PETpla.net Insider 03 / 2014

BOTTLE MAKING 33 PET planet insider Vol. 15 No. 03/14 www.petpla.net Kortec and Sidel develop 3-layer light-blocking technology for milk bottles Triple the light fantastic A new multi-layer co-injec- tion technology from Kortec, Inc., developed in associa- tion with Sidel, is claimed to enable production of PET bottles for milk with 100% light-blocking capability. The new Kortec LB technology facilitates the moulding of a three- layer preform, which is then blown to make the milk bottle. The preforms, developed in cooperation with Sidel, consist of three layers of PET: white on the outside, black in the middle, and white on the inside. This design ensures that the light-blocking black PET layer covers the whole of the bottle, including the base, completely exclude light from the container’s contents. The finished bottles offer a package suitable for delivering light- sensitive beverages safely to retail shelves and to consumers. The black layer provides complete protection to the contents – typically milk, but the technology is suitable for a range of sensitive products – and the white external appearance retains the look that consumers expect. Naima Boutroy, Sidel Packaging Project Manager, commented: “Kortec LB protects the product throughout its lifecycle in the bottle, from production through the supply chain to the con- sumer. By combining Kortec’s preform with Sidel’s bottle design expertise, we have a solution that ensures product safety while also addressing the consumer-driven demand for a uniform look to the packaging.” Kortec has many years of expe- rience in designing and producing high-barrier packages. Barrier-layer material placement and dispersion is critical to blocking the correct wave- lengths of light from the package. The first fruits of this technological col- laboration between Sidel and Kortec are 25g preforms for 1l bottles and 22g preforms are currently in devel- opment. Kortec claims that additional benefits of its new LB technology include moulds of up to 128 cavities; fast cycle times; and minimum use of materials while, at the same time, achieving 100% light blocking. The company further asserts that the new product offers the lowest overall total cost light-blocking packaging technol- ogy currently available on the market. Russell Bennett, Vice President of Sales and Marketing with Kortec, maintained that the new technol- ogy offers competitive advantage to converters and end users, as well as addressing the issue of sustainability through low material usage. Vincent Le Guen, Sidel Vice President for Packaging & Tooling, added that Sidel is continually looking at opportunities to partner with suppliers up and down the supply chain, to develop innova- tions that deliver value to customers and end consumers. www.sidel.com www.kortec.com