Sidel claims ‘firsts’ with triangular PET bottle design

Related tags Bottle Water

Sidel claims to have created the first triangular PET bottle for the water market

Sidel says it has created the first triangular PET bottle for the water market, and the only mineral water bottle without a label, where product information is engraved in to the mold.

Created for French firm Société des Eaux d'Aix-les-Bains’ (SEAB’s) still water product in France, the bottle is intended for the French hospitality sector, which Sidel said accounts for 12% of mineral water bottles, where it is traditionally served in glass bottles and carafes.

As a premium package, Sidel said the bottle allowed SEAB – which draws water with magnesium and calcium – from two Alpine springs – to provide a point of difference, and suggest quality and purity.

Main technical challenge

Minimalist aesthetics were also important, since SEAB wishes to overcome the custom (within hotels and restaurants) of using only glass containers, and Sidel described the proportion of the height of the bottle to the area of the base as the main technical challenge.

"The bottom of the bottle is extremely small compared to its body. So we needed to stabilize the bottle on this confined area," Sébastien Sergues, packaging & tooling sales manager at Sidel said.

Sidel said it worked with SEAB to convert an existing production line – operational in October 2012 – by adapting certain package-dependent parts to accommodate new shapes and sizes.

This means the line can now blow mold, fill and cap 25,000 bottles/hour in a single integrated system that now handles two different products: standard commercial mineral water in 500ml, 1l, 1.5l and 2l sizes and the new 750ml triangular format for the premium catering sector.

Philippe Germaneau, SEAB general manager, said his firm wanted to promote the Aix-les-Bains brand image by developing different and innovative products for the hospitality sector.

SEAB aims to expand within the catering sector and focus on winning foreign business in Asia and South America, and has partnered French sprinter Christophe Lemaitre to expand internationally.