Challenge

Sidel and Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) have a long history of partnership, collaborating for over 30 years on various equipment, packaging development, and support services projects. CCEP faced technical challenges in implementing the attached cap technology and introducing a lighter neck design, which required the selection of appropriate preforms, caps, and equipment configurations to modify all existing PET packaging lines across Europe. To solve these issues, CCEP turned to Sidel for help with their conversion project, aiming to implement a new 1g lighter neck and attached cap. Sidel за допомогою у своєму проєкті конверсії, щоб досягти своєї основної мети – впровадження нової на 1 г легшої горловини та прикріпленої кришки.

Solutions

The pre-planning phase was crucial to the success of this large-scale conversion project. To test the new cap attachment and lighter GME30.40 neck, pilot tests were conducted on a retrofitted Sidel line in Barcelona. Close collaboration between Sidel and CCEP during the line testing enabled the evaluation of equipment efficiency, quality requirements, and consumer perception. Sidel also combined the line conversion with major maintenance, while CCEP ensured technical service for optimal product implementation and maximum productivity. After successful pilot tests, Sidel retrofitted CCEP's lines at factories across Europe, adapting equipment and configurations to work with attached caps and new neck designs. Each plant required specific adjustments based on Sidel’s careful study of their unique machine configurations.

Result

Sidel successfully retrofitted one-third of CCEP's European PET bottle filling lines, with the conversion of all lines planned for completion by the end of Q1 2024. The joint effort between CCEP and Sidel was a key factor in the success of the project, and CCEP launched the first bottles in the UK in May 2022. CCEP was one of the first to switch to attached caps in the carbonated beverage market, retrofitting its numerous lines across the EU. The first conversion took place in April 2022 in East Kilbride, Scotland, for the production of 1.5L bottles from CCEP, followed by the retrofitting of the second line for single-use bottles by the end of 2022.

"Most of the retrofitted lines met the performance goals.. We are fully satisfied with the preparation, including equipment condition assessments, pilot tests, and excellent collaboration that allowed the successful implementation of this project."“

Gert Marse
Technical Packaging Lead в Coca-Cola Europacific Partners

Технологія прикріплених кришок

Ukrainian beverage companies should also pay attention to the EU legislative requirements, as the European Parliament Directive 2019/904will come into effect in July 2024. A key requirement for PET packaging is the use of attached caps. For more detailed information, contact the sales engineers at STEINER Ukraine the authorized partner of Sidel in Ukraine – at +380 44 390 73 38 or simply reach out via messenger.