SIPA's Research & Development team has engineered a groundbreaking large-format PET mineral water bottle that offers significant cost savings and environmental benefits. This innovative 8-liter bottle features a 38-mm neck, identical to the 5-liter version. This design streamlines production processes, enabling swift transitions between the two sizes and minimizing downtime.
Traditionally, large bottle manufacturers have utilized wider necks for 8-liter formats (typically 48 mm, also used for 10-liter bottles). This necessitates changing both the bottle body mold and the neck mold during format switches, resulting in increased production time. SIPA's novel approach eliminates this issue by utilizing a 38-mm neck for both 5-liter and 8-liter bottles.
This design offers several advantages:
Reduced Preform Weight: 38-mm neck preforms are approximately 6 grams lighter than their 48-mm counterparts, resulting in lower material costs.
Increased Preform Availability: 38-mm neck preforms are more readily available in the market.
Simplified Cap Sourcing: Caps for 38-mm necks are easier to procure.
Increased Preform Availability: 38-mm neck preforms are more readily available in the market.
Simplified Cap Sourcing: Caps for 38-mm necks are easier to procure.
Furthermore, SIPA's design team has incorporated an aesthetically pleasing and functional wave pattern into the 8-liter bottle. This pattern optimizes the preform stretch ratio, enhancing the bottle's top load and side load resistance—critical factors for large-format containers.
This intricate design was realized through the adaptability of SIPA's SFL linear stretch-blow molding platform. The SFL Dynamic 2H can produce up to 1100 bottles per hour per cavity, and other models like the SFL Performance 3H, SFL Big 4, and SFL Maxi 3 are also compatible with these bottle sizes.