PETpla.net Insider 10 / 2011

TRADESHOW PREVIEW 46 PET planet insider Vol. 12 No. 10/11 www.petpla.net Light-weighting solutions from PET Engineering The bearable lightness of PET Several producers and bottlers are already following the path of environmental sustainability. They understand the advan- tages in cost savings, reduction in raw material usage and, in terms of marketing, satisfying the desire of consumers to make conscious choices in defense of their environment and health. The ‘Green’ choice, in the field of beverage packag- ing, essentially leads in one direction: container light-weight- ing. PET Engineering provides its customers with different solutions aimed at significantly reducing container weight and raw material use. The company will be showcasing some of its new lightweighting solutions at Brau Beviale. A number of aesthetic and tech- nological variables must be taken into consideration when developing light or ultra-light bottles. They have a big impact on consumer choice, on brand perception, and on the manufacturing process and logistics. Light-weighting of containers is the result of tech- nologies applied to each area of the container: neck finish, shoulder, body and base. New business units, new projects Neck finish conversion can enable weight reduction of up to 50%. This change has a big impact on the production process and on filling line dynamics. With SBU, the new business unit in charge of NFC (neck finish conversion), PET Engineer- ing says that it is able to support its customers through the entire conver- sion process. SBU led a project for PepsiCo Russia, where five factories, with a total of 14 blowing machines, were involved in neck conversion. The project brought PepsiCo Russia a considerable cost saving in raw mate- rial and, at the same time, helped it to cope with the increasing problem of environmental impact. The shoulder area has been the subject of several studies undertaken by PET Engineering’s R&D Depart- ment. Research led to the develop- ment of Swerve, a patented solu- tion that can reduce excess material under the support ledge. Swerve is described by the company as a flex- ible technology that does not have a major impact on the line. Swerve has already been applied to the new Levissima Fly bottles. The 0.5l con- tainer is currently being produced with just 9.9g of PET. The designers and engineers achieved lightweighting of the body and the base and delivered the concept with original and strong visual impact solutions. With Barel, its new division dedicated to Design, PET Engineer- ing approaches the study of eco- friendly packaging from an aesthetic point of view. The development of original packaging, which is designed to be both creative and practical, is achieved through studies that aim to deliver lightweight containers with style and shelf appeal. Beer bottle solutions PET Engineering will be present- ing ideas specifically developed for Brau Beviale 2011. The intention of the company is to show that high-level design and high tech content can co- exist with ecological concerns. Axi Beer is intended to meet the needs of those who want to achieve on-shelf differentiation through the novel use of lines and materials that resemble the appearance of glass. LW Beer, a lightweighted proposal, weighs just 36g in 1.5l size and has a PCO 1881 closure. Its focus is on cost savings and reduced environmen- tal impact, while presenting a styl- ish shape and fresh decorations that easily identify the product. www.petengineering.com PET Engineering Hall 7 | Booth 236+337