PETpla.net Insider 10 / 2014

EDITOUR REPORT 17 PET planet insider Vol. 15 No. 10/14 www.petpla.net There are various approaches when it comes to devel- oping preforms and bottles. The first one is the Nestlé’s Product Technology Centre (PTC) at Vittel in France. How- ever, the primary interest here is theoretical fundamentals. Italy, with its focus on carbonated mineral water, CSDs and iced tea has specifications that often differ from France and the USA, for example. This is where the work begins as far as Chimetto’s team is concerned. Observing the market and responding to it. Devising and implementing proposals for solutions with their own ideas or in collaboration with the PTC or with suppliers as P.E.T. Engineering. Poten- tial topics include weight reduction, the improvement of preform and bottle geometries, labels, closures and much more. The premium status claimed by the brand name is always to the fore. For instance, where further weight reductions are concerned, Fabio Chimetto sees the limiting factor as lying not in what is feasible but in what is conveni- ent for the customer. Another project is the installation of a process pilot on two stretch blow moulding machines. The Agr system measures the wall thickness of each individual bottle at different points and automatically changes the machine settings if there are any variations. How the machine reacts to changes permits conclusions to be drawn not only as regards the technical status of individual components of the machine, for example, the stretcher rod and blow sta- tion, but also about preform quality. By isolating individual problems or by pointing out the need for optimisation and action an effective quality control system can be estab- lished. Armed with the knowledge gained, the process pilot gradually arrives at an optimum automatic process para- meters setting for the blow process. The result is a nar- rower process window with enhanced effectiveness, espe- cially important for critical bottle moulding, and this reduces dependency on qualified personnel at any time of the day or night, says Fabio Chimetto. As far as the Italian market is concerned, the forecast is low or slow growth for soft drinks, mineral water and also iced tea in the foreseeable future. This is another reason why Sanpellegrino is also continuing to go for export and innovative product add-ons, says Fabio Chimetto.We extend our thanks for the illuminating discussions. www.sanpellegrino.com Alexander Büchler, PETplanet, with a selection of San Pellegrino beverages.