PETpla.net Insider 09 / 2016

BOTTLE MAKING 33 PET planet insider Vol. 17 No. 09/16 www.petpla.net l l l consumer bags textile packaging recycling Test results provided conclusive evidence that PET performs as well as traditional kegs in terms of quality and taste; different beers were found to taste the same, whether stored in metal or in PET kegs. The conclusion was that both types of kegs have simi- lar performance over the storage time. So what is driving the dramatic growth in PET kegs? Thanks to the lower total cost of ownership of PET versus metal, PetainerKeg is helping breweries and other beverage produc- ers around the world enter and grow new markets. To meet rising demand, PET Technologies has worked in part- nership with Petainer to introduce a PET keg blow moulding machine at a beverages production plant, in order to reduce customer supply chain costs dramatically. The fail- safe APF-30 automatic blower, which can produce 20-30l PET kegs from PetainerKeg preforms, was devel- oped under an exclusive agreement as a result of close cooperation. Modified APF-30 blow moulder models with production capacities of 120 and 250 kegs per hour are now widely used by wine, beer, cider and juice producers to manufacture PET kegs and deliver their beverages to four corners of the world. The APF-30’s heater is equipped with 16 temperature-regulating zones to provide preforms with deep heating and uniform temperature distribution throughout the material. This feature is especially important for heavy and thick-wall preforms. The stretch- ing unit has an embedded servo drive system, for easy control and stable rod speed. The blowing unit is equipped with original block of valves designed by PET Technolo- gies’ R&D department. In conclusion, the APF-30 auto- matic blow moulding machine is a sustainable solution to for the pro- duction of PET kegs compatible with different filling lines at the plant, and helps to minimise logistics and stor- age costs. www.pet-eu.com www.petainerkeg.com