Head, shoulders way to go for lighter bottling, says Relco
Relco says it is currently seeking global manufacturing partners to provide its latest innovation in inductionfoil sealing, which it claims, in certain cases, can reduce bottle weight by up to twenty per cent solely from redesigning packaging from the shoulder up.
Group spokesperson Mark Gill told BeverageDaily.com that while the bottle design could be amended for manufacturers to replace a screw-on closure with a slip on low-density polyethylene (LDPE) alternative.
Gill added that in devising the concept, the company looked at a variety of PET bottle designs and weighed them after removing the screw caps to review how significant a factor they can be in the weight of a pack.
According to the company, slip-on bottle closures have already been used in the UK dairy segment, with Relco now keen on working with drink makers for the potential weight benefits of installing such systems.
Shelf life
Gill said that the replacement of screw caps system with spring over resealable lids does mean that the barrier properties of the closures may not be as strong once the primary foil seal had been removed.
However, he said that for single shot beverages or other beverages not designed for longer-term storage, the new design was well suited.
“The innovation is not suitable for every bottle, though can have benefits for certain types of product,” he said.
While the manufacturer has focused particularly on removing the thread section of conventional bottle necks require for screw on caps, it added that future focuses on reducing material content in the walls of the closure was also possible.
Gill claimed that in devising the new solutions, manufacturers are not constrained in having to use the slip-on lower density caps, and can combine the hermetic sealing with screw on altewrnatives if preferred.
PET focus
Relco said that the modified caps and shoulder designs, were currently being touted for use in PET packs, though stressed that the innovation could be used for a number of packaging materials.
Gill said that PET had been selected as a focus for light weighting due in part to its popularity among beverage manufacturers, though stressed that there was no reason it could not be adapted to stretch moulded recycled materials.
Adaptability
In terms of adapting the Relco closures, the manufacturer claims that in certain cases, it can work with processors to integrate the sealing system into existing production lines with other filler and cappers.
The company said that this may be more difficult for much higher speed lines though.
