PETpla.net Insider 05 / 2016

BOTTLING / FILLING 14 PET planet insider Vol. 17 No. 05/16 www.petpla.net Machine and bottle ‘light-lifting’ Birštono Mineraliniai Vandenys (BMV) in Lithuania has fol- lowed the success of its original PET bottling Greenfield project in ordering a Sidel Combi FMc line. Sidel collabo- rated on the design of BMV’s eye-catching and product-dif- ferentiating PET bottle shapes to boost sales of the client’s water brands. The new design contributed to light weighting the bottles by up to 30%. High nature resources BMV is a well-known and leading provider of mineral water in the Baltic States. Its water, rich in beneficial minerals and known for its properties, and for the fact that it has the highest level of mineralisation in Europe, was first bottled on an industrial basis in 1924. Today BMV is a modern com- pany using advanced technology and strict quality control methods to bring natural mineral water from its original source to the consumer in exactly the same form as enjoyed by the region’s ancestors. BMV is currently selling three water brands: Vytautas, Birute and Akvile, the latter is suitable for baby food. The company’s bever- ages are widely exported, including to neighbouring Baltic countries, as well as further afield including to the UK, the United States, China and the Gulf region. A successful greenfield project In 2008, BMV began bottling natural mineral water under the Akvile brand. Some years later, the company intended to update one of its production lines with new equip- ment. The Baltic producer asked Sidel to support with a technical and financial proposal for a new complete packaging line solution for bottling Akvile. This was a greenfield project to increase PET water production capacity to meet market demand. A Sidel team collaborated closely with the customer at the early stages of the company’s first complete water bottling line project. The team developed a complete project plan, selected the specific equipment, defined the floor layout and imple- mentation plan and detailed a cost analysis and budget plan, includ- ing the management of third-party contributors. To make sure the line was ready for production, Sidel used the latest technology and methods including feasibility studies, simula- tion modelling and 3D animations to ensure that the line’s master plans were carefully constructed and per- fectly controlled. Once the design for the new water line was established, it was implemented as rapidly and as efficiently as possible. It required thorough planning, management and follow-up, from start to finish. “We were particularly satisfied with the entire experience of dealing with Sidel and witnessing the benefits of the company’s engineering support experience was key in the success of this greenfield project and complete line solution”, explains CEO of BMV, Mr. Pranckus. Product safety and integrity were important priorities for the water producer. The original Sidel Combi FMc was perfectly matched with the producer’s expectations. Its single production enclosure - including the three main integrated functions configured with the positive, filtered air-pressure - ensures a hygienic and safe production environment. The hygienic design of the filling valve, with no mechanical parts in con- tact with the filled water and a filling process controlled by a pneumatic membrane valve, ensures safe fill- ing. Additional hygienic options have been implemented in the Combi configuration to further optimise food safety, including air filtration and overpressure area protection. The magnetic flow meters, which control the filling volume, ensure an accurate dosing while the filling parameters of each filling valve are controlled directly from the operator panel. The automatic dummy bot- tles to close the filling circuit during the internal and external cleaning of the filling valves, cleaning in place, or ‘CIP’ as it is commonly known, contribute to fast and safe product changeover. Based on the perfor- mance of the newly installed bottling line producing Akvile, a second Sidel line was installed. The new bottle shapes were designed by Sidel to boost both the ‘Vytautas’ and ‘Birute’brands.