PETpla.net Insider 07+08 / 2020

BOTTLE MAKING 43 PETplanet Insider Vol. 21 No. 07+08/20 www.petpla.net from KHS. Arne stated that the colour variation results in more heat absorp- tion, and this means more material in the shoulder area of the preform. The pyrometer at the end of the oven can only adjust an average of the preform temperature. If the quality of the bottle is not sufficient during this phase, additional hardware can help, added Arne. With the process pilot and mould control the machine can react much faster on colour varia- tions in the preform. The Process Pilot can improve CPK (process stability) by 28%, the Unit Mould Control can improve CPK by 16%, and the overall CPK is thus improved by 28%+16% = 44%. Another important question is the impact on the IV. During the heat- ing process and the material distribu- tion there was no difference compared to the virgin material measured. Differences could be measured on bottle performance due to the differ- ent IV´s of the material. Arne’s sug- gestion here is to ensure that the IV never drops below the critical level. Arne’s conclusion on the quality of an rPET bottle: There can be varia- tions of material distribution and the IV, but problems only occur if minimal requirements are no longer met. The rPET bottle helps to close the loop for recycling. Switching from PET to rPET should not just be about a change in material. It also makes sense to improve bottle design in terms of less weight. The questions that followed cen- tred mainly on possible applications of rPET in various filling products. The proportion of rPET and its resulting appearance was also discussed. The main topic in the Q and A session was the comparison between rPET and brand-new bottles. Are mechanical properties such as top load, stress crack results etc compa- rable? The audience also wanted to know which countries allow rPET in food and whether biograde or rPET is the better option in terms of sustain- ability. We thank the speakers and the numerous participants for their inter- est and the exciting discussions! Both presentations can be found at: www.petpla.net Tour Sponsors: The man behind the seams Mr Mundhra has been producing PET cans for three tennis balls since 1988. The cans are sealed with a fully opening aluminium lid. Inside the can, there is an excess pressure of around 1 bar, so the packaged tennis balls do not lose their internal pressure. To maintain this internal pressure, the rim of the PET can must be very precise. The aluminium lid is attached in two steps with a lock seam, like a classic metal can. The can has a champagne base, which is able to equalise the internal pressures inside the can. Transpet Jaipur, June 2019 We met: Mr. S.K. Mundhra, B.E. Elect. Director Over the course of the last 30 years, many offshoots have developed from the tennis ball can. Cans without internal pressure are among his bestsellers. He offers a standard range for bulk materials, such as seasonings. These always come with a suitable lid and, when required, also an appropriate seal. Alongside his standard range, he develops customer-specific applications, which might be cans for CSD or cans for ball bearings. Mundhra builds his own tools for this that are then passed on to the customer. Embossing is also an option. Common to all cans is the abso- lutely precise rim, onto which stand- ard removeable aluminium or tin plate lids are crimped. The bases are different depending on whether the filler is under pressure (pres- sure equaliser base) or whether the filler is in the can without excess pressure. His vision is to develop a can in the near future, which can be hot- filled with juice. www.transpetcans.in From left to right: 200ml can filled with screws. This protects the screws from corrosion. 330ml can for CSD with standard drinks lid, customer based in Dubai; it all started with the three-tennis ball can; the small can is oil-proof packaging for ball bearings; The bestseller from the standard range is the can for dry food.