{"pages":{"page":[{"@ID":33,
"BOTTLE MAKING 31 PETplanet Insider Vol. 23 No. 06/22 www.petpla.net Projects and solutions from prototyping to the fi nished bottle – Interview with Olivier Serre, Managing Director at Competek Setting the foundations by Gabriele Kosmehl In the middle of the pandemic, PET Engineering and Comep announced their merger, becoming Competek. For almost exactly a year now, Competek has been advising customers on mould, bottle and preform design or tethered caps and turning these designs into a reality. PET planet wanted to know whether their strategy of “one partner, lower costs, quick delivery times” has been a successful one. PETplanet: It has been a year since PET Engineering and Comep merged, addressing the food, beverage and homecare market under the company name Competek. How has the company performed since the merger? Olivier Serre: On June 1 Competek celebrated its first birthday - how time has flown! Launching a new company is by definition a big challenge, but when the creation of a new entity involves the merger of two big the industry like PET Engineering and Comep, well, the challenge is even bigger. It has been critical that the transition period has been handled correctly in order to avoid losing the strong relationships with existing customers, especially during the pandemic. Over the past 12 months the team has worked hard to communicate with them about our existing sustainable solutions, as well as informOlivier Serre, Managing Director at Competek Competek Hall A6 – Booth 340"},{"@ID":23,
"EDITOUR 21 PETplanet Insider Vol. 23 Matching the customer experience Fortunately, R&D/Leverage’s financial position remains very stable and it has a growing presence across the world. The strategic decision it took, 15 years ago, to invest in customer-matching machinery has paid off, very well. It now has nine machines in the PSL, none of which is more than five years old. Alan is animated whenever he talks about it. Our tour included a visit to the inspection and quality assurance laboratory, which has seen an upgrade and extension to its range of equipment. It has sold to customers in very cold countries – e.g, Russia and Poland – and very hot ones, such as Saudi Arabia and SE Asia. The quality assurance equipment can test bottles to temperatures as low as minus 40 and as high as 50 degrees Celsius. It’s a measure of how committed R&D/Leverage is to investment and upgrading that one of the pieces of equipment was new since Alan had last visited the room, just a few days before! Ancillary equipment includes laser etching of part numbers, for tracking and tracing of moulds and parts, and laser welding for repairs. Each of the moulds being worked on had been polished to a mirror finish. On the floor of the PSL, Alan pointed out two new five-axis GF machines; one a seven-pallet unit, the other a twin. The tour also took in a Studer S31 grinding machine, a complete assembly area for the company’s own hot runners, a Mollart deep hole borer and – I couldn’t help noticing – a couple of Bridgeport milling machines. A familiar sight over many years but, in some ways, incongruous in the middle of so much that is new and advanced."},{"@ID":56,
"OUTER PLANET 54 PETplanet Insider Vol. 23 No. 06/22 www.petpla.net OUTER PLANET Urban bike made from recycled plastic No maintenance, no corrosion Frank Blase, Igus CEO, first had the idea on a beach while on holiday: In conversations with employees of a bicycle rental company on the beach, he found out about their major problems with beach bikes. These were continuously exposed to sand, wind and saltwater and sometimes only lasted three months before they had to be replaced. Maintenance and replacement are often expensive and time-consuming in this industry. So Blase came up with a new idea. The ‘igus:bike’ – a robust, durable urban bike made entirely of plastic - is claimed to be easier to own than any other bike. Owners can leave the single-speed bike outdoors in all weather and clean it in seconds with a garden hose. “As all components are made of plastic, no part of the bike rusts, even the gears – bicycle gears made of plastic were unthinkable for a long time,” says Blase. Lightweight, lubrication-free high-performance plastics are used in all parts of the bicycle, from two-component ball bearings in the wheel bearings to plain bearings in the seat post, brake levers and pedals. All of these components have integrated solid lubricants and ensure low-friction dry operation – without a single drop of lubricating oil. This ensures that sand, dust and dirt cannot accumulate. One special feature of this new bike is that the recycled version will be primarily made of reused plastics originally ‘single use’. “The plastic in rubbish dumps around the world is becoming a valuable resource,” explains Frank Blase. Experience from the industry In Igus’s development laboratories, eight developers are currently working on all moving components of the allplastic bicycle. Ball bearings, brakes, sprockets, gears and drives are being coordinated by Andreas Hermey, the development manager for energy chains, in close cooperation with the bicycle start-up MTRL from The Netherlands. Tried and tested existing developments from Igus were adapted to the new application. The result is smooth-operating, quiet, and durable plastic components that give suppliers globally the chance to benefit from the company’s bike platform. Platform for bike and component manufacturers The bike platform offers bicycle manufacturers all over the world the opportunity to jointly improve this technology. The online platform continuously shows the status and progress of all components and explicitly invites market players to participate. The platform is intended to become a contact point for manufacturers who want to build a plastic bicycle and for all manufacturers of suitable components, such as plastic frames, wheels, drives, and pinions. The platform is already hosting initial corporate collaborations, for example Helix.eco for recycled plastics. Many more are to follow. “We want to enable the bicycle industry to produce plastic bikes,” says Blase. Another partner is Dutch startup MTRL that has successfully put 400 bicycles with plastic frames and wheels onto the Netherlands’ roads. “Founders Johannes and Benjamin Alderse Baas are partners who share our vision completely,” says Blase, himself an investor in MTRL. “Together, we are refining the all-plastic bicycle.” From ocean plastics to motion plastics The bicycle start-up will begin production with a children’s model and an adult bicycle for cities by the end of this year. The German launch of the production bikes will be in early 2023. Other versions, such as an e-bike, have also been planned. In the future, the all-plastic bicycle will be available both in a new plastic variant and in one made entirely of recycled material. The first prototypes, successfully produced and tested, were made of plastic reclaimed from old fishing nets. MTRL is planning manufacturing facilities near plastic landfills around the world. Igus states that it is not yet clear which plastics will be definitely used in the recycled material version - but PET definitely is an option. www.igus.de"},{"@ID":44,
"TRADE SHOW REVIEW PETplanet Insider Vol. 23 No. 06/22 www.petpla.net 42 Record sales and growth from Austria by Kay Barton Greiner AG is a family business based in Kremsmünster, Austria. It manufactures plastics and foams and is responsible for the divisions Greiner Packaging, Neveon and Greiner Bio-One. On March 10, it unveiled its 2021 business figures. Besides record annual sales of around US$ 2.4 billion, the sale of company division Greiner Extrusion at the end of 2021, investments and expansions in worldwide markets, and naturally the difficulties of the year have all been hot topics. Because of a Covid-19 infection, the press conference was changed at short notice from an in-person event to a purely online event, where CEO Axel Kühner and CFO Hannes Moser presented information about the business year and then answered questions. up the largest proportion of this result, contributing US$ 815 million, 11.5% up on the previous year. Sharp increases in raw materials prices led to cashflow declining by 26% to US$ 264 million, yet the company made its highest investments to date in tangible assets such as machinery, systems, tools and digitalisation, amounting to a value of US$ 173 million. Over 75% of these investments were made within the EU. Second place in the sales ranking was North America with a growth market of 9.5%; Greiner Packaging maintains a smaller division here, and there are plans for further expansions, particularly in the field of packaging. Taking into account the sale of the extrusion division, around 190 additional jobs were created in 2021. First, CEO Axel Kühner explained that although the crises of recent months had been painful, they also offered opportunities through the associated changes and could offer future security through relevant adaptations. Here, he also referenced the conference title: “Hello Progress – Alles auf Zukunft” (All for the Future). CEO Axel Kühner Market environment A family business with 150 years of history has certainly seen a few sights. He described the market environment in 2021 as challenging because of the economic uncertainties of the pandemic, interrupted supply chains, the scarcity of raw materials, and increasing raw material and energy prices on the world market, as well as the resultant changes for end consumers. However, Mr Kühner explained that it was certainly not about the often criticised regionalisation of company processes but about strategies to continue promoting activities globally. The topic of sustainability is also to play a greater role in the company’s future success criteria, which the company is striving to develop as a growth driver. Despite a turbulent year, privatelyheld Greiner AG was able to bring about the highest sales ever in the company’s history. CFO Hannes Moser explained the figures and highlighted the sales growth, which was over 18% in 2021 compared to 2020. The Greiner Packaging division made"},{"@ID":3,
"EDITOUR PETplanet Insider Vol. 23 No. 06/22 www.petpla.net 23 Interview with Measom Freer & Co. Ltd. February 24, 2022 We met: Mr Andy Freer, Managing Director; Mrs Anne Freer, Finance Director A family business, fit for the 21st century by Ruari McCallion Measom Freer has been in the same family since it was established, 85 years ago. The current generation is led by Anne Freer and her husband, Andy Freer, the grandson of the founders. It has a history of innovation and adaptation to changing market demands and conditions, Ruari McCallion, PETplanet Insider’s Editor-at-Large, learned. ago, buying additional adjacent space when it became available. The facility now extends to 3,000m2, including warehousing and office space, located close to the M1 and M69 arterial motorways, which provide excellent road communications across the UK. According to public records, Measom Freer is a profitable and financially secure company. Having successfully weathered the immediate storm of Covid-19 and in response to pressure on supply chains from the effects of the pandemic, Brexit and now the Ukraine invasion, it is examining ways to improve its performance and effectiveness. Tour Sponsors: Measom Freer, headquartered in the outskirts of Leicester, in England’s East Midlands, was founded in 1937 as a manufacturer of buttons and trimmings for the clothing trade. It was the UK’s first producer of plastic shoe heels. By the early 1960s it established a toolmaking subsidiary in order to give it more control over the quality and functionality of the tools it needed. A few years later, it expanded into blow moulding and began producing bottles for wider markets, including cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. Blow moulding also meant the company could start producing technical mouldings, such as bellows. It established a habit of investing in technology to open new lines and develop new markets. Rising product demand have driven the need for larger premises. It moved to its current location 25 years"},{"@ID":58,
