Welcome to the 23^rd issue of TECHSPARK!

My name is Rijo Chirayath, and I head the Sales division at Liquipack Systems Private Limited (formerly Pharmalab Packaging India Pvt Ltd.)

I have pursued graduation in Electronics and Computer Science from Calicut University. With over 18 years of experience in the Packaging and Automation industry, I have worked in various capacities, from Technical Support to Sales Management.

I began my career as a Technical Support Engineer in the Automation industry. I gained experience in Sales of high-precision CNC machines that served the Automotive and Process industries. To cater to the growing demands of the then-booming FMCG and Agrochemical sectors, I joined Liquipack System Pvt. Ltd – specialists in manufacturing bottling lines for a wide range of liquids, powders, and viscous products. 

The liquid filling and packaging industry is critical, catering to diverse applications such as pharmaceuticals, food & beverages, cosmetics, and chemicals. However, it faces several challenges that demand innovative solutions to ensure efficiency, quality, and sustainability. During industrial liquid filling operations, the process and equipment configuration vary due to the varying liquid characteristics – viscosity, density, surface tension, etc, changing bottle sizes, shapes, and customer requirements. Achieving precise and consistent filling volumes becomes challenging due to these reasons with overfilling leading to wastage, while underfilling impacting product quality and compliance.

To overcome these challenges, different mechanisms are adopted to obtain the filling operation at an optimized speed. The servo system ensures precise control over filling volumes with accurate and consistent filling. The flowmeters guarantee measured liquid filling. Automated Calibration Systems enable real-time adjustments to account for the changing liquid characteristics. Specialized nozzles address issues associated with foamy or corrosive liquids. For critical filling applications involving liquids for human consumption, Cleaning-in-Place systems are enabled with minimal dead zones and smooth surfaces. To reduce the impact on the environment, the machines are optimized concerning energy, power and other utility consumption. Compliance with regulatory standards is of utmost concern to the pharmaceutical and food industries. Quality documentation and global certification programs complying with different authorities are undertaken periodically. Modernizing our approach, we are leveraging robotics and are working towards the incorporation of new-age technologies such as Artificial Intelligence to achieve unparalleled efficiency, quality, and adaptability. Using the robotic systems, we anticipate reducing human error and ensuring effortless movements at high speed with process reproducibility.

Liquipack provides end-to-end solutions from bottle loading to end-of-line products. This model is beneficial as it simplifies the processes for our clients, allowing them to collaborate with a single provider rather than coordinating multiple partners to ensure seamless integration of equipment. With this, we have gained and regained the trust of our clients. Our near future comprises collaborating closely with our partners and associates to build high-speed machines.

Today, Liquipack machines run worldwide in the pharmaceutical, F&B, Distilleries and Wineries industries with a major presence in the FMCG and Agrochemical sectors. Our vision is to be a globally recognized leader in providing affordable, state-of-the-art, filling and packaging machines.