Module 3 Packaging Technology and Process Section 3A Packaging Technology Unit 3.1 Packaging Materials Syllabus Item 3.1.1. Small Pack Understanding of Primary, Secondary

and Tertiary Packaging including: • The Function • Basic Properties, • Marketing and Legal Impact • Environmental Effects Basic Principles of Manufacture of • Glass and Plastic Bottles • Cans and Can Ends • Crowns Including choice of materials, linings and typical faults

3.1.2. Large Pack Basic Principles of Manufacture of Kegs, Casks and Spears including: • Choice of Material • Choice of Linings • Impact of Materials and Linings on

properties of Beer • Labelling and Coding Legal

Impact • Use of Transponders for Tracking

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Unit 3.2. Unit Packaging Operations 3.2.1. Bottling and Canning – Basic Principles

Basic principles of design and operation of a returnable or non-returnable bottling line or a canning line including: • Key items of plant utilised • Flow diagrams • Basic principles of

o Design and operation of bottle washer including types of label, label removal and detergents used

o Design and operation of a bottle or can rinser

o Design, operation and control of a bottle filler and crowner with special reference to oxygen and fill level control

o Design, operation and control of a can filler and seamer with special reference to oxygen and fill level control

o Types of labelling and coding available

o Wet glue labeller operation with special reference to paper and glue types

3.2.2. Bottling & Canning – Plant Features

Basic plant features and control procedures, from packaging release tank through to filled containers, which minimise: • Beer dilution • Variations in beer CO2 levels • O2 pick up • Loss of foam potential • Particulate matter in the beer • Microbiological Contamination

3.2.3. Bottling & Canning – Sterile Filling

Basic principles of the additional precautions required for a sterile operation, from sterile filtration or plate (flash) pasteurisation to bottle or can including: • Principles of plant cleaning • Principles of empty package

cleaning • Methods of ensuring a sterile fill • Methods of closure cleaning • Additional laboratory analysis

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3.2.4. Keg Racking (Filling) Basic principles of design, operation and control of combined keg cleaning/filling machines including: • Choice of detergent, concentration

and temperature • Typical regimes for cleaning,

sterilising and filling cycles • The relative merits of inverted

versus upright filling • Methods of controlling fill levels • Merits of using gases other than

CO2 as a top pressure for kegging operations

3.2.5. Cask Racking (Filling) Basic principles of beer preparation, and design, operation and control of a cask cleaning/filling plant including: • Beer condition • Beer fining • Hop product addition • Choice of detergent, concentration

and temperature • Typical regimes for cleaning,

sterilising and filling • Shive/keystone removal and

insertion 3.2.6. Keg & Cask Racking – Plant Features

Basic plant features and control procedures, from packaging release tank through to filled labelled containers, which minimise: • Beer dilution • Variations in beer CO2 levels • O2 pick up • Loss of foam potential • Particulate matter in the beer • Microbiological Contamination

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Unit 3.3. Principles of Sterile Filtration and Pasteurisation 3.3.1. Sterile Filtration The definition of the term ’Sterile

Filtration’ Understand the mechanism of filtration Types of filtration available Difference between nominal and absolute rating Filter operation including: Reason for pre-filtration Flow characteristics Integrity Testing CIP/Sterilisation

3.3.2. Pasteurisation Theory The definition of Pasteurisation and a pasteurisation unit (PU) The relationship between time and temperature on lethal rate The effect of pasteurisation on different organisms Simple calculations on the relationship between pressure, temperature and CO2 content

3.3.3. Plate (Flash) Pasteurisation The basic principles of design, operation and control of a plate pasteuriser for bright beer of 3.0 to 6.0 g/l (1.5 to 3.0 vols) including: • The definition of percentage

regeneration • Typical values for:

o Time, temperature and PUs applied

o Operating pressures o Acceptable initial

microbiological load • Principle effects on beer quality

during pasteurisation • The basic principles of operation

and control of a modulated flow flash pasteuriser

3.3.4. In-Package (Tunnel) Pasteuriser

The basic principles of design, operation and control of an in-package pasteuriser including: • A typical time:temperature regime • Typical PU values applied • Control methods used to minimise

over-pasteurisation Principle effects on beer quality during pasteurisation

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Unit 3.4. Packaging Line Design and Performance 3.4.1. Packaging Line Design Theory Basic understanding of packaging line

design theory including: • ‘V’ graph • Advantages and disadvantages of

straight line and ‘U’ shaped layouts

• Balance and accumulation • Use of variable speed equipment • Materials handling • Rejects and waste handling

3.4.2. Packaging Performance Principles of packaging line performance measures which detail the impact on overall performance of: • Plant efficiency • Mechanical downtime • Planned downtime including,

cleaning and maintenance • Unplanned downtime including

unavailability of plant, product, materials and services

3.4.3. Systems Basic understanding of systems used to measure performance including: • MIS (Management Information

System • LIS (Line Information System)

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Unit 3.5. Quality 3.5.1. Quality Management The difference between Quality

Control and Quality Assurance The basic principles of Quality Assurance concepts, including: • International standards eg ISO

9000 series • HACCP • RFT (Right First Time) • TQM (Total Quality Management) The basic principles and purpose of standards for laboratory practice eg NAMAS

3.5.2. Hygiene The relevance of the nature of process plant surfaces The relevance of pipe fittings and design The principles of CIP (Cleaning In-Place) The basic principles of design and operation of a CIP system for packaging plant The range and main constituents of commercially available cleansing agents: • Detergents • Sterilising agents • Typical usages on stainless steel

(hot & cold) • Typical usages on other plant

materials Detection and quantification of residual surface contamination: • Visual inspection • Rinse sampling • Swab sampling • Media plating applications • Forcing tests • Bioluminescence testing • PCR (Polymerised Chain

Reaction) Test 3.5.3. Product and Package Analysis

The basic concepts applied to interpretation of analytical data • Sampling error • Accuracy and precision • Repeatability (r) • Reproducibility (R) • Specification ranges (tolerances)

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3.5.3. Product and Package Analysis (Cont)

• Simple probability equations: o Normal distribution o Standard deviation o Variance

The relevance of inter-laboratory collaborative checks The basic principles of analytical and on-line measurement techniques for: • Original gravity • Alcohol content • Dissolved CO2 • Dissolved O2 • Dissolved N2 • Colour • Bitterness • Specific gravity • pH • Invertase test • In-package volume • In-package shelf measurement,

actual and predictive • Crown crimp checks • Seaming checks • Foreign body detection • Label Dress