This line-compatible type of packaging can be produced on the energy-efficient InnoPET Blomax Series V stretch blow molder in what is known as the blow-trim process or from preforms with a molded neck which can be crystalline as required. “By heating the blow molds electrically we can thermally condition the containers for standard market filling temperatures,” explains Sebastian Wenderdel, non-beverage global product account manager at KHS Corpoplast in Hamburg, Germany. The PET alternative has been designed to withstand both the positive and negative pressures which can occur in the closed container following the filling process.

KHS has consciously opted for PET plastic for its new wide-neck containers. “At the moment most wide-neck containers are still made of non-returnable glass. PET containers have many advantages over glass, however, and not just as far as costs are concerned,” says Wenderdel. The plastic packaging is primarily worth considering from an ecological standpoint alone. “PET preforms aren’t just much lighter than glass containers; they’re also smaller, which means that they take up less space during transportation and storage,” he adds. Even when full the plastic container has a clear ecological advantage over glass en route to the consumer thanks to its low weight.

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