PETpla.net Insider 11 / 2019

43 TRADE SHOW PREVIEW PET planet Insider Vol. 20 No. 11/19 www.petpla.net Retal Hall 4 | Booth 323 Patented performance Tethered closures are a hot topic in the packaging industry. Global PET, rPET and HDPE packaging producer Retal has invested considerable time and resources to creating innovative tethered closures that are both respon- sible and easy to use. Tethered closures from Retal are suitable for water, carbonated soft drinks and aseptic products. By ensuring that the lid is not separated from the bottle, they reduce contamination of recycling collections and help to support the cir- cular economy by retaining materials and reducing waste. The Retal tethered closures are also intended to provide enhanced convenience for consumers thanks to the way in which it opens, creating a smooth contact. Aleksandr Kachanov, R&D director at Retal, explains, “We gained the patent certificates in June 2019 for our tethered closures; our unique solution allows the sharp edge to stay towards the bottle once it’s been opened, rather than towards the mouth of the consumer. Retal is one of very few closure manufacturers that has developed and invested in this special solution – it’s the embodiment of the Retal dedication to creating responsible solutions that are user-friendly. It’s not just a response to the EU SUP Directive; our tethered closures aide consumer convenience as they’re easy and com- fortable to use.” The patented tethered closures have tested both injection moulded and a slit folded solution, with the design team lead by Kachanov creating prototypes that have been subjected to numerous strict tests. He says, “After extensive modifi- cations to each solution, we focused on the injection moulded tethered closure as the majority of our closure moulds use this, making it a more cost-effective offer for our global food and beverage customers, particularly as our technical expertise is also more proficient in this area. Our brand owner customers and bottlers are unlikely to need investment in new solution when they chose tethered closures from Retal.” Retal’s packaging development expert Anton Sugoniaev shares how the intense testing phase has enabled the company to create an injection moulded tethered closure solution that addresses the core concerns of its customers and the consumer. Sugoniaev says, “There are limitations to the possible tethered closures, so they will all be similar, yet this is where the potential for differentia- tion is exciting; small changes deliver big advantages, particularly when it comes to consumer convenience. Our solution delivers a secure fixation of the closures next to bottle’s neck instead of allowing them bounce and turn around.” Initially created for the standard 1881 caps, the Retal tethered closure portfolio will extend across its range. www.retalgroup.com Tethered closures and more During Brau Beviale, Aptar will present its tethered closure solutions, which promote post-use recycling as the tethered closure stays attached to the bottle through its life cycle, while improv- ing the consumer drinking experience. Aptar’s exhibits also include two other innovations by the supplier of packag- ing solutions, a new sports cap and a new instant mixing cap. www.aptar.com Aptar Hall 4 | Booth 129 GEA Hall 7 | Booth 600 Rapid changeover times Of particular interest to customers in the craft beer segment are space-saving, flexible and sustainable solutions that pay dividends at medium speeds and capacities. So GEA’s booth showcases the flexible, monoblock GEA Visitron Filler All-In-One, which can switch between filling bottles, cans and PET containers. It is claimed to be capable of handling the most varied formats, beverages and lid types with ease, but also to slash the filling block’s format and product changeover times from many to a mere 20 to 30 minutes. With these features, the filler is intended to respond to issues that are currently major preoccupations for beverage manufacturers. www.gea.com