Mass Warming Tunnel
CAN TUNNEL WARMER
Post-fill can warmer | tunnel warming system | condensation reduction for beverage packaging lines
The CODI Tunnel Warmer is a hot water spray system that raises the temperature of filled containers above the dew point to prevent condensation, placed after filling and before secondary packaging. Cold cans sweat the moment they hit warm ambient air. That condensation soaks cardboard trays, weakens packaging, and slows pack-out. Spray water recirculates through a closed loop with two temperature sensors holding the setpoint steady throughout the run. Heat is supplied by instant hot water heaters or a steam heat exchanger, depending on your facility. Note that this is not a pasteurizer, although we build those too.
The CODI Tunnel Warmer is a hot water spray system that raises the temperature of filled containers above the dew point to prevent condensation, placed after filling and before secondary packaging. Cold cans sweat the moment they hit warm ambient air. That condensation soaks cardboard trays, weakens packaging, and slows pack-out. Spray water recirculates through a closed loop with two temperature sensors holding the setpoint steady throughout the run. Heat is supplied by instant hot water heaters or a steam heat exchanger, depending on your facility. Note that this is not a pasteurizer, although we build those too.
PRODUCT FEATURES
Closed Recirculation Loop
Spray water drains, recirculates, and a controlled side stream is reheated to hold spray temperature steady. Two sensors manage the loop continuously through the full run.
Variable Heating Configurations
Instant hot water heaters for facilities without steam. Heat exchanger with condensate recovery for facilities that have it. Codi specifies the heating units required for your line rate and temperature targets.
Sized to Your Line
CMT-10 at 2'x5', CMT-25 at 5'x5'. Codi provides full throughput calculations before you buy: entry temp, target exit temp, belt speed, spray temp, and BTU load.
Not a Pasteurizer
Operates well below pasteurization temperature. No PU calculations required. Temperature equalization only.
PRODUCT INFORMATION
10 or 25 SqFt Treament Area
CIP capable
Reduce Condensation
CMT-10
Dimensions & Weight
L: 63" (1600 mm)
W: 42" (1067 mm)
H: 110" (2794 mm)
Weight: ~500 lbs (227 kg)
Performance
25-100CPM
CMT-25
Dimensions & Weight
L: ~125" (3175 mm)
W: 42" (1067 mm)
H: 110" (2794 mm)
Weight: ~500 lbs (227 kg)
Performance
300CPM
Voltage
208-240V / 3PH
208-240V / 1PH
380-500V / 3PH
Certification
UL
CSA Compliant
CE Compliant
Heating Method
Instant HW
Hot Water (Boiler)
Steam (Boiler)
Temperature Conditioning
Designed to raise container temperature in a controlled manner to prepare product for labeling, packing, or downstream processing.
Gradually warms containers to reduce surface condensation
Stabilizes product temperature prior to labeling and packaging
Improves downstream handling and pack-out consistency
Zoned Thermal Control
Multi-zone design enables controlled, progressive heating across the system.
Configurable heating zones for gradual temperature increase
Dedicated stages for heat-up and stabilization
Controlled transitions prevent thermal shock to containers
Water-Based Heating System
Efficient heat transfer through recirculated water ensures uniform warming.
Even spray distribution across all containers
Recirculated water system improves energy efficiency
Consistent heat application eliminates cold spots
Throughput & Continuous Operation
Built to match line speeds without interrupting production flow.
Continuous conveyorized operation
Scales with production requirements and line speed
Maintains consistent warming at high throughput
Container Handling
Handles a range of container types while maintaining stability through the process.
Compatible with aluminum cans, glass bottles, and PET
Gentle conveyance through all heating zones
Supports multiple container formats on a single system
Line Integration
Designed to integrate into existing beverage packaging lines.
Positioned upstream of labeling and secondary packaging
Reduces condensation issues that impact label adhesion
Supports consistent downstream equipment performance
Construction & Durability
Built for long-term operation in beverage production environments.
