Dairies perform an excellent job in cleaning and sanitizing their filling equipment day in and day out. Cleaning the Chuck Housing Assembly (CHA) is as important as cleaning the filler itself. This is the last mechanical piece of equipment that engages the cap and seals the contents of the bottle to be secured before it leaves the dairy.

The critical issue with the CHA’s is, if they are not cleaned, they may not perform its task by tightening the cap to the bottle. During production as the cap is being torqued down, a small amount of material is removed from the closure. After numerous cycles of caps being applied, a small amount of foreign matter begins to collect in the CHA which may restrict it’s proper operation.

When production is stopped for a period of time, the operator may clean off the filler using a hose. Take the time to inspect the CHA’s. If the CHA has foreign matter inside, clean them out by spraying the hose up inside the CHA to remove any debris. This will allow the CHA’s to continue to work properly.

When production is done for the day, remove the CHA’s and inspect them. If some debris is inside the CHA and is difficult to remove by using the spray from the hose, take a small brush and brush out the debris. This will remove the debris. When this is complete, put the CHA’s into the COP tank for sanitizing and a thorough cleaning. The CHA’s will be ready to be installed for the next day’s production.

A dirty CHA may carry bacteria which may taint the contents in the container.