PETpla.net Insider 05 / 2010

CAPPING / CLOSURES 36 PET planet insider Vol. 11 No. 05/10 www.petpla.net You will feel better having made the right decision. Reduce your energy consumption. Gesellschaft Wärme Kältetechnik mbH Friedrich-Ebert-Str. 306 · D-58566 Kierspe Tel. +49 2359 665-0 · www.gwk.com M o u l d i n s e r t s T e m p e r a t u r e c o n t r o l t e c h n o l o g y W a t e r t r e a t m e n t C o o l i n g t e c h n o l o g y T e m p e r a t u r e c o n t r o l l e r s C h i l l e r s E n e r g y s a v i n g c o o l i n g s y s t e m s advantages of such packages include the fact that such PET bottles are heavy and use a high amount of resin. They are, as a result, costly and not in line with requirements for a good carbon footprint. Two-piece closures need relatively high application tor- ques and consequently present a high opening torque, with the seal breaking after a few degree of rotation. Further- more, costs for two-piece closures are relatively high due to their two-compo- nent construction: HDPE or PP shell and thermoplastic elastomer liner. New trend for one-piece hot fill closure The disadvantages of two-piece hot fill closures made it apparent that a new trend for one-piece hot fill closures was necessary. To support its customers in their cost reduction efforts Bericap built a special closure for hot fill processes on the base of its DoubleSeal closure system. It was created in 2002 and the first market introduction was in China in 2003. The DoubleSeal one-piece closure system for hot fill application was made available in three sizes: 28, 38, and now also for 33mm versions. The double-sealing feature, with an inner boreseal and outer seal, secures strong sealing performances during the hot fill treatment, transport and storing, and under extreme tempera- tures or environmental conditions. The new design of hot fill closure needed to withstand a very challeng- ing hot fill process. After the capping of the hot filled product, the inversion step is used to pasteurise the bottle headspace. A temperature of > 80°C up to 92°C, depending on the product, lasting for about 30 seconds will meet bottle and closure. An optional (but widely used in Asia) hot shower – usu- ally of chlorinated water at 65°C plus – will follow for another 10 minutes. The intensive heat treatment leads, first, to inflation of the bottle and also affects the neck, which leads to slight ovalisation. Cooling at around 40°C results in bottle contraction. Double- Seal one-piece closures demonstrated reliable performance and achieved tight and secure seal of the package. The slit tamper-evident band provides safety and integrity of the package for consumers. A further advantage for the consumers is the convenient opening torque needed to open the bottle. Bericap’s introduction of the 38mm one-piece hot fill closure in the Chi- nese market led to the securing of several new contracts, establishing the trend for a the package and application type. Products packed were mainly juices and energy drinks. Since the 2003 introduction in China, other contracts followed in Italy, Germany and Kazakhstan. To date, Bericap has produced more than 1.2 billion 38mm one-piece hot fill clo- sures.The 28mm DoubleSeal hot-fill closure was also launched to the market in China, again in 2003 and for filling fruit juices, jointly with a multi- national client. The same closure has also penetrated the market in India and Russia, where it is used by several of Bericap’s SK 38/16 S DS HF Hot-fill product capped with SK 38/16 S DS HF