PETpla.net Insider 06+07 / 2014

PET products 46 PET planet insider Vol. 15 No. 06+07/14 www.petpla.net Reduced packaging for increased savings The Krones LitePac pack for non-returnable sixpacks consists just of two narrow strips – one goes round the container, while the other serves as a carrying handle. It is a simple and convenient to recycle method that is said to require up to 75% less material than a shrink pack. In the EvoLite Bloc, the EvoLite pack strapping machine produces the packs and is directly monobloc- synchronised with the Robobox grouping station and a palletiser from the Modulpal series. In comparison to shrink-packs, the production of the LitePacs is said to offer potential savings in terms of packaging materials and energy consumption, with a cost reduction per pack and economies of up to 74% in the total cost of owner- ship (TCO). The EvoLite does not need a shrink tunnel or a handle applicator, thus saving more than 90% of the previous energy consumption. The average quantity of waste when using shrink films, referenced to a europal- let with 84 packs on four layers, comes to approximately 1.12kg, whereas with the LitePac the amount of band waste is a mere 286g. The EvoLite packaging machine consists of a con- tainer infeed module and a container strapping module. In the infeed module, the continuous container infeed divides the inflow into two lanes. Four strapping units then create the LitePacs in the container strapping module. For fast and dependable grouping of non- returnable packs, the Robobox pack grouping station is a compactly dimensioned functional unit that distributes and turns the packs while providing maximised scope for every variant of pack grouping. For palletising the packs, the Modulpal non-returnable palletiser is used. The concept is used for PET bottles with a volume of 0.3l to 3l.Market acceptance in Italy, for example, has already been successfully validated, with around 15 mil- lion LitePacs sold. www.krones.com Energy savings with “Green Oven” upgrade Sipa’s latest oven technology for its stretch-blow mould- ing systems were originally launched on Sipa’s next-genera- tion SFR EVO3 rotary systems, which came onto the market in 2013. More recently, they have also been made available on SFL linear systems. Now, customers with existing stand- ard equipment can upgrade. According to Sipa, customers producing bottles in for- mats from 0.75l to 1.5l for mineral water, carbonated soft drinks and milk are reporting energy savings of over 40% - and in one case in excess of 46%. Compared to earlier generations of oven, the new “green” ovens are said to have reduced electrical consumption thanks to the use of new lamps, special materials and coatings for the reflectors and stable process conditions. The EVO3 came out last year as a result of Sipa’s efforts to improve performance, reliability, and above all added value in customer’s investments. www.sipa.it To produce a LitePac pack, up to six containers are arranged in rows of two and strapped with a narrow strip of PET. A second strap of PP, which is somewhat wider, serves as a carrying handle. To allow the pack to be opened easily, the strapping band has a tear-off tab.