IDM ¦ Packaging
A closed cycle
Complete-line competence from Krones
Can plastic packages be sustainable?
Yes, if they are resourceeconomically
produced and
kept in a closed cycle. Krones
offers a solution for every step
involved in the process. From material-minimised
packaging design and energy-economical
container production all the way
through to the recycling of used plastics.
The aim is to achieve a sustainable beverage
factory with a closed PET cycle – a vision
that’s now within our reach. Because
all the building blocks needed are already
included in the Krones Group’s portfolio.
For producing the preforms, every tenth
of a second in cycle time and every tenth of
a gram in weight are vital. There are plenty
of potential savings. In order to use them,
there are two preconditions: firstly, comprehensive
knowledge of the properties and
behaviour of the various preform materials;
and secondly an in-depth understanding of
the production processes involved – both
during injection-moulding of the preforms
and also when identifying the salient parameters
for the stretch blow-moulding
function. Based on its innovative hot-channel
technology developed in-house, the
Krones subsidiary MHT offers a sophisticated
high-performance injection-moulding
tool that even with a flakes content of
over 70 per cent rPET achieves superlative
results. In addition, it excels in term of particularly
homogeneous temperature control
of the melt, and natural balancing.
For the further path of the preform to a
saleable product, Krones’ portfolio includes
an entire bandwidth of technical solutions.
With the Contiform stretch blow-moulding
machines, preforms with a recyclate
content of 100 per cent can be handled
without any problems at very low energy
14 · April 2020 ¦ international-dairy.com
From the preform, then low-energy container production and packaging design,
all the way through to the recycling of used plastics – Krones offers a solution for
every step of the process. (photo: Markus Vogel, Krones AG)
and compressed-air consumption: Also at
high speed. With the Contiform 3 Speed up
to 2,750 bottles per cavity and hour can be
produced. This version even undercuts by up
to 15 per cent the in any case already very
low energy and compressed-air consumption
of the Contiform 3 Pro.
After the bottles have been filled, they
can be innovatively closed using Flip Lid. This
closure has been jointly developed by Krones
and Aptar. It connects the lid to the bottle,
thus preventing plastic waste from entering
the natural environment. Commercial availability
of Flip Lid is planned as from 2020.
For container decoration, Krones supplies
the DecoType Select direct printing
system, which offers high colour brilliance
on both virgin and rPETt. The resource cycle
is not interrupted, since the American Association
of Plastic Recyclers has confirmed
that the ink involved can be removed in its
entirety.
In order to combine eco-friendliness
with cost-efficiency for the packaging of
beverage bottles, Krones has expanded
its enviro sustainability programme to include
enviro Design. This means that in
future packaging solutions will be scrutinised
for their environmental impact,
such as greenhouse gas emissions or preserving
the eco-system. One of the solutions,
for example, is the LitePac packaging
option.
In the shape of LitePac, Krones has created
a secondary package that consumes
up to 90 per cent less energy in the production
process and even 70 per cent less
waste than shrink-packs.
In order to close the cycle, Krones offers
in the shape of MetaPure recovery systems
that recycle containers made of PET to
make food-grade PET and upcycle polyolefins
for higher-quality re-use than hitherto.
krones.com