PETpla.net Insider 11+12 / 2017

40 TRADE SHOW REVIEW PET planet Insider Vol. 18 No. 11+12/17 www.petpla.net Developments for a turnkey solution Newamstar, Chinese liquid (beverage) packaging solution and smart factory supplier, based around 120km north-west of Shanghai in Jiangsu Province, has regularly impressed over recent years with additions to its machine portfolio in the bever- age and food production segment. The company now covers the entire process chain from water and beverage pretreat- ment to blow moulding production lines; filling, capping and conveying system, and downstream equipment for processing goods for despatch. Its customer base includes names such as Danone, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo., Nestlé, Wahaha, Nongfu Spring, Ganten and Otsuka. At Drinktec 2017, Newamstar presented a turnkey system model to demonstrate that it has now reached a level at which it can provide drinks manufactur- ers with comprehensive solutions, in line with full plant layout planning. A special focus for the company at the trade fair was its “Intelligent Warehouse System”. Launched in 2015, this is a logistics solution designed to complete the downstream portfolio. After products are transferred by the palletiser, they are then placed in the stereoscopic racks by computer-operated robots using an automated, three-dimensional FIFO process. The company also supplies a range of autonomous transport robots, with or without rail systems, as an automated solu- tion to additional transport requirements in the downstream segment. “Our storage system is designed to offer effective and efficient logistics management right up to transfer to the AGV/RGV,” said Wesley Yin, Head of Marketing. “The aim is to optimise the use of storage space and minimise picking times. We are also seeking to minimise any sources of error with automation and save energy costs too.” The company offers a comprehensive product tracking system for food safety throughout the production and packaging process, in addition. The individualised storage system structure is designed to save (building) space, as well. Planning services for custom- ers can include complete facility construction and the neces- sary technical installations. Like Newamster’s equipment for other process areas, the warehouse can also be integrated as a module into existing systems from other manufacturers. www.newamstar.com Mould temperature control The Japanese company Osaka Reiken presented its tem- perature control equipment and resin treatment systems. “While our clients include several key players from the Japanese PET bottle and beverage industry, we do also serve other plastic manufacturing processes,” explains Yoshiki Kanaoka, Presi- dent of Osaka Reiken. “Our solutions for the plastics industry include mould chilling units, water or oil based temperature controllers, PET solid-state polymerisation systems, crystallising dryers, as well as preform neck and bottle neck crystallisation systems, among others.” In Munich, the company presented its latest innovation, a CO 2 -based mould chiller. Additional features such as propor- tional inverter control permit energy savings, and a large flow rate ensures stable mould temperatures to increase produc- tion efficiency. The Japanese company was the first to offer a chiller using CO 2 as a refrigerant for the plastics industry: “This is the next logical step in the refrigeration business,” Kanaoka points out. “We see more and more F-gases being phased out in the near future, because their global warming potentials can be several thousand times that of CO 2 . We are not just considering to make our products as future-proof as possible; we are really hoping to contribute to the responsible production of plastics.” www.reiken.co.jp Sports closures for short necks 28mm PCO 1881 and 29/25mm At Drinktec, Aptar presented a variety of new products for beverage dispensing, including two new flip- top hinged sport clo- sures for “on-the-go” PET bottles. “ G u a r d i a n ” , a two-piece bi-injected closure for 29/25mm neck finish, features a comp l e t e l y new tamper-evident system that the company points out is very visible, intuitive and non detachable. When the closure is first opened – by pushing up the large one-hand finger recess – a small white ‘indica- tor’ component automatically drops down into a pocket that is clearly visible through the transparent PP bi-colored body, which also allows a clear view of the internal, coloured, 7mm spout. The spout itself is customisable and available with or without Aptar’s “Simply Squeeze” swimming silicone valve. “Avantage”, a one-piece flip-top 28mm PCO 1881 valve- capable closure, is also equipped with a new, non detachable tamper evident seal. Users press a point in the front area and the closure mechanically opens when the lid is pushed up. The company says that Avantage is the first closure to be equipped with the “Stay-with” ring, which keeps the closure with the bottle, even when it has been unscrewed from the neck. Aptar says that, with these closures, it is especially target- ing on-the-go bottled water, sports or functional drinks and juice applications. www.aptar.com Guardian two-piece bi-injected closure