From the fields of plastics technology, container dress technology, plus packing and palletising technology, Krones AG, Neutraubling, Germany, will at the interpack 2014 be showcasing a whole series of innovations and design enhancements. All of them geared to creating even lighter, more attractive, consumer-friendlier packages, plus energy-economical, eco-friendly and affordable production operations designed to reduce the total cost of ownership.
In the field of plastics technology, Krones has developed a new base design for PET containers that features better resistance to heat and pressure coupled with good stability during transport. In comparison to classical hotfill, filling this bottle in the NitroHotfill process enables lower bottle weights to be used, even at high line speeds. In actual operation, the NitroHotfill process, which is used with fruit juices and other sensitive beverages, enables bottle weights down to an exceptionally light 15.5 grams to be achieved.
In comparison to shrink-packs, producing the LitePac sixpacks on the EvoLite Bloc packer offers huge potential savings in both packaging material and energy.
But it’s not only with sensitive beverages like fruit juices that the thrust towards lightweight containers is being progressed. For carbonated beverages, too, Krones will be exhibiting a true lightweight, one that weighs 30 to 45 per cent less than comparable PET containers on the market: the “PET lite 9.9 carbonated”, a prize-winning study based on the NitroPouch concept. This 500-millilitre bottle, weighing a mere 9.9 grams, scores highly in terms of low material costs and suitability for use at high line speeds.
Deployment of a square 500-millilitre PET bottle weighing just 12.5 grams for product-friendly aseptic filling is made possible by the development of the innovative technology featured in the Contiform AseptBloc, and by the container’s own design, which is particularly persuasive in terms of the bottle’s haptics, and is based on a square-rounded cross-section and a lightweight 33-millimetre neck finish.
Digital direct printing
In comparison to dressing containers in labels, direct printing on the containers themselves, using the DecoType direct printing system, offers significantly more scope for individualised, attractive design of the containers concerned. It is also ideally suited for supporting marketing campaigns and product launches. With the debut of the DecoType, Krones has expanded its product portfolio for container dressing to include an entirely new variant.
In the field of cold-glue labelling technology, Krones will be presenting a redesigned Ergomatic station, excelling in terms of ergonomic and functional improvements, plus reduced complexity. The Ergomatic functions accurately and dependably, is easy to operate, and can be quickly changed over to handle different label formats.
For wrap-around labelling, Krones will be exhibiting a completely redesigned station. The new Contiroll ED station has an ergonomically optimised design, scores highly in terms of improved accessibility for label change-overs, and offers enhanced operator-friendliness. In this series, a variant for pre-glued labels is being offered as an alternative.
Cost reduction for non-returnable sixpacks of up to 74 per cent
For non-returnable sixpacks, Krones has come up with what’s probably the world’s most space-saving packaging and palletising solution, with the lowest energy consumption, in the shape of the LitePac. Three EvoLite machines are already up and running successfully: up to the present date, 15 million LitePacs have hit the retail shelves. The EvoLite pack strapping machine creates packs with an integrated looped handle. In comparison to shrink-packs, and to other packaging systems on the market as well that operate with gluing, the exceptionally resource-economical production process for the LitePac (which comprises six plastic bottles) offers extremely high potential savings for packaging material and energy, with a cost reduction per pack of up to 74 per cent.
Source: Krones.com
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