Stainless steel construction for washdown conditions
Modular design allows flexible layouts and expansion
Designed for continuous industrial use
The CTP-15S is a space-efficient 6-zone tunnel pasteurizer featuring a 15-foot spray section designed to deliver reliable shelf stability for lower-speed, artisan canning lines.
Throughput Range: 20 – 50 CPM (Containers Per Minute)
Physical Footprint: 5' Wide x 20' Long Overall (15ft spray section)
Zone Profile: 6 thermal zones (2 warming, 2 holding, 2 cooling)
Available with instant hot water heaters
CTP-15S
CTP-15S
Compact 6-zone tunnel pasteurizer designed for smaller operations or those with space constraints.
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The CTP-20S is a highly versatile 8-zone tunnel pasteurizer featuring a 20-foot spray section, perfect for expanding producers requiring precise PU control and thermal efficiency.
Throughput Range: 50 – 100 CPM
Physical Footprint: 5' Wide x 25' Long Overall (20ft spray section)
Zone Profile: 8 thermal zones for precise temperature transitions
Available with instant hot water heaters and regeneration
CTP-20S
CTP-20S
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Mid-range tunnel pasteurizer for growing food & beverage operations. (shown with Instant Hot Water Heaters)
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The CTP-35S is a 7-zone pasteurizer engineered for medium-to-high speed lines.
Throughput Range: 150 – 300 Containers Per Minute
Physical Footprint: 5' Wide x 40' Long Overall (35ft spray section)
Thermal Design: 7 independent zones with central thermal recovery
Available with instant hot water heaters and regeneration
CTP-35S
CTP-35S
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High-efficiency 7-zone pasteurizer designed for mid-to-high speed beverage packaging lines.
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The CTP-40S is a heavy-duty industrial tunnel pasteurizer with a 40-foot treatment section built to sustain high-volume packaging lines with continuous, multi-shift operations.
Throughput Range: 150 – 300 Containers Per Minute
Physical Footprint: 5' Wide x 45' Long Overall (40ft spray section)
Feature Integration: Heavy-duty, high-flow spray nozzles and industrial pumps
Available with instant hot water heaters and regeneration
CTP-40S
CTP-40S
High-capacity 8-zone pasteurizer engineered for continuous, high-speed industrial canning.
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The CTP-50S is CODI's high throughput tunnel pasteurizer, featuring a 50-foot spray section and 10 thermal zones for products requiring maximized hold times and continuous throughput.
Throughput Range: 200 – 600+ Containers Per Minute
Physical Footprint: 5' Wide x 55' Long Overall (50ft spray section)
Advanced Features: Fully CIP-capable, open-frame design with 10 high-flow pumps
Available with instant hot water heaters and regeneration
CTP-50S
CTP-50S
Large-scale 10-zone pasteurizer built for maximum hold times on high-volume production lines.
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TUNNEL PASTEURIZATION MODELS
With nearly every tunnel pasteurizer we sell, customers ask the same question: "how do we integrate it into the rest of the packaging line?"
An advantage of working with CODI is that we have built our own conveyance systems since 1992. We don't resell conveyors from another manufacturer. We design and build them in our own shop.
That means when you order a tunnel pasteurizer from CODI, we can integrate it into your existing line or design a complete packaging line from the ground up.
You send a sketch of your floor. You tell us what the line needs to produce. We come back with a complete layout, including conveyance and how every piece integrates. From there you decide how much of it you want us to build. One machine, a section, or the whole line.
HOW TO INTEGRATE A PASTEURIZER INTO YOUR LINE
Tunnel Pasteruization basics
Tunnel pasteurization is a continuous thermal process applied after the container is filled and sealed. Containers ride a belt through a series of temperature-controlled zones while water sprays over them from overhead nozzles, raising product temperature, holding it, and then bringing it back down before discharge.
The sequence is always the same four stages: preheat, heat, hold, cool. What changes from one application to the next is how long the product spends in each stage and how hot it gets. Because the package is already sealed, the process treats the beverage and the container together, and the product is microbiologically stable by the time it reaches labeling and packing.
