PETpla.net Insider 09 / 2016

PET planet insider Vol. 17 No. 09/16 www.petpla.net BOTTLE MAKING 30 Second 4l PET bottling line running for Nongfu Spring bottle making Following the success of the Sidel PET Combi line for 4 litre water bottles, which was supplied to Nongfu Spring in 2014, the producer has invested in a second Sidel bottling line, in order to further boost its production capacity. Nongfu Spring’s intention in the decision to switch from HDPE to PET for its 4l bottles was to create a bottle that would stand out on the supermar- ket shelf. It also wanted to achieve a more cost effective and sustainable production process for the family bottle format. The inherent properties of HDPE result in certain constraints in bottle design, reducing bottle appeal and, consequently, perceived value for consumers. The PET bottle is fully transparent and light, requires less material to produce and creates less waste than an HDPE bottle, which also lacks the clarity of PET. The new bottling line also offers lower total cost of ownership through its capacity for higher production output than an HDPE line. A dedicated Combi to boost productivity When Nongfu Spring decided to switch to PET it came with very precise and specific technical requirements for the bottling line. The company wanted to increase its production capac- ity and efficiency to meet growing market demand for the 4l bottle, while also reducing production costs; thus the specific request for high speed and line efficiency. Sidel proposed a bottling line at the required output of 14,000bph, integrating blow, fill and cap functions in a single machine. The Combi offers a reliable opera- tional level that has enabled Nongfu to boost its overall productivity and maintain a competitive edge in sup- plying 4l water bottles. The Combi, manufactured in the Sidel Beijing plant, was fully tested in-house to ensure a fast installation and ramp-up in the customer’s production facility. This allowed validation of all the compo- nents and options specifically devel- oped for Nongfu Spring. The Combi line is dedicated exclusively to the family bottle size. Sidel’s strong project management was instrumental to the success of what proved to be a complex process. There were several other third party companies involved, including the sup- pliers of the conveyor system, labeller and carton casers, which all had to be integrated into the line at the desired efficiency and output levels. Nongfu Spring water is one of the leading brands for natural mineral water in China. Drawn from natu- ral water springs in various parts of the country, Nongfu Spring’s bot- tled water is one of the most well known on the domestic market. It held a 22% market share in China’s competitive bottled water segment in 2013. In addition to the regular 380ml, 550ml and 1.5l PET bottle formats, the company’s bottled water is also available in a 4l family size, which, until recently, was only available in High Density Polyethylene (HDPE). This was the starting point for its challenge to align the production of its bottles across the range, by switching from HDPE to PET for its largest bottle size. The company turned to Sidel to provide a pack- aging solution. Early in 2014 Sidel supplied the 4l PET bottle to Nongfu Spring, which runs at 14,000bph. This makes it the fastest-ever Combi water line.