PETpla.net Insider 05 / 2017

45 PRODUCTS PET planet Insider Vol. 18 No. 05/17 www.petpla.net IM capability for prototyping and sampling of preforms Brand owners inter- ested in conducting pack- age validation testing (performance, filling line, shipping, etc.) and small test market distribution before committing to a wider launch now have access to a cost-effective alternative. Additionally, converters needing devel- opment and production support also can tap into a new resource. Plastic Technologies, Inc. (PTI) has added new injection moulding capabil- ity for prototyping and sampling of preforms which reduces cost and lead time and improves speed-to-market. PTI has added Husky’s Adapt tooling capability to its new all-electric Arburg injection moulding machine. The mould base features a valve-gated hot runner which allows one to four cavities to be moulded per cycle. If desired, a single cavity can be built for the initial development, and then scaled up to four cavities for larger sampling requirements. “This multicavity preform approach is ideal for support- ing smaller product launches. These quantities are much smaller than those required by nationally-distributed brands which can be upwards of 5 million units,” said Chris White, supervisor, injection moulding services. “Further, because of our 30-year track record in PET development and preform production, PTI can cost-effectively produce the preforms.” In addition to PET, polypropylene, polylactic acid, poly- ethylene, bio-based polymers and other materials can also be injection moulded via the new tooling. www.plastictechnologies.com Sangemini’s new “sporty” water bottle PET Engineering continues to work with Acque Minerali d’Italia. After launching ‘Exclusive’, the new range of bottles for the professional catering industry from Norda, the Group’s leading brand, Sangemini Sport – a “sporty” bottled water – is being released. PET Engineering’s bottle is therefore designed to be immediately recognised by its target audience, by athletes and, more in general, by anyone who exercises. That’s why this design takes its inspiration from the shape, strength and compactness of the flasks used by cyclists and marathon runners. The open/close cap has a drip-proof valve, the squeeze- grip makes it practical to use even when running, and the carbon-look knurled pattern is inspired by the material used to make sports bikes, all of which make the new Sangemini packaging considerably technical and particularly well suited to its role as “Official Water” for the 2017 Giro d’Italia. www.petengineering.com PolyOne presented Lactra SX update PolyOne has presented an update for its high-performance light blocking technology for liquid dairy packaging. Lactra SX light block- ing additive, which is marketed by PolyOne’s ColorMatrix business, protects liquid dairy products packaged in mono-layer PET bottles from degrading due to light radiation. Since the launch of Lactra SX last year, and as part of a planned testing protocol, PolyOne has car- ried out a series of comparative laboratory tests to the light-blocking additive to understand specific performance levels. ColorMatrix Senior Product Manager Azam Khan has presented the findings of these new test results at the Dairy China Summit: a best light blocking at lower usage, a low density leading to lighter weight bottles, a high top load performance, the best burst pressure in bottles and PolyOnes leading position in class for mono-layer PET bottles for light blocking in UHT milk bottles. UHT dairy products require special packaging consideration for long ambient shelf life, which ColorMatrix Lactra SX Light Blocking Additive can provide as a high-performance light blocking product. www.polyone.com