"BOTTLE MAKING 32 PETplanet Insider Vol. 23 No. 06/22 www.petpla.net ing them about our new positioning and capabilities to be their one stop shop for all their packaging, moulds and line conversion needs. We have started to set the foundations for our future development, working on some R&D projects to make the lives of our customers easier. PETplanet: Are there any interesting projects in the PET bottle sector that you have been involved in that you can tell us about? Olivier Serre: Yes, of course. In 2021, we worked on many interesting projects, some more challenging than others but they all helped us to build our team and build a strong reputation in the market. At the current time, we are not allowed to discuss many of them as they are not launched in the market yet and are still confidential. However, we are more than happy to share one of our recent successes: the new packaging for Molson Coors Bulgarian beer brand Burgasko, Astika e Kamenitza. The customer brief was to provide a modern twist to the packaging of these three brands. The challenge was to find a way to differentiate the three brands while keeping the same shape. Competek, in collaboration with Gentlebrand design agency, proposed to keep one shape for the packaging but in fewer sizes, 1 l, 2 l and 2.3 l format only. Then to further differentiate the products on the shelf, each brand’s packaging would be adorned with refined decorations on the body of the bottle to make them really stand out from the crowd, as well as some some eye-catching labels which were designed by Gentlebrand. Competek was also involved in the delivery of a series of six moulds where the customer’s existing lines were taken into consideration in the design phase. This ensured that any format change activity was optimised, reducing down-time and utilising parts of the existing mould where possible, thus helping the customer to save costs. PETplanet: Many companies in the value chain are struggling with high material and energy costs. What technologies can you provide to help these companies? Olivier Serre: The increase in costs of raw materials and energy is a hot topic right now, but we are more than ready to support customers with various different solutions. The 30-years’ field experience of our team makes Competek the perfect partner to develop the perfect lightweight bottle, without compromising the performance and subsequently the consumer experience. With our Husky machine to make preforms, our four blowing machines and our certified lab, we have the right means to develop the new generation of bottles. Another important technology I would like to draw your attention to is the exclusive Starlite base combined with Supervent technology. For the first time ever, this technology is available for all blowers on the market, whatever the brand. This is something everyone should be aware of because it allows cost savings in terms of materials and energy without requiring a total redesign of the packaging. It is also applicable to existing bottles and moulds. The combination of Starlite Base with Supervent allows the manufacturer to reduce the blowing pressure up to 30% for a 0.5 l bottle and up to 20% for a 1.5 l bottle. In terms of materials, it will shave off about 1 g for the 0.5 l bottle and up to 2 g for the 1.5 l bottle equating to a saving of about € 1 to € 2 on every 1,000 bottles. PETplanet: You combine Supervent with Sidel’s Starlite Base Solution. What other advantages can be generated from this, in addition to material and energy savings? Olivier Serre: In addition to energy and material savings, the combination of Starlite Base and Supervent helps to reduce the carbon footprint of the bottle from 4.8 kg to 2.4 kg CO2 GHG emissions for every 1,000 bottles. Overall, the bottle base is easier to blow thanks to a wider process window, improving the stability as well as stress cracking resistance. Starlite base is available for many different applications based on the customer requirements; from flat products to carbonated, including dairy, juices and home/personal care. PETplanet: Your company also offers expertise in preforms and tethered caps. How do you approach the transition to tethered caps with clients who have not yet done anything in this direction yet? Olivier Serre: Competek’s packaging team provides a professional consultancy service to customers on how to convert their packaging to a preform and the inhouse certified laboratory means we can provide solid evidence, not just theoretical suggestions. When it comes to preforms, we provide the standard tests associated Starlite base is available for many different applications, from flat products to carbonated, including dairy, juices and home/personal care."},{"@ID":57,
"Sponsors to date The worldwide round trip with EDITOURS Back to Europe The second part of PETplanet’s bipartite Drinktec Editour is right ahead! After the successful first part “From Down Under to Japan” in 2020, our second stage of the project takes us back to the flourishing European hub where we will be exploring the latest technologies, news, innovations and developments that move our PET industry. It is time for a new start, for renewal and for developing new ways of thinking. During and especially after the pandemic, it will be vital to make every effort to get the global economy back on track in the medium term. Sustainability will be the key. Once again, PETplanet will be at the forefront. It will again be a partner in Drinktec, the world’s leading beverage trade fair, which is to be held in Munich from 12-16 September 2022. After the success of our previous Drinktec Road Shows, in 2017 in South East Asia and 2020 in Australasia, we will be back on the road in Europe for a whole year. Starting in Autumn 2021 with our Editourmobil, we will be ready for a new get-together with the industry. We will be revealing the results of our meetings and discussions at Drinktec with the leading thinkers in PET processing, packaging and recycling. Apart from new technologies we will be also taking stock of how things stand. We will be asking how global thinking might change as a result of Covid-19. How will bilateral business relationships cope with the aftermath of the pandemic? What opportunities will there be for the drinks industry and its suppliers? Our planning, in terms of precise timeframes and details of the countries to be visited will be flexible, in order to take account of the rapidly changing pandemic situation. However, this much we can confidently say: in these challenging times we, as the voice of the PET industry, will be at the very heart of the roadshow as usual and are already looking forward to welcoming you back on board the Editourmobil! Share this exciting experience with us! Interested in being interviewed? barton@petpla.net Let Your Inspiration Flow. 7KH (XURSHDQ 5RDG 6KRZ PART2 Empowered by drinktec Interested in becoming a Sponsor? sales@petpla.net Autumn 2021 - 2022"},{"@ID":40,
"38 TRADE SHOW REVIEW PETplanet Insider Vol. 23 No. 06/22 www.petpla.net Compact, efficient and environmentally sustainable solutions The topics of energy efficiency and environmental sustainability play a key role in the investment choices of companies that have increasingly been opting for compact and efficient systems and machines, capable of ensuring an environmentally sustainable and high-quality production. SMI will present in world preview the new compact EBS KL Ergon rotary stretch-blow moulder at Drinktec. The project has begun after the success of several technical innovations introduced on the stretch-blow moulders from the EBS K Ergon range, that has met for several years the needs of a growing number of middle-sized companies within the primary packaging sector. The need to meet the requirements of higher production speeds led SMI designers to develop the new series of ultra-compact rotary machines called EBS KL Ergon (where the letters KL stand for “Kompakt Large”), suitable for meeting production requirements up to 25,000 bph. The new series is composed of models up to ten cavities for the stretch-blow moulding of PET / rPET / PP / PLA containers up to 3 l, available in stand-alone as well as in Ecobloc version, integrated with electronic filler and capper. EBS KL: compact and high-performance stretch-blow moulders One special key factor of the new compact blow moulder by SMI is that the preform heating section (heating tunnel) is integrated with the stretch-blow moulding section (carousel) into a single, very compact module that makes the system suitable for the installation even in small bottling lines. The production speed up to 2,500bph per mould (0.5 l format). The structure that embeds the heating tunnel and the carousel is equipped with slightly rounded safety doors, which increase the space inside the machine in order to perform cleaning and maintenance operations easily and safely. The stretch-blow moulding carousel is equipped with motorised stretch rods, whose functioning, controlled by electronic drives, does not require pneumatic cams; this is a new solution that ensures a precise management of the stretch rod path and an accurate control of its position, as a well as a considerable energy saving (compressed air is not required and the consumption of electricity is lower compared to the solutions with linear motors). And finally thanks to the cam-free technology it is possible to modify the stretch speed without mechanical interventions (replacement of cams), as the servo-motor automatically adjusts according to the production speed (up to 2.4m/s). This solution reduces the machine vibrations and the adjustments to be performed in case of format changeover. Preform heating tunnel EBS KL Ergon stretch-blow moulding system is equipped with a specialised preform heating tunnel with a compact design, that is integrated with the stretch-blow moulding carousel into the same machine module. The preform feeding system is equipped with adjustments by means of position numeric counters, that speed up the format changeover operations. The staggered position of the spindles allows to adopt optimised chain pitches according to the preform diameter and to shorten the heating tunnel length, thus reducing the number of preforms inside the heating tunnel, as well as the waste and the consumption. Furthermore, the preform gripping spindle unit is equipped with a new system of diffusers, without spheres and with gasket, for the heat dissipation, which allows to reduce the component wear. For heating the preforms in transit the infrared lamp units are equipped with thermo-reflective panels made of energy efficient ceramic material, placed on the lamp front and rear. This solution is claimed to ensure a high reflection of the heat generated by a more uniform distribution of the heat over the entire surface of the preform. Finally, a new ventilation system of the heating tunnel is equipped with high-capacity centrifugal fans, that take fresh air from the bottom and channel it to preform body and neck. This system reduces the temperature of the preform neck with advantages in terms of thickness optimisation and elimination of the ovalisation and deformation of the preform neck and ring. www.smigroup.it STEPS TO THE PERFECT BOTTLE. www.roeders.de www.roeders.de Idea & Design Technology Manufacturing Blow Mould 100% Service Y O U R PA R T N E R F O R B L OW MO U L D S . Meet us at drinktec in Munich - Hall 5 / C5 - 230 SMI Group Hall A6 – Booth 403"},{"@ID":28,
"39 TRADE SHOW REVIEW PETplanet Insider Vol. 23 No. 06/22 www.petpla.net Petka: mould supplier for the PET industry As a mould manufacturer, the Petka assists its customers - whether it’s preform producers or bottle producers-, in all phases, starting from the design of the preform until the production of the bottle. Petka designs suitable preform or even bottle drawings based on the customers’ inquiries and needs. With its experienced, qualified, and regularly trained design team, the company draw and create the preform design according to the final bottle design. It is aware of how the preform will act perfectly in the mould during the blowing process. Petka has set a goal to offer to its clients’ efficient solutions and to support them with its market experiences before and after sales and furthermore. To do this, the company has been developing its mastery in the field of PET and also broadening its services and activities to additionaly satisfy its customers. Petka presents a multiplicity when it comes to the advantages it is offering to its customers. By implementing the lean production and Industry 4.0 systems in its factory, the company has managed to take advantages of all its resources, thereupon removing waste in manufacturing system, which has indeed improved quality, speed of the innovation and production time, while reduced costs. The implementation of Industry 4.0 has been optimising the company’s industrial processes by making them more interactive and more autonomous, which enabled Petka to expand its business and widen its customer portfolio, as it reached 60 different countries. The company has the ability to support its customers with preform and bottle sampling in its facility. Petka provides samples with detailed quality reports in its high technology equipped laboratory, which enable the clients’ to make decisions about their future investments. www.petkamold.com Petka Hall C5 – Booth 443"},{"@ID":19,
"MOULD MAKING PETplanet Insider Vol. 23 No. 06/22 www.petpla.net 17 The all-new PET-LINE comes with a variety of advantages to maximize output and minimize costs: • Maximum compatibility with legacy molds and PMC • Shortest cycle times for increased output • Lowest level of energy consumption to minimize the ecological footprint • Improved 100 % rPET processing to enable the circular economy • New control unit including Smart Operation to ensure easy, fast and safe start-up and production • Now available with 3000 and 4000 kN clamping force More details on www.netstal.com FLIPPING THE WORLD OF PET UPSIDE DOWN AND EVEN SIDEWAYS THE ALLNEW PETLINE WITH SIDE ENTRY. drinktec 2022 I 12-16 September I C5.363"},{"@ID":55,
"PETplanet Insider Vol. 23 No. 06/22 www.petpla.net 45 BOTTLES PETbottles Beverage + Liquid Food www.ruppertsberger.de A German wine in PET The German winegrowers cooperative Ruppertsberger Weinkeller Hoheburg EG has launched its “Riesling Organic 2020” variety specifically targeted at the Swedish market which comes in a 750ml, green-coloured PET bottle. While other countries prefer glass bottles, the desire for bag-in-box containers or wine in PET bottles in Sweden is exceptionally high. The bottle is secured by means of a two-piece plastic screw cap with tamper-proof seal and has labels printed in national languages. www.ruppertsberger.de A water with vitamins Benevit, a drink from Moloko Beverage GmbH in Göppingen, Germany has brought out three different low-calorie water drinks enriched with various vitamins and, depending on the variety, added minerals such as zinc and calcium. The Defence, Beauty and Essential varieties taste of blueberry, acai, passion fruit, camomile and lemon/lime and come in 500ml bottles that have a large drinking spout. A non-label look sleeve label provides information about the ingredients, with a screw cap and tamper-proof strip completing the packaging. www.benevit-vitaminwater.com Capri-sun as a syrup Capri-Sun Vertriebs Ltd has launched a capri-sun syrup that comes in a slim, tapered 600ml bottle – in the picture, you can see the orange plus vitamins variety. The concentrate allows fans of the brand to make six-litres of the product themselves, e.g. for birthday parties and the like. In addition, the product’s bottle shape saves weight, space and material compared with familiar pouches. The transparent bottle is made from 100% recycled material and has an embossed shoulder area and reinforced grooves around the label. It is secured by means of a hinged lid with dispensing and pouring spout. The safety seal on the bottle opening must be broken or removed when being used for the first time. www.capri-sun.com A Sushi sauce from Aldi South Aldi is selling a wide variety of foods that are associated with Asian countries and dishes as part of its “Asian Green Garden” brand. For example, a campaign is being launched to promote a Thai Asian sushi sauce with added ginger. The sauce, which is made in Thailand, comes in a clear, 235ml polygonal, roundshaped bottle in the label area. The sauce is served via a screw-on cap with a rotating dispensing spout that can be opened. There is a peelable freshness seal under the cap for protection prior to use. www.aldi-sued.de A herb vinegar from Holland Tromp and Rueb, the traditional Dutch manufacturer of vinegar products, is selling its herb vinegar in a typical brand designed bottle. The product comes in a clear, 750ml bottle made from 100% recycled material. The non-circular container is embossed with four “T&R” letters. A round paper waist label and a green screw cap and tamper-proof ring-pull mechanism completes the packaging design. www.trompenrueb.nl"},{"@ID":8,
