PETpla.net Insider 01+02 / 2020

CAPS & CLOSURES 10 PET planet Insider Vol. 21 No. 01+02/20 www.petpla.net Range compatible with existing bottling lines Checking all the boxes on tethered caps CEO Dr Michael Krueger summed up the challenges for Corvaglia: “During the development of our con- cepts, we focused on ensuring 100% compatibility with existing bottling lines and improving the drinking expe- rience for the consumer.” There is a lot to consider when planning and designing these new solutions: Most importantly, the requirements of the EU Directive have to be met. These will be laid out in more detail in a CEN standard that is currently being drafted. Tethered caps also have to offer customers the same physical performance as standard closures. Last but not least, tethered caps ideally need to be implementable without the need for modifications to the neck finish and filling systems and without any loss of efficiency in the handling and filling processes. The tethered cap solutions from Corvaglia are claimed to check all the above- mentioned boxes. Film hinge caps, lasso caps, shift caps The experience of designing clo- sures using different types of tamper- evident bands and manufacturing technologies has enabled Corvaglia to develop a wide range of tethered cap solutions. Three concepts are worthy of special mention here: film hinge caps, lasso caps, and shift caps. Film hinge caps have an open- ing angle of 180 degrees and can be locked easily. This means that liquids can be drunk or poured without the lid part of the cap getting in the way at all. For most neck finishes, the weight of the film hinge caps is the same as that of standard caps. Lasso caps have an opening angle of more than 180 degrees without a lock. This concept features a particu- larly user-friendly reseal option. There is also no material added for most CAPS & CLOSURES ‘Lasso’ caps feature a wide opening angle and a user-friendly reseal option. Film hinge caps offer a 180° opening angle. The patent-pending shift cap can be used for all drink types. In May 2018, the EU announced a new Directive on how to deal with single-use plastic products. Under this Directive, in the future, drinks will only be allowed to be sold in plastic containers if the cap remains attached to the container. This has made the subject of tethered caps omnipresent in the beverage industry. Since the announcement, the specialists at Corvaglia have been working hard to find solutions for beverage caps that not only meet the requirements but improve also consumers’ drinking experiences. In the autumn of 2019, the Corvaglia group presented its current generation of tethered cap solutions at K 2019 in Düsseldorf. cap types for this solution. As a result, these two solutions profit entirely from the progress that Corvaglia has made in lightweighting their cap portfolio over the last three decades, states the company. The film hinge and lasso caps are set to be gradually introduced for various kinds of neck finish during the next few years. With the shift cap concept, Corva- glia has already developed what they call the next step in the evolution of tethered caps. Shift caps can simply be tucked away on the container after opening. The advantage of this is that the cap does not get in the way despite staying on the bottle. The solution can be used for all drink types. A patent is pending for the concept. www.corvaglia.com