PETpla.net Insider 09 / 2016

BOTTLE MAKING 22 PET planet insider Vol. 17 No. 09/16 www.petpla.net Greater economy from lower weight Save costs by reducing the weight of PET bottles: an increasing number of bottlers are prepared to cut down on the resources they use for packaging materials, for ecologi- cal as well as commercial reasons. But does less material mean a loss of quality for the individual bottle? The example of Argentinian edible oil producer Aceitera General Deheza S.A. (AGD) shows how KHS optimised the PET packaging design for AGD’s Natura brand – making considerable sav- ings on materials in the process. which – along with the high quality of the oil – have made Natura a premium product. Cutting costs and boosting efficiency In order to reduce internal costs for its quality edible oil and at the same time promote sustainable use of resources, AGD aims to improve efficiency in its own processes. “Although our bottle to date had proved successful, we realised that we had to modernise the Natura bottle itself, along with its production pro- cesses,” says Mariano Lauría, bottling plant manager at AGD. “We aimed to reduce the weight of the bottle in the long term yet still boost the throughput in the machine.” For KHS, the most pressing task seemed to be almost ordinary: to develop a future-proof bottle shape with a high degree of stability. The special challenges this presented became evident on closer exami- nation. These were determined by AGD’s design specifications as: to keep the square bottle shape estab- lished among end consumers; to include a recessed grip as an addi- tional hallmark of quality; and to retain the size of the area for the bottle label. AGD also wanted to continue using the bottle’s typical jaycap. The top load, the determining reference value for the load-bearing capacity of the bottle during transpor- tation, was clearly stipulated by the company. Three bottles holding 0.9, 1.0 and 1.5l respectively were to be optimised based on these require- ments. Both the 0.9 and 1.0l PET bottle were to weigh between 27 and 27.5g, compared with the previous weight of 30g. A drop from 41.5g to a target value of between 38 and 39g was envisaged for the big 1.5l bottle. Computer simulation AGD has enjoyed a strong work- ing relationship with KHS for many years. The solution KHS offered gave the Argentinians the headway they wanted. With its Bottles & Shapes PET bottle design concept, the KHS engineers kept more or less to the base of the existing PET bottle but designed a new, lighter thread for 0.9, 1.0 and 1.5 liters: applying its Bottles & Shapes programme KHS has optimised the weight of not one but three different PET bottles. bottle making Two newly-installed KHS InnoPET Blomax 10 S Series IV stretch blow moulders were able to deliver a higher production capacity even for the com- pany’s square bottles. This, conse- quently, allows AGD to consistently pursue its strategy of growth. Natura brand has relied on PET as its con- tainer of choice since the late 1980s; it is now the market leader in its product category. In 1989 – when PET began to establish itself as an alterna- tive packaging to glass – AGD was the first brand in Argentina to opt to fill vegetable oil into PET bottles. Over time, Natura advanced to become a leading brand of edible oil and it is now the top-selling oil in Argentina, Chile and other South American coun- tries. The product can also be found on supermarket shelves outside its core markets. After starting off with a round bottle, AGD established a new design for its flagship product: a square PET bottle with stylish ribs and a consumer-friendly recessed grip. The brand’s success is inextricably linked to its special PET packaging,