"PETnews 6 NEWS PETplanet Insider Vol. 23 No. 06/22 www.petpla.net Netstal establishes subsidiary in Italy and appoints Alberto Rossi as Managing Director Alberto Rossi has taken over the position of Managing Director at the recently re-established subsidiary Netstal Italia S.r.l. Alberto Rossi thus indirectly succeeds Andrea Bottelli, who had successfully built up the former Netstal Italia S.r.l. since 1995 and then further developed the Italian market for both brands as Managing Director of KraussMaffei Italia from 2013 to 2020. From the new location in Gerenzano (VA), Alberto Rossi and his team will provide support to customers throughout Italy. The new building serves as sales and service hub and offers sufficient space for offices and a spacious spare parts warehouse. Netstal Italia currently employs eight people in sales, service and administration. Alberto Rossi has more than 30 years of experience in various roles with several market players in the plastics industry. His career began with a leading international manufacturer of plastic packaging, where he first encountered Netstal injection moulding machines to produce PET preforms and closures as a production engineer. From 1999 to 2008, he served as a sales and service engineer at Netstal Italia. After a stopover as Production Manager at a Netstal customer, he returned to KraussMaffei Italia in 2016 and acted in the same function for both the KraussMaffei brand and Netstal. Renzo Davatz, CEO of Netstal and member of the Executive Committee of the KraussMaffei Group, states: “Building a subsidiary is one thing. Handing over a healthy foundation with a stable customer base to the next generation is another thing. And that is exactly what Andrea Bottelli has done successfully. I am very pleased that Alberto Rossi is now taking over Andrea’s legacy and will further develop the company together. Alberto and his experienced team will continue to support all our customers in Italy with the same spirit that Andrea has given them over many years. We are delighted that the successful history of Netstal Italia is now writing a new chapter.” www.netstal.com United Caps appoints Vincent Chauvier to newly created CFO role United Caps, an international manufacturer of caps and closures, announced the appointment of Vincent Chauvier as Chief Financial Officer, a promotion from his previous role as Finance Director. Chauvier has an extensive track record in the financial field across a variety of companies and industries. He started his career with accounting firm KPMG working his way up to Audit Engagement Manager. Subsequently, Chauvier had financial management roles with a variety of companies, including his most recent role as Vice President of Finance & Administration for Ion Beam Applications S.A. where he was the Regional CFO and also oversaw legal, sales and marketing operations. He joined United Caps in November 2020 as Finance Director. In his new role, Chauvier will sit on the Executive Committee as a permanent member and report to CEO Benoit Henckes. Henckes said that the CFO role is also necessary since United Caps is now a bigger company than ever with capacity to grow even further, fuelled by customer demand thanks to investment in R&D capability and production capacity. www.unitedcaps.com Alpek concludes acquisition of Octal Alpek, S.A.B. de C.V. announced that it has received all necessary approvals from the regulatory authorities and has finalised its acquisition of Octal Holding SAOC. Pursuant to the purchase agreement, Alpek acquired 100% of the shares of Octal for U.S. $620 million on a debt-free basis. Financing was secured through a mix of free cash flow generated from existing businesses and dedicated bank loans. Alpek will assume control of Octal’s operations starting on June 1, 2022. The company expects an accretive EBITDA effect of approximately U.S. $120 million from these assets throughout the remainder of 2022, largely based on the better-than-expected polyester market conditions prevalent in recent months. This would increase the company’s comparable EBITDA Guidance to U.S. $1,370 million and Reported EBITDA Guidance to U.S. $1,485 million. “We are pleased to have concluded this acquisition ahead of the expected timeline,” stated José de Jesús Valdez, Alpek’s CEO. “We are excited to welcome Octal’s management team and employees into our family, leveraging their long-standing relationships with customers, their diverse backgrounds, and technical proficiency to drive the company’s long-term growth.” www.alpek.com"},{"@ID":31,
"MARKET SURVEY 29 PETplanet Insider Vol. 23 No. 06/22 www.petpla.net Sipa SMI S.p.A. Via Caduti del Lavoro 3 31029 Vittorio Veneto, Italy +39 043891 1511 www.sipa.it Mr Paolo De Nardi Project leader/Stretch- Blow Molders Development +39 043891 1624 p.denardi@zoppas.com Via C. Ceresa 10 24015 San Giovanni Bianco (BG), Italy +39 0345 40 111 www.smigroup.it Mr Pietro Volpi Marketing Dept. Manager +39 0345 40 316 info@smigroup.it Rotary blowmoulders: XTRA: 6 - 24 (8 models) Linear blowmoulders: SFL EVO: 6/8, 6/6, 6/6 XXL, 6/4 XL, 6/4 XXL , 6/3 XL (6 models); SFL 4: 4/5, 4/4, 4/3, 4/3 XL, (4 models); SFL 4 Wide Mouth: 4/4 WM, 4/3 WM XL (2 models); SFL 2/2 & SFL 1XL (2 models) EBS K Ergon EBS KL Ergon EBS E Ergon EBS HC Ergon 250ml - 3.5 l 250ml - 3.0 l 0.10 - 3 l 0.10 - 3 l 0.10 - 3 l 5 - 30 l 3 - 10 l 24 8 4 10 16 2 6 2,700 per cavity 1,800bhc 2,300 bph per cavity (*) 2,500 bph per cavity (*) 2,300 bph per cavity (*) 2,550 per cavity 1,600bhc 2,250 bph per cavity (*) 2,500 bph per cavity (*) 2,250 bph per cavity (*) 2,550 per cavity 1,800bhc 2,250 bph per cavity (*) 2,300 bph per cavity (*) 2,250 bph per cavity (*) 650bhc 1,200 bph per cavity (*) (*) depending on the preform/bottle features 2.32 x 3.28 x 2.3 (without preforms hopper & unscrambler) 4.77x 2.62 x 2.35 (without preforms hopper & unscrambler) 4.2 x 3.5 x 2.75 to 6.8 x 3.9 x 2.75 (without preforms hopper & unscrambler) 4.45 x 3.46 x 2.57 to 5.55 x 3.46 x 2.57 (without preforms hopper & unscrambler) Best output 2,700bph/cav with process & active angle: easy to blow; reduced TCO: lower air & energy consumption (-25%); 30sec to change blow mould (tool-less), simple use & maintenance; rPET easy process. Bottles for water, oil, CSD, heat resistant, oval simmetric and asimmetric, with preferential heating, neck orientation, with handle, wide mouth (up to 130mm NF), large size (up to 30 l), rPET, Tritan, PE, OPP, … High performances in the stretch-blow moulding of PET, rPET and PP bottles; solution for producing plastic containers of different capacities, featuring various shapes, both simple and complex; reduced maintenance and operational costs; quick changeover and mould replacement; reduced maintenance time; high technological content of the solutions inspired by Industry 4.0 and Internet of Things (IoT); Eco-friendly machines, enabled to stretch-blow lightweight preforms. Side S.A Sacmi Imola SC Pol.Ind. Montguit, C/Llinars s/n 08480 L'Ametlla del Valles, Barcelona, Spain +34 93846 3051 www.sidemachines.com Mr Josep Jiménez Sales Manager +34 677551 928 jose.jiménez@side.es Via Selice Prov.le, 17/a 40026 Imola (BO), Italy +39 0542 607 111 www.sacmi.com APF-6004, APF-3002 APF-10, APF-5 APF-30 Maxiblow (14 models) 1002e 1002e+ 1002e-160e/c 2004e 2006e SBF 0.2 - 2 Up to 2.5 l Up to 2.5 l Up to 3.5 l Up to 3.5 l Up to 2.5 l 3.3 l 3 - 10 15 - 40 Up to 10 l 12 l 4 2 2 2 4 6 24 2 1 1 6 1,500 1,400 3,000 4,000 3,000 7,000 10,000 4,500 1,500 1,400 3,000 4,000 3,000 7,000 10,000 2,300 1,500 1,400 3,000 4,000 3,000 7,000 10,000 2,300 2000 1,000 1,400 500 for 20-40l APF-6004: 8.6 x 3.2 x 2.5 APF-3002: 6.4 x 2.8 x 2.3 APF-10: 8.2 x 3.4 x 2.6 APF-5: 7.4 x 3.2 x 2.7 6.7 x 2.4 x 3.1 5.80x5.30x2.90 7x4.75x3.33 7x4.75x3.33 7x4.75x3.33 6.90x10.15x3.65 6.30x10x3.65 Quick mould change, air recovery system, oval and complex shapes, space saving dimensions, hot fi ll option, patented mould closing system Lightweight containers for 3-6 l with 38mm preform, APF-5: 2 independent blowing units to produce two bottle formats/volumes by turns Possible to blow PET kegs and 4-5 US gallon returnable and one-way watercooler bottles on one blower Preferential oven, neck orientation, T-handle system; PP preform blowmoulding; on-line remote device 4.0; 5 gallons returnable / one way; beer kegs, asymetric & oval bottles, air recovery system, hot fi ll."},{"@ID":20,
"EDITOUR PETplanet Insider Vol. 23 No. 06/22 www.petpla.net 18 Functional beverages: A growing category with further potential Beverage trends in Europe Döhler is a global supplier of technology-driven natural ingredients and integrated solutions for the food and beverage industry. As part of our European Road Show, the company has summarised trends in the European beverage market for PETplanet: Being fit and healthy is among the most important lifestyle and dietary trends today. Consumers are actively looking for products that both taste delicious and offer healthy nutritional value. This has driven demand for “Functional Beverages”, which are enriched with ingredients such as plant-based proteins, botanicals and amino acids. They taste good and have established themselves as top sellers in recent years, in line with the trend towards a health-conscious, natural and plant-based diet. These solutions offer to combat tiredness, improve digestion, support the immune system and help in recovering from stressful days, among other benefits. Natural ingredients and product positioning Functionality in food & beverage is often achieved through the addition of artificial ingredients. However, consumers increasingly and explicitly want to avoid artificial additives and so brands are seeking functional solutions that also qualify as ‘natural’ and deliver a solution that balances taste, functionality and outstanding product stability, to meet consumer demand. Brands often search for ingredients that evoke positive emotions for consumers and thus add an emotional benefit to products. However, consumer perceptions of benefits differ by region, as do the regulations around positioning and claims. Doehler’s global network of experts understands the intricacies of these positionings, whether functionality is offered with a ‘hard’ or ‘soft’ claim. Doehler’s application teams create products with emotional added value by using botanical extracts, juices & purees, as well as teas & botanical infusions that also deliver unique taste sensations and offer positive benefits to consumers. Immune-boosting ingredients, such as vitamins and minerals, can allow claims with scientifically backed effects. Sustainability as a key driver Consumers are, increasingly, demanding responsibly crafted products and supporting those that contribute to environmental protection and fair trade, with transparent origins and production conditions. This means that successful offers should focus not only on naturalness of ingredients and added value, but also on factors such as eco-friendliness and sustainability. Whether for ethical or health reasons, plant-based nutrition is seeing continued growth, with more and more consumers deciding to reduce or eliminate animal products from their diet. Plant-based proteins, fruits and vegetables and dairy-free ingredients made from oats, almonds, rice or coconut can be used to create inspiring product concepts that meet the current lifestyle & spirit. Plant-based proteins are becoming increasingly important. Functional drinks that support physical performance as well as recovery of the body through high protein content derived from dairy or plants, as well as meal replacement drinks, are in demand. Tour Sponsors:"},{"@ID":27,
"EDITOUR PETplanet Insider Vol. 23 No. 06/22 www.petpla.net 25 4BUJTGBDUJPO JT XIBU 1&3'&$5 130%6$5 26\"-*5: MFBET UP 8F DBO IFMQ 888 */53\"7*4 $0. visit us at $ Rebalancing materials The balance of materials has changed, from 70% PVC/20% PE and 10% PETG before Covid-19 to 40-50% PETG, a ‘substantial amount’ of PE and a lot less PVC than previously. Andy expects usage of PET to stabilise around 50%, for cost and social reasons. He and the company are striving to focus on genuine closed loop manufacturing and to work on process improvement, in order to cut waste, energy use and costs. Machinery: investment, renewal and maintenance The machinery on the shop floor featured equipment from a range of manufacturers, including Arburg, Hester and Plastiblow. It looked so clean that I was prompted to ask if it was all new. “We’ve replaced a lot of injection moulding machines over the past two years,” said Andy. “The last major investment in blow moulding was the 2-litre machine located next to the closed-loop system. We are looking at the next replacements being very similar to what we already have but we’re considering another machine for smaller jobs.” Ancillary equipment is also on a replacement schedule. “We have invested in heating and ventilation and in control systems. We’ve replaced the A-frame cranes and we have a new, automatic, packaging system,” he continued. New items have been acquired for Plastic Packaging Tax compliance. Plastic Packaging Tax: monitoring and management “The hopper loader and dosing systems are now equipped to precisely monitor all the weights that go into production. They will be used to provide the Tax authorities with precise information on the raw materials we use and the exact proportion of virgin, recyclate, wastage, masterbatch, additives - everything. The waste weighing machine takes a photo of the person who’s loading it so we know it cannot be defrauded,” he explained, and emphasised what he sees as the appeal of Measom Freer. “We are a flexible, family business. We care about our customers. It’s not about the bottom line, exclusively, although of course we have to be commercial. We all enjoy our business and our work,” he said. “We encompass all facets of our sector of our industry. We design our own products and our own tooling, and we’re not so big that we’re impersonal.” Customer relationships are clearly very important to this pleasant couple and their business. They are what it thrives on. www.measomfreer.co.uk"},{"@ID":15,
