Pulsed vs. Continuous UV for in-line Sterilization or Sanitation

For high speed in-line sanitation of cups, lids etc (max to 99.99%, 3000 cups /h) the optimal UV equipments are U-shaped amalgam low pressure Mercury vapor lamps.

Sterilization (6 logs, 99,9999%) at the same or at lower production rates (e.g. ca. 1000 products/h) requires pulsed UV light systems. The selection method is illustrated by results and data from manufactures. Using Pulsed Light for sanitizing cups, lids and packs causes unjustified high capital losses (1 to 25) and high operating losses per cup or lid (1 to 8). Yet pulsed UV (PL) becomes the only non-invasive sterilization choice for infusion solutions, reviewed for packed in 0.25 l UV semi-transparent PE bags, reaching 0.27 c/bag in operating costs INCLUDING 6 logs reduction of B. Pumilus spores, the most radiation and UV resistant spores of all. This result is not possible with amalgam lamps. The use of in-line Pulsed Light is also advantageous to amalgam lamps both for sanitation and sterilization of open or PE packed food or pharmaceutical products. SteriBeam offers both choices of lamps for its UV tunnels. Details are in our White paper of May 2013.

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