PETpla.net Insider 01+02 / 2012

CAPPING / CLOSURES 30 PET planet insider Vol. 13 No. 01+02/12 www.petpla.net Corvaglia drives for lighter one-piece caps and broader applications New caps for new markets Swiss closure system manufacturer Corvaglia continues its strategy of designing and manufacturing one-piece caps. It is developing new, lighter cap and neck designs, as well as combi-caps for still and carbonated beverages, hot-fill closures and economical flip-top caps. Since Corvaglia first opened its doors in 1991, it has focused on one-piece caps and closure sys- tems. The company has been invest- ing several million Swiss Francs annually developing optimised cap weight and efficient produc- tion processes. This year will see it introduce a number of new prod- ucts, offering lighter weight, more applications, and taking it onto new markets. Combination caps for still water and carbonated beverages The company is close to launch- ing a new combination cap for the 1881 short neck form. The ‘combi- closure’ has been developed for the demands of the carbonated bever- ages market, such as OPT and tem- perature cycle. But it goes further, by being intended to suit the needs of beverage fillers who, alongside carbonated beverages, also fill a rather smaller amount of still water; the closure is designed to meet other criteria, such as advanced tamper evidence. Caps for still water are usually lighter than those for carbonated drinks. Corvaglia’s new 1881 combi-closure has already demonstrated that it can meet both sets of requirements, under labora- tory conditions, and at only 2.10g the company says it sets a record low weight for a carbonated drinks 1881 closure. In the pipeline: hot-fill clo- sures and flip-top sportscap Corvaglia’s pipeline also con- tains a new range of hot-fill closures. During the development process it is looking at possible new neck forms as well as the optimisation of weight and performance. The company believes that the market will soon see one or two new hot-fill closures that will also meet the needs of still water and carbonated drink bottlers. A new type of flip-top sports cap for the 1881 neck form is reported to be at an advanced stage of develop- ment. With a light weight and thus lower cost, it is aimed at a wide range of products, such as low cost bottled water. Unusually for Corva- glia, it is a two-piece sports cap. It is designed to be visually attractive and to offer the possibility of com- bining different colours along with light weight. PCO 1881 combination cap New generation of hot-fill closures PCO 1881 In the pipeline: 1881 flip-top two-piece cap Light weighting SPECIAL