BOTTLE MAKING 32 PETplanet Insider Vol. 24 No. 05/23 www.petpla.net Digital bottle designer as automated web application Highspeed bottle design based on an article by Gerhard Friederici, Editor, Cadfem Germany GmbH The development didn’t stop here. Together with Cadfem, the Krones engineers developed an automation solution that makes it possible to make complex FEM calculations accessible to a large group of users worldwide. “Our goal was to significantly reduce blow moulding tests by using a digital bottle designer,” explains Ulrich Lappe, Head of PET Pack Design and Application at Krones. “When part of the iteration loops in the laboratory are no longer necessary, we not only save money but also time, which we can use for additional orders. This is because the simulation results can be used to make fundamental optimisations to the container design even before a first blow mould is produced.” An integral part of the development Simulation has been an integral part of product development at Krones for decades, both in new product development and in the further development and optimisation of existing products. “However, the requirements have steadily increased, so that today we are on the way from physical to digital sampling.” explains Thomas Albrecht, who heads the CRD Analytics and Simulations department at Krones. “If we can predict the behaviour of the bottle with simulations, we will be able to produce, fill and transport it faster, more sustainably and more efficiently.” For this purpose, the entire life cycle of a bottle must be considered. Starting with the stretch blow moulding process, the container must then pass through several machine components. During filling and labelling, the bottles are subjected to high pressures. They are also subjected to stresses during storage and transport of empty and filled bottles, which must be taken into account in the design. Ultimately, the feel and look of the bottle for the end customer is an equally important criterion for bottle design. “Each prototype that we have to build and test less because of simulation significantly reduces direct costs. One loop in the real prototype costs several thousand euros, and that doesn’t include the revenue we miss out on by not being able to accept other orders due to time constraints.” - Ulrich Lappe, Head of PET Pack Design and Application - “A PET bottle behaves differently from a glass bottle; in other words, not like a rigid body,” emphasises Maximilian Braun, who oversees the automation project for the simulation process shown here. “A 0.5 l disposable PET bottle weighs much less than a glass bottle of the same volume. Nevertheless, all requirements for stability or for the complete processing line must be met. That’s why we also use simulation to compare bottle variants with each other. This way, we can be sure that we are giving our design teams and our customers the best possible advice. They not only get a good-looking container, but also a functionally flawless product.” In order to further reduce the effort required for the simulations and make them easier to handle overall, Krones invited tenders for a project to standardise and automate the processes for which Cadfem was awarded the contract. Through simulation, Krones AG has successfully optimised the shape and wall thickness of PET bottles so that they are more stable without having to sacrifice individual designs. At the same time, simulation indicates where valuable plastic resources may still be saved. Simulation creates stable bottles with minimal plastic material. (Sources: Krones) The times for the entire simulation process could be reduced. Furthermore, additional load cases (“Topload filled”, “Sideload filled”) that before had not be analysed, could be simulated now.
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