PETpla.net Insider 04 / 2014

PREFORM PRODUCTION 26 PET planet insider Vol. 15 No. 04/14 www.petpla.net Upbeat gets into shape with Esterform packaging On the beat Esterform Packaging is a converter of PET in the UK with production sites in Tenbury Wells and Leeds. Its preform range also covers lightweighting solu- tions. Typical customers are companies filling juices and juice drinks, bottled water, dairy drinks, still and sparkling soft drinks and food products. Another significant group of customers are producers of liquids for personal care, household, DIY and car applications. Most customers buy standard off the shelf bottles; or customised designs in volume. A small number of larger customers buy preforms to blow in line. Esterform is having a full materials labo- ratory for in-depth testing. Production is primarily based on two stage and single stage injection stretch blow moulding, with the capacity to produce up to 1.5 billion units a year (PET preforms, bot- tles and jars). Lighter weight options According to national UK statistics, the numbers of single person house- holds are increasing dramatically in Western Europe – and there is grow- ing demand from elderly consumers and students for consumer packaging that is lighter in weight and easy to carry. Esterform already produces Innocent’s 1l carafes along with a wide range of bottles and preforms for all types of beverage, ranging from water and sparkling drinks to dairy, juice and functional drinks. Last year, the company introduced short neck 28mm 1881 PCO neck preforms for soft drinks and water in bottles from 250ml to 2l. These save on expen- sive PET resin and conserve precious resources – so meeting consumer and retailer demands for sustainability. A wide choice PET bottles from Esterform are suitable for juices (especially fresh pressed), juice drinks, dairy bever- ages and smoothies. The 38mm necks are offered with 3-start and single start finishes, to match a wide range of closure options. Recently, Esterform used these skills to turn the bottle design concepts into an exciting contemporary product that won ‘Best New Brand’ at the Beverage Innova- tion Awards at Drinktec 2013, organ- ised by FoodBev Media. Discussions between Volac’s and Esterform began in April 2012 and following the suggestion of the waisted design in the original brief, the initial concept design for a cus- tomised 250ml bottle was presented in May. The resulting design appeals to Volac’s key target market of health conscious consumers. The first production run took place in November with bottles delivered in time for the initial trials and for the full product launch at the beginning of March 2013. Designed so that consumers can drink straight from the bottle, Upbeat uses a 38 UCS with a 38mm UCS tamper evident cap. Essential UV protection A UV barrier is essential to protect the whey-based Upbeat product. It was suggested that a clear or opaque white master-batch be added to the monolayer PET to add a UV barrier to the bottle. Ultimately Volac decided to go for a sleeve incorporating a UV lac- quer. This provides a good UV barrier while enhancing the aesthetic appeal of the pack design. The product is not aseptically filled, so requires refrigera- tion in shipping, display and storage. www.esterform.com When UK based Volac’s company was looking for a unique shape to give their new protein rich drink ‘Upbeat’ a creative identity with an outstanding pres- ence on the store shelf, it approached Esterform. The shapely, curvy design appeals to Volac’s key target market of health con- scious consumers