BOTTLE MAKING 16 PETplanet Insider Vol. 25 No. 11/24 www.petpla.net StarLite-R Premium targets high-end products Sleek bottle base for 100% rPET Sidel has expanded its StarLite-R range to include a new premium bottle base suitable for liquid dairy products, flavoured water as well as juices, nectars, soft drinks, isotonics and teas. “This bottle is specifically crafted for the premium market, where consumers expect exceptional performance and striking shelf appeal when purchasing a high-end product. Our new bottle is designed to endure every stage of its journey – from production through the supply chain, to the supermarket shelf, and ultimately into the consumer’s hands. The bottle quality and performance has also been rigorously tested in Sidel’s laboratories under industrial conditions,” says Pierrick Protais, Packaging Innovator Leader at Sidel. The new bottle design has been developed to meet consumers expectations of a sophisticated, streamlined appearance. The high-performing base is also claimed to minimise environmental impact. Hidden technical features Premium bottles are typically heavier than standard designs to ensure a great consumer experience through bottle rigidity and preserved beverage quality. When bottles have increased PET thickness, their bases are prone to deformation especially if manufactured at high speeds. StarLite-R Premium bottle base aims for a sleek, elegant and streamlined aesthetic. The flat-looking bottle bottom creates a high impact bottle display on supermarket shelves, and is compatible with round and squareround shaped bottles; single and multi-serve sizes; and can be used with opaque and transparent PET. The technical features allow a 100% rPET bottle to be blown at high speed while securing maximum base performance for a top bottle quality with a visually appealing look, says the company. The design uses a Sidel patented vault technology to avoid any visible ribs on the bottle base and to optimise its geometry. Made of a tall central dome, surrounded by lower radiating ridges with alternating widths and lengths, the bottle base is easy to blow, and good material distribution and a high base clearance are ensured. The base offers guaranteed bottle stability thanks to its widestanding surface. Additionally, the mould base includes an enhanced cooling circuit for efficient bottle base chilling, especially with rPET, which is processed at higher temperatures when compared with virgin sources. These technical features allow the bottle base to be highly performant when manufactured at a high speed of up to 2,500bph per mould thanks to the optimised geometry of the bottle design. Low environmental impact “Premium bottles are typically seen as less sustainable than standard versions, as they use more PET material, for increased wall thickness, and they require higher blowing pressure,” says Protais. “However, with global packaging regulations increasingly focused on environmental impact, manufacturers are now seeking exclusive product alternatives that provide carbon savings. That’s precisely what StarLite-R Premium offers.” In order to produce the new solution from 100% rPET, Sidel had to adapt its mould base technology to the material. The easy to shape base requires a lower blowing pressure. Sidel’s StarLite-R Premium bottle base offers producers carbon dioxide savings. With the switch from virgin to 100% rPET, manufacturers can save up to 3,100 t/a of carbon dioxide equivalent, and by reducing the blowing pressure of up to 25% when comBOTTLE MAKING
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTY0MjI=