"BOTTLE MAKING 33 PETplanet Insider Vol. 23 No. 06/22 www.petpla.net BOTTLE MAKING 33 with dimension checking but also more specific tests, such as DSC and IV tests, both on the preforms available on the market and on those developed and injected in-house using Husky machinery. It all depends on the customer requirements. The European SUP directive stipulates that European companies should adopt the tethered cap so manufacturers will need to take action and implement this soon. This could also be the right opportunity to revamp packaging, reduce the weight or adjust those that are not performing well. Competek has developed a tool that allows the customer to evaluate their investments taking into consideration the line parameters, the type of packaging, and the modifications required, which then helps to understand the ROI. A win-win scenario for the customer: make your packaging more sustainable and understand from the outset when you will get a return on investment. It’s worth mentioning that Competek line conversion services have no brand limitation, therefore the customer with mixed lines can count on one unique supplier providing all the parts and the installation with minimum downtime. This is our value add: one partner, lower costs, quick delivery times. PETplanet: For rPET, you offer a protocol that customers can use to work through all open questions, from preform performance to the blow moulding process and legal compliance. In an earlier interview, you told us that customers were particularly concerned that the performance of a bottle could suffer from a conversion from virgin PET to rPET. Is this still the case or are there perhaps other concerns that have come to the fore? Olivier Serre: With our certified lab, we support customers in testing the performance of a specific batch of recycled material, therefore analysing also the quality, safety and performance of the final bottle and give the customer the correct blowing process. What we see right now is that manufacturers are worried about the uncertainty of the performance for sure, but they are also worried about the colour of the final bottle that could impact on the brand image and on the overall cost of the raw material which is higher than the virgin PET at the moment. PETplanet: Thank you very much! www.competek.com E N D L E S S I N N O V A T I O N S I N C E 1 9 1 9"},{"@ID":16,
"MOULD MAKING PETplanet Insider Vol. 23 No. 06/22 www.petpla.net 14 Additive manufacturing on food and beverage moulds Metal 3D printing technology The characteristics of beverage mould parts and the shortcomings of conventional water channels manufacturing technology led GDXL to adopt metal 3D printing technology to several mould development projects since 2020. All of which have demonstrated good operational results. Challenges and solutions Shrinkage, flow lines, ovality, slow cycle time and other quality problems led GDXL to investigate metal additive manufacturing for the manufacture of mould parts and, since 2020, to use the process for commercial scale production. When conventional machining is used to manufacture mould parts, water channels are, generally, made up of lines connected horizontally and vertically. Many areas on the parts cannot be processed with water channels because of technology limitations. This particularly affects movable mould parts that are susceptible to operational failure and, consequently, leads to problems such as uneven cooling, large flow pressure loss and cooling blind spots. This results in unsatisfactory moulding efficiency and quality problems. Beverage mould parts are generally small, which makes water channels difficult to process. Accuracy requirements are relatively high, especially for moving sliders, inclined roofs and other structures. 3D printing technology – additive manufacturing – is an ideal solution to resolve the problem of poor cooling critical parts and has a relatively good cost/benefit ratio. At present, steel alloy powder materials most frequently used for 3D printing mould parts include stainless steel, high-strength steel and tool steel types. GDXL uses steel alloy powder materials with hardness reaching HRC48-52 after heat treatment, with tensile strength above 1,700MPa and good rust resistance properties. Selective Laser Melting (SLM) powder bed fusion technology is one of the most widely used technologies for the production of industrial parts. It offers high printing density, no void bubbles or similar internal defects, and less shrinkage. GDXL uses leading SLM equipment to manufacture critical mould parts and integrates the process with vacuum heat treatment, fine machining and cutting. Application on preform mould: In the middle of 2020, a customer reported that their preform mould for making hot fill 38mm preform neck finish had an ovality issue: the key dimension was out of tolerance. Preliminary analysis found that the wall of the bottle neck was relatively thick; the poor cooling of the conventional machined water channel caused it to shrink and deform in an oval shape. The size was also out of tolerance. In order to solve the problem, GDXL suggested using 3D printing technology to process mould parts with conformal water channels. According to the theory of heat transfer, increasing the heat exchange area between the solid and the liquid zones can increase the heat transfer efficiency. The application of 3D printing, when compared with the conventional machined water channel, not only significantly increased the heat transfer area but also maintained a uniform distance from the moulding surface, and had no flow dead angle. Therefore, cooling rate and cooling uniformity could theoretically be improved. GDXL designed a neck ring part with a conformal water channel and used simulation analysis software to compare and verify the cooling effect of the neck ring part with the original design. It was found that the cooling rate and cooling uniformity were better. Four new neck rings with conformal water channel were made for trial at customer’s facility. After the trial, the customer reported that the ovality issue was reduced by about 45%, which met the quality requirements, and demoulding temperature had also been reduced, to a certain extent. Schematic diagram of the structure of conventionally machined neck ring parts Schematic diagram of neck ring parts with 3D printing conformal water channels Schematic diagram of surface temperature distribution of conventionally machined neck ring parts Schematic diagram of surface temperature distribution of neck ring parts with 3D printing conformal water channels MOULD MAKING"},{"@ID":45,
"PETplanet Insider Vol. 23 No. 06/22 www.petpla.net 43 TRADE SHOW REVIEW At Greiner Packaging, the circular economy and recycling design are essential innovations that are here to stay, says Kühner. Further conference points concerned the furniture and foam division Neveon and the medical division Bio-One, which experienced particularly significant growth in Covid-19 products during the pandemic and is now slowly returning to its previous day-to-day business. The sale of Greiner Extrusion to Dutch-German investment company Nimbus, which also owns Battenfeld-Cincinnati, was also explained in detail. According to Hannes Moser, a strong first quarter has already been recorded in 2022 showing a stable growth of about 7%. Mr Moser continued by saying that further price rises are expected in all areas due to the pandemic in conjunction with the war in Ukraine. Organic growth and growth through company acquisitions and mergers were mentioned as objectives. The aim is to continue to be positioned globally and sustainably. Regarding Greiner Packaging, Axel Kühner spoke of the planned intensification of the circular economy strategy, which would enable the product range to be shaped in a more future-proof way. He spoke in favour of a stable and long-term solution for material procurement because of rising prices not only for new material but also for recyclate. The inhouse production of recycled material has also been considered, and this was touched on in discussions. Taking a long-term view, he said that further growth markets tend to lie outside of Europe. In the subsequent Q&A session, we wanted to know the extent to which inhouse recycling facilities could be integrated into the manufacturing of recyclate and in which regions of the world these could primarily be established. Hannes Moser explained that to circumvent dependencies in terms of packaging, there was no better alternative to inhouse recycling companies and planned investments were under way. Southeast Europe was of particular interest here. Also, as Axel Kühner added in response to another question, sustainability and the circular economy were to be promoted in every division. Material flows were one example where there is room for improvement, especially in packaging. www.greiner.com CFO Hannes Moser"},{"@ID":13,
"MOULD MAKING PETplanet Insider Vol. 23 No. 06/22 www.petpla.net 11 are helping customers to reduce air consumption to as low as 16-20 bar. There are many mould makers worldwide, but few can propose a blowing operation solution that uses compressed air efficiently. The energy consumption of high-pressure compression rooms is undoubtedly one of the highest in any beverage production plant. The technique applied in our BaseMax moulds improves the energy efficiency of the blowing system. A BaseMax mould versus a conventional mould from any manufacturer is like comparing an LED light bulb to an old-fashioned incandescent bulb. There is a tendency to think that reducing the blowing pressure to be more efficient in energy terms also implies significant changes in the generation of high-pressure air. In the case of a pressure reduction project, it will be necessary to make changes to the compression equipment, but the first step is optimising demand to change that old incandescent bulb for a LED before rearranging the generation matrix. We use this simple example when a client wants to know about our technology in the first meeting. Ultra low-pressure blow moulds allow us to take that first fundamental step to reduce massic air consumption. Only after reducing the blowing pressure to target values and stabilising a new process standard can you move forward to change the piping network or the compressors themselves. Without improving demand, the question of generation cannot be addressed. Even when you keep the compressors at high pressure for an HR PET line, you will be able to save air on your NR PET lines with BaseMax moulds. Some compressors will stop entirely due to the less massic consumption of those NR moulds. The savings can be captured immediately and are cumulative as the existing compressors will continue to deliver the massicflow they were designed for. The blowers will require fewer kilograms of air to blow the same quantity of bottles per hour. Each new or converted set, because BaseMax could be a retrofit of existing moulds even from other manufacturers, and will use less air. The excedent in the ring-type installation will be used in the next blower, thus leading the compressor to change state sooner. PETplanet: For what formats do you recommend optimisation most urgently? Pucci: Moldintec offers its customers a calculator to fill in with data on their compressors, bottles, blowing speed, and current-target pressure to obtain financial information for decision making. Not all formats need to be optimised, or, at least, not in the project’s first phase. It is common to think that the first bottle to optimise is the bigger one. But it is also essential to consider the blowing speed, and the number of bottles produced per month or year. Optimising a mould that works a few days per month does not make sense. The technology involved in the process of blowing a PET preform is exciting. The balance of thermal and mechanical energies combined with a high-performance mould makes a huge difference. We still see plants, even in Europe, blowing at 32 bar. The opportunities to save money, but above all, to reduce the carbon footprint are still huge. PETplanet: What ‘design for recycling’ aspects currently influence the design of stretch blow-moulds? Pucci: From a packaging design point of view, less is more. The technology that we developed for NoLabel, without a doubt, proposes a complete prepared packaging for recycling. Also, fewer grams of PET will have a positive impact on the environment. During 2020, we spent the isolation time completely redesigning our core engineering platform. As a result, we achieved a 20% reduction in the use of raw materials and much lighter moulds for the new high-speed blowers. Again, less is more, fewer materials to recycle at the end of the mould life cycle. The concept “made for recycling” is multidimensional for us. We think laterally and challenge our clients to give a second life to their assets in disuse due to obsolescence of the product before sending it to the recycling bin. Our ReShape program proposes re-machining the moulds to give them a new life on a new product. It also reduces the time to market to just one week, with minimal investment because if the mould was in operation before, it also means that all the bespoke tooling is available. PETplanet: For the label-free bottle that you made with Danone and Val Group you have already won several prizes, including the World Packaging Award. There must have been quite some challenges to overcome before it was ready? Pucci: That project was highly challenging and fulfilling for our team. There were many development loops to optimise the design of the bottle and the readability of the customer information. The creation of the iconic assets proposed by Danone required profound technical changes in engineering as Moldintec applied the laser machining techniques in the moulds. Today, that experience has resulted in technical changes in the mould venting systems created by the laser when we emboss or deboss the characters. We’ve also reached high readability for customer information on the CSD bottles. A fully readable nutrition facts table under the high internal pressure is now possible, even with a non-crystalline liquid. PETplanet: So all the consumer information that is normally printed on the label can all be found engraved in the bottle now? Pucci: The answer is constantly changing. Since 2017, when we showed the first bottle with the product brand engraved on the PET skin, the SRA teams have now developed ways of conveying legal requirements with the same level of innovation as the NoLabel project itself. But first, we always look for them to be on the surface of the same bottle and for it to be legible."},{"@ID":10,