Thermal processing is measured in Pasteurization Units. One PU equals holding product at 60°C for one minute.
The relationship between time and temperature is exponential, not linear:
PU = t × 1.393^(T − 60)
That exponent is why PU is the control variable instead of temperature alone. A small increase in temperature sharply reduces the dwell time required to reach the same PU, which means the same thermal result can be achieved by a short hot tunnel or a longer, gentler one. It also means PU stays accurate when line speed, ambient conditions, or incoming product temperature shift, where a fixed temperature setpoint would not.
Here is an example of CODI's calculations for a pasteurization curve:
Target PU depends on the beverage itself: formulation, pH, alcohol content, microbial risk, and the shelf life you need. That number is established by the producer working with a qualified process authority, not by the equipment manufacturer. The AFDO Directory is a good starting point for locating one.
Each zone has its own basin, recirculation pump, and spray headers. Water is drawn from the basin, brought to the zone's setpoint, sprayed over the containers passing beneath, and drained back to recirculate.
Zone temperatures are controlled independently, which is what makes a programmed curve possible. One zone might sit at 100°F while the next holds 145°F and a third runs cool water. Belt speed sets how long a container spends under each one, so dwell time and temperature are set separately.
Water routing is a separate question from temperature control. A standalone zone recirculates through its own basin. A regenerative pair does not: the preheat zone and its matched cooling zone share a water loop, so water that gives up heat to incoming containers is the same water that later absorbs heat from containers on the way out. The two zones still hold different temperatures and are still controlled separately.
More zones mean finer control over the shape of the curve. Gradual transitions matter for glass, which will fracture under sharp thermal change, and for carbonated product, where rapid heating drives internal package pressure.
A tunnel without regeneration spends energy twice: once heating containers on the way in, and again removing that heat on the way out.
Regenerative zones connect the two. Water that has picked up heat from containers in the cooling section is routed forward to the preheat section, where it warms containers entering the tunnel. The heat moves from where it is a problem to where it is useful, and the tunnel supplies only the difference.
The result is lower demand on both the heating utility and the cooling utility at the same time. On a line running continuously, that recovery is the largest single lever on operating cost the tunnel design offers. Regeneration also flattens the temperature curve, which is easier on glass and on carbonated product.
Beverages can be pasteurized before filling, by running product through a heat exchanger on the way to the filler. That approach is faster and uses less floor space, but it only treats the liquid. Anything introduced during filling and seaming, from the container, the lid, or the fill environment, arrives in the sealed package untreated.
Tunnel pasteurization treats the finished package. Whatever is inside when the container is sealed receives the full thermal process, which is why it is the standard approach where post-fill contamination is the primary shelf life risk. It is also why the tunnel sits downstream of the seamer rather than upstream of the filler.
The tradeoff is footprint and dwell time. A tunnel is a large machine and product moves through it slowly compared to line speed elsewhere, which is why accumulation upstream and downstream of the tunnel is part of designing the line around it.
The paired piping visible here is the regeneration loop, carrying heat from the cooling zones forward to preheat incoming containers. It recovers up to 70% of thermal energy.
FAQ
Why warm containers after filling?
Cold-filled containers pull condensation out of ambient room air as they travel down the line. That moisture ruins secondary packaging—causing labels to slide off and cardboard 4-pack or 24-pack cartons to become soggy and tear. A warmer brings container temperatures above the dew point so they stay dry during pack-out.
What sizes are available?
Warming tunnels are modular and sized specifically to match your line speed, incoming product fill temperature, and target discharge temperature. Systems range from compact single-zone units to expansive multi-zone layouts.
How does the warmer heat containers gently?
It sprays controlled, warmed water over the containers as they convey through thermal zones. Precise temperature regulation ensures the product warms just enough to shed condensation without affecting flavor profile or carbonation stability.
Is a warmer the same as a pasteurizer?
No. A warmer simply elevates the exterior container temperature above ambient dew point to prevent sweating. A tunnel pasteurizer holds product at much higher temperatures for a precise duration (Pasteurization Units) to eliminate microbial activity and extend shelf life.
