PETpla.net Insider 10 / 2011

BOTTLE MAKING 22 PET planet insider Vol. 12 No. 10/11 www.petpla.net Sipa Meeting with Enrico Grib- audo, General Manager “If it is technical containers, large sizes, wide mouth and high volumes, we are simply unbeatable.” Following our discussions with Nissei ASB and Aoki, there are those who think they understand the world of single stage. Not only that, but they claim to know the criteria and rules governing the choice between single stage versus two stage (and vice versa). A visit to Sipa, however, might prompt a radical re-think. Sipa also offers a single stage Injec- tion Blow Moulding Machine which transforms PET pellets into a bottle in a single uninterrupted machine process. And they’ve been doing it for over 20 years. Sipa is, in their own words, a solution provider for the PET industry in single stage as well as two stage technologies. One of the many responses to the require- ment of the markets is the Sipa “single stage injection stretch blow mould- ing machine“. Approx. 20% of Sipa turnover is currently attributable to the FX and HS range of single stage machines. Other Sipa products include two stage PET conversion, injec- tion moulding machines and blow moulding machines, both rotary and linear, as well as moulds for injec- tion and blow moulding, and, since the acquisition of Berchi 3 years ago, complete, integrated lines. There is no exclusivity for the one or the other process according to Sipa’s General Manager Enrico Gribaudo: “There is no firm rule in favour or against single stage and also no rule in favour of two stage or against. The right solution”, he believes, “is driven by economics and depends on the specific circum- stances. There are a whole lot of crite- ria involved in decision-making: geog- raphy, logistics, annual volumes and requirements, culture, issues involving service, as well as the buyer’s prefer- ences and especially and primarily the overall total cost of the container to be produced.” Defining the difference Nissei ASB’s as well as Aoki’s pri- ority in the market seems to be to find and/or develop an application for a standardised range of machines sold from core stock. Sipa’s priority seems to focus on supplying a bespoke solu- tion for a client’s particular application. Sipa single stage machines are today manufactured to order only. All three companies are apparently success- ful in satisfying their customers. But the approach and initial stages of the business are different for each of the players in the single stage sector. The difference in attitude and strategy i.e. selling ex stock or manu- facturing to order -, explains why the Japanese cover the world market with relatively small machines the major- ity of single stage applications is for small machines, most of them for the pharma, cosmetics and food sec- tors. This is in contrast to Sipa, who concentrate on the large volume, specialised single stage machines. The biggest Nissei ASB (150t clamp- ing) corresponds to the smallest Sipa (HS6). Sipa’s best seller is the FX 20 with a capacity of 10,000 jars with wide mouth or 36,000 bottles of 0,6l capacity. Enrico Gribaudo quoted again: ”We cannot go slow. If it is technical containers, large sizes, wide mouth and high volumes, we are simply unbeatable.” Single stage technology focus Up to the present time, 800 single stage Sipa machines have been sup- plied to global markets. Units – as per Sipa – would give a misleading indication as to market share. The average production volume produced by a Sipa machine is considerably higher than the volume of a Japanese machine. And so is the price, which increases the Sipa share in value. 50% of Sipa systems are for appli- cations such as standard beverage bottles, 25% for heat set, 15% for spe- cials (food, pharma, cosmetics), the rest for aseptics and edible oil. 50% of the beverage systems – mainly big volume machines - are supplied to brand owners. This percentage has recently fallen to 30%. Big names amongst the Sipa cus- tomers are both in the beverages and in the converter sectors. Enrico Gribaudo, General Manager of Sipa