"8 NEWS PETplanet Insider Vol. 23 No. 06/22 www.petpla.net New US PET Recycling Coalition The Recycling Partnership, a US force for improving recycling, announced the launch of its PET Recycling Coalition, an initiative informed by industry knowledge and expertise to improve PET circularity. Its work will focus on addressing key opportunities to increase PET recycling: Increasing the capture of PET bottles Broadening the acceptance of PET trays, cups, and clamshells in community recycling collection programs Unlocking new supplies of rPET for packaging manufacturers Strengthening recycling systems for pigmented and opaque PET While eliminating unnecessary usage is an important component of circularity, increased PET recycling is another critical step in advancing circularity, states the Coalition. This along with company commitments and recycled content mandates in proposed U.S. legislation is leading to skyrocketing demand for rPET but supply is currently limited. Most Americans with recycling access are able to recycle PET bottles; however, just 54% can recycle other types of PET packaging like plastic egg cartons and fruit containers. Furthermore, the recycling rate for PET bottles was only 26.6% in 2021. While most PET never makes it into the recycling bin due to insufficient access and participation, as much as 17% of bottles that are recovered are lost at Materials Recovery Facilities (MRFs) due to sortation challenges. The PET Recycling Coalition will make grants to recycling facilities for sorting equipment and related capital needs. These upgrades are intended to improve PET bottle capture, deliver more rPET for use back into bottles and thermoforms, increase the acceptance of non-bottle rigid items in community recycling programs, and strengthen recycling opportunities for pigmented and opaque PET. Through grants, technical assistance, and knowledge sharing, the Coalition envisions a thriving PET recycling system that captures significantly more material, enabling more circular PET packaging with increased amounts of recycled content. The PET Recycling Coalition is part of The Recycling Partnership’s Pathway to Circularity Initiative and aims to advance the circularity of all packaging. The Coalition is supported by and open to members representing all segments of the material’s value chain, including founding steering committee members Eastman, Indorama Ventures, Procter & Gamble, and the Walmart Foundation. Additional founding members include The Coca-Cola Company, Danone, The Kroger Co. Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation, and Niagara Bottling. The Coalition set an initial funding target of $25 million over five years and is seeking additional supporters. The PET Recycling Coalition is aided by an advisory committee of industry leaders, including the American Beverage Association, Association of Plastic Recyclers, Closed Loop Partners, Foodservice Packaging Institute, National Association for PET Container Resources, and RRS. www.recyclingpartnership.org New French recycling technology to recycle 50 million PET food trays per year Thai-based Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited (IVL) with its facility Wellman France Recycling in Verdun, has been working on the PET trays recycling for six years and through an ongoing project with Valorplast and supported by Citeo. The project has the objective to develop and validate recycling for monolayer and multilayer PET trays. Valorplast has collected significant quantities of post-consumer PET trays and several industrial runs have been conducted by Wellman. The produced flakes are being tested by several actors to develop high quality applications. Those tests have led by IVL to develop a commercially feasible recycling solution for monolayer PET trays with the collaboration of Klöckner Pentaplast. The new technology is processing monolayer PET trays used for food packaging (meat, produce and cheese) into a high-quality product, suitable for new tray production. This new recycling innovation will see over 50 million post-consumer PET trays diverted away from landfill or incineration. “PET trays are essential to combat food waste. Their high barrier properties protect food for longer meaning fresh and safe food for all of us.” François Lagrue, Head of Operations – Europe, Indorama Ventures Recycling Group said. “This new technology will mean that for the first time we have a circular recycling solution for PET tray packaging. This will lend significant support in achieving the EU’s plastic collection and recycling targets. This is a true value circle effort. Tests were performed at all levels, including sorting, recycling and conversion. Ensuring the input met the right quality and purity levels is our top priority. Development of tray recycling has been a goal for some time. We are proud that – together with our partners – we have been able to develop a commercially and technically feasible process, that allows us to produce a dedicated rPET flake product for the food packaging market.” Testing has now moved into commercial production. 500t of PET trays are now being processed monthly and transformed into a high-quality tray flake, which can be used to produce new trays. The purity of the flakes is comparable with high-quality bottle flake, claims the company. A further scale up is foreseen, and the company plans to process 10KT of tray flake in 2022. www.indoramaventures.com"},{"@ID":17,
"40 TRADE SHOW REVIEW PETplanet Insider Vol. 23 No. 06/22 www.petpla.net Röders Tec Hall C5 – Booth 230 High potential for energy saving Reducing energy consumption is a huge topic for the beverage industry and the German mould manufacturer. Röders Tec has introduced a new base technology for reducing blowing pressure recently. The “low pressure” (LP) base design is combining a unique design with additional venting solutions to let the air exhaust easily. Due to the optimised PET material flow, less air pressure will be required to blow out all areas of the base properly – without having any impact on critical bottle tests. The base design was implemented at several European CSD bottling plants with huge success: Blowing bottles with less than 20 bars instead of 30 was feasible in many cases. Some customers were able to reduce to 15 bars, stated Röders Tec. All potential results are related to local conditions such as preferred preform design and weight, condition of the blowing machine and moulds as well as the bottle shape itself. The LP base design can be used for new mould developments, but also can adapted to existing formats. Bottlers only need to change the base mould – there is no need to invest in a full set of moulds. www.roeders.de Labelling machinery Newtec Labelling will exhibit a full range of labelling machines: Adhesive Cold Glue, Hot Melt and Rollfed. The adhesive labelling machine has the adhesive group, intentionally oversize, to guarantee a maximum precision during the application of the labels on the bottle and it will be equipped with the new system for automatic reel change. The Rollfed labeller show the cutting unit which ensures a cut of over 300,000,000 labels without the replacement of the knives.The Newtec Labelling machines series are ideal for glass, plastic bottles, and cans with a speed from 3,000 to 60,000 bph. The Panther Modular Labeller could be equipped with all labelling technologies. www.newteclabelling.it We cordially invite you to visit PETplanet Insider at Drinktec in Hall C5 - Booth 136! Get to know our team and browse through our PETplanet Insider issues. As a highlight we present new interviews and reports from our Editour European Road Show 2021 & 2022! Newtec Labelling Hall C6 – Booth 231 PETplanet Insider Hall C5 – Booth 136"},{"@ID":37,
"35 TRADE SHOW REVIEW PETplanet Insider Vol. 23 No. 06/22 www.petpla.net Drinktec 2022 part 1 Faster, higher, stronger Does the beverage and liquid food industry also have Olympic aspirations? Manufacturers of beverages and liquid food and machine manufacturers have long since recognised the potential. Digitalisation and digital transformation are one of the four main topics at Drinktec 2022, which will be held in Munich from September 12 to 16, 2022. With its range of exhibitors and supporting program, the trade fair for the beverage and liquid food industry offers broad views and focused approaches aimed at helping the industry become faster, achieve stronger results, and intensify its focus on sustainable plant concepts in the coming years. PETplanet Insider talked with Exhibition Director Petra Westphal for her assessment of this special trade fair year and specifically of Drinktec 2022. PETplanet: How do you assess the trade fair year 2022 in principle? Petra Westphal: Everyone looks forward to trade fairs. We need personal exchange for inspiration as a basis for innovation. Moreover, the challenges are currently immense. We need face-to-face conversations, the experience with all senses and the feeling of mastering the challenges side by side with all participants of the community. PETplanet: Why is the Drinktec trade fair particularly important for manufacturers of beverages and liquid food and machine manufacturers worldwide? Petra Westphal: At Drinktec, there are solutions and innovations for current and future challenges. In addition, a unique quality of advice and a range that covers all service spectrums through its internationality and diversity. That is why we have chosen the following four key themes for this year: first: Digital Transformation and Digital Solutions; second: Consumer World and Product Design; third: Sustainable Packaging and Production and finally forth: Water and water management. Of course, the whole issue of cost and energy savings will play an immensely important role due to current occurrences. I am sure that we can expect many answers here. PETplanet: Can you preview for us two or three highlights that visitors and exhibitors can particularly look forward to? Petra Westphal: Curtain up for Drinktec: the big bang is happening live on site. We know from the Drinktec talks that there are concepts for brewing processes that aim for zero carbon consumption, and then the whole topic of non-alcoholic beverages - especially alcoholic beverages whose alcohol content is minimised or completely reduced to zero - will play an important role. The topic of “free from sugar, animal products, colourings and unnatural additives” will also continue to be relevant. PETplanet: How strongly will the PET sector and everything that goes with it be represented at Drinktec? Petra Westphal: A whole hall and the complete range - from granulate to preform production to blow moulding machines and recycling. And I think it will also be about showing the advantages of PET in all its facets to counteract the plastic bashing. PETplanet: Can you give us an update on exhibitor and booking enquiries and planning for drinktec? Petra Westphal: All in all, we can expect high quality and a showcase par excellence. I think what counts in the end is that the community gets answers to all its questions, that it is inspired to become creative itself and to secure tomorrow’s business in these challenging times. Drinktec inspires and shapes the future of the industry. For the ‘numbers people’: We expect 1,200 exhibitors from over 70 countries, who in turn can look forward to 65,000 visitors from over 170 countries. PETplanet: Apart from Europe, which countries and regions will be particularly well represented and how can this be assessed in terms of the expected visitor flows, especially in times of Covid? Petra Westphal: As in the past, exhibitors come from all countries that have a supplier industry. China, for example, is represented just as much as the USA, Japan or India. We also have an exhibitor from Ukraine. On the visitor side, we expect the world in Munich – but there are unlikely to be hardly any representatives from China and Russia. Corona is not an issue at the moment. And if it is, we not only have the various options in the drawer but have also successfully tested them all. In addition, our halls are equipped with a modern ventilation system. PETplanet: What events, lectures etc. are planned and what will they offer in detail? Petra Westphal: Here, everyone is invited to let off steam at Drinktec. Our supporting programme offers a colourful bouquet of current and forward-looking topics. Those who are interested are spoilt for choice! PETplanet: What will possibly be new or different at this Drinktec than at previous Drinktec fairs? Petra Westphal: There will be a StartUp Area: Young entrepreneurs will challenge each other in pitches and report on their innovations in the Speakers Corner. We want to bring together long-standing and well-founded expertise with new and wild approaches. Then there will not only be beer tastings at place2beer, but also tastings of edible oils, fruit juices and maybe even milk. We have further developed our app with additional matchmaking options. This is especially true for the solution directory and the innovation guide. Here, we have once again sharpened the profile. Last but not least, Drinktec offers the fireworks of inspiration that not only inspire but also shape the future of our industry. PETplanet:We thank you very much for these insights and look forward to a meeting of the industry that looks to the future and not to the past!"},{"@ID":53,
