PETpla.net Insider 01+02 / 2012

BOTTLING / FILLING 27 PET planet insider Vol. 13 No. 01+02/12 www.petpla.net Stringent stipulations The initial talks with Krones started back in February 2009. The MEG laid down the following stipulations:  the lightest possible weight,  it must be possible to handle the bottles on all the machines installed in the MEG’s lines,  use of recyclate possible up to 80%,  a maximum CO 2 content of 8.0g per litre,  trouble-free handling in reverse vending machines,  the stability was required to be high enough to ensure that the bottle can also be run on older existing lines,  passing the stress crack test,  a tough burst test,  low CO 2 losses during the specified shelf-life. New testing methods First of all, a series of internal tests was conducted on a total of four bot- tles currently on the market, each with different characteristics, so as to iden- tify the status quo as a baseline. The ideal recessed-grip position was also determined here. This was followed by three different bottle designs, which were then tested in parallel. For all recessed grips, due to the smaller diameter involved in this area, thicker walls have to be provided when the bottle is being blow-moulded, for concomitantly enhanced stability. This enables the rest of the area to be maximally reduced in terms of wall thickness without any adverse effects on the functionality, e.g. the bottle will not crumple. The aim here is to dimension the recessed grip so as to ensure that the high internal pressure does not lead to subsequent expan- sion phenomena in the form of widen- ing and stretching of the recessed grip. An ideal preform geometry also had to be designed for this job: using the test tool thus created, on an injec- tion moulding line provided specifically for this purpose, Krones manufactured preforms for 1.5l containers in differ- ent weights and designs for testing, tipping the scales at 26.8, 28.5, and 29.7g. The sample moulds were then used in Krones’ pilot plant to make sample bottles, which were exhaus- tively tested against the client’s speci- fication. Specially for this development project, Krones supplemented the tests with two additional methods: the touch-load test, which examines the bottle’s grip stability in the recessed grip area, and the tilting-force test, used to determine how much force is acting on the bottle, and how much is needed in order to pour a drink from it. These values are extremely important when, as in this case, the aim is to achieve an extreme reduction in the bottle’s weight. Scores in terms of techni- cal values, bottle design and ergonomics Upon completion of all these tests, which extended over a period of sev- eral months, the bottle was presented to Lidl. It scored highly not only in terms of technical values, but also and crucially in bottle design and ergo- nomics. The newly created 1.5l bottle for Lidl, at 26.8g, is to our knowledge the world’s lightest CSD bottle for highly carbonated beverages. Meanwhile, all the lines at MEG have been modified, and the container has been well received on the market. The new bottle has replaced a host of different designs. As of now, all the products involved, namely water (still and carbonated) and soft drinks, are being filled in a single uniform bottle, and not in up to three different container shapes. This creates more efficiency when changing over to a different beverage on the production line. www.krones.com MHT MOLD & HOTRUNNER TECHNOLOGY Dr. Ruben-Rausing-Str. 7 | D-65239 Hochheim/Main Tel. +49(0) 6146-906-0 | www.mht-ag.de Make the most of your machine – with a mold from MHT! For many machine types, we supply the mold with the highest cavitation, thereby enabling optimum preform output. For the Husky HyPET machine, we offer an upgrade set for 33% more preforms, without refitting on the machine! • 60 cavities for Netstal PETline 2000 • 96 cavities for Husky HyPET 300, • 112 cavities for KraussMaffei 350 Engineering made in Germany 128 for HyPET 400 Booth 55009