SPX FLOW is expanding its testing capabilities in the Middle East through its collaboration with SIG by enhancing its APV processing equipment housed at the SIG Test Filling Center—part of the SIG Customer Experience Hub in Dubai. This enhancement enables advanced trials, including fermentation, using APV technologies tailored to regional food and beverage needs.

Launched in 2021, the current APV pilot line includes a FlexMix Instant vacuum mixer for preparing complex formulations, followed by a multi-UHT pilot system for thermal treatment. This enables the line to process up to 1,000 liters (L) of test product per hour. This first installation introduced SPX FLOW's APV thermal and mixing technologies to the Middle East.

"Since installing our equipment, the growing demand for trials from customers overseas has revealed the need for broader capabilities," shared Thomas Leroy, global head of Innovation Centers at SPX FLOW. "With new fermentation and clean-in-place (CIP) upgrades now available, we're ready to support more customers with faster product development."

The latest expansion includes:

• A two-line APV CIP station to enhance sanitary product testing

• A new fermentation line that features a 1,000 L tank specifically designed for viscous products

• The line includes an APV plate heat exchanger cooler to support high-quality yogurt production from dairy or plant-based materials

"This advancement significantly elevates the capabilities of our SIG Test Filling Center," said Christian Derusco, head of Technical Service & Innovation–IMEA at SIG. "By enhancing our existing setup, we have improved the efficiency rate of test filling and provided customers with processing data that accurately reflects full-scale factory conditions, enabling us to better serve both aseptic fermented and fresh fermented dairy categories."

With several successful trials already underway, the Center continues to serve as a strategic hub for SPX FLOW and SIG customers across the region—enabling end-to-end innovation from formulation to packaging. Full commissioning is expected to be complete by next month, further accelerating collaborative development.