ESL products in HDPE bottles

Shamrock Farms is the largest family-owned and operated dairy in the Southwestern United States, and the fifth largest nationwide. In addition, Shamrock Farms was one of the first dairies in the United States to expand into the Extended Shelf Life (ESL) products that have enabled it to evolve beyond its regional, traditional roots into a national player.
Shamrock Farms entered the ESL market in 2001 in Phoenix, Arizona, with a single line and a limited number of product offerings. Product shelf life hit 82 days for beverage milk and 120 for non-dairy creamers. For further expansion of this market segment, the company saw the need to expand its capabilities.
Shamrock Farms identified several possible providers, eventually selecting Krones as the supplier of its new ESL line. Krones had the better ability to supply the whole line and it had a U.S. presence to provide full service and technical support.
The new line currently runs 8, 12, 32 and 62-ounce HDPE bottles at a speed of 24,000 bottles per hour. In addtion to the rinser-filer-BLOC, the AirCo air conveyor is an important feature for the American company, as it effectively conveys the sleek, tall HDPE bottle at high speeds. Besides all these features of the rinser-filler-BLOC and the other line components, the microbiological quality in particular that distinguishes this system – as the technical director emphasizes: "Lack of problems in this area has been impressive."