"PETplanet Insider Vol. 23 No. 06/22 www.petpla.net 46 A shaving cream with pump dispenser Beiersdorf has launched a shaving cream as part of the Nivea Men range under the name “Sensitive Pro Menmalist”. The transparent lube, which is said to improve shaving the tight contours of the face, comes in a 200 ml bottle and is dispensed via a lockable pump mechanism. The bottle is made from 100% recycled material and has a selfadhesive label that provides information on the ten ingredients which are 93% biodegradable and 94% of natural origin. www.nivea.de A tanning oil from Dm Dm has brought out a tanning oil under its own “sun dance” brand which comes in a clear 200ml PET bottle typical of this type of product. Three recessed grips that increase towards the top enables the bottle to be gripped safely even with wet or oi ly hands. There is a pump mechanism under the light bronzecoloured protective cap for applying the microplastic-free oil to the skin. Two colour-coordinated labels provide details about the product. www.dm.de A foam soap with strawberry extract Paedi Protect AG, the German manufacturer of skin-care products for babies and toddlers, has brought out a new cleansing foam soap that is kind to the skin. The vegan, microplastic-free product blended with strawberry extract comes in a sturdy, white 250 ml bottle that has a lockable pump dispenser. The white and red self-adhesive labels make the foam look like a medical product except for the depiction of a penguin which forms part of the brand. www.paediprotect.de Miracle Garden by Nivea The latest selection and combination of fragrancies in shower gels always brings variety to everyday life. Nivea has introduced a limited edition of its shower gel with the scent of freesia and green tea for its customers under their “Miracle Garden” label. The gel is microplastic-free as well as being a 99% biodegradable and 100% climate-neutral product. The slightly greenish-coloured 250ml bottle is made from 96% recycled material. The fixed, two-tone hinged cap can be operated with one hand and has a self-adhesive sticker that refers to the “limited edition”. www.nivea.de PETbottles Home + Personal Care +44 78175 32087 +34 676 986 962 sales@petmachinery.com petmachinery.com Looking to sell your used PET machinery? We can help you. We offer a free valuation service, 50 years of industry experience, and a global network that guarantees you the best market value. Contact us today to find out more. THE INDUSTRY EXPERTS"},{"@ID":14,
"MOULD MAKING PETplanet Insider Vol. 23 No. 06/22 www.petpla.net 12 Then other very creative solutions arise depending on the target sales channel. As a result, the minimum legal information that must be included on the bottle changes and allows us to go a little further in terms of design. As an example, for a container intended for the supermarket in a multipack, we keep the brand, the logo, the product statement, and content on the bottle surface. All other information related to the composition, the barcode, etc., is then moved to the outer packaging. What is the point of hiding 24 water labels behind a printed heat shrink? Labels that the consumer does not even see when making a purchase decision... PETplanet: As a mould maker, how can you meet the increasing bottlers’ demand for flexibility? Pucci: Moldintec as an independent manufacturer, has worked on this flexibility approach since its inception. Hybrid concept mould engineering, in which the primary development platform is intended for quick conversions between different blow moulding machines, has always been a strength valued by our customers. It is common to see bottling plant machines from different brands so diverse that, in principle, they block the possibility of operating a mould from one to another. Moulds with quickly interchangeable inserts have also been a solution that we use to reduce investments and increase flexibility, especially for the marketing teams that enjoy the advantages of our FlexMoulds for promotional use. It’s quite easy to provide them with dedicated inserts for Xmas, sports events, and many others. Advances in manufacturing techniques and a more rational design of moulds today lead us to propose base and shell combinations that are so flexible that they allow our customers to change the bottle capacity to make dynamic price adjustments in the final product as fast as the market changes. PETplanet: Let’s talk about the moulds as such. What is your material of choice, aluminium or stainless steel? Pucci: We offer both solutions depending on how and where the mould is to be used and the diameter of the bottle. We also offer aluminiumstainless steel hybrid use options where we take advantage of the mechanical resistance of stainless steel and the high thermal conductivity of aluminium. Therefore, with this unique combination, we achieve durability and high performance that is paramount, especially in large BaseMax petaloids that will operate at ultra-low blowing pressure. Aluminium has come a long way and allows us to supply cavities with thin walls that adequately support the production process. In addition, the reduction in blowing pressure thanks to our high-efficiency BaseMax petaloid results in lower mechanical stresses that the mould has to withstand. PETplanet: What are the advantages and disadvantages of each? Pucci: If we talk about beverage producers requiring more flexible solutions, we are talking about even shorter product life cycles. There is no doubt that the aluminium mould has an advantage under these conditions due to the cost and life cycle equation for final recycling. Technically, each material offers intrinsic characteristics that respond to different needs. For example, aluminium is an excellent ally in improving the physical performance of containers, thanks to its thermal conductivity. Innovative use of aluminium substantially improves the mould’s ability to cool the preform as blowing cycles get shorter and shorter. The mechanical properties of the aluminium alloys we use meet the mechanical requirements while allowing us to design low-weight tools favourable to the kinematics of blowing machines. And on the other side of the equation of the material selection process, stainless steel offers higher mechanical and corrosion resistance, but it’s heavy and costly in manufacturing. Many of our clients have an oldfashioned view of the durability of blow moulds, losing sight of the average life cycles of the bottles getting shorter and shorter. It is enough to see plastic materials and aluminium evolution in the automotive industry. More profitable and recyclable materials have arrived and will continue to do so. It is indisputable that aluminium is in itself the recyclable material par excellence. The selection of one material or another, or a combination of both defines the engineering quality of the tool. To say that it is an aluminium mould is not enough. The alloy, the temper, and even the production plant of the material determine the quality of the tool. At Moldintec, we work closely with our Swiss aluminium supplier to be at the forefront of material evolution. PETplanet: Do you use coatings? Pucci: Coatings are resources that we apply according to the project and the needs of each client. Our sales approach is based on consultations with our clients. We know our clients in-depth and understand the bottle they intend to produce, the process they will use to blow it, and their operating characteristics. For example, if we know that the customer has a cooling water quality problem, we will protect certain mould parts by anodising them at a specific thickness. For years we have promoted the idea of eliminating the exterior anodising of the aluminium shells. It is undeniable that the anodic coating improves the surface resistance and protects it from scratches. We are aware of those advantages, and we take advantage of them only when we deem them necessary because anodising is an electrochemical process that consumes high amounts of energy and is potentially dangerous for the environment when not managed responsibly, so again, less is more for our team of engineering. If it is not absolutely necessary, we tell our clients so before proceeding. www.moldintec.com"},{"@ID":1,
"PETcontents 4 PETplanet Insider Vol. 23 No. 06/22 www.petpla.net 06/2022 Page 35 MOULD MAKING 10 “The opportunities are huge” - Jorge Pucci, Moldintec, on trends and developments in the moulding sector 14 Metal 3D printing technology - Additive manufacturing on food and beverage moulds EDITOUR 18 Beverage trends in Europe - Functional beverages: A growing category with further potential 20 Surfing the pandemic wave 23 A family business, fit for the 21st century MARKET SURVEY 27 Suppliers of 2-stage SBM machinery BOTTLE MAKING 31 Setting the foundations - Interview with Olivier Serre, Managing Director at Competek PREFORM PRODUCTION 34 Same conditions, same result? - In-depth characterisation of the blowing behaviour of preform materials TRADE SHOW PREVIEW 35 Drinktec part 1 36 PET highlights at Drinktec EVENT REVIEW 42 Record sales and growth in Austria BUYER’S GUIDE 48 Get listed! INSIDE TRACK 3 Editorial 4 Contents 6 News 44 On site 45 PET bottles for beverage + liquid food 46 PET bottles for home + personal care 47 Patents 54 Outer Planet Page 23 Page 10 MOULD MAKING"},{"@ID":36,
"PREFORM PRODUCTION PETplanet Insider Vol. 23 No. 06/22 www.petpla.net 34 In-depth characterisation of the blowing behaviour of preform materials Same conditions, same result? Growing environmental awareness has seen the bottle industry increase its uptake of sustainable materials, such as recycled PET, bio-materials and additives. However, these materials can significantly affect the behaviour during blowing of the final bottle, so it is imperative that their influence on the performance of preforms during stretch blow moulding (SBM) is fully understood and quantified. Blow Moulding Technologies (BMT) offers its material characterisation service to accurately, and efficiently, gather complex data for prospective material compositions and preform designs. Full-field deformation mapping BMT has developed a custom lab-based stretch-blow machine with bespoke instrumentation to investigate the influences of the many variables associated with the bottle blowing process. First, a unique speckle pattern is applied to each preform before it is loaded onto a universal gripper and transported to the heating station by a 3-axis robotic arm. Heating by way of an oil bath or infrared is offered as part of the service to isolate the investigation into either the mechanical or optical properties, respectively, of the preform. An investigation covering both heating methods will offer a comprehensive insight into the forming behaviour of the specific material/ preform configuration. This would then allow for informed changes to process parameters for optimisation of the resultant bottle, as well as garnering an extensive data pool that could be used for calibration and fine-tuning of a characteristic material model. Following the heating stage, the preform is then transported to the blowing station and subjected to a wide array of operator-defined parameters in a single-stage, pre-blow procedure. Two high-speed cameras stereoscopically record the preform deformation during blowing and, when used in conjunction with the patterned preform, three-dimensional Digital Image Correlation (DIC) develops a full-field, transient strain map of the blown article, across its entire length. DataRod, BMT’s instrumented stretch rod, allows for simultaneous measurement of cavity pressure and reaction force. This combination of real-time process outputs produces principal stress-strain data mapped along the entire preform edge, facilitating indepth analysis into local hoop and axial stresses as a function of process set-up. The ‘free-blown’ article is then ejected from the machine, allowing for visual inspection from the user. Case Study – recycled material An investigation into the blowing behaviour of a 100% rPET preform with one of virgin resin compared the preform geometry, temperature profile and blowing parameters for both. The resultant contour plots demonstrated that the rPET blown article appears larger in volume from around 100ms onwards. Differences in material behaviour become even more apparent when probing the hoop and axial stressstrain behaviour. The true stressnominal strain data, extracted from a point approximately halfway down the length of the evolving preform wall, shows significant differences between the two sets of preforms. The onset of strain hardening, known as Natural Draw Ratio, is shown to be delayed by around 14% in the hoop direction during the blowing of the rPET preform, compared to its virgin counterpart, in the same processing conditions. This confirms the difference in blowing behaviour previously observed and further implies an unavoidable difference in thickness distribution that will ultimately affect future performance characteristics if unaccounted for. Conclusion The material characterisation service provided by BMT offers a systematic assessment of new material and preform configurations and provides detailed insights into preform blowing shape and global stress-strain behaviour. With the drive for increasing adoption of bio-based and recycled materials for the SBM market, this service is a valuable screening tool for early stage preform design and material selection. www.bmt-ni.com Differences in material behaviour virgin PET versus rPET"},{"@ID":54,
