection.

We also paid special attention to the design of the disinfection tunnel, making extensive use of simulations.

The level of package and cap disinfection we achieved is equivalent to that the VDMA requires for aseptic solutions. And with VHP we also overcome some of the limitations of other disinfection methods, such as UV lamps and 3% peroxide solutions.

Nevertheless, it is worth pointing out that the emission and residue levels of the RG280 are well below legal limits.

In other words, this packaging system combines optimal product quality preservation with safety for operators and the environment!

For Sterilization in Place (SIP) processes, we opted for the gold standard in sanitization, i.e. pressurised steam (121 °C / 250 °F for 30 minutes).

In terms of effectiveness and repeatability, and also of consumption and environmental impact, this solution produces better results than cold sterilization with peracetic acid.

Galdi designers and engineers developed the sterilization system to ensure uniform sterilization of each and every corner of the machine, even the most difficult to reach.

By reducing the bacterial load to a minimum and ensuring a thorough sanitization, we achieve the twofold aim of increasing the intervention window and minimizing risks.

And, being fully automated, the process is independent from external factors.

For the hygienic chamber of the RG280, Galdi engineers developed exclusive innovations that add to and complement solutions that had been tested on our top-of-the-line Gable Top packaging systems with the best hygienic standards.

The system is equipped with:

• FCM certified HEPA filters
• Internal overpressure
• Controlled supply and return air flows
• An innovative self-adaptive system capable of adjusting to changing conditions (e.g. clogged filters).

Both the airflow management and the self-adaptive system, which were developed through accurate simulations, are a real innovation for packaging systems used to fill delicate products.

Overall, we succeeded in:

• Minimizing product recontamination risks during the packaging process
• Ensuring performance repeatability for the entire life cycle of the machine
• Allowing for a larger intervention window and, in turn, greater overall production stability

The RG280 was designed to be much more than a Gable Top packaging machine with an advanced cleaning system.

Striving to reach superior hygienic standards, we made considered choices and developed technically sound design solutions that are the result of know-how and research.

• Instead of your regular foam cleaning, the method used for the RG280 involves recirculating soda and acid at the appropriate temperature
• Accurate testing and evaluation studies were conducted to come up with the ideal design and arrangement for the 90 spray balls inside the hygienic chamber
• The cleaning system, which also encompasses the air inlets, is fully automated. Since it does not require manual cleaning, it dramatically reduces the risk of recontamination.

The result? Superior hygiene levels and thorough machine cleaning, overcoming the common limitations of foam cleaning.

A very high precision sealing process literally "seals" the results we achieved in terms of hygiene.

Our pack acceptance specifications are now even stricter, both in terms of sealing performance and aesthetics, in order to meet the needs of the most demanding customers and also provide greater safety guarantees for ESL products.

The new criteria were applied and tested on all the formats the packaging machine can handle, so as to guarantee perfect seals even for the smallest cartons with cap closure.

Of course, as with all Galdi systems, the RG280 can operate with all types of paper available on the market, ensuring maximum flexibility. All available fill volumes can be handled with ease too, thanks to a very fast changeover, facilitated by automatic micro-adjustments for each cross section.

As mentioned earlier, offering the market a Gable Top filling machine with superior performance was not our only goal.

While delivering superior hygienic performance, Galdi designers also developed solutions to ensure consistent performance over time, without forgetting the importance of reducing emissions and consumption for humans and the environment!

Want to find out all about the new RG280?