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A PERRIER Monobloc System

PERRIER's history began in 1962 when Rene Perrier developed his first rotary machine for a French beverage company. It was a mechanical bottle turning machine that managed the turning of the bottles with the help of a unique handling system with mechanical bottle grippers. Although the machine was intended for homogenizing lemonade, it became apparent that the unique mechanism could also be used for the production of champagne. So, unexpectedly, the champagne industry became PERRIER's main market.

PERRIER machines are also involved in almost all sectors of the bottling industry in France, making it hard to imagine the beverage manufacturing market without them. This market dominance alone shows the range of possible uses for PERRIER’s the product portfolio. Contact and communication with customers is particularly important to PERRIER. The systems are designed and constructed according to the customer's needs. "We build customized machines for our customers, so each one is unique," says Mr. Chambon. A Monobloc system, for example, fills and places caps on bottles. "Our smaller machines can do 6,000 to 8,000 bottles an hour. The larger ones can handle as many as 25,000 to 30,000 bottles an hour. That's the equivalent of 500 per minute. It always depends on the wishes of our customers. Our machines are designed accordingly," explains Mr. Chambon. Another special feature of the Monobloc systems is that they collect, filter and reuse the rinsing liquid medium.

This specific monobloc system is designed for filling and capping up to 12,000 bottles and is positioned in the mid-size segment of PERRIER machines. On this type of machine, a total of five Temposonics^® E-Series linear position sensors, model EH, with analog output ensure high-precision workflows. Temposonics^® absolute position transducers are based on its manufacturer's proprietary magnetostrictive technology and measure positions reliably and without contact. Non-contact measurement means no mechanical wear of the sensor. Compared to other technologies, Temposonics^® sensors have a significantly longer lifetime. "We first installed potentiometers on our machines but due to mechanical wear, we regularly had to replace them.  Since using Temposonics^® sensors, we no longer have such failures." The E Series model EH with stainless steel housing is well suited for installation in cylinders due to its rod-style design. So how do the transducers ensure high-precision processes? One sensor is located on the outside of the system, where it measures the height of the bottle. The information provided by the displacement transducers is used to position the filling and the capping carousel fully automatically at the correct height. The monobloc system has two tanks. One of the tanks contains the product and the other the rinsing liquid medium. The sensors are installed in the tank inside a cylinder and therefore have no contact with the liquids. The exact level is determined with the aid of a float fitted with a magnet. Since the contents of the tanks have different densities, the correct float must be selected for each liquid.

The rapid processing of the high number of bottles exposes the sensors to enormous shocks and vibrations. "With 12,000 bottles filled and capped per hour, the carousels are subjected to high stresses as they move quickly and abruptly," explains Mr. Chambon. Temposonics^® position sensors are very robust and operate maintenance-free and highly accurate even in harsh environments, such as a monobloc system under full capacity. Installation is quick and easy. No additional calibration of the sensor is required. "Since using Temposonics^® linear position sensors, our carousels adjust fully automatically and with high precision. As a result, our machines have become more efficient, cost-effective and sustainable. Not a drop of product is lost anymore" enthuses Mr. Chambon.

Temposonics^® E-Series EH-Sensor

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