"41 TRADE SHOW REVIEW PETplanet Insider Vol. 23 No. 06/22 www.petpla.net H.B. Fuller Hall C6 – Booth 445 Sustainable beverage packaging solutions The European Green Deal and related legislation in Europe and globally, as well as corporate commitments aligned to the New Plastics Economy, are driving change for consumer packaging at a rapid pace. Working with partners across the industry to develop new packaging solutions ready for the circular economy is key to achieving the ambitious goals set for the beverage industry. Adhesive supplier While adhesives may be a small component of beverage packaging, they are key to ensuring performance. H.B. Fuller develops adhesives with a holistic view, with fossil-free raw materials, new functionality and recyclability in mind. The company has new technologies for water-based label l ing, PET wash-off and multipack bundling, including KeelClip and Nature MultiPack packaging designs. Reduce and recycle Together with customers and strategic industry partners, H.B. Fuller deliver sustainable labeling and packaging solutions. To learn more about H.B. Fuller and discover how to become partner for sustainable packaging solutions, visit the company at Drinktec. www.hbfuller.com"},{"@ID":7,
"44 PETplanet Insider Vol. 23 No. 06/22 www.petpla.net ONsite Major Saudi converter Al-Sad benefits from Sipa’s preform technology and support Saudi Arabian preform and bottle cap producer Al-Sad operates four Gen4 versions of the XForm 500 t machinery from Sipa, making PET preforms for mineral water bottles. Among the four systems it also has one Sipa’s 180-cavity preform moulds. At its plant in Riyadh, Al-Sad produces PET preforms in four different weights: 7.9g, 8.5g, 9.1g, and 10.4g. Every day, the four XForms together produce over 10 million preforms. Al-Sad Vice President Zeid Al Nazer says the company decided on Sipa’s XForm because of its productivity, short cycle times, low energy consumption, its high overall efficiency, and its low physical footprint. Al-Sad also appreciates Sipa’s responsiveness and prompt after-sales service. Sipa states that a key advantage of the XForm system is the reasonable production cost that it offers along with high reliability. The advantages can be exploited with moulds of all cavitation. For example, one factor especially important at this time is energy efficiency: The XForm consumes less than 200Wh for every kg of PET it processes. Numerous factors make this possible, but Sipa stars that highlights among them include the machine’s all-electric toggle and the Kers Kinetic Energy Recovery System – not unlike that used in Formula One racing – that stores braking energy and then reuses it to accelerate clamp closing. Servo-driven hydraulic pumps and good insulation on the extruder barrel also play their part. Other important features are the robustness of XForm, which is claimed to result in low maintenance costs. This extends beyond the machine itself to other important elements of the total system: Sipa’s guarantee for the cold half of the mould, for example, covers 11 million cycles. High uptime is further ensured by low mould changeover times made possible by ease of access to the mould and PMC (PostMould Cooling) area. High preform quality and consistency are further advantages that all add up to the low TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) of the system. Al-Sad was impressed by the ability of the Sipa team to install the latter system and put it into operation during some of the most difficult months of the global Covid-19 pandemic. Sipa’s Regional Sales Manager says: “We put an almost incredible amount of effort in making sure that everybody involved in the project was kept safe during the installation period. Regulations and norms in operation at the time were extremely strict, and obviously we abided by them all. But we still got the job done in the allotted time.” www.sipasolutions.com 180-cavity mould BEYOND THE HORIZON PROCESS SOLUTIONS FOR POLYMER RECYCLING AND SOLID STATE POLYMER UPGRADING Polymetrix, a Sanlian Buhler Company, provides process technology including EPCM services for the polymer recycling and manufacturing industry. Leading supplier of rPET systems and integrated rPET plants for single line capacities up to 70’000 tons per year. www.polymetrix.com www.slhpcn.com"},{"@ID":38,
"36 TRADE SHOW REVIEW PETplanet Insider Vol. 23 No. 06/22 www.petpla.net Solutions for different perspectives PET highlights at Drinktec Preparations for Drinktec which will take place in Munich from September 12 - 16, 2022 are going according to plan. In addition to the exhibitor portfolio - some of the PET highlights have already been compiled on the following pages -, visitors can look forward to the supporting program when planning their visit: With presentations on the key topic of digitalisation at the Drinktec Inspiration Hub in Halls A3 and B3, exhibitors and visitors will have the opportunity for in-depth interaction. Digitalisation in the world of beverages and liquid food offers real added benefits for many users. One area that benefits is process engineering, where precise temperature profiles in the manufacturing process can seamlessly track production and identify quality parameters during the early stages of production. Real time is another keyword. Machine manufacturers will offer numerous solutions for obtaining real-time information from machines: The online tracking of production and filling processes can yield higher performance, predictive maintenance, efficient conversion processes, an overview of consumption values and clear data on product quality. Providers of software solutions, such as manufacturing execution systems (MES), can give preliminary estimates of the optimisation potential: Efficiency gains of up to 20 per cent are possible for line operations, overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) is improved through maintenance cycles that are up to 30 per cent longer, and product changes can be made at the planned time with 99 per cent certainty. The possibilities of machine learning software also raise the expectations for maintenance tasks. Condition-based maintenance with AR data glasses seems to have been taught almost everywhere and has been widely adopted by machine suppliers. Every digital application is also another checkmark on the sustainability list. This is particularly clear in the case of cleaning technology, which uses optical realtime detection of contamination even inside containers and tanks and enables highly specialized cleaning cycles. A machine learning tool ensures that individual contamination levels are learned, detected and treated correctly. Focus on water and water management Software optimisation of existing water consumption data, physical recirculation and complete recycling systems - in some cases even with the additional benefits of generating energy in a biogas plant - and self-learning cleaning concepts: These are just a few examples of how exhibitors at Drinktec 2022 are driving high water efficiency in the beverage and liquid food industry. The supporting program of the trade show takes also up this focus on water and water management: In their specialist presentations, the exhibitors will present new ideas for where water can still be saved - in the use of this resource in the beverage and liquid food industry. www.drinktec.com AGRINTL.COM • +1.724.482.2163 VISIT OUR BOOTH AT THESE SHOWS: drinktec Sep 12–16 Munich C5.121 K 2022 Oct 19–26 Düsseldorf 11C40 The right tools and expertise to help with your rPET goals! Agr is uniquely positioned to support your venture into rPET bottle manufacturing with a powerful combination of Process Control tools, Process Consultants, and decades of industry experience."},{"@ID":29,
"MARKET SURVEY 27 PETplanet Insider Vol. 23 No. 06/22 www.petpla.net 06/2022 MARKETsurvey 2-stage SBM machinery What all types of 2-stage stretch blow moulding machines do have in common is that prior to the stretch blow moulding process, preforms must be injection moulded in a separate machine. However, there is a diverse range of models to choose from in 2-stage stretch blow moulding. Our market survey allows you to compare specific parameters of these state-of-the-art machines from some of the market leading manufacturers. Although the publishers have made every eff ort to ensure that the information in this survey are up to date, no claims are made regarding completeness or accuracy. Resins & additives Preform machinery Preform production & inspection systems Preform & SBM mould manufacturer SBM 2-stage Compressors Caps & closures & inspection systems Filling equipment & inspection systems Recycling machinery Palletising & shrink film machinery Company name Luxber, S.L.U. Serac Group SAS TES STM Group Kosme Gesellschaft mbH Postal address Telephone number Web site address Contact name Function Direct telephone number E-Mail Av. de Azorin 34-36 03440 Ibi, Spain +34 96 555 3853 www.luxber.com Mr Ricardo Sanchez Export Manager +34 606 964 907 luxber@luxber.com 12, route de Mamers, BP 46, 72402 La Ferté Bernard Cedex, France +33 2 43 60 28 28 www.serac-group.com Mr Guillaume Fayrad Blowing Division Director +60 12 418 1955 gufayard@seracasia.com Magnacka 6, Kowale 80-180, Poland +48 58 301 71 81 www.tes.com.pl Mr Mateusz Kinda Sales Director +48 503 036 635 mk@stm-pack.com Gewerbestrasse 3 2601 Sollenau, Austria +43 2628 411 0 www.kosme.at Mr Johann Gugler Managing Director +43 2628 411 125 johann.gugler@kosme.at 1. Machine designation / model number TecnoPET 1000, 2000, 4000, 6000 Serac Blow Linear Blueline Series Linear machines (5 models) Rotary machines (7 models) 2. Bottle volume (from/to in litres) a) Standard machines 0.1 up to 10 l 50ml - 3 l 0.01 - 2.5 l 0.05 - 3.0 (up to 4.0 l depending on design) b) Machines for large containers 3 l - 5 l 1 - 12 l 0.5 - 30.0 l 0.5 - 11.0 l 3. Maximum number of stretchblow moulds (units) a) Standard machines 1, 2, 4 and 6 12 8 cavities 8 b) Machines for large containers 4 4 cavities 3 8 4. Output per stretch-blow mould for: 0.5 litres CSD bottle (units per hour) 2,250 1,400 2,200 bottles per cavity 2,500 1 litre CSD bottle (units per hour) 1,900 1,400 2,000 bottles per cavity 2,500 1.5 litres still mineral water bottle (units per hour) 1,800 1,500 2,000 bottles per cavity 2,500 Large capacity container 1,000 1,200 bottles per cavity Up to 1,250 for 5.0 l; 750 for 15.0 l; 700 for 20.0 l; 350 for 30.0 l 1,250 Other hot-fi ll: 1,500 bottles per cavity 5. Footprint / space requirement (L x W x H in metres) 12.8x2.2x4.3 & 6.9x2.2x2.7 4.5x1.8x2.7 to 5.5x1.8x2.7 (without preform feeding system) Biggest: Blueline 8 HT is 5,470x1,800x2,798 with the bottle outlet, preform hopper & preform infeed: 7,215x6,047x2,798 From 4,500x1,830x 3,100 to 5,100x1,850 x3,100 (without preform feeding system) 6,500x3,500x3,500 (without preform feeding system) 6. Special features (short description/keywords) Preferential heating, air recovery system, wide neck, PP preforms Stand Alone or in bloc with Serac fi ller for bottle or cups (Combox, Cupbox); full electrical motions, no mechanical adjustement during change-overs; economical savings with air recovery system and low electricity consumption; preferential heating for fl at, oval and complex shapes; mould boxing on large capacities for handle insertion; clean options to run ESL confi guration in bloc Multifl ex system: for fast and easy change of neck format; preferential heating: enabling production of high-quality assymetrical and oval bottles; air recovery system 1st generation: recovers compressed air from blow moulding process (8bar) for a blow moulder operation; air recovery system 2nd generation: recovers compressed air form blow moulding process (8bar) for operation of other machines in line; recuperation system: reuses hot air from furnace for preform preheating; hot fi ll: PET containers production resistant to temperaturs of up to 88°C; deep grip mould option; moulds moving by servomotors; NIR and IR lamps system Air recycling system, available also with PI; mould shells of linear machines are compatible with rotary machines; fast semi-automatic mould change within 10 min.; preferential heating Active neck cooling; patented modular oven (low energy consumption); block version with fi llers for all sizes available; all machines on one platform available"},{"@ID":18,
"MOULD MAKING PETplanet Insider Vol. 23 No. 06/22 www.petpla.net 16 Schematic diagram of preform neck finish temperature for conventionally machined neck ring parts Application on beverage closure mould: At the beginning of 2021, a GDXL customer reported that a set of their existing injection moulds had some quality issues. It was being used for the production of wide-mouth bottle closures with an outer diameter of 116mm and a handle. The closures had ovality out of specification and were thus unable to tightly seal with the bottle finish. GDXL’s analysis found that the issue was due to a small, movable, inclined top part in the mould. Its cavity parts could be machined on the outer side of the cylindrical area with only one ring of annular water grooves by conventional means. There was no cooling water channel in the large metal area in the centre, which led to insufficient cooling of the closure. This resulted in large shrinkage and deformation of the closure after demoulding, which eventually caused ovalisation and poor sealing. GDXL proposed 3D printing to process two mould cavity parts with conformal water channels, for trial. The mould cavity parts with conformal water channel were found to be able to reduce demoulding temperature by about 10 °C; ovality was reduced by more than 50%, making it able to properly seal the bottle. GDXL will continue to develop different applications of 3D printing technology in beverage mould manufacturing and will continue to establish the relevant intellectual property registrations. The company hopes that, through the above sharing, it will inspire additional new and valuable applications of additive manufacturing technology and promote a deeper integration of it in mould manufacturing. GDXL Precise Machinery Co., Ltd. (GDXL), which was founded in 1993, has been focused on the food and beverage packaging industry for nearly 30 years. The company has experience in design, application, engineering and manufacturing technology of moulds for preforms, bottle blowing and bottle closures. GDXL provides food and beverage mould products and related engineering services. www.gdxl.com Schematic diagram of preform neck finish temperature with 3D printing conformal water channel Application on bottle blow mould: Carbonated beverage (CSD) bottles need to withstand high internal CO2 pressure and the base needs to resist stress cracking and base-roll-out. Improving the cooling rate and cooling uniformity during the blowing process can improve stress distribution, thereby enhancing the ability of the base to resist stress cracking and base-rollout. A faster cooling speed also helps to shorten the blowing cycle and thus improve production efficiency. GDXL applied 3D printing to process the base mould of carbonated bottles with conformal cooling channels. The new base mould was then replaced on the bottle mould for blowing and filling testing. Results indicated that the blown carbonated bottle had improved resistance to stress cracking and base-roll-out. Schematic diagram of the structure of the carbonated bottle base mould with 3D printing conformal water channel Cavity design for conventional machining (the water channel is a ring of water grooves on the outer cylindrical area) Cavity design for 3D printing integral machining"},{"@ID":24,
