PETpla.net Insider 10 / 2016

INSPECTION 26 PET planet Insider Vol. 17 No. 10/16 www.petpla.net Agr’s automated blowmoulder control ensures Sanpellegrino bottles align with distinct mineral water brands Control is better Joining the latest technology to its tradition, Nestlé’s San- pellegrino Group relies on Agr’s Process Pilot Automated Blowmolder Control System to ensure that each PET bottle blown on the line has the desired quality and performance attributes - regardless of the environmental, equipment or material variations that might occur during the production process. A long-term relationship between Agr International (Butler, Penn., USA) and Sanpellegrino Group is enhanc- ing PET bottle manufacturing across three of the five mineral water brands in the portfolio of the Italian company Nestlé Waters. A staunch practitioner of a “take-no-chances, measure eve- rything” approach to bottle-blowing, Sanpellegrino has been a leader in embracing the progression of Agr’s on-line thickness measurement tech- nology, today represented by the Pro- cess Pilot automated blowmoulder control system. Not only does the Process Pilot measure every bottle for changes in material distribution, but it also controls the blowmoulder proac- tively to manage desired distribution while the addition of CrystalView, Agr’s latest advancement, optimises bottle crystallinity/material orienta- tion to maximise bottle performance. Especially with several efficiency and lightweighting initiatives in progress, these capabilities are key in allowing Sanpellegrino to achieve consistent bottle quality to meet each brand’s objectives. An integral part of the company’s market strategy is its commitment to delivering the same customer experi- ence with every single bottle. “The customer experience is very impor- tant to us,” affirms Fabio Chimetto, Applications Group Packaging Man- ager, Sanpellegrino Group, head- quartered in Milan. “We strive to give the highest quality - of the product and the container it is supplied in - for a given market.” Distinct terroirs, consistent experience Italy boasts one of the high- est per-capita consumption rates of bottled water in the world. It’s no wonder, considering that geology has graced the country with an abun- dance of natural mineral springs, found all the way from glacial Alpine peaks to the volcanic terrain of Sicily. As in wine, terroir plays an important role in mineral water, with a particular set of characteristics tied to a specific topography. Unlike wine, however, variations in these characteristics are most unwelcome. According to Italian law, commer- cially bottled mineral waters must be recognised by the Ministry of Health, tested regularly, and certified to remain stable and constant through- out all four seasons. They must all be bottled at the source - no transporting or blending; one reason why the San- pellegrino Group has five different offerings in the category. The brands span the spectrum from the namesake S.Pellegrino, favoured sparkling mineral water in fine dining, and its still mineral water companion Acqua Panna, to the premium Levissima, “Italy’s favorite local mineral water,” and Nestlé Vera, the everyday consumer product. In between is the regional stand-out Recoaro. The majority of the com- pany’s output goes to market in PET bottles in a wide range of packaging formats and sizes - 0.25l, 0.33l, 0.5l, 0.75l,1l, 1.25l, 1.5l, 2l - targeted for retail sale. With production of this huge volume emanating from two dozen bottling lines operating in seven different plants spread across the Italian landscape, hitting the consist- ency bullseye is no mean feat. This is especially true when it comes to PET bottle-blowing, a function performed in-house at each individual site. The reason to self-manufacture is simple, Chimetto observes: “Transporting empty bottles would kill the busi- ness.” Process Pilot’s automated controls manage the blowmoulder to eliminate the effect of process and environmen- tal variables that impact bottle material distribution. For Sanpellegrino Group’s Fabio Chimetto, it is critical for the customer to have the same repeated experience handling the bottle to protect the brand and retain market share.