Carbonated beverages

Complete bottling lines for carbonated soft drinks

Bottling lines for carbonated beverages feature high levels of variability, in terms of the types of product handled, bottle shapes, filling methods and production requirements.

"Different products, one line"

The best solution is to design a filling line that guarantees high levels of flexibility: our most recent innovations in the blowing systems, filling monoblocs and product preparation solutions all have this in mind, so that different products can be handled on the same line and with very short size changeover times

"High reduction of running costs and waste "

Great care has been taken to create a product preparation range that guarantees high standards of finished product quality and to the design of modular lines, allowing the widest possible range of secondary packaging requirements to be met.

Furthermore, there is a great commitment to find innovative solutions for all applications of the line to meet the growing need to minimize product waste, increasing the profitability of the plant. For example, the XFILL configuration (direct integration between mixer and filler which eliminates the need for a central tank) reduces the product wasted for snifting and flavour change, optimizing CO2 consumption.

The great variability in this sector also relates to continually and ever more rapidly changing trends, which derive from expectations and consumer habits of end customers and, in certain cases, from changes in regulations.
An example of this is the increase in demand for healthier, more natural products, which has translated into a re-eduction in the use of preservatives or a search for alternative sweeteners (for example stevia). Sipa has introduced innovations to the range that, for example, allow filling of even high-foam, preservative-free carbonated beverages at temperatures of up to 20°C, thanks to high levels of control in the filling environment using micro-isolator technology and to the tank-free configuration of the filling units integrated with the mixer.

The ability to guarantee operating flexibility, high productivity and reduced consumptions all play a key role in satisfying the needs of a continually changing sector that is subject to more and more aggressive marketing policies.

Products

We are able to prepare and manage any type of carbonated beverage present on the market, both clear and with pulps or fibres, with an extensive range of carbonation levels (from 2 vol. to 4.5 vol. of CO2).
It is very important to optimise the manufacturing process of a CSD bottle (preform project – process) to reach physical-mechanical characteristics required by the product. PET is one of the preferred packaging materials, it is transparent, light, unbreakable and can easily be customised into a wide variety of shapes. It offers a good barrier to gas, namely to carbon dioxide.

"Reduction of foaming"

Packaging requirements

High mechanical performance

Base optimised for resistance to stress cracking

Good resistance to internal pressure

CO2 barrier

The two major requirements of a container for carbonated soft drinks are its capacity to maintain the CO2 content inside the product for as long as possible, and to resist bottle expansion due to internal pressure. It is therefore very important to optimise the manufacturing process of a CSD bottle (preform project – process) to reach physical-mechanical characteristics required by the product.

In synthesis, the most relevant requirements of a soft drink container are:

Preserve CO2 levels inside the packaging. This is important especially for small size containers.
Reduced bottle expansion due to internal pressure (Shape keeping).
Containers must pass burst and drop tests.
Shape and bottom designed to resist high internal pressure (creep and burst resistance).
Reduce bottle weight while assuring bottle stability

MATERIAL:

PET, recycled and reground PET, Barrier PET, bio-based materials like PEF

BARRIER CONTAINERS:

in order to prolong the product's shelf life, containers can be produced with different types of barriers. The bottles can be produced with the addition of barrier agents blended with the resin (nylon MXD6, EVOH, oxygen scavengers), with the production of multilayer containers (PET+EVOH or PET + Nylon)