Stock America LLC

Clemson University - STOCK America partnership showcases the new ImmersaFlow Retort and so much more. We are happy to continue fostering the long-standing relationship with Dr. Scott Whiteside and supporting the Retort Lab at Clemson University's Food, Nutrition and Packaging Sciences department, the premier retort lab facility in North America. Check out our story!

Come join us at Pack Expo in Chicago November 3rd through the 6th. We will be in BOOTH S-3550. Register at ACK EXPO 2024 | Packaging Trade Show in Chicago, IL (packexpointernational.com) using CODE 63J78 for free entry.

We enjoy working with partner suppliers such as Rockwell as well as our long standing relationship with Clemson University!

Stock America and Klüber Products

ImmersaFlow for Pasteurization......... Retorts have been utilized for commercial sterilization since the 19th century with a typical temperature control setpoint around the 250°F range. Pasteurization processing has been done with a mixture of hot fill and hold methods utilizing an immersion holding tank or continuous spray tunnel methods. Why??Bottom line, retorts have not been a good platform for pasteurization. Why? Lower temperature pasteurization processing is done at a setpoint much less than commercial sterilization processing resulting in poor temperature distribution profiles. With the inability to produce temperature uniformity at low temperatures, the result was inconsistency in predictable shelf life. The issue has been addressed with the invention of ImmersaFlow technology. ImmersaFlow is a new process method which force-flows channeled water through the basket silo providing temperature uniformity at sterilization and pasteurization temperature profiles. Recent test on a vacuum-packed pouch potato demonstrated excellent results. The dense product was filled and sealed in a 15”x15”x2.5” pouch and placed vertically into the ImmersaFlow basket. There were two tightly packed layers. Thermocouple wires were placed between the pouches allowing a maximum stress test for temperature distribution. Preheat water was at ambient (~70°) and the control setpoint was 209°. The TD results were amazing, delivering excellent temperature uniformity and a respectable Come UP Time of 10 minutes as compared to 20 minutes in the current application. Cooling was also significantly improved, eliminating ~30 minutes of hold time. This customer will see benefits of a 50-minute total cycle time savings. It will take two less retorts by comparison and allow for up to 4 additional cycles per retort per day. Energy savings will be reduced, along with product quality and consistency will be the best it can possibly be. In addition, the ImmersaFlow sterilizer can be used as a hybrid multipurpose machine. It can easily switch between Pasteurization and Sterilization modes making it extremely versatile for the copacker who doesn’t know what product or container variation is coming next!??

I was recently in Europe visiting our sterilization partner HYDROLOCK last week, and on the shop floor undergoing a Factory Acceptance Test was a Continuous Sterilizer designed for beverage-based drinks. Designed for Aluminum, Lithograph, Easy Open, Nitrogen Dosed product which is loaded long axis down into a carrier. The material handling system is designed to minimize all contact area in loading, sterilization and unloading thus eliminating can or lithograph deformation. This sterilizer can use up to 55PSI of Overpressure to support the integrity of a nitrogen dosed container. This machine can achieve a line speed of 200CPM. The Sterilizer fits in ~1/3 the footprint of a typical Automatic Batch Retort System and is ~75% the costs of a batch application, with a much higher energy efficiency profile. It requires ONE, part time operator. The sterilizer will call you, when it needs input. Amazing Technology!