Arrangement and method for packaging a liquid consumable product in a package

Abstract

The invention relates to an arrangement adapted to package a liquid consumable product in a package. The arrangement comprises an infeed to provide prepared packaging material having a first side ( 6 ) and a second side ( 7 ), said second side ( 7 ) being adapted to be in contact with the consumable product, a digital printing system ( 4 ) coupled to said infeed and adapted to print at least one color onto at least a portion of the first side ( 6 ) of the prepared packaging material, a sterilization system ( 8 ) having a low voltage electron beam device ( 12 ) adapted to emit an electron beam on said first and second side ( 6, 7 ) of said packaging material, and a packaging machine ( 9 ) coupled to an outfeed of the digital printing system ( 4 ) and adapted to provide a package from said prepared packaging material, said package being filled with the consumable product. The invention also relates to a method for packaging a liquid consumable product in a package.

1 . An arrangement adapted to package a liquid consumable product in a package, the arrangement comprising
 an infeed configured to provide prepared packaging material having a first side and a second side, said second side being adapted to be in contact with the consumable product;   a digital printing system coupled to said infeed and adapted to print at least one color onto at least a portion of the first side of the prepared packaging material,   a sterilization system comprising a low voltage electron beam device adapted to emit an electron beam on said first side and/or said second side of said prepared packaging material, and   a packaging machine coupled to an outfeed of the digital printing system and adapted to provide a package from said prepared packaging material, said package being filled with the consumable product.   
     
     
         2 . The arrangement according to  claim 1 , further comprising a sterilization chamber configured to encapsulate said sterilization system to prevent radiation from leaking into the environment outside of said sterilization system. 
     
     
         3 . The arrangement according to  claim 1 , wherein the infeed comprises at least two reels and a splicing unit configured to splice an end portion of prepared packaging material of one reel to a start portion of prepared packaging material of the second reel. 
     
     
         4 . The arrangement according to  claim 1 , wherein the prepared packaging material comprises at least one of the following:
 a printed area on the first side at least partially surrounding an area to be printed upon by the digital printing system,   one or more crease lines,   at least one optical marker for positioning the prepared packaging material in the digital printing system and/or packaging machine,   at least one magnetic marker for positioning the prepared packaging material in the digital printing system and/or packaging machine,   a carton layer and one or more lamination layers on each side of the carton layer,   an aluminium layer facing the second side of the prepared packaging material, or   a dedicated opening area, which comprises at least one layer of the prepared packaging material less than the surrounding material.   
     
     
         5 . The arrangement according to  claim 1 , wherein the digital printing system comprises a mechanical and/or an optical and/or magnetic positioning system adapted to evaluate the relative position of the prepared packaging material in view of one or more markers arranged on the prepared packaging material and/or geometric elements of the same prepared packaging material. 
     
     
         6 . The arrangement according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the digital printing system is adapted to print a marking on the first side of the packaging material, said marking configured to be read by the packaging machine during operation.   
     
     
         7 . The arrangement according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the digital printing system is arranged on a movable platform and its outfeed comprises a separable interface for coupling the digital printing system to another packaging machine.   
     
     
         8 . The arrangement according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the digital printing system comprises one or more encapsulated areas, said areas being adapted to operate in a food handling environment.   
     
     
         9 . The arrangement according to  claim 1 , wherein the packaging machine comprises one of:
 a first filling machine for web based packaging material;   a second filling machine for sheet based packaging material;   a web based tube filling machine; or   a tube based filling machine.   
     
     
         10 . The arrangement according to  claim 1 , wherein the packaging machine comprises:
 a splicing unit configured to splice together prepared packaging material from two reels, and   a bypass configured to feed in prepared packaging material from the digital printing system,   wherein the splicing unit is further configured to splice prepared packaging material from the digital printing system to other prepared packaging material.   
     
     
         11 . The arrangement according to  claim 1 , further comprising a package material buffer between the digital printing system and the packaging machine, the package material buffer configured to compensate speed fluctuations in the packaging machine and/or synchronize the printed packaging material with the packaging machine. 
     
     
         12 . The arrangement according to  claim 1 , wherein the arrangement is placed in a food handling environment, particularly in a diary. 
     
     
         13 . The arrangement according to  claim 1 , wherein said digital printing system is adapted to print a unique print onto said first side of the prepared packaging material. 
     
     
         14 . The arrangement according to  claim 1 , wherein the packaging machine comprises a curing device configured to finalize polymerization of ink used in the digital printing system. 
     
     
         15 . The arrangement according to  claim 14 , wherein the curing device comprises an electron beam device. 
     
     
         16 . The arrangement according to  claim 14 , wherein said prepared packaging material comprises a pre-printed portion on said first side of the prepared packaging material. 
     
     
         17 . A method for packaging a liquid consumable product in a package, comprising
 providing a packaging material to an infeed of a packaging arrangement, said packaging material having a first side and a second side being adapted to be in contact with the liquid consumable product,   printing at least one color onto at least a portion of the first side of the prepared packaging material using a printing system of said packaging arrangement,   sterilizing said packaging material by emitting an electron beam on said first side and/or said second side of said packaging material using a low voltage electron beam device of said packaging arrangement,   providing a package from said prepared packaging material using a packaging machine of said packaging arrangement, and   filling said package with said liquid consumable product.