PETpla.net Insider 03 / 2011

BOTTLE MAKING 34 PET planet insider Vol. 12 No. 03/11 www.petpla.net Automatic handle for edible oil It has been a constant source of frustration about stretch blow moulding that current technology was not able to allow handles to be incorporated on the same line . The result is that handles always have to be attached manually. Now, for the first time, we have seen an automated solution from Sipa at JRD in Dubai where the handles are fitted automati- cally using a Sipa machine. Briefly, JRD produces packag- ing for the water, dairy and edible oil market in Dubai. The company sup- plies thermoformed cups and plas- tic bottles. The preliminary products necessary for this, such as PET- and PP-sheets or preforms, are likewise produced in-house by the company. We met Mr. Sagar Verma, Business Head of JRD for 4 years. PETplanet: Mr Verma, there are innumerable companies produc- ing cups and PET bottles for edible oil. Why should bottlers buy from you rather than anyone else? Mr Verma: You’re quite right, looking at the sheer volume of suppli- ers, but I think that we are, technologi- cally speaking, very advanced and our prices are acceptable. Have a look at this for example. In the cups sector we are promoting the change here in Dubai from Polystyrene(PS) cups to environmentally-friendly polypropyl- ene (PP) cups. PP can be recycled and keeps its shape even when filled with hot liquids. We offer everything, from elaborate in-mould labelling right through to the shrink sleeve and 8-colour printed labels. At the moment we are installing a new Illig RMD 75 K cups machine with a capacity of 600 million cups/a. It just doesn’t get any better than that. We also use Western European technology when it comes to decorating the cups. PETplanet: Yes and what about edible oil? Mr Verma: Our injection stretch blow moulding is conducted to a major extent on single-stage Aoki systems but for our Highlight we have, together with Sipa, devised a worldwide first in the shape of a 2-stage solution. Let’s start with the preform. Here we produce our own preforms on a Sipa system. These we store for 24 hours and then they go off for blow mould- Edible oil bottles: The handles are com- pressed by the new plant before being snapped into the edible oil bottle.