PETpla.net Insider 01+02 / 2011

PRODUCTS PET products 27 PET planet insider Vol. 12 No. 01+02/11 www.petpla.net FoodBev com A world of food and drink www.beverageawards.com functional drinks The only global awards scheme dedicated to the global functional drinks industry 6 categories – 24 awards Awards will be presented at the InnoBev Global Beverages Summit in Washington, DC, US March 2011 ENTER NOW Preform cooling system W. Amsler Equipment Inc. of Richmond Hill, Ont, the Canadian manufacturer of all-electric, reheat stretch-blow moulding machines, has announced a preform cooling system that uses increased airflow in the oven to reduce preform surface temperature. This results in minimal tem- perature differential throughout the preform, which induces less stress and creates faster moulding cycles, while reducing the chances of burning. The system uses infrared short-wave emitters but replaces the standard reflectors with a plenum. The airflow through the plenum slots cools each preform directly and more precisely. Instead of com- pressed air, Amsler uses its standard integrated filtered air supply at no additional cost in power consumption. West- bridge Inc., a Calgary, Alberta-based blow moulder of PET containers for CSD, water, and alcoholic beverages, has achieved a 13.3% improvement in productivity for its thick- walled (0.210-in) 1.75l PET alcoholic beverage bottles with a new preform cooling system on their Amsler two-cavity reheat stretch-blow machine. Amsler offers the preform cooling system as a retrofit on its full range of machines; Westbridge’s conversion kit was installed in less than four hours. www.amslerequipment.net Oxo-biodegradable cap for 5gal water bottles Norland International Inc. has introduced the industry’s first oxo-biodegradable cap for 5-gallon water bottles. The 55-mm LDPE caps, sold under the Earth Cap trade name, contain a proprietary additive, blended into the LDPE by a special mixing and drying system. It accelerates the degradation process, achieving total degradation in five to ten years, depending on environmental conditions. The additive does not affect either clarity or tensile strength. The injection-moulded cap has a biodegradable non- adhesive tamper-evident label and 2-mm foam seal, which makes the entire structure totally biodegradable. The caps have a two-year shelf life, are claimed to offer the same performance as current versions, and are FDA compliant. Once exposed to UV light, heat and moisture, the caps become brittle and break down into small pieces. When the molecular weight is sufficiently reduced, the broken down matter becomes a food source for bacteria or micro- bial activity. Caps containing the additive will degrade in landfills, ditches, rivers, and other water sources. They are fully recyclable and compatible with municipal collec- tion and recycling systems. There is no contamination with the plastics recycling stream and industrial composting facilities are not required. Norland manufactures the caps at virtually the same cost as standard caps. They are com- mercially available in standard colours in the US and Far East/Pacific. www.norlandintl.com