PETpla.net Insider 01+02 / 2018

CAPS & CLOSURES 20 PET planet Insider Vol. 19 No. 01+02/18 www.petpla.net New solutions for premium products Cap-preform combination Sustainability, low weight, advanced cap-bottle design solutions and consumer services: Sacmi is responding to the latest market trends with a range of solutions co-developed with its own research facility. CAPS & CLOSURES On the beverage market where environmental sustainability and cost reduction go hand in hand with the request for new solutions that give consumers new designed, high-value products, Sacmi continues to demon- strate a capacity to respond to such needs with a lot of new solutions. The aspect of weight reduction has been merged with new cap fea- tures to ensure new consumer needs are met with appropriate, up-to-the- minute solutions. For example, for Asian markets (ASEAN and China, but also including Africa) where the use of tall caps is still quite common, Sacmi has developed a cap and neck- preform solution that retains its ergo- nomic grip and smart shape yet cuts weight by some 30% without affecting performance. The ability to provide advanced cap-preform combinations has led to the development of a cap weighing just 1.55g. This will soon be launched in South East Asia together with a preform with a 30-25mm neck finish that weighs just 3.3g. Sacmi is also equipped to grasp another recent market trend: this concerns the ever-sharper focus on the marked functional design differ- entiation that accompanies premium products aimed at HoReCa segments and other market niches. While such items use PET bottles, their distinc- tiveness is entrusted to the plastic or metal closure. In this field, Sacmi can provide complete lines that make both plastic and metal caps; such lines are perfect for the development of these product lines. Two key examples being the highly popular pull-ring cap (as shown on the picture), and the aluminium screw cap in all its variants. Thanks to the expertise in the slit- ting and folding of both flat-top and sport caps, Sacmi is able to pro- vide technical solutions to produce patented tamper evident bands; in addition to responding to advanced performance requisites, these feature further characteristics that respond, for example, to the need to keep the cap connected to the container once it has been opened. The Sacmi slitting-folding machine cre- ates a stable connection between band and cap. The solution, attainable with a Sacmi slitting-folding machine, allows for the creation of a stable connection between band and cap. This ensures the latter is not dispersed in the envi- ronment; however, if the consumer so desires, the cap itself can nevertheless easily be torn from the band to allow more traditional utilisation. A practical advantage is that in this case, com- bined with a potential environmental advantage as the entire cap-container system - with the anti-tamper band thus connected - is easier to introduce into the recycling system. The Group prides itself on its innovative strategy, in responding to the new trends in the beverage sector, focusing on efficiency and cost-effec- tiveness. Sacmi works closely with its customers to design and manufacture the most suitable cap and preform solutions to meet the needs of the consumer, whilst observing environ- mental and green concerns. www.sacmi.it For example, for Asian markets (ASEAN and China, yet also Africa) the use of tall caps is still quite common. Sacmi cuts weight by some 30% without affecting performance.