PETpla.net Insider 11 / 2016

BOTTLING / FILLING 20 PET planet Insider Vol. 17 No. 11/16 www.petpla.net F.l.t.r.: Michael Chen, Managing Director of Bericap China and Alexander Büchler, PET- planet Insider in front of the Editourmobil Complete line solution for Serbian mineral water producer Maintaining healthy properties To increase the capacity of its Prolom mineral water production facility, the Ser- bian spa resort owner and bottler Planinka is turning to Sidel, a leading provider of production equipment and services for liquids in PET, in establishing a new complete line. Maintaining the healthy properties of Prolom water was key for this customer. Planinka is a joint-stock company founded in 1964. They began bottling Prolom water at their bottling facility in 1990 in response to continuing local demand and the growing global trend for healthier drinks. At the time, there were only sparkling waters available in the former state of Yugoslavia, with no still waters on the domestic market at all. The average unit price of bottled water in Serbia increased by 4% above the country’s inflation rate in 2015. Domestic producers remain in a much better overall position in Serbia, despite the growing popularity of imported bottled water from countries such as Croatia and Slovenia. With numerous natural springs in the area offering very high quality water, local bottlers are able to provide the optimum combina- tion of quality and cost which interna- tional companies find difficult to match, according to Euromonitor. Prolom spring water is claimed to ensure optimal rehydration with its natural diuretic and bacteriostatic effects. Additionally, the high alkalin- ity of Prolom water is said to make it ideal for stablishing the body’s pH balance and, due to its low mineralisa- tion, it can be consumed in quantities. Collaboration since 2007 Planinka has worked with Sidel since 2007, when it purchased its first blower, a Universal SBO 6, for its water bottling line at its facility in Prolom Banja, and reverted also to Sidel when the decision for an investment in a com- plete new production line was made to meet the demands of its domestic and export markets. “As top producers in the bever- age business, we are looking for great performance and the lowest possible total cost of ownership (TCO) from all our production lines,” says Mr Drago- slav Ilic, Head of Prolom Voda. “The main challenge of this particular project related to space constraints. However, Sidel’s line project team was able to offer the solution to fit all the component machinery needed for the line into the available space in a safe and functional way.” As this is the first occasion that Planinka has purchased a complete mineral water production line - including a Combi solution comprising blowing, filling and capping processes in a single system - the company conducted some investigative trips in both Serbia and Italy before finalising its decision.