PETpla.net Insider 03 / 2013

PREFORM PRODUCTION 28 PET planet insider Vol. 14 No. 03/13 www.petpla.net Bottles, Preforms and Closures, 2 nd Edition Part 1: From the first idea to the finished bottle* Think process, not product Ottmar Brandau has newly revised his books, first published by hbmedia/PETplanetPub- lisher, and now to be re-issued under the Elsevier imprint. PETplanet insider will be publish- ing extracts from successive chapters in a series of articles in forthcoming issues. In chapter 1.1. of the book Ottmar Brandau, after considering developments over the past 25-30 years, addresses the basic questions relating to bottle design from the initial idea right through to the finished bottle. Starting point of product development Experience has shown that 80% of the costs of developing a product are determined at a very early stage in the design phase. Even before the first stroke of the pen or the first click of the mouse in the CAD system, a number of issues must have been settled to permit an efficient and speedy development of a product design in cooperation with the cus- tomer. In this respect, the sequence in which the questions are addressed is not critical and may differ with each specific project. Product life cycle One of the first things to deter- mine is the intended product life cycle. Will it be a premium product with a very long useful life? A mineral water bottle for the catering trade, for example, which is placed on the table by the waiter, must have a high- quality design that stands the test of time as well as being physically robust. Premium products also serve to enhance the identification with the brand. Global carbonated soft drink (CSD) suppliers sell their products in bottles with a characteristic design, which are good examples of long-life products. At the other end of the range, there are low-cost bottles for six- packs, discount chains, or seasonal products that may only be offered for a single summer. Such seasonal