Caps and closures developments: Difference between revisions

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'''It was a Swiss designer named Albert Obrist who in 1970 developed the first plastic top for CSD drinks bottles with the injection-moulded onepiece HDPE cap. Originally intended for use with returnable glass bottles, his idea quickly attracted the interest of the PET bottle industry which increased sharply at the end of the 1970s. The key advantages of the HDPE cap over its aluminium counterpart were considered to be, firstly that damage to the bottle mouth caused by rolling the aluminium caps onto the neck finish could be avoided, and secondly that the HDPE caps were more compatible with the precise geometries of the PET thread. Obrist’s innovations were subsequently incorporated into the Crown Cork and Seal Company’s operations during the mid-1980s.'''

Since then, changing consumer needs, along with new trends in drinks, regulations and technological advances, have led to ever new innovations and improvements being made in the design of caps and closures. What has not changed, however, is the need for tight closures (under a variety of conditions) that protect a bottle’s contents, and which are easy to open and re-seal, can be incorporated within the package design and are cost effective to produce.  

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Lightweight is still a hot topic: In issue 5 we report on Bericap’s new hot fill initiative, resulting in newly modified one-piece DoubleSeal 38 mm closures together with neck wall thicknesses of 2 mm – as a first step.

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<!-- Tabelle „Global caps and closures market, based on beverage container units filled and an estimated annual growth of 5.2% (source: [[Krones]] Group Annual Report 2017)“ -->

A lightweight combination cap for the 1881 short neck format for both, carbonated drinks as well as still water, is close to launch ([[Corvaglia]], issue 1+2).

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<big>''' 2017'''</big>

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Developed for aseptic filling of wide mouth bottles, [[RPC Group]] Obrist Madrid launched its 38 mm closure, as we report in issue 1+2.

At Interpack, [[United Caps]] presented, amongst other things, its 1881 petal flower cap. Developed for Wattwiller Mineral Waters, the unusual shape of the closure allows end-users to open bottles with minimum effort.

For the 26 mm and 29 mm neck, [[Bericap]] developed higher closures with a better grip (issue 4). In the same article, product piracy and counterfeiting are being encountered with closures with a folded and slit tamper evidence band or with laser printing across the TE band and closure. In our [[Drinktec]] preview in issue 8, [[Bericap]] introduces an extremely light 28 mm PCO 1881 flat closure for non-carbonated beverages.

<big>''' 2018'''</big>

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We report in issue 1+2 on [[Bericap]]’s Neo 30/17 weight optimised version for the neck finish 30/25; the SnapCap 26: a hinge cap pressed on a lightweight 26/21 neck and the 33 mm neck closure for cold-aseptic or hot-filling recipes.

[[Silgan Closures GmbH]] Closures develop a plug and play system: The K-Seal ensures full plug engagement to the water cooler spike (issue 1+2).

Continuous growth of aseptically processed beverages and an increase of on-the-go beverage formats are reasons for [[Aptar]] to launch a new sportscap in a wide mouth neck finish. The 38 mm 1-piece closure is described in issue 5.

For issue 10 we fly downunder, visiting Coca-Cola Amatil’s plant opening of their new sports cap production line. Being made entirely of HDPE, it is easier to recycle than the traditional mix of HDPE and PP.