PETpla.net Insider 10 / 2018

MOULD MAKING PET planet Insider Vol. 19 No. 10/18 www.petpla.net 16 Bottle base for highly carbonated beverages in ultralight bottles A base for bubbly beverages The Sidel StarLite family of bottle base solutions is expanding through the StarLite Ultra- Light for carbonated soft drinks (CSD). As the name suggests, this design allows for a lighter bottle than the existing solutions in the beverage marketplace. By lowering the prod- uct costs while maintaining the expected level of carbonation, this solution addresses the discount chains’ needs for more affordable products while ensuring a good product quality. The Sidel StarLite UltraLight base has been designed for highly carbon- ated beverages with a short distribu- tion stream. “As such, it lends itself perfectly to CSD and spar- kling water - CSD containing up to 8.4 g of CO 2 /l; sparkling water typically containing 3.2 g CO 2 /l - and is sold in countries with a more temperate climate through hard discount supply chains, applying regular stock rotation,” explains Lau- rent Naveau, Packag- ing expert at Sidel. Just like the other propositions in the Sidel StarLite range, the new base design decreases the amount of raw material needed to produce PET bot- tles. “The optimum bottle base design results in a staggering 25% lighter bottle weight compared to a traditional CSD bottle at around 13.5 g, contrib- uting as a whole to reduced produc- tion costs while maintaining carbon- ated beverage quality,” adds Laurent. Whereas a traditional 0.5 l CSD bottle weighs 13.5 g, the very lightweighted StarLite UltraLight CSD only weighs 10.5 g. When it comes to the 1.5 l bottle, it now weighs 24 g rather than a traditional bottle, which is normally at 28 g. The innovative CSD bottle neck design features a 26/22 neck finish with a weight of 2.3 g, a thread dia- meter of 26mm, an inner diameter of 21.7mm, and a height of 13mm. Referenced at CETIE (the Interna- tional Technical Center for Bottling and related Packaging), the bottle neck can be combined with the new Novem- bal cap, the Novasoda 26/22 for carbonated beverages. Robust and tight to preserve the beverage quality, this one-piece closure is easy and safe to apply, open, and reclose, says Sidel. By optimising the amount of PET required to manufac- ture the bottle, the new Sidel StarLite Ultra- Light CSD base offers a substantial reduction in Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). For example, for a 0.5 l bottle the total yearly produc- tion PET savings for the new base combined with the new neck would be at € 1,125,000, states the com- pany. Looking at the 1.5 l bottle, the yearly production PET savings would amount to a total of € 1,530,000. This cost estimation is based on a bottle production on a Sidel SBO 20 blower, running at 2,400 b/h/m, 5,000 h/a, for a PET cost of € 1,580/ton (source PCI - April 2018). The bottle featuring the StarLite UltraLight CSD base also includes a patented design, which combines the base with an optimal body shape. It is intended to offer functional benefits without compromising on attractive- ness and brand differentiation poten- tial. “When opening the bottle with a firm hand grip, there is no splashing due to the rigid waist embedded in the structured bottle design,” com- ments Laurent. Additionally, the good base seating surface eliminates any risk of bottle base distortions, as such contributing to perfect bottle stability. Moreover, production speed can reach up to an output rate of 2,500 bphm. www.sidel.com MOULD special