"EDITOUR PETplanet Insider Vol. 23 No. 06/22 www.petpla.net 22 Investing in the future “We have a really strong apprenticeship training programme. We try to bring in at least two new apprentices each year. We keep the Bridgeport operating because I like the newcomers to understand what the processes involve, before they go on to learn about CNC equipment,” Alan explained. “I go back to when I was just out of school and I was given the chance to be an apprentice. My career has been built on that opportunity so I am more than happy to give something back.” It is noticeable that the workforce has a good age spread. We stopped to have a brief chat with two current apprentices – one in his second year, one a little older – and an operative who was working with them, who was only a few years older, himself. But there are also more experienced hands, at various places on the shop floor. Invaluable experience Alan himself will have reached a remarkable milestone by September 2022: 55 years in the plastics industry. That experience shows and has informed the development of R&D/Leverage over the past 15 years, especially. The achievements of the company have not gone unnoticed by its sister organisation in the USA. “I am really proud of what the UK team has done over the years, to grow that Product Solutions Lab and to grow in the markets they have been dealing with,” said Bob Schiavone, R&D/ Leverage Global Marketing Director, who had got up very early to speak to us on the phone from his base in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, USA. “When we are talking about challenges in plastics, R&D/Leverage UK is well equipped to handle them. They have definitely built the ultimate service for the industry, in the way they can build a tool, validate it, prototype it, test it and be with you every step of the way.” He obviously has an interest but his enthusiasm for R&D/Leverage UK is both infectious and sincere. “When we’re talking about dealing with what’s coming down the pipe, with so many different materials, we may have to test so many different parameters and design changes, a lot of companies simply don’t have what they have over there, in terms of capabilities.” Fighting back for plastics When it comes to the challenges, Bob holds some very strong views on the perceived demonisation of plastics and what their true benefits are. “When it comes to recycling, PET is designed to be recycled. It is less environmentally damaging than aluminium or glass; it uses less energy to be recycled,” he said. “The problem in the plastics industry is recycling. In both the UK and USA, we have been sending overseas, things we can’t recycle. If you compare PET to aluminium, PET generates 60% less greenhouse gases, uses 31% less energy and produces 29% less solid waste, so why not fix the recycling? Instead of addressing that issue, we are talking about banning plastics.” Bob is very clear that plastics should have a strong future, if the recycling infrastructure is put in place. Alan is equally clear that R&D/Leverage and its Product Solutions Laboratory is very much part of that future. Whatever the customers are using, R&D/Leverage invests in the same machinery in order to deliver the solution. It was a pleasure to visit again and I am already looking forward to the next opportunity. www.rdleverage.com Robert Schiavone, Global Marketing Director at R&D"},{"@ID":5,
"imprint EDITORIAL PUBLISHER Alexander Büchler, Managing Director HEAD OFFICE heidelberg business media GmbH Hubweg 15 74939 Zuzenhausen, Germany phone: +49 6221-65108-0 fax: +49 6221-65108-28 info@petpla.net EDITORIAL Kay Barton Heike Fischer Gabriele Kosmehl Michael Maruschke Ruari McCallion Anthony Withers WikiPETia. info petplanet@petpla.net MEDIA CONSULTANTS Martina Hirschmann hirschmann@petpla.net Johann Lange-Brock lange-brock@petpla.net phone: +49 6221-65108-0 fax: +49 6221-65108-28 LAYOUT AND PREPRESS EXPRIM Werbeagentur | exprim.de Matthias Gaumann READER SERVICES Till Kretner reader@petpla.net PRINT Chroma Druck Eine Unternehmung der Limberg-Druck GmbH Danziger Platz 6 67059 Ludwigshafen, Germany WWW www.hbmedia.net | www.petpla.net PETplanet Insider ISSN 1438-9459 is published 10 times a year. This publication is sent to qualified subscribers (1-year subscription 149 EUR, 2-year subscription 289 EUR, Young professionals’ subscription 99 EUR. Magazines will be dispatched to you by airmail). Not to be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher. Note: The fact that product names may not be identified as trademarks is not an indication that such names are not registered trademarks. 3 PETplanet Insider Vol. 23 No. 06/22 www.petpla.net Dear readers, In my last Editorial I waxed lyrical about a peaceful BBQ evening. This time I’m introducing you to a much edgier topic – the machinations of some colourful family clans here in Germany. It might appear slightly off-topic at first but bear with me, I promise it will all make sense in the end. This anecdote, a scarcely edifying story, involves two main characters, the first being the controversial German rapper Bushido, real name Anis Ferchichi. Bushido has enriched the musical landscape with several studio albums. One, entitled ‘Public Enemy No. 1’ took a pop at various federal institutions. The second character in the story, Arafat Abou-Chaker is allegedly a member of the notorious Abou-Chaker Palestinian crime family. In the late 2000s, the above-mentioned duo entered into a financially fruitful collaboration. Unfortunately, this was not a friendship destined to endure. At the end of 2017, Bushido wished to end any business relations with Mr. Abou-Chaker. In an attempt to finally resolve the matter, the parties met in their shared office in January 2018. Soon thereafter, the self-proclaimed public enemy No. 1 decided to cooperate with the prosecution and requested police protection. What could have left such a lasting impression on Bushido that he finally turned to the federal authorities? According to Bushido himself, Mr. Abou-Chaker and three of his brothers had thrown insults and made death threats against him. But it was a very different incident, allegedly at this very same meeting, which seemed to have inflamed German media. And now here is the punchline: It was reported that Mr. Abou-Chaker had attacked Bushido and struck him in the face with a half-filled PET water bottle. Media reaction was enormous but ambivalent. Some commentators were enraged by the violence that apparently is used in such circles. Others expressed amusement that Bushido had specified that the attack was carried out with an otherwise harmless PET-bottle. Am I taken by surprise that a dispute about money and power between two men, allegedly attributed to organised crime, eventually revolves around a PETbottle? Certainly not! I have never questioned the social value of PETbottles. Nevertheless, I confess my disappointment that nobody has asked the vital question: was the PET bottle reusable or single use? Wouldn’t this key detail help to determine the gravity of the alleged offence? Perhaps such technical details are irrelevant. What is important is that this PET bottle has made a significant contribution, at least in the media, to the history of rap in Germany. Yours sincerely, Alexander Büchler"},{"@ID":12,
"MOULD MAKING PETplanet Insider Vol. 23 No. 06/22 www.petpla.net 10 Jorge Pucci, Moldintec, on trends and developments in the moulding sector “The opportunities are huge” by Gabriele Kosmehl Moldintec is a blow mould solution supplier from Argentina. From bottle design through mould manufacturing to blowing machine tooling, the company manufactures solutions for all brands of blow-moulding machines. Jorge Pucci, co-founder, Commercial Director and Head of I+R&D, explains the known and the new variables in bottle design and how to bring them together at the mould stage. PETplanet: Moldintec defines itself as a one-stop supplier from branding to production tooling. When a client approaches you with a request to produce a new bottle design, what are the questions you need to clarify before proceeding with a mould design? Pucci: The very first step is to establish a detailed marketing brief if they do not have a pre-established bottle design. The mould is an engineering solution to the challenges involved in bottle design. Moldintec’s vision as a “one-stop” supplier has changed our primary focus. The mould as a tool comes after the design stage that will lead to the success or failure of a product in a target market. Designing attractive bottles for consumers is our valueadded package to our clients. Industrial design takes precedence over engineering when a client needs to develop new packaging. From basic questions such as “is there an existing line tooling that can be used for the project?” or “Is there another format of the same capacity in the plant?” to a detailed questionnaire for the quotation of the moulds that we propose to our clients helps us define the scope of supply to deliver a complete solution. We use online forms to gather all the technical information needed for moulds and tooling quotations. The client gets in his email a summary that will allow him to request the same offer from other mould manufacturers. Nothing is better than being compared on a like-for-like basis. PETplanet: What current trends in bottle design are you noticing? Pucci: Sustainability is a nonnegotiable asset. Each design we approach focuses on its impact on the environment. With consumers strongly questioning single-use plastics, if a brand neglects that side of design and communication, it will be compromising its relationship with the customer in the future. In the process, variables known by the industry come into play, such as the low weight of the preform and new ones that are much less tangible but that impact how decisionmaking occurs. The creation of iconic assets has been a driver of change in how Moldintec interacts with its customers. Contributing to creating bottles that linger in the minds of consumers goes far beyond the simple, technically correct drawing. These new values became evident with the successes obtained by the NoLabel project. A trendsetter, without a doubt. PETplanet: The keyword sustainability leads us to the topic of energy savings which have become more relevant than ever. How can this be supported from the moulder’s side? Pucci: In 2008, when we lowered the blowing pressure for the first time from 38 bar to 28, we understood that working hard to improve the energy performance of the moulds was the path of our future. Today, our moulds are designed on an energy-saving strategy to consume less compressed air during blowing: our BaseMax bases for Ultra-Low Blowing Pressure MOULD MAKING Jorge Pucci, co-founder, Commercial Director and Head of I+R&D at Moldintec"},{"@ID":21,
"EDITOUR PETplanet Insider Vol. 23 No. 06/22 www.petpla.net 19 Doehler offers a wide range of certified organic ingredients within its portfolio of high-quality natural ingredients. Its global sourcing network, including its own on-site fruit and vegetable processing in the growing region and agri-sustainability programmes around the globe, means that Doehler has a transparent supply chain and access to a broad range of responsibly grown raw materials. Naturally healthy Botanicals are rated highly as ingredients that are perceived to support overall wellbeing and are optimal for use in energy and sports drinks. Essential amino acids such as Branched-Chain Amino Acid (BCAA) and Essential Amino Acid (EAA) are ideal functional ingredients for beverages as they cannot be formed by the body itself and must be supplied through diet. Within the energy drink market, Doehler intends to provide unique multi-sensory experiences combined with functional added value. Doehler Natural SuperHeroes such as the ImmuneHero acerola, echinacea, turmeric and ginger as well as Doehler’s GutHealthHeroes baobab and topinambur, which is also known as sunchoke or Jerusalem artichoke, are good solutions for immunity and gut health trends. Botanicals and adaptogens such as ginseng, lavender, ashwagandha and passionflower from Doehler’s RelaxationHeroes range support good mood and relaxation. Lavender is known for its relaxing, calming and mood balancing effects, for example, and have long been used to alleviate feelings of anxiety and stress. Beautyfocused functional beverages can improve the appearance of the skin and can be enriched with botanicals such as aloe vera, hibiscus, rose and honeybush. Aloe vera, for example, enhances energy levels and has antioxidant (e.g. vitamin E, vitamin C), antimicrobial properties and extends into the emotional functional positioning of “immune boosting”. Doehler offers a wide variety of naturally and sustainably sourced ingredients that are tailor-made for innovative beverages with functional benefits, such as popular vitamin and mineral blends, trendy plant-based proteins and exotic botanical extracts. All of these ingredients provide improved nutritional values and a good taste profile. Its variety of product solutions and application expertise mean that the company’s products support brands in in creating applications for positionings as diverse as digestive health, bone and joint health, immune system, mental health and energy. The Döhler experts thus serve the trends among customers and consumers alike. www.doehler.com"},{"@ID":52,
